Internet Exercises

Activity 1: Appealing To Interpersonal Needs

Introduction:

According to Schutz, individuals have three basic interpersonal needs: inclusion, control, and affection. The need for inclusion centers on our desire to be part of a group and also to accept others. The need for control involves both exercising power and being controlled by others. The need for affection includes liking and having others like us. All three needs come into play in small group work.

Instructions:

Locate three different kinds of groups on the World Wide Web: professional, social, and activist. For example, you might choose the National Communication Association (professional), Toastmasters (social), and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (activist).

Answer the questions below for each group. HINT: The "About" section of each website is a good place to start gathering information about each group.

1. How does the group address members' and potential members' needs for inclusion? Provide 1-2 examples to support your response.

2. How does the group address members' and potential members' needs for control? Provide 1-2 examples to support your response.

3. How does the group address members' and potential members' needs for affection? Provide 1-2 examples to support your response.

4. How do the needs that the group addresses fit with the group's mission or goal?

Now that you've examined the three groups, answer the following questions.

1. What similarities can you identify among the three groups in which interpersonal needs are addressed?

2. What differences can you identify among the three groups in which interpersonal needs are addressed?

3. Which group or groups would you want to join based on your own interpersonal needs?

4. What have you learned from this activity that you can apply to your own small group experiences?

Activity 2: Defensive and Supportive Communication Climates

Introduction:

Supportive communication climates tend to result in productive group interactions, whereas defensive communication generally leads to poor group interactions. Six types of behaviors --description, problem orientation, empathy, equality, provisionalism, and spontaneity -- facilitate a supportive communication climate in groups. Defensive communication climates are characterized by evaluation, control, neutrality, superiority, certainty, and strategy.

Instructions:

In activities for Chapters 2 and 6 you observed online groups. For this activity, you may observe one of the same groups or choose a different one. You will observe and not actively participate in the groups.

Go to a site such as Yahoo! Groups or Lycos Clubs and join a group that discusses a topic in which you are interested. Try to choose a group that draws a diversity of perspectives. This diversity will likely produce richer interactions and more interesting observations. Recall that these groups do not communicate in real time, but use discussion or bulletin boards on which members post messages.

Observe the group's interactions for several days (or a longer or shorter period of time depending on the group's activity level).

1. Which supportive behaviors can you identify group members exhibiting? If possible, give examples of each category.

2. How do other group members respond to those supportive behaviors? Give examples.

3. Which defensive behaviors can you identify group members exhibiting? If possible, give examples of each category.

4. How do other group members respond to those defensive behaviors? Give examples.

5. How do you feel when reading supportive messages? How do those messages influence your overall evaluation of the group?

6. How do you feel when reading defensive messages? How do those messages influence your overall evaluation of the group?

7. What have you learned in observing and analyzing this group that you can use in your own group experiences?