Role Playing with Wimba

1. Role Playing with Wimba Michael Milburn Psychology Department UMass/Boston

2. The Course • Psych 337—Communication and Society • Narrated PowerPoints • Interpersonal Communication • Non-verbal Communication • Gender and Communication • Systems of Communication • Paul Watzlavick—Pragmatics of Human Communication • First to apply systems theory to communication in the family • Relational/Content aspects of communication • Meta-communication • Feedback loops • Positive: escalation • Negative: thermostat • Counterfeit questions • Punctuation • “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”

3. The Discussion • What is the setting of the film? • What is the tone set in the opening couple of minutes of the film? How does it change? • What counterfeit questions did you observe? • What are the “games”? • What is the purpose of the games?

4. The Discussion • Who is to blame in the conflict? • Is George a victim? • What about when he refused to kiss her? • What kind of feedback characterizes the system? • What role does the myth of the son play in the family system? • What examples of metacommunication did you see? • How is Relational Control Theory relevant?

5. The Assignment • In your group, you are to take the role of a family therapist to whom George and Martha have come for help with their marital difficulties. You have just viewed their interactions for 2 hours. • 1) From what you have learned about Relational Control Theory, do an analysis of George and Martha’s relationship • 2) Make recommendations for George and Martha to improve their relationship

6. Doing it Online--Wimba • Enter Wimba • Create Breakout Rooms • Drag instructor’s name into rooms to move from room to room • Setup eBoard • Designate a student to have control • Use “Enable” command • Make sure students know how to use Whiteboard • Keep track of points in discussion on Whiteboard • Students do a “Save” that sends screenshot to Main Room • Slides saved into BOR folder • End Breakout rooms, bring students back to Main Room • Go over different rooms’ discussions

7. Relational Control Theory Michael Milburn Psych 337

8. Watzlavick, Beavin & Jackson (1967)Pragmatics of Human Communication • Fox and rabbits • Psychopathology • Carnap • Syntactics • Semantics • Pragmatics

9. Feedback • Cybernetics • Positive or negative • Positive—change • Negative—stability • Interpersonal systems • Metacommunication • Circularity of communication patterns

10. Axioms of Communication • Impossible not to communicate • Content and relationship aspects • Healthy/sick relationships • Punctuation of communication

11. Axioms of Communication • Impossible not to communicate • Content and relationship aspects • Healthy/sick relationships • Punctuation of communication

12. Axioms of Communication • Impossible not to communicate • Content and relationship aspects • Healthy/sick relationships • Punctuation of communication

13. Healthy/Sick Relationships Content Relationship Information communicated Sick Healthy

14. Axioms of Communication • Impossible not to communicate • Content and relationship aspects • Healthy/sick relationships • Punctuation of communication

15. Punctuation Husband 1 3 5 7 9 11 nags nags nags nags nags withdraws withdraws withdraws withdraws withdraws Wife 2 4 6 8 10

16. Punctuation--Husband Husband 1 3 5 7 9 11 nags nags nags nags nags withdraws withdraws withdraws withdraws withdraws Wife 2 4 6 8 10

17. Punctuation--Wife Husband 1 3 5 7 9 11 nags nags nags nags nags withdraws withdraws withdraws withdraws withdraws Wife 2 4 6 8 10

18. Relational Control Theory • Frank Millar/Edna Rogers • Main question: “who controls this relationship?” • Control may vary • Couples negotiate

19. Counterfeit Questions • Make up a list of types of questions • Come up with an example from your own experience of different types

20. Counterfeit Questions • Questions that trap speaker • Questions that make a statement • Questions that carry hidden agendas • Questions that seek “correct” answer • Questions based on unchecked assumptions