Chapter 1: Basic Principles and Communication

Basic Principles of Human Behavior First-day morgue syndrome – When people become nervous, they freeze up and act like they are dead. Fears – Many people are concerned that they will say or do the wrong thing in social situations. Double standards – People expect others to understand their inconsistent behavior, but feel that everyone else should be consistent.

Basic Principles of Human Behavior (cont.) Paradox – People often engage in behaviors that lead to undesirable responses. They repeat the behaviors and act surprised by the undesirable response that follows. Positive double bind – If you want to do something, you often don’t need to. If you don’t want to do something, you probably need to. Risk taking – The more risk you take, the greater your return in many situations. There is, however, a risk of vulnerability by taking too much risk.

Basic Principles of Human Behavior Observing yourself – Explore your reactions to new experiences without judgment . The ninety-percent rule – People can only be right 90% of the time on 90% of topics for 90% of the people. Playing the devil’s advocate – Spending time focusing on the 10% of the concepts that do not fit into the 90% rule Choice and balance – The more you vary your responses to match the situation (choice), the more likely you will be in balance.

Communication Elements of communication 1. Reasons for communicating – Learn, play, be helpful, persuade, influence 2. The process of communication – Encoding and decoding messages 3. How to be a good communicator – The meaning of any communication is the response you get.

Nonverbal Communication Messages that are transmitted between people by methods other than words Paralanguage – Speed, pitch, volume, rhythm, and inflection of the voice that can contain additional information and meaning Body language – Facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, touching Space and distance – Intimate distance, personal distance, social distance, public distance

Gender and Communication Gender – Roles, behaviors, and attitudes that come to be expected of persons based on their biological sex Rapport talk vs. Report talk Women in Western cultures tend to use rapport talk, which involves using conversation for closeness and intimacy. Men tend to use report talk to convey information and exhibit dominance.

Self-Talk and Communication 1. Stimulus event 2. Self-talk about the event 3. Consequences exhibited in feelings and actions Affirmations – Positive thoughts in the present tense that often begin with “I am”

Shyness and Communication Shyness – Anxiety reaction in social situations, a failure of confidence, and extreme discomfort when interacting with others Shyness affects the ability to communicate effectively Henderson and Zimbardo (2011) found that nearly 50% of people report shyness causing a problem in their lives Shyness includes reluctance to experience new situations, unassertiveness, limited ability to show personal strengths, and preoccupation with self

Assertiveness and Communication Assertive behavior – Expression of one’s rights and feelings in a direct manner without violating the rights of others (Duffy & Atwater, 2011) Passive behavior – Not sharing ideas, thoughts, or feelings when it would be beneficial to do so Aggressive behavior – Expressing feelings through insults, sarcasm, labels, put-downs, or hostility

Assertiveness and Communication (cont.)

Electronic Communication Social networking – Anonymity may foster the ability to make connections and maintain long distance relationships. Anonymity may also be used to post hurtful comments on social networking websites. Multitasking – Research shows people get more accomplished with a higher quality of work when they focus on one task at a time.

Diversity, Gender, and Multiculturalism Race – Category of people who are perceived as physically distinctive on the basis of certain traits. These can include skin color, hair texture, and facial features Ethnicity – Consciousness of cultural heritage shared with other people Assimilation – The process of giving up old customs in order to blend into a new culture Pluralism – Process through which cultural differences are acknowledged and preserved

Developing Diversity Consciousness Examine yourself and your world Expand your knowledge of others and their world Step outside yourself Gauge the level of the playing field Check up on yourself Follow through on new behavior

Diversity Barriers 1. Limited perceptions – If we believe certain people will act a certain way, we may only notice behaviors that support those beliefs 2. Ethnocentrism – Assumption that one’s own way of thinking is superior to others 3. Stereotypes – Generalizations about “typical” characteristics of members in particular groups 4. Prejudice – Irrational attitude based on limited and insufficient knowledge 5. Prejudice plus power – When people in power show prejudice, the consequences can be severe

Developing Diversity Skills Flexible thinking Ability to maintain pride in one’s background and culture Ability to network and learn from everyone and anyone Ability to deal effectively with barriers

Chapter 1: Big Ideas There are basic psychological principles that if understood and applied will affect your ability to communicate effectively, improve your ability to get along with others, make you more productive, and give you a greater chance for happiness. Paying attention to how you communicate with yourself (self-talk) is important for overcoming fears, addressing shyness, and becoming more assertive. The greater number of behavioral choices you have, the more able you will be to accomplish what you want and live a satisfying, healthy, balanced life.

Chapter 1: Big Ideas (cont.) Self-examination is extremely useful and everyone can benefit from it in order to increase satisfaction in life. Electronic communication has some positive aspects, but research also shows that there are things we need to be careful of. One of these is the inability of humans to multitask well.