interpersonal communication (merge winter 2026)

what does inneffective communication cause?

family, work, relationship problems

presence or absence of communication affects…

health (speaking publicly vs. keeping private feelings)

sense of identity

comes from ways we interact with others, gain identity by how others define you

true or false: humans are social creatures and cannot NOT communicate

true

Maslow’s human needs

physical, safety, social, self esteem, self actualization

earlier communication model

linear: flows in one direction

resembles archer shooting message at target

only a senderla

later communication model - Interactive Transactional Model

back and forth, resembles tennis game

senders/receivers exchange messages

verbal or non verbal

sending and receiving are usually simeltaneous

I-IT communication

occurs when we treat others like objects or non-humans.

I-You communication

communication occurs when we recognize the other as a person and treat them based upon a social role he or she occupies.

majority of interactions

I-Thou communication

communication occurs when we recognize and understand an individual’s unique characteristics as well as open ourselves completely to this person. Mutual holistic existence happens between these two individuals.

literal definition of interpersonal communication

“Between (inter) People (personal)”

why do we communicate?

fulfill human needs

physical, identity, social, practical needs

what is communication?

the process of creating messages, using various cannels to convey meaning

what is the key to being a good communicator?

good listening skills

physical needs

the basic needs for life

identity needs

who are we? how do we see ourselves? how do others see us?

social needs

proper communication gives us meaning and purpose in lifepr

practical needs

you academic success is an example haircut, asking for directions)

in face to face, people are _______ senders and receivers who exchange ______ messages. but not with asynchronous communication

simultaneously, multiple

meanings exist

in and among people (both verbal and nonverbal)

environment

location, environment, culture and noise effect communication

channels

ways we communicate (text, email) make a difference

communication can be

intentional or unintentional

leanness

social media messages carry less information and no cues like facial expressions or vocal tone. however, less noise

richness

the abundance of nonverbal cues that add clarity to a verbal message

asynchronicity/synchronous

one way vs. two way, time delays

multimodality

uses multiple channels of communication

disinhibition

transmitting messages without considering the consequences

how many types of noise are there?

4 (physiological, physical, psychological, semantic)

what is noise?

any inference (disruption) with a message

physiological noise

distractions caused by hunger, fatigue, medications, headaches, etc

physical noise

external - loud noises, crowded conditions, extreme temperatures, bright or dim lights, etc

psychological noise

internal - emotions, preoccupied thoughts (problems), things that make you inattentive

semantic

when the meaning of words are not understood

does all communication include noise?

yes, it cannot be eliminated, but the key is to work to minimize it

communication is…

transactional, we do it with others

mutual influence and interdependent behaviors

uniquely created

irreversible and unrepeatable

can be intentional or unintentional

content dimension

actual meaning of the words (pass the salt)

relational dimension

express how you feel about a person (sweetie, when you have a minute, could you pass the salt?) how would your boss ask?

highly impersonal relational dimensions

scheduling appointment, answering phone survey

highly interpersonal

marriage proposal, asking for forgiveness

four characterisitcs that distinguish between highly interpersonal and impersonal communication

uniqueness, interdependence, self disclosure, intrinsic vs extrinsic rewards

uniquenss

No two close relationships are the same…Think customs, rituals, and language  

interdependence

Your lives would be significantly different without each other.

self disclosure

The level you share personal information with each other.

intrinsic rewards

view the relationship as being essential, bring them in

fulfillment and satisfaction beyond external gains

internal, personal satisfactions you get from interacting with others

extrinsic rewards

goals don’t include the other person, want to accomplish a goal

communication misconceptions

all communication seeks understanding

more communication is always better

communication will solve all problems

effective communication is a natural ability (takes learning and practice)

communication competence

ability to achieve goals in an effective and appropriate matter

getting what you want and doing so in the way you want

social interactions while being respectful and considerate of others.

repertoire of skills, adaptability, performance (practice), empathy, (dual perspective) cognitive complexity (multiple ways to look at a communication issue), self monitoring

there is no one way to communicate

true

self monitoring

be positively evaluating yourself

always remember 43:57 rule

misinformation

inaccurate information, getting facts wrong

disinformation

false information which is deliberately intended to mislead, intentionally misstating the facts

modalities

the different forms of communication used for exchanging messagess

sensory channels

our five senses

messages can be

verbal or nonverbal

self-concept

the relatively stable set of perceptions you hold to yourself

-significant parts vary

self-esteem

part of self-concept, involves evaluations of self worth

-how you feel about qualities you assign to yourself

reflected appraisal

mirroring of other’s judgements

significant others

a person whose evaluations are especially influential

-parents, loved ones, romantic partners

social comparison

evaluating ourselves in comparison with others

-we decide if we are inferior/superior

reference groups

others against whom you evaluate your own characteristics

obsolete information

past failures define you now, don’t guarentee future success

distorted feedback

people who criticize us have a lasting effect on us

perfection

distorts self concept, really attainable?

social expectations

how people want to be seen

-modest

impression management

communication strategies people use to influence how others feel about them

perceived self

person you believe yourself to be, though it may not be accurate in every respect

presenting self

public image, the way you want to appear to others

face

someone’s identity

facework

verbal and nonverbal ways to maintain an image and manage social interactions.

self-disclosure

-must contain personal info about sender

-sender must purposely communicate this info

-another person must be the target

social penetration model

describes relationships in terms of breadth and depth of self-disclosure

privacy management

describe choices people make to reveal or conceal info about themselves

catharsis

relieves burden and emotion

self clarification

clarify beliefs and opinions

alternatives to self disclosure

silence

lie

benevolent lie

equivocation

hinting

global village

internet is at our fingertips, can communicate from anywhere in the world

-problem solve w/ individuals

culture

language, values, beliefs, traditions and customs people share and learn

in groups

member of a culture, recognize that you share specific characteristics

out groups

don’t possess these characteristics

social identity

how you view yourself based on seeing yourself as a member of certain groups

co-culture

membership in specific groups that are part of a culture

ex. race, age, sexual orientation, religion

intercultural communication

members of two or more cultures or co-cultures exchange messages in a manner that is influenced by their different cultural perceptions, both verbal and nonverbal

least intercultural

cultural differences mean little

most intercultural

differences are noteworthy

salience

the weight we attach to the cultural background of a particular person or phenomenon

low context culture

use language to express thoughts, feelings, ideas directly as possible

high context culture

relies heavily on subtle, often nonverbal cues to maintain social harmony

individualistic

primary responsibility to help oneself

collectivistic

loyalties and obligations to the in-group: extended family, community, or work organization

individualism-collectivism

most prominent of cultural differences and the greatest cause of misunderstandings

power distance

degree to which members of a society accept an unequal distribution of power

low power distance

believe in minimizing distinctions between various social class and status (equal) challenging authority is acceptable and considered a “right”

ex. US, Canada

high power distance

obey authority

ex. Philippines, Mexico, India

uncertainty avoidance within cultures

degree to which members of a culture feel threatened by ambigious situations and how much they try to avoid them

high uncertainty avoidance

need clear rules and regulations, avoid and are seldom tolerant of people and ideas outside the norm

low uncertainty avoidacne

accept people outside the norm

nurturing culture

regards support of relationships as an especially important goal

ethnicity

degree to which a person identifies with a particular group

achievement culture

societies who place high value on material success and focus on the task at hand