Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM–36
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
Chapter 6: Emotions
Activities and Discussion Questions
Your Emotional Awareness and Vocabulary
*This entire activity could be done in class, or partially in class/partially out-of-class, or entirely
out-of-class, depending on how much time you have.
1. Review the List of Emotion Words in Chapter 6. Can you think of any others?
2. Using the list, keep track of the emotions you experience in one week’s time. Strive to
expand your vocabulary, to enhance your ability to be specific and distinct in your expression
of those emotions. (This could be a journal assignment entirely, or you could have students
journal first, and then report back in class for the remaining activities.)
3. Reflect on your journal entries. Before writing about them, review the entries and assign a
number to them to reflect the “intensity” of those emotions. What patterns do you notice?
What “triggers” do you notice? (people, places, topics, stress. etc.). Do you assume self-
responsibility? Do you blame others/circumstances?
4. (optional for a group discussion) Share some of your journal with others (if you are
comfortable doing so). What similarities/differences do you notice? What can you learn
from each other?
5. Write an action plan for yourself to improve your expression of emotions. In this discussion,
use concepts from the text (e.g. Do you “move toward or against” emotions? Are you
unrestrained and need to exercise more restraint? etc.)
Activities and Discussion Questions
Hocker: Interpersonal Conflict, 9e IM–37
© 2014 by McGraw-Hill Education. This is proprietary material solely for authorized instructor use. Not authorized for sale or distribution in any
manner. This document may not be copied, scanned, duplicated, forwarded, distributed, or posted on a website, in whole or part.
XYZ Statements*
1. Write a paragraph or two about a recent conflict you experienced where you didn’t get what
you wanted…or if you did, you didn’t use your best skills.
2. Now that you have distance (and hopefully more perspective), identify what you really
wanted so you can express your emotions/ask for what you need.
3. Write an XYZ statement , and include a request if appropriate. (e.g. “When you are late
picking me up and we miss our dinner reservations, we end up missing our movie, too. I was
disappointed and felt like the night was ruined. I would really like you to arrive on time.”)
4. Share your XYZ with a partner in class and critique each other’s statements. For more
practice, identify possible situations where you could use an XYZ statement in the future.
Write a couple more, critique them, and if comfortable, role-play them (just with each other)
so they are grounded in “real” conversation—so they aren’t “stiff” and sound like written
statements! ☺
5. (optional) Keep a journal for a week or two and write down situations where you used an
XYZ statement (or wish you would have!) and bring them back to class for analysis.
*Before asking students to write XYZ statements, be sure to review the material from the text
and provide a few practice examples.