Relational Communication

Unit Outcome: Apply theories of interpersonal communication to diverse contexts. 

Our culture is fascinated with relationships. Why are soap operas, shows like the Bachelor, and romantic comedies so popular? Why do we care if Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are engaged or not? Why is People magazine in the top 10 best selling magazines?

In this unit, we won’t actually be discussing celebrity gossip, but rather concepts related to WHY we form relationships, what makes them succeed, red flags that can lead to dissolution, and healthy strategies for handling conflict. Many students have said that the concepts learned in this unit have helped them to re-examine their own interpersonal relationships.

Unit readings, lectures and assignments are in the folders below. Please complete these in order. Don’t be overwhelmed. I broke this unit up into smaller chunks, so there are more lecture videos, but they are shorter. 

At the end of this unit, you will be able to:

• Define interpersonal communication from the situational and developmental perspective
• Explain and apply the major theories of interpersonal communication
• Explain the role of self disclosure and its role in relationship development