IDS 416 - What did you mean by that? Exploring how differing interpretations can sabotage human interactions

Description:
In our increasingly connected world, humans interact more often, but face frequent misunderstandings. Class examines causes and offers effective techniques for overcoming misunderstandings, thereby increasing professional and personal interaction competencies.

Prerequisites:
Prerequisites: (PSY 101 or SOC 107) and 10 upper division credits from IDS, PSY, and SOC.

Credits: (5)

Learner Outcomes:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Contrast various micro and macro influences, which shape individuals, looking at various behaviors, which can lead to misunderstandings.
Examine various grammatical forms in different languages and propose reasons for these differences, which at times can lead to misunderstandings.
Outline how gestures from citizens from various countries can play a role in misunderstandings.
Analyze the issues of pronunciation as possible contributors to misunderstandings.
Critically analyze the construction of a sentence and distinguish various meanings this sentence can transmit.
Evaluate non-verbal expressions within a culture and score these non-verbal expressions with feelings of the person being observed.
Formulate and diagnose the ways a person understands a comment on their own level using cognitive filters, and how this can lead to biases.
Argue that people in front of you do not think like you do, or support the fact that the person may be thinking in a different way.
Predict how misunderstandings will increase through use of technology and assemble solutions to prevent this problem in the future.
Diagnose and design techniques to be aware of everyday examples of misunderstandings and techniques to prevent them.

Learner Outcomes Approval Date:
1/22/21

Anticipated Course Offering Terms and Locations:
Winter Locations: Online Spring Locations: Online Summer Locations: Online