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Alan Sillars

Description:

Professor Sillars' teaches and writes about interpersonal communication and communication in human conflict.  His research is concerned with conflict and interpersonal perception, particularly within interpersonal relationships and families. Much of this research investigates the inferences that family members make during communication and how inferential processes contribute to understanding/misunderstanding among family members. 

Current Semester Office Hours:

Tuesday and Thursday, 2:15-4:00, or by appointment (please contact by email)

Courses:

Argumentation (COMM 242)

Communication and Conflict--Writing (COMM 413)

Communication Research Methods (COMM 460),  web site:  http://www.cas.umt.edu/dcs/Faculty/sillars/comm460/default.htm

Survey of Interpersonal Communication (COMM 511)

Seminar in Interpersonal Conflict (COMM 512)

Hobbies:

Professor Sillars plays clawhammer banjo and enjoys outdoor sports, especially whitewater canoeing and other river sports, biking, hiking, fly fishing, and backcountry skiing.

Education:

Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, 1980
M.A., University of Wisconsin, 1977
B.A., Humboldt State University, 1974

Selected Publications:

Sillars, A., & Canary, D. J. (in press). Conflict and relational quality in families. In A. L. Vangelisti (Ed.), Routledge handbook of family communication (2^nd ed.). New York:  Routledge.

 

Sillars, A. (2011).  Motivated misunderstanding in family conflict discussions.  In Smith, J. L., Ickes, W., Hall, J., & Hodges, S. (Eds.), Managing interpersonal sensitivity: Knowing when—and when not—to understand others (pp. 193-213). Hauppauge, NY:  Nova Science Publishers.         

 

Sillars, A.L., Smith, T., and Koerner, A. (2010). Misattributions contributing to empathic (in)accuracy during parent-adolescent conflict discussions. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 27, 727-747.

 

Sillars, A. L. (2009).  Interpersonal Conflict.  In C. Berger, M. Roloff, & D. R. Roskos-Ewoldsen (Eds.). Handbook of communication science (2nd ed.)(pp. 273-289). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.