COMM 330: Communication and Interpersonal Behavior – FALL 2003

Revised Jan 01 2012
COMM 330: Communication and Interpersonal WINTER 2012
Instructor: Dr. Scott Caplan Office: 246 Pearson Hall
Email: caplan@udel.edu (BEST way to reach me)
Office Hours by Appointment
COURSE website is on Sakai: http://sakai.udel.edu
Dept of Communication Homepage: http://www.udel.edu/communication
Course Objectives
Course introduces students to the area of interpersonal communication. Students will gain knowledge about basic theories of interpersonal
communication and will learn to apply interpersonal communication theories and research to real-world contexts.
Course Readings:
1. Close Encounters 3rd nd Edition.. Guerrero, Anderson, and Afifi (noted on reading schedule as GAA)
2. Interpersonal Communication 6 th edition Trenholm and Jensen (noted as TJ on reading schedule)
3. OPTIONAL: Course powerpoint slide/lecture note packet (available at UD Bookstore).
Course Grading & Tentative Exam Schedule(Note: subject to changes announced in class)
Your grades in this course are based upon your performance on TWO exams and participation/attendance. There will not be any curve, so make
sure that you are performing at a level that will enable you to earn the grade that you want
Exams
Material on the exam will be drawn from class lecture, class activities (videos, demonstrations, etc.) and reading assignments. There will be no
make-up exams except in the case of an extreme and serious emergency (e.g., death in family, hospitalization of student). In order to make
up a missed exam due to a serious emergency, students must contact their Dean’s office in order to have that office notify the appropriate
professors. In other cases, students must receive permission ahead of time from the instructor to take a make up exam. If the situation is not a
seriously emergency, permission must be obtained from professor at least one week ahead of time. Students who wait until the last minute
or until after missing the exam will not be permitted to makeup an exam. Students who do not have an emergency or who do not obtain
permission to miss the exam ahead of time will automatically receive a zero (0) on that missed exam. Exams will not be scheduled on religious
holidays. If an exam conflicts with your religious practices, you may make it up if you let the instructor know in advance.
Participation Grade & Attendance Policy
Please be prepared to ask questions, answer questions, and be involved in in-class activities related to the readings. Participation will count as
5% of your final grade. Participation grade will be based on a)attendance and being on time to class and b) how well the student ACTIVELY
ENGAGES in class discussion of the assignments. Attendance is mandatory for all class meetings. Students must be in class at the
scheduled start time. Cellphones and computers use are not allowed in this class.
Students will receive significant participation grade pentalties for the following:
Not being an active participant in class discussion
Unexcused absences
Being late to class
Using phones or computers
Final Course Grade :The final grades will be based on the following scale:
A 92-100 B 82-87 C 72-77 D 62-67
A- 90-91 B- 80-81 C- 70-71 D- 60-61
B+ 88-89 C+ 78-79 D+ 68-69 F 0-59
Percentage of
GRADED ASSIGNMENT LIST
Final Grade
Exam 1 JANUARY 20 50%
Exam 2: FEBRUARY 3 45%
Participation Grade 5%
Academic Dishonesty
WITHOUT EXCEPTION, ANY form of cheating or academic dishonesty WILL result in a failing grade for the assignment, a failing grade for
the course, and a formal referral to the appropriate University administrative offices. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to:
handing in plagiarized work, misrepresenting others’ work as your own, falsifying an information related to class business. All students enrolled
in this class must read the Student Code of Conduct for the official University policy on academic dishonesty. See: http://www.udel.edu/stuguide/

WINTER 2011 Course Outline& Readings for Each Exam
* This schedule is subject to change, I will announce any changes in class
KEY: TJ = Trenholm & Jensen Text
GAA= Guererro, Andersen & Afifi Text
Topics & Readings for Exam 1
1. Introduction: Basic Structures & Meaning Making
TJ Ch 1 Intro
GAA Ch1 Intro
2. Verbal Communication & Language
TJ CH 4 Verbal
3. Intercultural Communication
TJ pp 373-377 Culture
4. Codes: Nonverbal
TJ Ch 3
GAA: 129-130 “Nonverbal Affection”
GAA 271-274 “Nonverbal Positions of Power
5. Tools For Living: Deception
GAA 315-319 (Deception)
6. Self & Others: Identity & Self Presentation
GAA: Chapter 2 (Identity/face/politeness)
TJ: Chapter 7 (Role Competence)
Topics & Readings for Exam 2
7. Self & Others: Parent Child Communication
TJ Ch 5
GAA 320-321 (Hurtful Messages)
GAA 275=277 (Power and infuence in families.)
8. Attachment Theory
GAA pp. 166-177
9. Uncertainty Reduction
GAA pp. 75-89
10. Attraction & Developing Intimacy
GAA CH 3 (Attraction)
GAA 104-115 (Initiating)
12. Conflict & The End of Intimacy
GAA 357-378
GAA 346-351 (Conflict Patterns – Gottman’s Divorce Research)
TJ 322-327(Ending Relationships)