INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

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INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION CHAPTER 1 A 1st Look
_at_ Interpersonal Relationships
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Why do we communicate?
1. Physical Needs 2. Identity Needs 3. Social
Needs 4. Practical Needs
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THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS
sender encoding
receiver decoding
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1. Jan tries to decide the best way to tell Tom
she cant go to Hawaii with him. 2. Tom decides
Jan means she doesnt love him when she says she
cant go. 3. Its so hot and smoky that Brad has
a hard time concentrating on the discussion. 4.
Linda smiles while Larry is talking to her. 5.
Brooke is daydreaming about her date while
Allison is talking to her. 6. Since Jacob has
never been married, its difficult for him to
understand why his married friend Brent wants to
spend less time with him. 7. Whitney says, Im
positive about my vote. 8. Erin is wealthy and
Kate is poor they have a serious conflict about
how to budget money. 9. Jack has been feeling a
cold coming on all day while sitting through the
meeting. 10. Levi constructs the best arguments
to convince his parents to buy him a new car.
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Communication Principles

• Communication can be intentional or
  unintentional.
• Communication is irreversible.
• It is impossible not to communicate.
• Communication is unrepeatable.
• Communication has both a content relational
  dimension.

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Communication Misconceptions

• More communication is not always better.
• Meanings are not in words.
• Successful communication doesnt always involve
  shared understanding.
• No single person or event causes anothers
  reaction.
• Communication will not solve all problems.

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Quantitative Communication
Any interaction between two people Dyad two
persons interacting Can be pretty IMPERSONAL SO
. . .
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I-It Communication impersonal communication
where people are treated as objects or
instruments for our purposes. I-You
Communication interaction that is midway
between impersonal and interpersonal
communication. Communicators acknowledge each
other as human beings but do not fully engage
each other as unique individuals. I-Thou
Communication fully interpersonal communication
in which people acknowledge and deal with each
other as unique individuals who meet fully in
dialogue.
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Qualitative Communication
1. Uniqueness 2. Irreplaceable 3.
Interdependence 4. Disclosure 5. Intrinsic
Rewards
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1 2 3 4 5 Standardized, habitual
Unique 1 2 3 4 5 Replaceable
Irreplaceable 1 2 3 4 5 Independent
Interdependent 1 2 3 4 5 Low
Disclosure High Disclosure
1 2 3 4 5 Unrewarding Rewarding
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Quantitative OR Qualitative?
Situation 1 While she is waiting in line at
the supermarket check-out counter, a woman who is
in line behind Maria, comments, Your coat looks
really warm. It must be nice and cozy on these
cold winter days. Maria says, Yes, it is,
thank you. Before she moves up to the clerk,
Maria chats with the woman about where she got
the coat and how much she has used it. Situation
2 A student visits a professor to discuss an
exam grade and before leaving they discover that
they both grew up in northern Minnesota. For
several minutes they recollect about the cold
winters there. Situation 3 Jim is functioning
as host for his organizations funding-raising
campaign dinner. He greets each member as they
arrive and offers to take their coat and hat and
directs them to the bar and hors doeuvres trays.
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Communication Competence
The ability to achieve ones goals in a manner
that is personally acceptable and, ideally,
acceptable to others. There is no single IDEAL
way to communicate. We must be
Flexible. Competence is situational, relational,
and can be learned.
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Characteristics of Competent Communication

• A wide range of behaviors
• Ability to choose the most appropriate behavior
• Skill at performing behaviors
• Cognitive Complexity
• Empathy
• Self-Monitoring
• Commitment