Page 14 - Effective group discussion theory and practice by Adams, Katherine H. Brilhart, John K. Galanes, Gloria J

Preface xiii

■ We have continued to develop our discussion of technological issues, grounding
our discussions on the idea of a continuum of technological use, from purely
face- to-face to purely virtual.
■ We have incorporated information about the “Big Five” personality characteris-
tics, from psychology, to describe their impact on the communication behavior of
small group members.
■ We have sharpened and strengthened our discussion of ethics throughout the text.
■ Information about leadership and problem solving/decision making can be
overwhelming. We kept the companion chapters devoted to each topic from the
14th edition. The first provides theoretical and conceptual information and the
second provides more practical information, techniques, and tips.
■ We have retained the Recap boxes placed throughout the chapters.
■ As always, we have updated this edition with the most current research available.

Features

Case Studies: Each chapter begins with a case study illustrating that chapter’s main
points. These are real- life stories designed to help students retain key concepts
and understand how that chapter’s information is relevant to the real world. We
link these case studies explicitly to information presented throughout the chapter.
Recap Boxes: We have placed Recap boxes— internal summaries— throughout
each chapter. They provide logical “breathing places” for students to review
what they have learned.
Emphasis on Diversity: The importance of diversity and intercultural communica-
tion cannot be overemphasized! In addition to a chapter devoted to this topic,
relevant information about diversity is distributed throughout the text, and we
have provided a more global perspective that reflects our changing world.
Learning Aids: Each chapter includes learning objectives and margin key terms,
which are boldfaced in the text. The end of chapter material includes Ques-
tions for Review and a Bibliography that provides additional reading material.
The Glossary at the end of the text provides definitions of all key terms.
Connect provides online activities for students that supplement the topics in the
chapter. Tools and activities include interactive quizzes and lecture slides.
Videos covering Nonverbal Messages, Defensive/Supportive Communica-
tion, Aggressive/Assertive Communication, The Employment Interview,
Small Group Communication, and Presentation are also available.

Resources for Instructors
Connect provides the instructor’s manual (containing sample syllabi, lecture
notes, additional exercises, writing assignments, and up- to-date web links),
a testbank of objective and essay questions, and PowerPoint slides.

Gloria J. Galanes
Katherine Adams

gal37018_fm_i-xvi.indd 13 3/30/18 12:04 PM