Exam 9: Improving Communication Climates

What do people who act in accordance with Gibb's category of equality communicate?

An old friend waves at you from across the room. You turn away. What type of disconfirming response have you given?

Ganesh is a manager at a hospital. He needs to know everything that is going on with his staff, including where they are at all times. He reviews all of their client charts, he watches to make sure everyone exactly arrives on time and doesn't leave early, and he gives orders and never asks his staff for input. Which leadership styles does Ganesh have?

Which statement is the best supportive alternative to the evaluative accusation, "You just don't try hard enough"?

When faced with criticism, the two most common responses are a verbally aggressive counterattack or a request for clarification.

"You didn't call me to let me know you weren't coming anymore" is an example of a behavioural description.

Incongruous responses contain two messages that seem to deny or contradict each other.

An impervious response sends a disconfirming message because the other person is not responded to.

What two factors are consistently connected to supportive workplace environments?

Which of the following would a transformational leader do?

Since ambiguous responses leave your partner unsure of your position, they would likely be interpreted as disconfirming.

Karamjit arrives home with her new shelfing unit, but it needs to be put together. Just then, her friend arrives to visit. Karamjit states, "The assembly instructions are really confusing." Her friend relies, "I understand how you feel; let me try to figure it out." Which positive reciprocal communication pattern are they using?

The Gibb's categories define behaviours that improve or hurt the communication climate.

What function does defensiveness serve?

Which statement is an example of indicating where you stand on an issue?

What types of communication arouse and prevent defensiveness in others? Give a specific example from your personal experiences.

"When you have friends in the backyard late at night, it disturbs the neighbours. Mrs. Watkin was complaining to me that she couldn't sleep last night." What type of consequence statement is this an example of?

Crystal asks her roommate if she'll help her go through her closet to see what needs to be thrown out. Her roommate replies, "Throwing out things is a great idea; help me with cleaning out the refrigerator, won't you?" What type of disconfirming response is this?

It is possible to disagree with another person in a confirming way.

Match the following Gibb's supportive behaviours with their defensive-arousing counterpart. a.certainty b.control c.evaluation d.neutrality e.strategy f.superiority -Equality