Orientation

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Interpersonal Communication An Introduction
2
Interpersonal Communication
The (transactional) process through which people
create and manage their relationships, exercising
mutual responsibility in creating meaning.
3
Functions of Interpersonal Communication

1. Meet our social needs
2. Maintain our sense of self
3. Fulfill social obligations
4. Exchange information
5. Influence others
6. Get and improve our jobs

4
Message Formation

• Message a persons verbal utterances and
  nonverbal behaviors to which meaning is
  attributed during communication
• Meaning the substance of messages that you send
  the ideas and feelings in your mind
• Symbols words, sounds, and actions that are
  generally understood to represent meaning

5
Past events or activities that give knowledge.
Values
Beliefs
Attitudes
Experiences
6
Channel
Both the route traveled by the message and
the means of transportation
Encoder
Decoder
Transforming ideas and feelings into words,
sounds, and actions
Transforming messages back into ideas and feelings
Receiver
Sender
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Sending Channel
Encoder
Decoder
Meaning
Encoder
Sender
Verbal and/or nonverbal responses to a message
Receiver
Feedback
8
Sending Channel
Noise
Encoder
Decoder
Stimuli that get in the way of sharing
meaning
Meaning
Meaning
Decoder
Encoder
Sender
Receiver
Feedback Channel
9
Noise

• External noise the sights, sounds, and other
  stimuli that draw peoples attention away from
  intended message
• Internal noise the thoughts and feelings that
  interfere with meaning
• Semantic noise unintended meanings aroused by a
  speakers symbols

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Context
Context
Sending Channel
Noise
Encoder
Decoder
Noise
Meaning
Meaning
Decoder
Encoder
Noise
Sender
Receiver
Context
Context
Feedback Channel
V/ V, p 9.
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Context the setting

• Physical where communication takes place, the
  environment, the distance between participants,
  seating, time of day
• Social the nature of the relationship
• Historical the background of previous
  communication
• Psychological the moods and feelings
• Cultural the set of beliefs, values, and norms
  that are shared by a large group of people

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Principles of Interpersonal Communication (pps.,
9-12)

• Is purposeful
• Is continuous
• Is Transactional (Messages vary in conscious
  encoding)
• Is relational
• Symmetrical or Complementary
• Is Irreversible
• Has ethical implications
• Is learned

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Communication has Purpose

• All communication is goal-directed
• Goal may be serious or trivial
• Successful communication achieves its goals
• People are not always aware of their goal in any
  particular act of communication.

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Communication is Continuous

• Interpersonal communication can be verbal or
  nonverbal. Therefore, we are always sending
  messages to others--whether we are aware of it or
  not!

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Messages Vary in Encoding

• Encoding process may be spontaneous or scripted
• Spontaneous expression means that messages are
  encoded without conscious thought
• Scripted communication uses conversation phrases
  that we have learned from past encounters.

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Communication is Relational

• Affect feelings of affection that the
  participants have for one another
• Control the extent to which one person
  dominates the other
• Complementary relationship one person lets the
  other define who is to have greater power
• Symmetrical relationship one in which people do
  not agree about who is in control

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Communication is Learned
Communication about communication
When you develop skill in communicating about
your and others messages, you can increase the
chance of creating shared understanding.
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Ethics
A set of moral principles that may be held by a
society, a group, or an individual
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Key Ethical Issues

• Truthfulness and honesty refraining from lying,
  cheating, stealing, or deceiving
• Moral dilemma choice involving unsatisfactory
  alternatives
• Integrity having a consistency of belief and
  action (keeping promises)

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Key Ethical Issues (continued)

• Fairness achieving the right balance of
  interests without regard to ones own feelings
  and without showing favor to any side in a
  conflict
• Respect showing regard or consideration for a
  person and for that persons rights
• Responsibility being accountable for ones
  actions

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Diversity variations between and among people

• Age
• Gender
• Race
• Religion

• Class
• Ability
• Country of origin
• Sexual orientation
• Physical characteristics

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Culture systems of knowledge shared by a
relatively large group of people
Culture is a critical concept to communication
because every communicator is a product of his or
her culture.
-Anderson 2000
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Communication Competence
Competence is the perception by others that our
communication was appropriate as well as
effective. Competence can be enhanced by

• Increasing communication knowledge
• Identifying and attaining goals
• Being able to use skills to achieve goals

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Developing Competence Skills

• 1. Message-formation skills increase accuracy
  and clarity of the messages you send.
• 2. Conversational-climate skills increase the
  opportunities to develop a supportive
  relationship.

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Developing Competence (continued)

• 3. Listening-for-understanding increases your
  ability to understand meaning.
• 4. Empathic-response skills increase the
  likelihood that you will be able to understand
  and respond to the emotional experiences of
  another.
• 5. Disclosure skills increase the likelihood that
  you will share your ideas and feelings in an
  honest and sensitive manner.

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Developing Communication Improvement Plans

• Describe the problem
• Describe the specific goal
• Outline procedure for reaching the goal
• Devise a method of assessment

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