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

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 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)env

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

psychological

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.  These are called relational culture (remember relational dimensions?).   

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 infulfillment and satisfaction beyond external gains.

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 wantin 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 wrongdi

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