Chapter 1: Interpersonal Process Flashcards

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards defining key communication terms, needs, models, noise categories, and foundational principles from Chapter 1.

Communication

The process of using messages to generate meaning.

Physical Needs

Communication needs centered on human connection that supports health and well-being.

Identity Needs

Communication needs where interaction helps shape who we believe we are and how we understand ourselves.

Social Needs

Communication needs aimed at creating and maintaining relationships, friendship, companionship, support, and belonging.

Practical Needs

Communication needs directed toward accomplishing daily tasks and getting things done.

Solitude

Time spent alone, which may be chosen and enjoyable.

Social Isolation

A state of having limited contact with other people.

Loneliness

The subjective feeling that you lack the connection you need.

Cognitive Reappraisal

Reconsidering your interpretation of a situation to alter its emotional impact.

Perception-checking

A practical communication skill that involves checking your interpretation of events instead of making assumptions.

Active Listening

A communication skill that involves paying close attention and actively working to understand the speaker.

Responsible Language

Choosing words carefully and taking personal responsibility for your messages.

Win-win Conflict Management

A conflict resolution approach that seeks solutions addressing the needs of both individuals.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

A proposed model where human needs progress sequentially from basic survival to developing potential: physiological, safety, social, self-esteem, and self-actualization.

Self-actualization

Developing your full potential, representing the fifth and highest level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Sender

The person producing and originating a message.

Receiver

The person receiving and interpreting a message.

Encoding

The process of turning thoughts into words, gestures, or other symbols.

Decoding

The process of interpreting symbols, words, or gestures to derive meaning.

Message

The verbal or nonverbal information communicated between participants.

Feedback

A discernible response given to a previous message.

Channel

The medium through which a message is transmitted and carried.

Communicator

A person who simultaneously sends, receives, and assigns meaning in an interaction.

Noise

Anything that interferes with the transmission or reception of a message.

Linear Model

An early one-way communication model where a sender delivers a message directly to a receiver.

Interactive Model

A back-and-forth communication model in which people exchange messages and feedback in turns.

Transactional Model

A communication model where participants jointly create meaning and influence each other, often sending and receiving messages simultaneously.

Asynchronous Communication

Communication that occurs with a delay between transmission and reception, such as email or a recorded voice message.

Environment

The physical setting and the personal background experiences that communicators bring to an interaction.

External Noise

Distractions situated outside of a person, such as loud music or nearby conversations.

Physiological Noise

Biological factors that interfere with the reception of a message, such as hearing difficulty, illness, or a headache.

Psychological Noise

Internal thoughts or feelings that interfere with focus and attention, such as worry, anger, or prejudgment.

Irreversible Communication

The principle stating that an act of communication cannot be completely undone or erased.

Unrepeatable Communication

The principle stating that an exact interaction cannot occur again under identical conditions.

Content Dimension

The explicit, literal information conveyed by a verbal or nonverbal message.

Relational Dimension

The aspect of a message that conveys social information, feelings, or status regarding the relationship between communicators.