Syllabus

Nonverbal Communication

Spring 2010 Syllabus

General Inform= ation

Professor: Dr.= Robert Gass

Office: Colleg= e Park 420-5 (4^th floor)

Phone: 657 278 3269

Office hours: = Tues/Thur 10-11:15 am, 2:30-3:45 pm, or at other times by prior appointment.

Email: mailto:rgass@fullerton.edu

Website: http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/rgass

Required Text<= o:p>

Knapp, M. L., & Hall, J. A. (2006). Nonverbal communication in human interaction (6th ed.= ).

Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Aims and Objec= tives

Nonverbal communication is an integral part of human interaction. = The ability to encode and decode nonverbal cues is an important aspect of communication competence. A primary goal of this course is to increase your= knowledge, awareness, and understanding of the role of nonverbal communica= tion. A secondary goal is for you to become more mindful of, and improve your own nonverbal communication skills. This includes improving your ability to interpret others’ nonverbal cues and develop your own nonverbal skil= ls when communicating with others.

Learning Goals=

1. To increase= your awareness of your own nonverbal behavior in a variety of communication contexts.

2. To increase= your awareness of others’ nonverbal behavior, including members of other cultures and subcultures.

3. To gain an understanding of nonverbal codes and their effects on managing interaction, forming impressions, developing and maintaining relationships, and engagin= g in social influence.

4. To understa= nd current theories, principles, and research findings examining the role of nonverbal communication in the total communication process.

5. To understa= nd principles and processes related to different nonverbal codes (eye contact, gesture and movement, touch, proximity, etc.)

6. To understa= nd social norms governing nonverbal behavior and the consequences of violating those norms.

Learning Outco= mes

1. Assessment:= To assess your own nonverbal communication, using informal observations and standardized measures, and identify specific areas for improvement.

2. Application= : To apply theories and concepts in analyzing nonverbal communication in a vari= ety of contexts.

3. Emotional expressivity: To improve your own nonverbal encoding, such as the ability = to convey emotions and feelings appropriately and effectively.

4. Emotional Sensitivity: To improve your skill in nonverbal decoding, such as being empathetic and sensitive to others’ emotional cues.

5. Nonverbal i= mmediacy: To improve your skill in conveying nonverbal immediacy, or warm, involving, affiliative behaviors.

6. To adapt yo= ur nonverbal communication appropriately based on the communication context a= nd the nature of the relationship.

7. To recognize reliable and unreliable nonverbal correlates of deception.

Assignments &a= mp; Requirements

Paper 1: Nonverbal Self Assessment: Select a specific aspect of your nonverbal communication about which you are largely unaware. Use obse= rver reports (behavioral observation or video) to examine your nonverbal behavi= or. In addition, select a standardized scale for measuring the type of nonverb= al communication you wish to improve. Complete the scale, calculate your scor= e, and identify your strengths and weaknesses. (3-6 pages, 10% of course grad= e).

Paper 2: Nonverbal Communication in the Popular Press: Locate = at least one article in the “popular press” in the last three yea= rs that focuses on some aspect of nonverbal communication. Identify specific claims, generalizations, or underlying assumptions about nonverbal communication made in the article. For example, look for claims about what nonverbal cues mean or how they should be interpreted. Examine original research from scholarly journal articles to confirm or disconfirm t= he claims or assumptions made in the article. Do scholarly studies support th= e conclusions offered in the popular press? (4-6 pages, 10% of course grade)

Midterm exam: = ; = An objective test (multiple-choice) covering material presented during the fi= rst half of the semester. The exam will include all material presented in clas= s and in the assigned readings. (25% of course grade).

Scholarly study presentation: Each student will select a publi= shed article, from an approved list, on a specific aspect of nonverbal communication. The student will prepare an 8-10 minute class presentation = on the article. The presentation should be accompanied by a 1-2 page handout = for class members summarizing key features of the article (10% of course grade= ).

Group experiment and presentation: Each group of 4-5 students = will design an informal experiment examining a specific aspect of nonverbal communication. For example, a group might want to investigate the effects = on nonverbal norm violations on others’ behavior. Or, a group might see= k to compare the effects of different types of attire on bystanders’ help= ing behavior. All experiments must be cleared with the instructor beforehand. = The experiment should be conducted in a real-world setting and exercise reason= able control over confounding variables. Group members will make a 20-30 minute presentation explaining their experiment and discussing their results. (6-= 10 pages, 20% of course grade)

Final exam: An objective test (multiple-choice) covering mater= ial presented during the second half of the semester. The exam will include all material presented in class and in the assigned readings. (25% of course grade).

Writing Style

Yo= ur papers should demonstrate upper division writing skills. Your writing shou= ld display your critical thinking ability; your ability to understand theorie= s, grasp concepts, discover interrelationships, and gene= rate your own insights. You should write clearly and succinctly and proofread y= our paper carefully for grammatical and syntactical errors. The format of your paper should conform to the guidelines set forth in the A.P.A. style manua= l, 5^th edition.

Attendance and Participation<= /span>

Yo= u are responsible for contributing to one another’s learning through your individual and group presentations. In class, you should be prepared to as= k and answer questions and engage in meaningful discussions. If you aren’t= in class, you cannot assist in other students’ learning. You may miss a maximum of four class meetings without penalty. Late arrivals and e= arly departures also count as absences. Additional absences will result in a one letter-grade reduction in your course grade, per absence. Absences do n= ot excuse you from assignments that are due on the date of an absence. Your d= egree of participation and enthusiasm in class discussions, exercises, and homew= ork assignments will be taken into account if you are between grades at semester’s end.

Late Assignments and Make-Up Exams

Cl= ass presentations cannot be made up. You must be ready to present on the day y= ou are scheduled. Make-up exams will be given only if a serious, compelling, = and verifiable cause (such as an acute medical emergency) can be demonstrated, and the st= udent has made every reasonable effort to contact the instructor beforehand. Mak= e-up exams will not be given for reasons such as car trouble, work sched= uling conflicts, family or relationship crises, or non-school related travel pla= ns. All assignments will be announced sufficiently in advance to allow for tho= rough preparation and timely completion. All assignments should be submitted in class, on their scheduled due dates. Assignments that are submitted one cl= ass meeting late will be docked one letter grade. Assignments that are submitt= ed two class meetings late will be accepted for half-credit. Assignments will= not be accepted two class meetings beyond their due date.

Grading System

You will receive a letter grad= e on all assignments. Plus and minus grades will be= given on individual assignments. Letter grades correspond to a “4.0” point scale

A	B	C	D	F
4.0 =3D A	3.3 =3D B+	2.3 =3D C+	1.3 =3D D+	.6 or less =3D F
3.7 =3D A-	3.0 =3D B	2.0 =3D C	1.0 =3D D
	2.7 =3D B-	1.7 =3D C-	.7 =3D D-

Your overall semester grade is based on the combined, weighted letter grades you receive on all assignmen= ts. For example, if you received a “B” (3.0) on a test that was wo= rth 25% of your course grade, the weighted value would be 3.0 X .25 =3D .75. A= grade of “C+" (2.3 on a paper that was worth 10% of your grade) would= be: 2.3 X .10 =3D .23.

Academic Integrity Policy

The department is committed to the highest standards of ethical conduct and academic excellence. Any student found guilty of plagiarism, fabrication, cheating on exams, purchasing or downloading papers or other assignments w= ill receive a failing grade in the course (see University catalog statement on academic misconduct). A complete reference must be provided wheneve= r you refer to the words, ideas, statistics or other information provided by an author. All direct quotations must be in quotation marks with a page number (for Websites, the paragraph number). Failure to do so constitutes an act = of plagiarism.

Students with Special Needs

I’m happy to make reasonable accommodations for any student with special needs. A student making such a request should inform me during the first week of classes about any disabi= lity or special need that may require specif= ic arrangements/accommodations related to attending class sessions, completing course assignments, writing papers or quizzes/tests/examinations. Please n= ote that for special arrangements to be made, a student with disabilities must register with the Office of Disabled Student Services (DSS), located in UH= -101 and at (714-278-3112).=

Emergency Info= rmation

See the li= nk below to access information on what to do in the event of a campus emergen= cy

h= ttp://www.fullerton.edu/emergencypreparedness/ep_students.html

Emergency calls: dial 911

Non-emerge= ncy calls: (657) 278-2515

24 Hr. rec= orded emergency information: (657) 278-0911, (657) 278-4444

&nbs= p;