Notes on Types of Communication by Number of People Involved

Intrapersonal

  • Definition: Communication within an individual; internal dialogue with oneself.

  • Key components from transcript:

    • Talking to self

    • Self-examination

    • Examination of conscience

    • Self-introspection

Interpersonal

  • Definition: Communication between multiple people; includes dyad, small group, large public group, and mass communication structures.

Dyad (2 people)

  • Definition: Two people conversing.

  • Examples from transcript:

    • Dyadic

    • Client to customer

    • Doctor to patient

  • Turn Taking in Dyadic Conversation:

    • 1) Topic Initiation

    • 2) Topic Maintenance

    • 3) Topic Shift

    • 4) Topic Development

    • 5) Topic Termination

Small Group (3-10)

  • Size: 3-10 people

  • Characteristics:

    • Homogenous group

    • Commonality is observed

Large Group (11-30)

  • Size: 11-30 people

  • Characteristics:

    • Homogeneous

    • Lesser commonality

People in a group (roles in a group context, labeled as "People in A group" in transcript)

  • Lead

  • Assistant lead

  • Devil's Advocate

  • Free Loaders

Public (40 up to 50,000)

  • Size: 40 up to 50,000

  • Characteristics:

    • Heterogeneous audience

    • Fits in one venue

    • Crowd psychology

    • One-way communication

Mass (mass communication)

  • Size: Millions

  • Characteristics:

    • Distributed in different locations

    • Not real-time

Tri Media Plus 1

  • Components:

    • TV

    • Radio

    • Newspaper

    • + Internet

Connections and implications

  • Relationship to communication theory:

    • The number of participants influences feedback, control of the message, and the level of intimacy.

    • Intrapersonal communication affects self-awareness and personal decision-making, which can influence how one communicates in all other formats.

  • Real-world relevance:

    • Dyadic interactions are common in personal and professional settings (doctor-patient, client-customer).

    • Small groups enable collaborative problem solving but may require clear role definitions (e.g., Lead, Assistant Lead, Devil's Advocate, Free Loaders).

    • Public and mass communication involve audience dynamics and reach; public communication is typically one-way with crowds, whereas mass communication disseminates information broadly across various locations.

  • Practical implications:

    • Turn-taking in dyadic conversations is a structured sequence that helps maintain clarity and flow.

    • Group composition (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous) affects communication efficiency, cohesion, and information diversity.

    • Tri Media Plus 1 illustrates how traditional media channels (TV, Radio, Newspaper) operate alongside the Internet to reach broad audiences.

Summary of key definitions and numbers

  • Intrapersonal: internal communication (talking to self; self-examination; introspection)

  • Interpersonal: communication between people, including dyad, small group, large group/public, mass

  • Dyad: 2 people; examples include dyadic interactions such as doctor-patient

  • Turn-taking in dyad: ext{Topic Initiation}, ext{Maintenance}, ext{Shift}, ext{Development}, ext{Termination}

  • Small Group: 3-10; homogeneous; commonality observed

  • Large Group: 11-30; homogeneous; lesser commonality

  • Public: 40 ext{ up to } 50{,}000; heterogeneous; one venue; crowd psychology; one-way

  • Mass: Millions; distributed; not real time

  • Tri Media Plus 1: TV, Radio, Newspaper, + Internet