Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Discussion 1

Learning New Skills

Many people believe that communication skills are easy and should come naturally. As we have learned this week, learning effective interpersonal communication skills requires a lot of time and practice. Of all the skills listed in Chapter Two ofMaking Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication, which skill(s) are you most excited about improving in your interpersonal relationships? Why do you feel that you need to make improvements in this area? Based on the course material that you read this week, what are some ways that you plan on using these skills in your everyday life?

Your initial response should be 150-200 words in length

Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Discussion 2

The “Self” and Communication

In Chapter Three ofMaking Connections: Understanding Interpersonal Communication, the author lays out many psychological concepts concerning the “self.” How do all these concepts relate to interpersonal communication? Also, give an example of how your “self-concept,” “self-image,” or “self-esteem” has affected your interpersonal communication.

Your initial response should be 150-200 words in length

Ashford 2: - Week 1 - Assignment

Article Critique: Masking Poor Communication

Use the ProQuest online database (found in the Ashford Online Library) to locate the article entitled, “Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication.” Write a two-page paper (excluding title and reference pages) about your thoughts on this article. In your paper, be sure also to address the following:

• Have you ever had a miscommunication with someone close to you simply because you assumed that they understood you? What happened?
• How can you make sure that this kind of miscommunication does not happen in the future? Or when it does happen, what could you do to make your communication more clear?

Be sure to reference the ProQuest article and at least one of the other course readings from this week in your paper. This can be your textbook or one of the recommended articles. The paper must be formatted according to APA style. Cite your resources in text and on the reference page. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center, within the Learning Resources tab on the left navigation toolbar.