Reflect & Relate
An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
By: Steven McCornack, Kelly Morrison
Current, inclusive, and authoritative, Reflect & Relate, Sixth Edition, has set the new standard for interpersonal communication texts. Steve McCornack and Kelly Morrison, both distinguished scholars and award-winning teachers, draw on their twenty-five years of classroom experience to connect classic and current communication theory and research to the actual lives of todays students. For the sixth edition, the authors built on their leading gender coverage by partnering with an advisory board of culturally responsive-sustaining pedagogy leaders to create an even more inclusive text that models for and guides students in culturally self-aware and inclusive communication. The revision features over 300 new scholarly citations, and responds to the real and growing interpersonal challenges students currently face: how to form positive relationships to support health and wellness, within increasingly online contexts, and with people who have a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and experiences. Additionally, coverage of mediated communication—its advantages, as well as its challenges—has been thoroughly updated to support students in todays digital world. LaunchPad for Reflect & Relate includes the full e-book along with powerful assessments, a full video library, LearningCurve adaptive quizzing, and Making Relationship Choices video activities to support you and your students—whether you are teaching face-to-face or online, synchronously or asynchronously.
AI Overview
"Reflect & Relate: An Introduction to Interpersonal Communication" is a textbook written by Steven McCornack and Kelly Morrison. The book is designed to help students develop practical skills in interpersonal communication, emphasizing critical self-reflection and the application of theoretical knowledge to real-life experiences.
Key Themes
Critical Self-Reflection:
- The book encourages students to reflect on their own experiences, integrating research to teach practical interpersonal communication skills.
Interpersonal Communication Skills:
- It covers a wide range of topics, including perception, emotion management, cultural influences, and gender roles in communication.
Cultural Competence:
- The text includes a comprehensive chapter on understanding culture, discussing topics like individualism vs. collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and high vs. low context cultures.
Gender and Communication:
- The book includes a dedicated chapter on understanding gender, discussing how gender is socially constructed and its impact on communication.
Online Communication:
- It addresses the challenges of online communication, including empathy deficits and the importance of self-presentation in digital contexts.
Emotional Intelligence and Management:
- The book covers the nature of emotion, emotional intelligence, and strategies for managing emotions effectively.
Relationship Skills:
- It provides practical advice on building and maintaining relationships, including active listening, verbal communication, and workplace self-disclosure.
Plot Summary
The book is structured to guide students through various aspects of interpersonal communication. Here is a brief overview of the chapters:
Understanding Self:
- Chapters on self-awareness, self-concept, and self-esteem help students understand their own identities and how they present themselves to others.
Perceiving Others:
- The process of perception is explored, including selecting, organizing, and interpreting information to form impressions of others.
Experiencing and Expressing Emotions:
- The nature of emotion, emotional intelligence, and strategies for managing emotions are discussed.
Understanding Culture:
- A comprehensive chapter on culture covers topics like individualism vs. collectivism, cultural influences on communication, and intercultural competence.
Understanding Gender:
- The book delves into the social construction of gender and its impact on communication, including gender roles and equity.
Listening Actively:
- Active listening is explored, including different listening styles and how they vary across cultures and genders.
Communicating Verbally:
- The functions of verbal communication, including sharing meaning, shaping thought, and managing relationships, are discussed.
Making Relationship Choices:
- Practical advice is provided on making relationship choices, including workplace self-disclosure, balancing impressions and empathy, and managing anger and providing support.
Critical Reception
"Reflect & Relate" has received positive reviews for its practical approach to teaching interpersonal communication skills. Here are some key points from the critical reception:
Practical Application: The book is praised for its ability to integrate theoretical knowledge with practical applications, making it easier for students to understand and apply the concepts.
Comprehensive Coverage: The text is commended for its comprehensive coverage of various topics in interpersonal communication, including culture, gender, and online communication.
Teaching Tools: The inclusion of learning assessment tools, eBooks, videos, and a powerful new video assessment program has been highlighted as a significant strength, enhancing the learning experience.
Author Expertise: Steven McCornack and Kelly Morrison’s expertise in the field of interpersonal communication is evident in the book, making it a reliable resource for students and instructors alike.
Overall, "Reflect & Relate" is a well-regarded textbook that provides students with a solid foundation in interpersonal communication, emphasizing critical self-reflection and practical application.