Podcasts by Communication Junkie
Ever wonder why misunderstandings are so common? Or why conflict often spins out of control? Curious about the secret to marital bliss? Want to become a more powerful communicator? Using research, humor, and personal storytelling, Professor Steven Fuller shares practical communication skills to improve your interpersonal relationships.
Further podcasts by Steven Fuller
Podcast on the topic Bildung
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Turning Down the Interpersonal Noise from 2022-02-21T00:00
The world keeps getting louder. More than ever, distractions interfere with interpersonal communication and relationships. In this episode, Steve discusses how to turn down the noise and focus on w...
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Why Relationships End from 2022-02-14T00:00
Hopefully all of our romantic relationships last forever and we all live happily ever after, but statistically speaking, the majority of our relationships will fail. In this episode, Steve discusse...
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Why We Love Our Groups and Hate Everyone Else from 2022-02-07T00:00
In this episode, Steve discusses Social Identity Theory. Why is our identity so influenced by our group affiliations? Why do sports teams, bands, and political parties define who we are as people? ...
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The Communication River Keeps On Flowing from 2022-01-31T00:00
Ever wish you could travel back in time and relive memories? Ever try to replicate special moments, but it never quite feels the same? In the Season 6 premiere, Steve discusses one of the basic pri...
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Powerful People Take Responsibility for their Words and Actions from 2021-04-06T00:00
Ever known someone who is constantly making excuses? They're usually weak, ineffective communicators and relationship partners. Ever known someone who steps up and takes responsibility when things ...
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Go to Your Happy Place from 2021-03-29T00:00
Steve discusses how unchecked emotions can damage interpersonal relationships, then gives some practical suggestions for managing debilitating emotions in healthier ways.
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Your Words Matter from 2021-03-23T00:00
Words, language, spelling, grammar, and punctuation aren't just for English class. In this week's episode, Steve discusses why choosing the right words, spelling those words correctly, using proper...
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Nonverbal Packaging and Personal Branding from 2021-03-16T00:00
From the clothes we wear to the coffee we drink, we all make decisions about how to present ourselves to the world. In this episode, Steve discusses what those nonverbal choices communicate to othe...
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Five Reasons Why You're a Bad Listener from 2021-03-09T00:00
With so many distractions in the world, it's becoming more difficult to focus while listening to others, but effective listening can improve your relationships overnight. Steve discusses five reaso...
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The Power of Nexting from 2021-03-02T00:00
Steve discusses why the next thing you say or do is always the most important thing you say or do.
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White Privilege and Systemic Racism from 2021-02-23T00:00
If you don't think white privilege and systemic racism are real, give Steve six minutes to share one example of how systemic racism puts black children in danger every summer.
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The Many Faces of Love from 2021-02-16T00:00
In honor of Valentine's Day, Steve discusses the many varieties of love. While most people have their hearts set on the love we see in romantic comedies, what happens to those couples after the mov...
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Reciprocity: Demystifying the Golden Rule from 2021-02-09T00:00
The Golden Rule has many forms throughout nearly all religious and secular worldviews, but all of them can be explained through basic human nature. In this episode, Steve explains why reciprocity i...
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Why It's So Hard to Admit You're Wrong from 2021-02-02T00:00
No one likes to admit they're wrong, but the reason goes much deeper than just stubborn pride. In this week's episode, Steve discusses what we can learn from cults and why people have so much troub...
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Powerful People Envision the End from 2020-11-16T00:00
Powerful communicators set goals, then make decisions to reach those goals. Weak communicators just do stuff, then complain when life doesn't work out the way they want. In the Season 4 finale, Ste...
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Family is Forever from 2020-11-09T00:00
Other relationships may come and go, but family bonds are much more difficult to break. In this episode, Steve discusses what characteristics and qualities make family communication unique.
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Media Bias, Media Framing, and Fake News from 2020-11-02T00:00
In this special election week episode, Steve discusses the origins of fake news and how Donald Trump hijacked the term, then explains the difference between media bias and fake news. Finally, he sh...
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Relationship Development: The Honeymoon Phase from 2020-10-27T00:00
In this episode, Steve discusses the first few months of a romantic relationship. From first meeting someone, to the tests we give each other, to the infatuation that overtakes our senses, this nec...
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Relationship Development: Choosing the One from 2020-10-20T00:00
In this episode, Steve explains why we're attracted to some people and not others. And, by using simple math, he explains why choosing "the one" might be harder than you think.
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The Ethics of Personal Decision-Making from 2020-10-12T00:00
Ever wonder why you make the choices you do? Why did you eat cereal for breakfast instead of eggs? Why that brand of cereal? How do you choose who to vote for? What religion to follow? In this epis...
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Self-Awareness and the Johari Window from 2020-10-05T00:00
The first step to becoming a better communicator and relationship partner is being aware of who you truly are and how your personality affects others. In this episode, Steve discusses the importanc...
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Know Thyself: Introverts vs. Extroverts from 2020-09-28T00:00
In this week's episode, Steve discusses the key difference between introverts and extroverts, then shares how embracing your unique personality improves your interpersonal relationships and overall...
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Be Kind to Yourself from 2020-09-21T00:00
The way we talk about ourselves, to ourselves, matters. In this week's episode, Steve discusses the importance of positive self-talk to our overall health and happiness.
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Surround Yourself with Happy People from 2020-09-13T00:00
Being happy isn't always easy, but one factor that affects our personal happiness is within our control. The people we surround ourselves with affect our personality, mood, and overall happiness. W...
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Perseverance: The Secret to Success from 2020-07-30T00:00
The most successful people in the world fail over and over again. The reason they finally succeed is because successful people keep getting back up after they fall down. In the Season 3 finale, Ste...
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Community, Loneliness, and Dunbar's Number from 2020-07-22T00:00
Technology has made the world a much bigger place. Instead of playing to an audience of a few hundred neighbors, classmates, and coworkers, social media allows us to play to an audience of billions...
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Friends with Benefits from 2020-07-15T00:00
As we get older, being a spouse, parent, and employee seems to take all of our time and energy. In this week's episode, Steve explains why we should spend an equal amount of time and energy being a...
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Friendship, Social Isolation, and the Quarter-Life Crisis from 2020-07-08T00:00
Ever notice how difficult it is to make friends after high school and college? In the first of three episodes about friendship, Steve discusses why it's so hard to make new friends and how loneline...
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Money is the Root of All Conflict from 2020-07-01T00:00
In this week's episode, Steve discusses the number one cause of relationship conflict and the number two cause of divorce: Money. Whether you have very little or very much, a healthy association wi...
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The Five Love Languages: Filling Your Love Bucket from 2020-06-24T00:00
Sometimes two people love each other very much, but neither person feels loved by the other. Gary Chapman solved this mystery with his book, "The Five Love Languages." In this episode, Steve explai...
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Bogus Thoughts Produce Unhealthy Emotions from 2020-06-17T00:00
Our thoughts affect our emotions. In this episode, Steve discusses how the lies we tell ourselves can sabotage our mental health and interpersonal relationships.
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First Impressions and the Self-Serving Bias from 2020-06-10T00:00
Ever notice that you judge others for the same things you do? Or that you hold other people to standards that you don't meet yourself? Ever found yourself unable to break free from someone's first ...
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Communicating with People Who Don't Look, Think, or Act Like You from 2020-06-03T00:00
Intercultural Communication takes place every day when we interact with people who don't look, think, or act the way we do. Improving our intercultural communication skills makes it easier to inter...
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Obsessing Over Fault and Blame Ruins Relationships from 2020-05-27T00:00
Of course people should be held responsible for their actions, but Steve shares why obsessing over fault and blame (instead of solving actual problems) can ruin our interpersonal relationships.
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Powerful People Risk More from 2020-04-01T00:00
In the Season 2 finale, Steve discusses how to become a more powerful person and communicator by sharing two words that changed his life.
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Coronavirus and Health Anxiety from 2020-03-25T00:00
The coronavirus is on everyone's mind. In this week's episode, Steve discusses health anxiety and how the coronavirus global pandemic has affected our mental health as much as our physical health.
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Elephant Trunks and Perception from 2020-03-19T00:00
What we pay attention to, what we ignore, and the lenses we use to view the world all shape our beliefs. In this week's episode, Steve explains how perception affects everything we do, including ho...
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Three Steps to Healthier Interpersonal Conflict from 2020-03-12T00:00
Conflict creates problems. How we handle conflict can create even bigger problems. In this week's episode, Steve gives three simple steps for managing healthier interpersonal conflict.
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The Problem with Compromise from 2020-03-04T00:00
Older couples often say the secret to a happy marriage is compromise. In this week's episode, Steve explains why that isn't necessarily true.
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Losing Battles Means Winning the War from 2020-02-26T00:00
People are so focused on "winning" and "being right," that fighting those short-term battles often causes long-term problems. In this episode, Steve talks about the importance of thinking about the...
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Avoiding Heartache: Don't Play House from 2020-02-19T00:00
Couples want to live happily ever after, but rushing "forever" causes problems. In this week's episode, Steve discusses why playing house too early causes emotional turmoil and can keep you trapped...
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A Secret to Marital Bliss: Love is an Action from 2020-02-14T00:00
Ever wonder why the divorce rate spikes after 20+ years of marriage? There's a really simple explanation. In this week's episode, Steve explains how learning to manage relationship tensions might j...
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Why People Stay in Bad Relationships from 2020-02-05T00:00
Ever wonder why some people stay in bad relationships even though everyone is telling them to leave? Ever wonder why some people leave good relationships when everyone is telling them to stay? In t...
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Gender and Sexuality Spectrums from 2020-01-30T00:00
"Either or" thinking is rarely accurate and almost never helpful. In this episode, Steve encourages everyone to see happiness, goodness, gender, sexuality, and life in general as a series of spectr...
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Why People Do What They Do from 2020-01-22T00:00
Ever stare at someone and wonder what the heck is wrong with them? Ever look in the mirror and wonder what the heck is wrong with yourself? There are reasons why people do what they do. In this epi...
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The Most Interesting Person in the Room from 2020-01-15T00:00
People want to be popular and beloved, but their strategies for doing so are all wrong. In this episode, Steve shares the simple secret to always being the most interesting person in the room.
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Twas the Day of the Shootout from 2019-12-05T00:00
Steve shares his poem, "Twas the Day of the Shootout" leading up to Cincinnati playing Xavier in their annual crosstown rivalry basketball game.
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Choose Happiness: Improving Self-Concept from 2019-11-19T00:00
In the Season One finale, Steve discusses how social comparisons affect self-concept, then he explains the secret to happiness.
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Healthy Boundaries: Learning to Say No from 2019-11-14T00:00
Powerful communicators all have one thing in common: They say no to the wrong things so they can say yes to the right things. Steve shares why learning to say no will help you achieve greatness.
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Managing Conflict and Pulling Weeds from 2019-11-05T00:00
The way we argue usually causes more problems than the topic of the argument itself. If you keep having the same fights over and over again in your relationships, Steve helps get to the root of tho...
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A Secret to Marital Bliss: Recalibration from 2019-10-30T00:00
People can't always control what happens to them, but they can control how they react by reframing negatives into positives. Happy people and healthy relationships accomplish this by practicing rec...
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Conquering the Amygdala Hijack from 2019-10-23T00:00
If you have ever snapped emotionally and said or did something you later regretted, then you're familiar with the Amygdala Hijack. Steve explains what happens during an Amygdala Hijack and what we ...
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I Picked Up a Prostitute from 2019-10-16T00:00
When Steve moved to an area of Cincinnati known for prostitution, the naive suburban kid was shocked. He became obsessed with their lives and wanted to learn more, so he observed the women, their p...
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Empathy Will Save Our Souls from 2019-10-09T00:00
Steve explains why he believes the only hope for humanity is to begin empathizing with people who don't look, think, or act like us. He shares stories and examples from the #MeToo and #BLM (Black L...
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Peeing Your Pants and Emotional Intelligence from 2019-10-01T00:00
Steve peed his pants in first grade. Eleven years later, he watched "Billy Madison" in the movie theater four times. Little did he know, those two experiences would teach him a life lesson about Em...
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Urinals and Communication Context from 2019-09-24T00:00
If you've ever stood at a urinal or sat on a public toilet and wondered why you chose that particular pee vessel, Steve explains what bathroom habits teach us about communication context.
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How to Read Other People's Minds from 2019-09-15T00:00
During communication, we're usually so focused on being heard (making clever comments, sounding smarter than everyone else, getting the big laugh), that we give away our power. Steve shares the sec...
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Surviving Social Media from 2019-09-09T00:00
Steves shares the story of going viral after tweeting a joke about the 2014 Cincinnati-Ohio State football game.
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Feeling Unheard and Misunderstood from 2019-09-02T00:00
Steve explains why misunderstandings are so common in relationships, tells the (maybe) true story of how language was invented, shares how long it took him to say "I love you" to his wife, then giv...
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