Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is the exchange of information between two or more people. It is also the field of research and study that seeks to comprehend how humans employ verbal and nonverbal signs to achieve a variety of personal and relational goals.
Contribution to Good Group Leadership
Contributes to good group leadership; team leadership involves several attributes for success, such as the leader's confidence, respect for other people's decisions and presence. In addition, active leadership includes fair treatment of members; leaders' integrity is required for effective leadership. He/she needs to be honest at all times to the members, matters concerning the group in leadership and to the parties involved in the group. The team leader needs to be influential to inspire others, delegation and well versed on how to share information, facilitator to assist employees to understand their roles in the group and negotiator to achieve results in the event of conflict among the group.
Roles Played in a Group of Individuals
Roles played in a group of individuals: the focus of these maintenance, tasks and self-centered functions hold are towards completing the objectives of the team. The task roles played are such as coordination, energizer, elaborator, evaluation, informer, recorder and procedural technician. Maintenance roles include encourage, follow, compromise, gatekeeper, harmonize and observation. Self-centered functions are aggression, domination, blocker, help-seeker, special interest advocate and self-confessor among others.
Skills and Weaknesses in a Group
My skills and weakness performed in a group: positive skills contributed to a team are coordinator; I have held the position in leadership and helped channel information across the group and other groups. Evaluator; I had the task to assess the group and ensure it works within the high required standards as set in the group's objectives and bylaws. However, I had my weakness as though. I happened to be a dominant member, in most cases; I could dominate the conversation and probably lock other members out of contribution.
Response to Question 2
Cognitive Dissonance vs. Social Exchange Theories
The two theories possess difference in comparison and some similarities as well. Cognitive dissonance theory deals with conflicting attitudes, observations, beliefs or behaviors. The situation at hand leads to a feeling of discomfort by the character; there happens an alteration in the individual's attitude to lower the trouble in efforts to restore balance in the person. Cognitive dissonance theory focuses on strategies to remain persuasive. The theory states that individuals need to deal with inconsistencies by generating new behaviors to allow for consistency in human life. Cognitive dissonance motivates communication behavior for people to persuade others and fight to reduce their dissonant cognitions. The theory talks about mental factors that contribute to the individual’s behaviorism. Social exchange theory, on the other hand, deals with social psychological perspectives that explain the process of social change and stability as the negotiated exchanges between parties. The theory holds that human beings are developed by cost-benefit analysis and usually compare to the alternatives provided. Personal relationships among the individuals are based on the rewards and punishment that seek to encourage or discourage the behavior. The social exchange theory talks about communication with others reinforces on people's relationship with what they know, helps individuals filter what they see and evaluate on what people know.
However, the two theories have some similarities among them such that they all talk about human nature and behaviors. Cognitive dissonance theory emphasizes on human action as a result of mind and attitudes resulting in human beings weird behaviors. Similarly, social exchange theory talks about human practice developed from the mental appearance of aftercourse character, is it a punishment or a reward that triggers individual's behavior. The duo theories depend on observing and learning to create a change in human practices. Also, the human character in both cognitive dissonance and social exchange theories are influenced and subjected to others.
Response to Question 3
Validating Couples
Validating couples; the couple’s interactions are characterized by calm and lots of ease among them. The couples are expressive though in most cases neutral in their opinions. Their characteristics can be measured in between the volatile and avoiders pairs. The characters in this relationship put support for their partners and are much affected by their partner’s feelings. Parties in this ties confront issues affecting them but to a limited point and not others. Furthermore, the individuals here work on a competitive basis that can result in a power struggle and later cool and compromise. During conflicts, these parties involved get little emotional. Their ratio of positive to negative by Gottman is averaged at around five to one.
Volatile Couples
Volatile couples; this couple formulates different behaviors to the conflict avoiders couples. The parties involved in the relationship are massively emotional. During conflicts, the parties express a constant persuasion immediately, and they hold it to the end of the discussion. The conversation kept by these parties is characterized by lots of humor, laughter, and amusement. The individuals in this group seem to like arguments and debating, and they are respectful and not insulting. The parties build on negative expressions of anger and sense of insecurity without contempt. While the individuals in the group argue most about their roles, they grow towards bonding and honesty. Their positive to negative ratio accorded by Gottman is five to one.
Avoiding Couples
Avoiding couples; the conflict avoiders’ attempts on few persuasions and at most times develop in their areas of similarities. The individuals in the group evade conflict, by all means, to stay at peace, avoid expressing themselves on what they feel might affect the other party and congratulate their relationship on staying happy. They have a stable balance between their independence and interdependence. The parties involved have clear boundaries and live as separate people aspiring distinct interest. Their ratio of positive to negative by Gottman is around five to one.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse:
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are The White Horse, The Red Horse, The Black Horse, and The Pale Horse. The four are described in the last Biblical Book in the New Testament, the Book of Revelation by John of Patmos. The chapter reveals a 'book' or 'scroll' asserted in God's right hand that encompasses seven seals. Jesus Christ (Lion of Judah or The Lamb of God) opens the first four scripts of the seven seals that summons forth four beings riding on the white, red, black, and pale horses. Although interpretations on this differ, most accounts affirm that they symbolized conquer, war, famine, and death respectively.
