Syllabus

Special Topics in Communication: Positive Communication in Human Relating (COMM 495/595) is a groundbreaking upper-division undergradaute and beginning-level graduate human communation course that advances students understandings of the role of communiation in the construction, maintenance, and defiinition of human relationships and groups by means of positive communication. Student are expected to have completed COMM 200S (see the instructor if a waiver is needed) and be at least junior status. Related courses are: COMM 412/512- Interpersonal Communication Theories and Research; COMM 425/525- Family Communication; COMM 426-Group Communicaiton Theory and Research; COMM 427/527- Children's Communication Theories, Methods, and Applications.

General Course Goals- COMM 495

• Introduce students to the foundational concepts, theoriies, and methods of positive psychology 
• Increase students' understanding of the role of communication in positive psycholgical and relational outcomes. 
• Encourage students to reexamine relational and group communication research literture from a postiive vantage point.  
• Develop students' abilities to recognize communication patterns and processes that support the positive development of potentialities.
• Increase students critical-analytical abilities in consuming popular literature about postivie communication.

 The above goals will be reached by means of lectures, discussions, exercises and written assignments and examinations.

Course Goals-COMM 595

• Introduce students to p[ositive psycholgoy research litetraure 
• Increase student's theoretical understanding of positive communication in relationships and groups
• Develop students abilities to research positive communication in relationships and groups
•  Improve students critical-analytical abilities in consuming popular literature about positive communicaton
• Increase student's abilites to prepare and teach lessons in positive communication (for the class as well as audiences outside of class)

The above goals will be reached by means of lectures, disussion, research writing assignments intended to lead to presentation at professional conferences, examinations, as well as preparing and teaching family communication lessons.