Speech Chapter 2 Homework Students Will View Two Videos Each Video

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• We often think of empathy as an automatic process beyond our control, something we either

feel or don’t feel yet:

○ Research suggest that whether we feel empathy toward others depends largely on our

empathy mindset—our beliefs about whether empathy is something that can be

developed and controlled.

• Experiencing empathy isn’t enough; you must also convey your empathy to others. You do

this by

○ Letting others know you’re genuinely interested in listening to them (“I’m here to listen if

you want to talk”)

○ Telling them you think their views are valid and understandable (“I can totally

understand why you would feel that way”)

○ Expressing your concern about them (“I care about you and want to be sure that you’re

OK”)

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Think of a time when you became more self-conscious as a result of socially

comparing yourself with others? What happened and how did you handle it?

• Possible answers from students may include job interviews, dates, or witnessing public

performances. Discuss with your students the importance of having a healthy gauge

2. Considering the differences between an individualistic culture and a collectivistic

culture, how might these cultures differ in their perception of family? Their

perception of wealth?

• Students may bring up differences such as prioritizing family or career responsibilities

or viewing wealth as essential to happiness. You may also want to expand this

3. Thinking of your private and public self, give an example of a time when you

intentionally presented an image that was nothing like the real you. Why? How long

did you keep it up?

• This question may spark a discussion about the ethics behind presenting a public self.

Depending on the situations that students present, you might want to talk about the

4. Give an example of a public figure or celebrity who lost face. Did it have long-

reaching effects on their career? How did they cope with the incident? Are public

figures and celebrities held to different standards?

• Students may bring up a variety of instances, such as when Mel Gibson or Reese

Witherspoon were arrested and made disparaging remarks; when Rob Ford, the mayor of

5. Give an example of a common stereotype young people might hold toward the

elderly. Can you think of someone you know or a celebrity who doesn’t fit into that

stereotype? How can you prevent such a stereotype from becoming a prejudice?

• Common stereotypes about the elderly may include difficulties using or understanding

technology or limitations related to certain physical activities, such as driving. This

question will give you an opportunity to remind students that there are many different

VIDEO SCENARIOS

HOW TO COMMUNICATE: EMPATHY TOWARD A STRUGGLING GROUP MEMBER

This video feature shows students’ competent communication skills in action based on the

scenario following. The first video illustrates an ideal outcome while the “What if?” challenges

prompt them to apply their own skills to times when their communication partner is more

Scenario: You’re assigned to lead a group project for a class. One team member, Alex, has

missed two of the first three meetings. You meet with Alex privately to discuss her attendance.

During the conversation, you discover that she has a three-year-old who she is raising as a single

mother and that she is working full-time to put herself through school. She genuinely wants to

contribute to the project but is struggling to juggle all of the competing demands in her life.

The text suggests students use the following skills when trying to express empathy toward

Alex:

• Openly express concern for her as a person, not just as a group member. “We’ve

missed you at the last couple of meetings . . . I’m concerned about how you’re doing

personally. Is everything OK? . . . I’m here to listen, if you need someone to talk to.”

• Legitimize her situation by letting her know that to feel overwhelmed when faced with

such demands is perfectly understandable. “We’ve missed you at the last couple of

Instructor note: Online, students will be asked a multiple-choice question after the first video.

For Chapter 2, the question is this:

When Paul says “It’s totally understandable that you’re feeling stressed,” this is an example of

_______________.

A. Empathetic concern*

B. Perspective-taking

C. Perception-checking

D. Identity acknowledgment

[The asterisk (*) indicates the right answer. Depending on how the students answer the

question, one of these two feedback options should appear:

Right answer: Congratulations, you are correct!

Wrong answer: Incorrect. Paul’s sentiment expresses compassion for Alex, which is a feature

WHAT IF?

1. Alex says, “Why would I talk to you about my problems? It’s not like we’re friends or

anything.”

• In this case, students should remember that showing empathetic concern means

remaining compassionate when trying to identify with someone. It would be competent

2. Alex says, “Yes, you’re right: You can’t imagine, or understand, what I’m going through.”

• When someone reacts defensively in the way Alex is doing here, it can be tempting to

respond in a way that does not show empathetic concern by saying something like

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES

1. Show-and-Tell

Goal: To illuminate individual differences between self-concepts and demonstrate the

various ways we develop our concept of self

Time: 40 minutes (depending on class size)

1. Ask students to bring one object that represents their past and one object that

3. After the presentations, ask students to discuss how these objects describe

components of their self-concept such as their attitudes, values, and beliefs.

2. Critical Self-Reflection Writing Exercise

1. Either in class or as homework, ask students to think of a past communication

experience in which they experienced stress, provoked an argument, or just needed

improvement to get their point across to the other person. Have them briefly describe

the event in writing and then answer the following critical self-reflection questions:

a. What was I thinking and feeling?

b. Why did I feel that way?

c. How did I communicate?

d. How were my inner thoughts and feelings affecting my communication?

2. Now ask students to describe how this situation may have been improved if they had

used the critical self-reflection questions during the actual situation. If they could do

3. During class, start a discussion about using critical self-reflection. I suggest you

3. Group Communication Comics

Goal: To have students explore how simple it is to make attributions and perceptual errors

Time: 50 minutes

2. Divide the class into smaller groups of three to six members each. Supply each

person in each group with a piece of paper and writing utensil.

3. Have each group review the section on attributions and perceptual errors in the

4. After the comic strips are completed, allow time for sharing and give each group a

4. My Advertisement

Goal: To help students understand their overall value and improve self-esteem

5. Martians Reading Magazines

Goal: To explore how our sense of self and gender are influenced by media

Time: 30 minutes

2. Ask students to trade magazines or randomly pass them out to the students as they

enter the room.

3. At the beginning of class, tell students to pretend they are Martians visiting earth for

4. As students look through their magazines, have them make a list of 20 items about

5. Once they have collected their data, have an open discussion about the media’s

portrayal of gender roles and how this might affect men and women’s self-concepts

MEDIA RESOURCES

1. TED Talks: Thandie Newton: Embracing Otherness, Embracing Myself

This TED Talk by actress Thandie Newton is an elegant discussion of the concept of self,

2. African Men: Hollywood Stereotypes

This short video narrated by four African men provides a good example of how the

media, particularly popular film, influences our stereotypes of other cultures. It can be

found on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSElmEmEjb4 or at the Mama

3. Center for Building a Culture of Empathy

The Center for Building a Culture of Empathy (http://cultureofempathy.com/) has a

number of videos and resources that discuss the concepts surrounding empathy that

you may find useful. One video that discusses the relationship between empathy and

interpersonal communication is titled, Empathy Documentary Project: Insight into

Empathy—Newt Bailey. It can be found at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWHRAbQKWOQ&feature=em-

4. In Her Shoes (20th Century Fox, 2005)

This movie is a light comedy that explores how sisters—party girl Maggie and plain,

dependable Rose—affect each other’s self-images. Both struggle with their ideal self and

5. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (Miramax Films, 2008)

This is the story Bruno, the son of a German SS commander who lives a wealthy lifestyle