Exploring Communication: Peterson & Green (2009) note that research has found effective communication to be a core “building block” in familial relationship types, while ineffective communication is related to challenges such as marital problems (e.g., separation, divorce) as well as behavioral problems in children. For this forum assignment, you may observe adults communicating with adults, adults communicating with children, or children communicating with children. You may also choose the situation, or venue, where the observation will take place, such as a family gathering, a group of friends meeting for lunch, a group of children on a playground or in an early childhood setting, a meeting at work, adolescents at the mall, and so on. During your observation, look for the following: Verbal skills and cues (formal/informal, direct/vague, positive/negative) Nonverbal skills and cues (intentional cues such as gestures, eye contact, and facial expressions; involuntary nonverbal cues such as blushing, body position, and tone of voice) Listening (active, passive, defensive, attending, empathetic, reflective) Summarize the interactions you observed. Based on these observations, write a response indicating what you learned with regard to communication skills. You may draw from the following ideas (please note– not all are required): -Which verbal and nonverbal skills and cues did you observe? -Which, if any, fostered communication? Provide examples. -Which, if any, impeded communication? Provide examples. -Were there any similarities and or differences with regard to communication across gender, ages, and/or context? -What, if anything surprised you about the communication you observed? Required element: How do you think your observations and the information gained relate to how family communication as a whole is based on individual persons’ overall ability to communicate?
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