sey091

Here are two additional exercises that may prove useful in the discussion of power and interpersonal communication.  As I mentioned in the previous exercises in power post, these topics are covered in depth in Chapter 12 of The Interpersonal Communication Book, but are covered in different ways in other texts as well. So, they may be useful in just about any interpersonal communication or human communication course. Credibility Select a YouTube video of a person giving a talk, leading a meeting, advertising a product, or otherwise attempting to inform or persuade others and analyze the person’s credibility or believability by completing the following table. Dimensions of Credibility Verbal and Nonverbal Messages of Credibility Does the person appear competent, knowledgeable, and expert? (no) 1     2     3     4    5     6     7 (yes, very) What specific...

Here are two exercises that may prove useful in discussing power and interpersonal communication.  These topics are covered in depth in Chapter 12 of The Interpersonal Communication Book, but are covered in different ways in other texts as well. So, they may be useful in just about any interpersonal communication or human communication course. They cover "resisting power" and "types of power." Resisting Power In each of the following situations, pressure is being put on you to do something you really don’t want to do—at least not right now. You need to resist this pressure but not damage the relationship. For each situation, identify 2, 3, or 4 possible choices, and then indicate which choice you’d take and why. 1.        Your dating partner is pressuring you to make a commitment about moving in together but you’re just not ready now though you’d like to keep it open as an option in the future. 2.        Your parents, who ...

  Here’s an interesting study I found in the current issue of the Harvard Business Review (November 2013). It should prove useful in nonverbal communication but really in any course in which ethics, power, or environment are considered. In brief, the study explored the relationship between the size of one’s chair (which allows for body expansion or encourages contraction) and the tendency to engage in unethical behavior. For example, random selected participants were placed in large or small chairs. All the participants were purposely overpaid but 78% of those in expansive postures kept the extra overpayment while only 38% of those in contractive postures did. Well, there is much more to the study which you can read at http://www.andyjyap.com/#!reserach/cm8a -- the website of the lead author, Andy Yap. The HBR discussion, however, is also interesting because it’s a part of their feature, “Defend Your Research” and so there’s a brief 2-page interview with Yap in which he explains so...