SPCH 100: Interpersonal Communication

Citrus College Course Outline of Record

Citrus College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Fall 2024
Credits: 3
Total Contact Hours: 54
Lecture Hours : 54
Lab Hours: 0
Hours Arranged: 0
Outside of Class Hours: 108
Total Student Learning Hours: 162
Strongly Recommended: ENGL 101.
District General Education: A2. Communication & Analytical Thinking
Transferable to CSU: Yes
Transferable to UC: Yes - Approved
Grading Method: Standard Letter

Catalog Course Description

This course provides students with an understanding of how to enhance communication through exploring the dynamics of interpersonal communication that influence everyday interactions such as nonverbal cues, language, perception, culture, listening, self-concept, emotions, and personal well-being. Students will learn about common problems in relational communication and strategies for effective conflict management. This course will provide students with an understanding of the rhetoric involved in interpersonal communication, the psychological basis, and the social significance of communication, including how communication operates in various situations (friendship, family, intimate, and workplace relationships). Throughout the course, students are expected to speak their own words, not recite words written by others. This course includes faculty-supervised, faculty-evaluated oral presentations in the presence of others (physically or virtually). 54 lecture hours.

Course Objectives

  • Understand important elements from the process of communication when analyzing communication exchanges between individuals both as senders and receivers of messages.
  • Analyze uses of verbal symbols, nonverbal cues, message structure, and language in oral communication presentation.
  • Describe the effects of communication on interpersonal relationships and social and cultural realities in an oral communication presentation.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of ethical interpersonal communication founded on communication theory and research including listening and other individual skills and competencies of successful interpersonal communication through in class oral communication.
  • Diagnose conflict in interpersonal relationships and demonstrate appropriate conflict management strategies through in class oral communication and discussion.
  • Describe and apply effective oral communication and rhetorical strategies when responding to conflict and challenging communication situations.
  • Conduct scholarly research on a theory, concept, or model found in interpersonal communication and present findings in oral communication. presentation
  • Demonstrate understanding of the importance of effective rhetorical communication practices in interpersonal communication.
  • Demonstrate understanding of what it means to be a competent communicator through oral communication presentation.
  • Demonstrate understanding of the psychological basis and the social significance of communication, including how communication operates in various situations.
  • Explain how traditional rhetorical principles contribute to effective communication in social interaction.
  • Identify communication as the process of human symbolic interaction focusing on the communicative process from the rhetorical perspective in reasoning and advocacy.
  • Analyze the process of human symbolic interaction focusing on the communicative process from the rhetorical perspective in organization, accuracy, the discovery, critical evaluation and reporting of information.
  • Demonstrate communication as the process of human symbolic interaction focusing on the communicative process from the rhetorical perspective in reading and listening effectively as well as speaking and writing.
  • Demonstrate an ability to give effective oral communication presentations that are faculty-supervised, faculty-evaluated in the presence of others (physically or virtually).

Major Course Content

  1. Interpersonal Relationships
    1. What is Interpersonal Communication
    2. Psychological Basis and the Social Significance of Communication
    3. The Communication Process
    4. Principle of Communication
    5. Common Misconceptions of Interpersonal Communication
    6. Computer-Mediated Communication
    7. Characteristics of Interpersonal Communication
    8. Traditional Rhetoric as it Relates to Interpersonal Communication
  2. The Self
    1. The Impact of Self-Concept on Communication
    2. Presenting the Self and Impression Management
    3. Development of Self-Concept
    4. Characteristics of Identity Management
  3. Perception
    1. The Perception Process
    2. Influences on Perception
    3. The Accuracy and Inaccuracy of Perception
    4. Perception Checking to Prevent Misunderstandings
    5. Practicing Empathy
    6. Understanding How and Why Stereotypes are Formed and How to Avoid  Them
  4. Emotions
    1. Explaining the Importance of Healthy Emotional Expression
    2. Types of Emotions
    3. Influences of Emotional Expression
    4. Guidelines for Expressing Emotions
    5. Managing Difficult Emotions
  5. Language
    1. Nature of Language
    2. Impact of Language
    3. Uses and Abuses of Language
    4. Gender and Language
    5. Culture and Language
  6. Nonverbal Communication
    1. Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication
    2. Types of Nonverbal Communication
    3. Effective Use of Nonverbal Communication
    4. Culture and Nonverbal Communication
  7. Listening
    1. Elements of the Listening Process
    2. Types of Ineffective Listening
    3. Barriers to Effective Listening
    4. Mindful Listening and Empathic Listening
    5. Paraphrasing
  8. Relational Dynamics
    1. Stages of Relationships
    2. Why We Form Relationships
    3. Self-Disclosure in Relationships
  9. Improving Communication Climates
    1. Confirming and Disconfirming Climates
    2. Creating Supportive Climates
  10. Managing Conflict
    1. The Nature of Conflict
    2. Conflict Styles
    3. Assertiveness
    4. Avoiding Aggressive
    5. Constructive Conflict Management
  11. Culture and Interpersonal Communication
    1. Impact of Culture on Communication
    2. High-Context versus Low-Context Communication
    3. Communication Patterns
    4. Intercultural Communication Competence
  12. Effective Oral Communication Presentations
    1. Rhetorical Principles 
      1. The study of effective communication in formal speeches
      2. The study of effective communication and social interaction.
    2. How to Organize an Oral Presentation
    3. Conduct Scholarly Research
    4. Organize the Speech
    5. Traditional Rhetoric and Public Speaking
    6. Rhetorical Devices
    7. Effective Delivery
  13. Communication as the Process of Human Symbolic interaction
    1. Reasoning and Advocacy
    2. Organization and Accuracy
    3. Critical Evaluation and Reporting of Information
    4. Reading and Listening Effectively as well as Speaking and Writing.

Suggested Reading Other Than Required Textbook

Current peer reviewed research in the field of speech communication.

Examples of Required Writing Assignments

Critical analysis of the rhetorical impact of various communication devices, reflection essay on speech performance, research paper that focuses on a review of literature in the field of speech communication, detailed formal outline of oral presentation in APA format, critical thinking responses to course topics and discussion prompts.

Examples of Outside Assignments

Create, research, write and conduct an oral presentation in an area of interpersonal communication.
Interview professionals in various fields of interest to students in class

Instruction Type(s)

Lecture, Online Education Lecture

IGETC Area 1: English Communication

1C. Oral Communication