Courses: Introduction to Communication Studies, Rhetorical/Media Criticism, Political Communication, Language and Social Interaction. Objectives: The aims of this single-class activity are (1) to emphasize the complexities of communication competence; (2) to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate communication behaviors; and (3) to…

The topic of defensiveness resonates with students, who are generally eager to learn how to prevent it. Gibb's taxonomy of defensive/supportive behaviors is widely published and used today. According to Gibb, defensiveness occurs when a communicator puts substantial effort into defending him/herself from a perceived communicative threat. This…