Unquestioned Ease

Confronting Automaticity in Everyday Communication

Xiaowei Shi, Steve Mortenson

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2022
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781978775695
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Professional Development
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

This book highlights hidden unintentional biases, emotional defense mechanisms, and responses in haste. By revealing these preconceived notions present in message choices, Xiaowei Shi and Steve Mortenson demonstrate techniques to help prevent communication from becoming problematic. In a conversational style, the authors extend their interdisciplinary theoretic perspectives by introducing concepts and practices of supportive confrontation and argumentative interaction management. Through examining those automatic responses and reactions in our everyday conversation with friends, coworkers, and loved ones, this book engages the readers to confront their own hidden preferences and underlying beliefs about gender, relationships, and themselves with a new eye. The book moves beyond prior work on rational choice model in strategic communication by considering actual human attributes. Shi and Mortenson offer new insights into communication "noises" and how to engage in communication during a difficult life event or on a difficult subject in a more skillful manner. Scholars of social psychology, interpersonal communication, and communication training and development will find this book of particular interest.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Turning to a New Direction: Appreciating the Ease in Communication
• Chapter 2: When Communication Does Not Occur in a Smooth Progression
• Chapter 3: Identifying and Meeting the Emotional Challenges of Supportive Confrontation
• Chapter 4: What Happens When We Are Mindful in Communication?
• Chapter 5: Empirical Research on Mindful Communication: Xiaowei Shi
• Chapter 6: When You Can Never See the World in the Way I Do
• Chapter 7: Defusing Defenses and Speaking Skillfully
• Bibliography
• Author Index
• Subject Index
• About the Authors