1. Improving Communication Climates
CHAPTER TOPICS
Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Defensiveness: Causes and Remedies
Saving Face

2. Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Refers to the emotional tone of a relationship
Levels of Message Confirmation
Confirming communication
Describes messages that convey valuing
Disconfirming Communication
Describes messages that show a lack of regard

3. Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Disconfirming Messages
Impervious Responses
Doesn’t acknowledge the other person’s message
Interrupting
Beginning to speak before the other person has finished
Irrelevant Responses
A comment unrelated to what the other person has just said

4. Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Disconfirming Messages
Tangential Responses
Impersonal Responses
Ambiguous Responses
Incongruous Responses
Contains two messages that deny or contradict each other
See page 314.

5. Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Disagreeing Messages
Aggressiveness
Complaining
Argumentativeness

6. Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Recognition
Acknowledgement
Endorsement

7. Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
How Communication Climates Develop
When two people start to communicate, a relational climate begins to develop
Verbal and nonverbal communication can be climate-shaping
After a climate is formed, it can take on a life of its own and become a self-perpetuating spiral

8. Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Spirals
A reciprocating communication pattern in which each person’s message reinforces the others
Escalatory conflict spirals
De-escalatory conflict spirals
Rarely go on indefinitely
Most relationships pass through cycles of progression and regression

9. Defensiveness: Causes and Remedies
Face-Threatening Acts
Messages that seem to challenge the image we want to project
Defensiveness becomes the process of protecting our presenting self, our face
Preventing Defensiveness in Others
Jack Gibb isolated six types of defense-arousing communication and six contrasting behaviors

10. Defensiveness: Causes and Remedies
The Gibb Categories of Defensive and Supportive Behaviors
Defensive Behaviors
Supportive Behaviors
1. Evaluation
1. Description
2. Control
2. Problem Orientation
3. Strategy
3. Spontaneity
4. Neutrality
4. Empathy
5. Superiority
5. Equality
6. Certainty
6. Provisionalism
Table 10.3

11. Defensiveness: Causes and Remedies
Gibb Categories
Evaluation versus Description
Control versus Problem Orientation
Strategy versus Spontaneity
Neutrality versus Empathy
Superiority versus Equality
Certainty versus Provisionalism

12. Saving Face The Assertive Message Format
The five parts of the assertive message
Behavior
Interpretation
Feeling
Consequence
Intention

13. Saving Face The Assertive Message Format Behavior
Describes the raw material to which you react
Description should be objective

14. Saving Face The Assertive Message Format Interpretation
Describes the meaning you’ve attached to the other person’s behavior
Important to realize is that interpretations are subjective
Problems occur when sender fails to describe behavior on which interpretation is based

15. Saving Face The Assertive Message Format Feeling
Adds a new dimension to a message
Some statements seem as if they’re expressing feeling but are actually expressing interpretations or statements of intention

16. Saving Face The Assertive Message Format Consequence Valuable
Explains what happens as a result of the situation you’ve described
What happens to you, the speaker
What happens to the person you’re addressing
What happens to others
Valuable
Help you understand more clearly
Can be sure you or your message leaves nothing to listener’s imagination

17. Saving Face The Assertive Message Format Intention
Can communicate three kinds of messages
Where you stand on an issue
Requests of others
Descriptions of how you plan to act in the future

18. Saving Face Using the Assertive Message Format
The elements may be delivered in mixed order
Word the message to suit your personal style
When appropriate, combine two elements in a single phrase
Take your time delivering the message

19. Saving Face Responding Nondefensively to Criticism
Seek more information
Ask for specifics
Guess about specifics
Paraphrase the speaker’s ideas
Ask what the critic wants
Ask about the consequences of your behavior
Ask what else is wrong
Acitivity on page Do as a class in groups or as a class discussion.

20. Saving Face Responding Nondefensively to Criticism
Agree with the critic
Agree with the facts
Agree with the critic's perception

21. Chapter Review Communication Climate and Confirming Messages
Defensiveness: Causes and Remedies
Saving Face