intro interpersonal communication essay

Essay on Interpersonal Communication Skills

Introduction

Communication has become an integral part of life and must-have skills. We need interpersonal skills not only to interact with each other in the context of the workplace, families, relationships, and nations, but also to transmit information and knowledge. According to Koprowska, (2020), interpersonal communication is defined as exchanging information, knowledge, feelings, and thoughts exchanged between two or more people. Individual use various of communication methods; words, body language, tonal variation, facial expressions, and gestures. Using effective interpersonal communication by an individual helps in personal growth, promotes a close relationship, promotes wellness, reduces stress, and improves the quality of life (Koprowska,2020). This essay focusses on showing the importance of effective interpersonal communication skills and emerging skills learned over the trimester incorporating feedback received from peers.

Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Repeating back in my words what the client said helped to bring the client awareness to his/her cognitions, emotions, and behaviors awareness. It encouraged the client to go deeper into the conversations and demonstrate empathy. According to Koprowska, (2020), paraphrasing and summarizing are more to repeating the words and interpreting the client’s emotions and behavior.

Reflection of content and feeling

Reflection of content involved reflecting back the content of what the client has said by picking the most important content information, but not repeating what the client has said, while the reflection of feeling is reflecting on the perceived emotional affect of the client such as tears or change in the tone (Destler, 2017). Combined reflection of content and feeling to bring feelings, cognitions, and behaviors awareness. Using appropriate words to reflect the client’s content and feelings was crucial to the success of the counseling sessions, for instance, ‘You are sad because of bullying at the work and the decision to leave your family and friends, if you accept the new job offer.’

Active listening skills

Counselors used active listening skills to help the client recognize that the counselor is listening attentively, interested in what the client is talking about, understanding and encouraging the client to continue talking (Geldard, & Foo,2019). Active listening skills include: nonverbal responses such as nodding, maintaining eye contact; using encouragers to continue talking such as ‘yes’, ‘really’, ‘ I understand’ which shows the attitude and approval, or disapproval; matching the language to the appropriate age group such as the use of vocabulary that the client will understand.

Use of questions

Designed the suitable questions at an appropriate time to meet different clients’ need. When working with the adults, one should be careful not to overuse questions to avoid turning the counselling into interrogation but a conversation (Destler,2017). Similarly, to young people to maintain interests in the session. There are two types of questions: an open question seeks a descriptive answer while a closed question demands a yes or no answer. Both types of questions encourage a conversation and make the client to self-disclosure. Moreover, the type of questions asked by the counselor makes him/her approachable and builds trust.

Importance of Effective Interpersonal communication skills

Personal development

Human beings are complex social beings. We develop social skills through continuously interacting with others. Social skills are primarily affected by predisposing factors; thoughts, feelings, and perceptions are learned and shaped by our social groups (Geldard, & Foo,2019). In my role play and course materials provided helped me to develop practical communication skills; listening skills: how to encourage others to talk about themselves without interpreting, experiences and reflection of feelings: early experience affects an individual’s perceptions, and perceptions do not change easily (Biglu, et all.,2017). One can only help another by using effective interpersonal skills to ensure the intended information, the other person understands thoughts. Likewise, interaction requires one to understand the other person’s point of view, as well as your own’s view to give advice by making other person feels that their opinions, thoughts and ideas matter.

The development of effective interpersonal skills has helped me express myself in the most convincingly way; strengthening the bond among my friends; to speak clearly to make people understand what I intend to communicate; improve body language (Biglu, et all.,2017). Apparently, shaping my personality has boosted my self-esteem and self-confidence and in realizing my purpose of helping people in daily challenges.

Problem solving

Different problems require different problem-solving skills. For instance, solving a problem requires understanding the problem and effective verbal, listening, and persuasion skills. Excellent interpersonal communications ensure smooth discussion among the team, weighing the cons and pros of different alternatives and choose the best alternative (Khademian, & Tehrani, 2017).

According to American Psychological Association, 40% of clients do not trust their counselors in the counseling industry. They do not share all the information for fear of confidentiality breaches. Effective communication help to build the trust, relationship in the workplace by assuring, and explaining the obligation of confidentiality in the law.

Personal relationships

Building healthy relationships in the personal and workplace requires effective interpersonal communication skills, coordination to work as a team. Creating and maintaining personal relationships requires respecting other person’s point of view; thoughts, knowledge, ideas, paying attention to their feelings by observing how they communicate, this builds trust among the friends (Khademian, & Tehrani, 2017).

Effective management and leadership

An effective leader should possess skills to foster an interpersonal relationship, trust and communicate clearly. Poor communication irritates and confuses workers while performing their duties, waste time while revisiting issues already shared (Hardjati, & Febrianita,2019). Managers are in charge, should ensure cooperation at executing tasks and responsible for his/her team. Therefore, the need to build trust and transparency by effectively communicating to the employees and creating a culture of positivity.

Recognizing good work

Good interpersonal communication skills are essential for personal coaching in the workplace. Helping each other perform their duties successfully, identifying the good work and encouraging each other to perform their level best as well as working on weaknesses (Biglu, et all.,2017). Asking questions instead of giving direct orders at the workplace requires effective interpersonal communication skills.

Must-Have Interpersonal Communication skills

Employees are recognizing the importance of micro-soft skills and nonverbal communication skills. The following are soft skills and nonverbal communication skills I have gained or polished include; communication courtesy, flexibility, integrity, interpersonal skills, attitude, professionalism, responsibility, teamwork, and work ethic (Biglu, et all.,2017).

Importance of observing non-verbal clues

Nonverbal clues; facial expressions, gestures, body movement and postures, eye contact, tone variation are powerful interpersonal communication tools. Observing the nonverbal clues helped me know when to start a conversation by establishing a rapport; someone needed a break, was confused hence need more explanation, want to contribute, and know whether trust exists in the discussion (Anggeraini, & Farozin,2019).

Ineffective interpersonal communication

Ineffective interpersonal create barriers and prevent the sharing and understanding of message communicated. In cases where people are restricted to sharing by cultural taboos of non-talking issues, mainly caused by lack of trust, frustration, and problems neglected (Khademian, & Tehrani, 2017). To show respect for their culture and talk openly about how they have restricted people from talking, and encourage cooperation.

Poor conflict management and problem-solving skills result in finger-pointing, blaming each other for not achieving the set objectives, and misdirected anger to other team members. According to Koprowska, (2020), can solve this by learning how to bring people’s mistakes indirectly, not pointing fingers. The manager can talk about his/her mistakes before criticizing the other person, and learning to disagree with the other person’s perceptions, and remaining calm.

It is satisfactory to say that effective interpersonal communication skills are essential towards achieving goals in an organization and personal development. Employees exhibit poor performance at the workplace as a result of ineffective interpersonal communication from the manager. The directives from the leaders ensure the proper performance of duties at the workplace. Effective interpersonal communication skills enhance personal and professional growth, builds trust and positivity, recognizes good work and effective management. This enhances the reliability and accuracy of information thus yielding an efficient working environment.

Destler, D. (2017). The Superskills Model: A Supervisory Microskill Competency Training Model. Professional Counselor , 7 (3), 272-284.

Geldard, K., Geldard, D., & Foo, R. Y. (2019). Counselling adolescents: The proactive approach for young people . Sage.

Hardjati, S., & Febrianita, R. (2019). The power of interpersonal communication skill in enhancing service provision. Journal of Social Science Research , 14 , 3192-3199.

Khademian, Z., & Tehrani Neshat, B. (2017). The relationship between interpersonal communication skills and nursing students’ attitudes toward teamwork. Sadra Medical Journal , 5 (2), 99-110.

Biglu, M. H., Nateq, F., Ghojazadeh, M., & Asgharzadeh, A. (2017). Communication skills of physicians and patients’ satisfaction. Materia socio-medica , 29 (3), 192.

Anggeraini, D., & Farozin, M. (2019). Interpersonal communication skills and self conﬁdence of secondary school students: findings and interventions. KnE Social Sciences , 140-145.

Koprowska, J. (2020). Communication and interpersonal skills in social work . Sage.

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Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships

(12 reviews)

Jason S. Wrench, State University of New York

Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, Texas Tech University

Katherine S. Thweatt, State University of New York

Last Update: 2023

ISBN 13: 9781942341772

Publisher: Milne Open Textbooks

Language: English

Formats Available

Conditions of use.

Learn more about reviews.

Reviewed by Jinnie Jeon, Assistant Professor, Adler University on 5/30/23

N/A read more

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

Clarity rating: 5

Consistency rating: 5

Modularity rating: 5

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Interface rating: 5

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

“Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships” by Jason S. Wrench, Narissa M. Punyanunt-Carter, and Katherine S. Thweatt is a truly illuminating journey into the depths of human interaction. A cutting-edge book written in an engraining and accessible style, it expertly blends theoretical foundations with practical applications, encouraging readers not just to understand but also to implement the principles of effective communication. The author’s unique focus on mindfulness, a concept rarely emphasized in similar literature, provides a fresh perspective and an essential tool for nurturing and enhancing relationships in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world. This approach enables readers to become more present and thoughtful communicators. Despite the intricacies of the subject matter, the text remains approachable and practical, enriched by real-life examples and exercises that promote self-reflection. The original cover art by Melinda Ahan adds a touch of beauty and uniqueness to this enlightening piece of work. Overall, the book stands as a seminal text for anyone seeking to improve their interpersonal communication skills, from students to professionals and beyond.

Reviewed by Dana Trunnell, Associate Professor of Communication, Prairie State College on 3/15/23

This text covers interpersonal communication concepts and theory in extraordinary detail with the added bonus of weaving mindfulness into each topic. If anything, I find the chapters to be almost too long for undergraduate reading expectations. That said, the mindfulness approach, along with the care taken to cover topics from multiple perspectives is appreciated. One especially great resource is the accompanying instructor resource manual, which is very detailed, updated, and helpful. It is not the afterthought that some OER textbooks provide. I would like to see more coverage of LGBTQIA+ issues.

The text is accurate, without grammatical and proofreading errors. I do think the text can be rather repetitive in spots, so word economy might be something to think about for future revisions and editions.

Interpersonal Communication is a timeless discipline and the text reflects this disciplinary longevity. I find the mindfulness approach to be an important update as the mindfulness trend establishes itself into a more long-term approach to thinking about relationships, communication, and life, in general. But, the text should be updated to be more aware and inclusive of emerging norms in race, LGBTQIA+, and sociopolitical issues.

Clarity rating: 4

Information is presented in an easy-to-read format and concepts are explained clearly. As I mentioned above, at times, the text can be pretty repetitive, which affects readability.

The content in this text is consistent with the approaches of for-profit volumes on Interpersonal Communication.

I like that this text displays the full chapter when one clicks on the link instead of only one subsection of that chapter. So, students can read the entire chapter from one link without having to scroll through other pages using navigational tools. I have found that the latter is very confusing to students, who might read only the first subsection and not the entire chapter. These links can easily be incorporated into an LMS module for easy access. In addition, each chapter is organized consistently, beginning with introductory information about each unit. The chapters are divided by major topics/concepts and each division includes Learning Objectives, Key Takeaways, and application Exercises. Time is devoted in each chapter to the application of the mindfulness approach as it relates to the topic of study. Chapters end with a list of important terms, a case study, and end-of-chapter assessments.

The content flowed well with transitions linking the chapters. I think the ordering of the chapters made sense. I also think it makes sense to organize them completely differently. The beauty of interpersonal communication is that it is so important and pervasive in our lives that we can jump in anywhere and get the discussion started. I do think, however, it is easy to adapt the flow of the text to any class – titular notions of “Chapter 1,” “Chapter 2,” etc. mean less with an electronic resource that is linked to LMS modules than a physical book.

Interface rating: 4

The textbook is easy to use and easy to navigate as it uses the consistent approach of other texts housed in the Open Textbook Library. Chapters are consistently organized and it is easy to move throughout the text. I love that hyperlinks are provided so students can access referenced surveys, measures, and other supplementary material. Unfortunately, some of these are dead links.

I did not encounter grammatical errors as I read.

Cultural Relevance rating: 3

The book acknowledges the importance of cultural factors as they influence various parts of the interpersonal communication process. However, the text would benefit from an update that helps students navigate the current communication climate, especially as they relate to current issues associated with race, sociopolitical events, and LGBTQIA+ people.

This text is particularly good for introductory-level interpersonal communication students. Instructors who value mindfulness as a daily practice will find this text especially suitable for their teaching style. New instructors will be impressed and feel supported by the extensive ancillary material.

Reviewed by Beth Austin, Assistant Teaching Professor, University of Wisconsin - Superior on 9/23/22

This book covers all the relevant material covered in a typical textbook on interpersonal communication. read more

This book covers all the relevant material covered in a typical textbook on interpersonal communication.

After briefly looking through the book and with publisher and the authors' credentials, I am confident in the accuracy of the content.

This text was published in 2020 and the images, research, and mindfulness angle are still relevant. Only time will tell the reception that mindfulness receives over the years.

This book is easy to read and contains foundational jargon for the discipline.

The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.

The page layout of this book provides the reader with captivating images which provide reading breaks. The infographics are colorful and visually dynamic.

The flow and structure of this book follow the table of contents for many other interpersonal communication texts.

This book is user-friendly and easy on the eyes.

I did not find any grammatical errors in this book.

I did not see any evidence of insensitive or offensive material in the book.

Chapter 14: The Darkside of Interpersonal Communication provides information about which many undergraduate students may relate.

Reviewed by Riley Richards, Assistant Professor, Oregon Institute of Technology on 8/22/22

This book offers a unique perspective on IPC, particularly through its mindfulness lens. Through this lens, it covers the standard and expected major ideas needed to cover in an IPC class and is covered in other IPC textbooks. The information covered and how it is presented (i.e., readability) are fit for undergraduate students in an introductory or standalone IPC course. Areas of content that stand out in this text, compared to other IPC texts, are the chapters on mediated communication and especially the dark side of IPC. Additionally, emotions through the lens of mindfulness are discussed throughout the text while other IPC texts lump the connection between emotion and communication into a section or chapter. From an instructor standpoint, I especially appreciated the authors explaining how research findings were found (i.e., methodology) instead of simply providing the student with the information and a citation through the research spotlight sections. My only minor critique is the family and marriage relationship chapter. The marriage portion albeit limited is related to family but also seemed out of place in the text. A standalone chapter on romantic/sexual relationships seems like a natural next step in the next edition. Also, instructors can easily substitute this section for other material. Finally, the additional materials (e.g., Ted Talk, YouTube videos) provide accessible material for a student who may wish to learn more in-depth information or prefer information through different mediums.

The authors did well in balancing the breadth and depth of the subject within each chapter and across the book. I did not find parts or the sum of the parts to be biased or inaccurate.

As of this review, the content is up to date across the board from current research findings to the inclusion of seminal research and examples of concepts (e.g., COVID-19) that students can relate to. Additionally, the text is written (also through its license) in such a way that other instructors can freely expand on the authors’ examples or go in and make their own. Finally, I believe the lens of mindfulness to be around and relatable for quite some time based on national data about Generation Z coming through university doors for at least the next few decades.

The text was clear. The authors do a good job clearly defining and calling the reader’s attention to major ideas before going in-depth into the concept. The real-world case study included at the end of every chapter and its prompted thinking questions (which could easily be in-class discussion questions) is helpful for readers to consider key ideas in contexts immediately after reading the chapter.

The text keeps consistent and uses terminology as it was originally defined/discussed and is consistent with the larger IPC literature.

The text is clearly divided into chapters and sections within chapters. Instructors can easily use standalone chapters and/or add/remove sections within chapters to meet their pedagogy needs. The text is not overly self-referential, and a new reader would not need to read chapters in order. However, the reader would be best to have some background to IPC (i.e., chapters 1-3) before reading how the material applies in specific contexts.

The chapters are logically ordered and run in order similar to most IPC texts (i.e., I did not have to change my course vary much when transitioning to a new text). Each chapter opens with clear learning outcomes and ends with a reminder of the key terms and supplies the reader with a means to immediately apply the content through case studies, quizzes, and personality tests.

Overall, there were no major issues. Few exceptions such as a table going over onto the next page, textbox, or section header breaking apart sentences in the same paragraph (e.g., “end of chapter” in chapter 12). These few exceptions do not take away from the content being covered.

In my read through I found no major issues. I also offered my students extra credit to find errors (aids their writing) and they did not find any issues either.

The text was neither culturally insensitive nor offensive. The examples provided vary across genders, sexes, sexualities, races, and ethnicities. This is especially true in the culture chapter.

Overall, I strongly recommend this text to others. This is my first time using and reviewing an OER. I have used it for one summer term so far but plan to continue to use it in the future. No textbook is perfect for our individual needs, we all teach differently. However, the beauty of the author’s choice of license allows each of us to use the text differently. Thus, as the years go on, I will continue to pick and choose and supplement where I need to based on my curriculum and learning outcomes.

Reviewed by Abby Zegers, Correctional Education Coordinator, Des Moines Area Community College on 11/17/21

This text is incredibly comprehensive to the point that I feel that it could possibly be two texts or classes, depending on how much time you had. Each chapter dives relatively deep into its topic and not only is it visually appealing with up to date charts, graphs and pictures, the downloadable version has hyperlinks to directly take the student to a certain inventory that the chapter is utilizing as a supplement. I found this to be really engaging. The text has a separate instructor manual which is incredibly useful with all of the materials, power points, quizzes and other necessary information needed to instruct this class. There is a glossary at the end of the text. No index was available which in my opinion would be helpful simply due to the fact that many topics/subjects or inferences are utilized throughout the chapters and not necessarily in the one devoted to that topic.

I found the content to be accurate and free from bias. I noticed only a few grammatical errors but content was incredibly accurate and up to date with references cited appropriately throughout.

Interpersonal communication is a topic that holds relevance and longevity as many things stay the same however the authors did an excellent job with current communication topics such as Chapter 12 devoted to Interpersonal Communication in Mediated Contexts. This is a topic I spend a great deal of time on with my classes as it is so current and relative to their lives right now. I think that this information will change in the future however the content available now on the topic will remain relevant as “history”. I found value in the links to different personality tests or activities that were relevant to the topic at hand and appreciated that they were available so easily as students are more likely to click a link rather than jot down something they might look up later.

I found this text to be very elaborate into many topics relating to interpersonal communication and the extensive glossary was very helpful. The supplemental activities and videos presented are a wonderful way to apply what is approached in each lesson. The text uses a “mindfulness” approach which might be a new concept to some however I think it’s a great way to see the value and importance of the topic.

I found no issues with consistency. Each chapter is laid out the same with Learning Outcomes identified in each section, exercises that could be great journal activities or discussions, key takeaways, a chapter wrap up including key terms used, a real world case study and a quiz followed by references. It is consistent throughout the text and a great way to appeal to different types of learners.

The way this text is set up allows for one to jump around if need be however; the beginning focuses more on history and theory which in itself is important along with communication models. This in itself could almost be its own text with the depth the authors go to in the material along with the abundance of activities and self-assessments allowing the reading to analyze their own styles creates a nice foundation to continue into the material. For my own classes, I would never have enough time to get through this text and give it the attention that it deserves so the ability to pick and choose topics and chapters relative to today is really an attractive part of it for me.

I think this text flows very well and much of the material from the beginning builds upon itself. The chapters are in appropriate order with building content however; it is beneficial that an instructor could pick and choose different areas they wanted to focus on without losing too much. The text ends with Chapter 13 being Interpersonal Relationships at Work and Chapter 14 being The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication and I feel that these were appropriate choices to wrap up the text with.

I loved the ability to read through this text in electronic format and the hyperlinks were incredibly helpful and I had no issues with connectivity to sources. Images were clear and loaded as they should. I printed off a copy of the text and there were no formatting issues in doing so. I feel that utilizing the hard copy method or downloading the pdf version are both great options to have that appease different types of learners.

There were a few minor grammatical errors here and there but nothing that distracted me or was relative enough that I documented it. I felt like it was very well written and edited.

There is a specific chapter dedicated to Cultural and Environmental Factors in Interpersonal Communication however; references to cultural and gender issues are spread throughout and I feel like the information is inclusive.

Overall, I found this text to be a really great OER and am using pieces of it for my classes. I appreciate a text that appeals to many different styles of learners with text, videos, interactive quizzes and assessment and slides. So much material is available and covered and I find many sections of this to be useful in a few different classes that I teach. I am thankful to have found this text and look forward to continuing to use it.

Reviewed by Jennifer Adams, Professor, DePauw University on 11/13/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This book is lengthy, and each chapter contains more good content than I expected. There are chapters on each topic you would expect (although organized somewhat differently than most of the popular print textbooks in this discipline). For example, the information on perception is mostly in chapter 3, but some info about the topic was found across two other chapters (and attribution theory is not really included at all). There is no specific chapter on emotion, but there is content about it throughout. Furthermore, something that was somewhat new to me was incorporating the idea of "mindfulness" along with competence to understand communication processes. There is a chapter on technology that I think is growing in importance. This book doesn't really push the envelope on considering issues of identity like race or gender, but there is a good chapter on culture (and I would say that is also true of many for-profit books). The sections on relational communication are really thorough and give a good range or ideas and theories for each different relational experience. While the organization was slightly different than the book I was used to using (the Floyd text), I was able to find all of my content normally covered somewhere in this textbook.

I found no errors in this textbook that I have found aside from minor typos or a few strange sentences. The content is accurate and attributed to the correct sources. There is a lengthy and useful reference list.

This book includes all of the theories and concepts that I have been teaching for two decades. Their examples are really useful. One thing I did notice is that a lot of space is taken up by quizzes or activities - things like personality tests. I don't really use those in any way, but I do wonder if those types of things might be trendy - I don't know that or sure, but I didn't use them. I do think that the focus on "mindfulness" is something that is popular now that has not been in the past, but I certainly hope that the value in mindfulness doesn't trend away any time soon. I really thought that the book was up to date and see no reason it can't be updated relatively easily.

This book is comparable to the popular for-profit interpersonal communication textbooks that are available. It is addressed to the reader, and it is easy to read. It does introduce new terminology and concepts , but these are always defined clearly. At the end of every chapter, there is a 'take-away" section that includes key-terms, so there is the ability to look those up outside of the basic text as well. There are activities at the end of each chapter as well, to help develop.

Yes, the entire book is about interpersonal communication and it does not diverge from topics covered in the popular for-profit books. I didn't find any inconsistencies in the way that the material is presented. In fact, the opposite is true: their focus on "mindfulness" as a skill that can be developed holds each chapter together, so that there is not just information about the important ideas and theories, there is also a constant reflection on the values of mindfulness as it relates to all of the topics (and relationship types) that are covered.

This is really well organized. The book is divided into chapters, and each chapter is divided into subsections that have numbered placement within the chapter and headings throughout. (For example, chapter seven materials are divided into 7.1, 7.2, 7.3, etc). If you didn't want to assign the entire book, you could easily pick sections here and there to use (and you can save only those sections as PDFs to insert on your syllabus or organizing platforms).

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The book is not organized like my class was, but it wasn't a major deal and I simply hoped around a bit. So, for example, I thought that the chapter on culture should come sooner than chapter 6, perhaps before verbal and nonverbal communication. I also wasn't sure that some of the content in chapter 7 called "Talking and Listening" was placed well there - it seemed redundant in some ways, but some info (like social penetration theory or the johari window) seem like they should be in an earlier chapter about perception. That being said, these concerns are ultimately very minor - the content I expected was there, and I could assign page #s for specific sections that I needed to address at different times in the semester. I did not use this book chronologically from chapter 1 to the end, but that has been true for for-profit books I have used in the past, too. I found the chronology to be good.

I used this book in the fall of 2021, and recommended that all students download the PDF version, which is what I primarily use. The book's TOC is hyperlinked, and so you can easily find the content you are looking for and click to go to the relevant sections. When I do keyword searches for specific theories or concepts, they come up easily without error. It's easy to use and the layout is professional and attractive (pictures and images come through formatted correctly, charts and graphs look clear).

This book is well written. Aside from a few typos here and there, I didn't find lots of problems with readability. It's not perfect; for example, sometimes where there are bullet points, they are not written in a parallel style, or something like that which might be noticeable, but that was pretty infrequent. The writing is clear and correct.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

There is nothing offensive that I found in this book. The book includes examples and ideas that are inclusive or race, ethnicity and gender. There is an entire chapter on cultural communication, so it does present information about cross-cultural differences and communication. I would like to see more about gender and more explicitly about race, but some of that content IS here (I just find myself spending more time on this every semester, but I must use supplemental material on topics such as white fragility or privilege and how that impacts interpersonal communication).

Although I hate the price of textbooks, I have been hesitant to use open source materials in the past due to a perceived lesser quality. This book has changed my mind. It isn't perfect, but it saves students 50-100 dollars, and the information that they purchase isn't perfect either. This book presents as professional, and it reads that way as well. Of course, I supplement this book with popular readings and examples, but almost all of the academic content I needed was in this book. I do recommend it.

Reviewed by Joseph Nicola, Professor, Century College on 10/6/21

The text provides a very detailed and granular index and glossary. Very helpful when planning lessons and homework readings. The text is hyperlinked from the index/glossary making it helpful for students. Presents a good explanation of the many... read more

Content is accurate, error-free and unbiased. Does a fair job at covering the large content scope of Interpersonal Comm subject manner. Does not address some popular content covered in an undergrad course on the subject. However the text does provide a nice foundation for class lecture and discussion. Sources are referenced at the end of every chapter.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Content is up-to-date, but not in a way that will quickly make the text obsolete within a short period of time. The text is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement.

The text clearly covers the basic principles of the large content subject matter. Does a fare job a covering basic principles that are foundational for the discipline.

The subject of gender identity is not greatly covered. Terms within the LGBTQIA are briefly mentioned but not explained further. A future edition would benefit from this addition.

Good concordance and glossary of terms with page numbers. Easy to read and follow. Has “Key Takeaways” and End of Chapter “Exercises at the end of each chapter. For the most part, the text adequately covers the material needed.

Yes. It appears consistent throughout.

This is a well organized text. That does a fair job at covering that large foundational scope of interpersonal communication. Has “Key Takeaways” and "End of Chapter Exercises" at the end of each chapter.are very nice for class activities and discussion.

Text is organized very well.

Good text and well interfaced. Easy to navigate.

Text is well written with clear paragraphs, bullet points and formatted topic headings. No errors found.

The text does devote a large amount of content to explaining the importance of cultural awareness for being a competent communicator. Provides a good starting foundation to start with class lectures and class discussion. Graphics do depict a diverse student population which is nice to see that intention. Some content that could be added on: *It should be noted that the important subject topic of gender identity is not greatly covered with this text. Terms within the LGBTQIA are briefly mentioned but not explained further. *Only briefly mentioned the importance of Emotional Intelligence but lacks in content and key terms within the subject and practical examples.

The subject of gender identity is not greatly covered. Terms within the LGBTQ+ are briefly mentioned but not explained further. Well designed and layout with some minimal graphics and color-coated topic headings. There could be more for a future printing. Offers some personality and perspective assessment activities that would serve as a good chapter activity.

Reviewed by Aditi Paul, Assistant Professor, Pace University on 8/13/21

The authors do a really good job at covering a variety of introductory, foundational, and contemporary topics pertaining to interpersonal communication. read more

The authors do a really good job at covering a variety of introductory, foundational, and contemporary topics pertaining to interpersonal communication.

Content Accuracy rating: 3

The authors do a good job of laying the foundation of the importance of mindfulness in interpersonal communication. However, the discussion surrounding mindfulness and how it should be integrated into different aspects of interpersonal communication was less than thorough. Mindfulness almost came as an afterthought rather than being weaved into the main material in most chapters.

The importance of mindfulness in interpersonal communication is a highly relevant topic, especially in today's age where most of our communication over digital media has become primarily mindless. The authors also do a good job at including new and relevant topics such as body positivity in non-verbal communication, computer-mediated communication apprehension, internet infidelity, and postmodern friendships.

The text was very clear and easy to follow.

Consistency rating: 3

As mentioned earlier, the lack of consistency was evident in the discussion of mindfulness. The authors introduce mindfulness in terms of "attention, intention, and attitude" in the first chapter. But in the rest of the chapters, especially chapter 5 onward, the conversation around mindfulness dwindles.

The modularity of the book was good.

The organization of the book was good. The only critique I would have is the placement of the chapter on culture and interpersonal communication. I would have preferred that topic to be introduced earlier than chapter 6 since a lot of our verbal and non-verbal communication is colored by culture.

The interface of the book was good.

The grammar of the book was good.

The book was culturally sensitive. It included sexually and culturally marginalized groups into the conversation.

Reviewed by Rebecca Oldham, Assistant Professor, Middle Tennessee State University on 5/20/21

This textbook provides a thorough introduction to communication studies. It covers multiple important theories, seminal research, major concepts, and practical suggestions for improving communication. The instructor guide includes many helpful tools, including chapter outlines, presentation slides, in-class activities, practice quiz questions, and links to TEDTalks and YouTube example videos from recent popular films and TV shows. It also comes with a student workbook. This textbook has as many, if not more, supplemental materials as a traditional textbook.

However, some sections of the book could be expounded upon with future revisions. For example, I would have expected to see more variety of research about on marriage beyond Fitzpatricks typologies (e.g., John Gottman's research or references to other romantic relationship research). Other topics I would like to see in future revisions are (1) the rhetorical triangle and (2) the elaboration likelihood model.

However, the comphrehensiveness is still such that instructors additions to this textbook for curriculum would merely be supplemental.

This textbook uses a mixture of seminal and recent research to review major topics of interpersonal communication to supports accuracy. When relevant, the authors describe research studies and methods, not just the findings, which enhances students' science and information literacy.

The textbook is written with up-to-date research and references to recent culture and political issues from the past year (e.g., COVID-19, political polarization). References to mediated communication are very up-to-date, with the exception of TikTok not being mention. The instructor's manual provides excellent examples of concepts in recent popular TV and film that students are sure to enjoy because they are not out-dated and the media is familiar for this age group.

However, I would reframe the concept of relationships in the textbook beyond "marriage" to "committed romantic relationships" given the increase of polyamory/consensual non-monogamy, open relationships, and long-term cohabitation/commitment without marriage. Although marriage is still largely the norm in the United States, the changing landscape of romantic relationship development could be more strongly present in this textbook.

The tone of the authorship balances an academic and conversational tone well-suited for an undergraduate audience. Jargon is well-defined in-text and glossary is provided. The writing is professional and academic, without being esoteric.

No inconsistencies in terminology, theoretical frameworks, nor pedagogical approaches were detected. The authors have clearly reviewed this textbook for quality and consistency.

The textbook is well organized into manageably-sized blocks of text with many headings and subheadings, which helps the reader navigate the text. Instructors should find it easy to identify how parts of this textbook overlap with their existing communcation or relationships course for ready adaptation and integration into existing curriculum.

This textbook is largely organized like other communication textbooks: Introduction/Overview, Identity, Verbal/Nonverbal Communication, Culture, Mediated Communication, and various types of relationships (e.g., family, professional, etc.). It's logical and familiar organization makes it easy to navigate and integrate with standard introducation to communication courses.

Very few issues with distortion of images or overlap in page elements or formatting inconsistencies.

No obvious grammatical errors were detected. The writing style is accessible and easy to read.

Authors clearly took steps to be inclusive and draw attention to issues of equity with regard to gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, religion, political identity, and other groups (for examples, see sections on dating scripts, post-modern friendships, racist language, cross-group friendships). I would recommend future revisions include information about African American Vernacular English (AAVE) possible under a section about culture, dialects, or accents, given its direct relevance to communication.

I plan on replacing the textbook for my Interpersonal Communication course with this textbook. In most respects, it is equivalent to the textbook that is currently required. However, it also is an improvement on the current textbook in terms of the density of research citations and in the supplemental material. Instructors of introductory communication courses can feel confident in adopting this textbook to reduce costs, lower educational barriers, without sacrificing educational rigor and quality.

Reviewed by Jennifer Burns, Adjunct Faculty, Middlesex Community College on 3/13/21

Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships, provides an in-depth understanding to the variables that comprise interpersonal communication, I especially appreciate the mindful (know thyself) lens!! read more

After examining the context and student workbook, I was impressed with the content accuracy. I did not pick up on saturation of bias and or stigmatizing language.

Yes, content is up-to-date, and it is encouraged to contact the author with needed updates, and or changes. It is also encouraged to personalize the book to fit the needs of the students!

This textbook is clear, concise and to the point!

The framework and theory are woven throughout the text.

The text is divided into digestible sections, that allow for independent assignment of course material. The formatting is easy on the eyes!

Love the text organization, the content is clear, logical and sequential!

You do need an access code from author to obtain access to the teacher resources.

Did not notice grammatical errors.

I did not perceive this text to be culturally insensitive.

Reviewed by Jessica Martin, Adjunct Instructor, Communication Studies, Portland Community College on 1/5/21

This book presents a comprehensive breakdown of the major types of interpersonal communication. The chapters included in this course text align with the traditional content in an interpersonal communication course. I like how it also includes a... read more

Consistent sources are cited throughout the course text at the end of each chapter, proving its accuracy . The sources appear to be non-bias and overall boost the credibility of the text.

Being that the text includes a chapter primarily focused on mediated communication, I would say that the text is up to date and contains adequate information to support relevancy.

The text is written in a straightforward, simplistic type of manner. This would make it easy for any college student to follow along with the content and keep up with the terminology. Any time a new term is introduced, plenty of examples are given to explain that term. This same format is followed consistently throughout the course text.

Each chapter begins with clear learning outcomes, follows with consistent sub-headers and clear introductions to new terminology. I also noted how each chapters includes exercises to help students further understand course content.

Each chapter is clearly divided up into specific sections to help with lesson planning and overall lecturing materials. This would make it easy to create lecture material for the course.

The text is organized effectively in that there are clear transitions from one topic to another. As mentioned previously, each chapter begins with clear learning objectives, and concludes with exercises, key-takeaways, and a list of key terms.

I would say that overall this course text is easy to navigate. Plenty of charts, tables, and photographs are consistently used to help introduce new ideas and key theories.

I did not note any grammatical errors.

The text includes a chapter titled "Culture and Environmental Factors in Interpersonal Communication," which includes all of the necessary key terms that you would hope to see in an interpersonal communication course.

Reviewed by Prachi Kene, Professor, Rhode Island College on 10/22/20

This book presents a comprehensive overview of the different aspects, types, and models of communication. Further topics of discussion include verbal and non-verbal elements of communication, impact of communication on a variety of relationships (friendships, family, marriage, dating, siblings, coworkers, etc.), mediated communication, and conflict. The book concludes with an exploration of "the dark side of communication." Key concepts discussed throughout the book are listed in the glossary.

The content of the book is informed by advances in the fields of communication and psychology. These sources are acknowledged throughout the content and cited in the references section at the end of each chapter. Information is discussed in an unbiased manner.

The content is up-to-date and includes information about communication and technology. Given the clear organization of the text, it will be amenable to modifications as the impact of technology on communication continues to evolve.

This text is easy to read and follow due to the clear organization and clarity of expression. Exercises and key take aways following each section make the content easy to understand and remember.

The content of this text is consistent and free of contradictions. Multiple perspectives to view and understand concepts are presented in a cogent manner.

Each chapter is divided into smaller and coherent sections that will easily align to lesson planning, creation of lecture materials, and graded tasks/assignments.

This text is well-organized and smoothly transitions from one topic to another. Specifically, each section begins with learning objectives and concludes with exercises and "key takeaways." Chapters are followed by a list of key terms, "real world case study," and quiz that makes the concepts meaningful to the reader.

This book is easy to navigate. Tables, figures, and pictures are used effectively to emphasize the key concepts and ideas. However, occasionally a table spans across multiple pages.

This text does not contain grammatical errors.

The text acknowledges the role of culture in communication and contains a chapter titled, "Cultural and Environmental Factors in Interpersonal Communication." Impact of culture on communication is also infused into other chapters.

Chapter 1: Introduction to Human Communication
Chapter 2: Overview of Interpersonal Communication
Chapter 3: Intrapersonal Communication
Chapter 4: Verbal Elements of Communication
Chapter 5: Nonverbal Communication
Chapter 6: Cultural and Environmental Factors in Interpersonal Communication
Chapter 7: Talking and Listening
Chapter 8: Building and Maintaining Relationships
Chapter 9: Conflict in Relationship
Chapter 10: Friendship Relationships
Chapter 11: Family & Marriage Relationships
Chapter 12: Interpersonal Communication in Mediated Contexts
Chapter 13: Interpersonal Relationships at Work
Chapter 14: The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication

Ancillary Material

Instructor Manual
Lecture Slide Deck

About the Book

Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships helps readers examine their own one-on-one communicative interactions using a mindfulness lens. The writing team of Jason S. Wrench, Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, and Katherine Thweatt incorporates the latest communication theory and research to help students navigate everyday interpersonal interactions. The 14 chapters in this book cover topics typically taught in an undergraduate interpersonal communication course: family interactions, interpersonal dynamics, language, listening, nonverbal communication, and romantic relationships, as well as exploring emerging areas such as self-compassion, body positivity, friendships, and “the dark side”. The writing takes on a purposefully informal tone to engage readers. Each chapter is broken into different sections that have unique instructional outcomes, key takeaways, and exercises, and concludes with real-world case studies and sample quiz questions. Also included is an extensive glossary with over 350 definitions.

About the Contributors

Jason S. Wrench (Ed.D., West Virginia University) is a professor in the Department of Communication at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Wrench specializes in workplace learning and performance, or the intersection of instructional communication and organizational communication. His varied research interests include workplace learning and human performance improvement, computer-mediated communication, interpersonal communication, empirical research methods, family communication, humor, risk/crisis communication, and supervisor-subordinate interactions. Dr. Wrench regularly consults with individuals and organizations on workplace communication and as a professional speech coach for senior executives.

Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter (Ph.D., Kent State University) is a professor in the Department of Communication and assistant dean of international affairs for the College of Media and Communication. She is also an associate professor of Communication Studies at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. She teaches the basic interpersonal communication course. Her research areas include mass media effects, father-daughter communication, mentoring, advisor-advisee relationships, family studies, religious communication, humor, and interpersonal communication. She has published over 70 articles that have appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, such as Communication Research Reports, Southern Journal of Communication , and Journal of Intercultural Communication Research . She has also published numerous instructional ancillaries and materials. She is also a coauthor of Organizational communication: Theory, Research, and Practice (2014, Flat World Knowledge). Dr. Punyanunt coedited The Impact of Social Media in Modern Romantic Relationship (2017, Lexington).

Katherine S. Thweatt (Ed.D, West Virginia University) is an associate professor at the State University of New York at Oswego. Dr. Thweatt’s areas of interest are interpersonal communication, instructional communication, and health communication. She has published in the areas of teasing, teacher immediacy and misbehaviors, cognitive flexibility, and healthcare research. Healthcare publications involved shared medical appointments, heart failure, and infectious disease.

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BUS210: Business Communication

Interpersonal Communication

Read this article, which explains interpersonal communication. Consider the ways in which you can apply this knowledge in your own interactions.

1. Introduction

Interpersonal communication is an exchange of information between two or more people. It is also an area of research that seeks to understand how humans use verbal and nonverbal cues to accomplish a number of personal and relational goals. Interpersonal communication research addresses at least six categories of inquiry: 1) how humans adjust and adapt their verbal communication and nonverbal communication during face-to-face communication; 2) how messages are produced; 3) how uncertainty influences behavior and information-management strategies; 4) deceptive communication; 5) relational dialectics; and 6) social interactions that are mediated by technology. A large number of scholars have described their work as research into interpersonal communication. There is considerable variety in how this area of study is conceptually and operationally defined. Researchers in interpersonal communication come from many different research paradigms and theoretical traditions, adding to the complexity of the field. Interpersonal communication is often defined as communication that takes place between people who are interdependent and have some knowledge of each other: for example, communication between a son and his father, an employer and an employee, two sisters, a teacher and a student, two lovers, two friends, and so on. Although interpersonal communication is most often between pairs of individuals, it can also be extended to include small intimate groups such as the family. Interpersonal communication can take place in face-to-face settings, as well as through platforms such as social media. The study of interpersonal communication addresses a variety of elements and uses both quantitative/social scientific methods and qualitative methods. There is growing interest in biological and physiological perspectives on interpersonal communication. Some of the concepts explored are personality, knowledge structures and social interaction, language, nonverbal signals, emotional experience and expression, supportive communication, social networks and the life of relationships, influence, conflict, computer-mediated communication, interpersonal skills, interpersonal communication in the workplace, intercultural perspectives on interpersonal communication, escalation and de-escalation of romantic or platonic relationships, interpersonal communication and healthcare, family relationships, and communication across the life span.

Home — Essay Samples — Sociology — Interpersonal Relationship — Interpersonal Communication

Essays on Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication plays a pivotal role in our daily lives, shaping our relationships, interactions, and understanding of the world around us. Therefore, writing an essay on interpersonal communication holds significant importance for several reasons.

Firstly, exploring the topic of interpersonal communication allows individuals to delve into the complexities of human interaction. By examining various aspects such as verbal and nonverbal cues, active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of how communication shapes our interactions with others.

Secondly, writing an essay on interpersonal communication fosters self-awareness and personal growth. Through reflection and analysis of communication patterns, individuals can identify their strengths and weaknesses in communication and work towards improving their interpersonal skills. This self-awareness is crucial for building healthier and more fulfilling relationships in both personal and professional contexts.

Furthermore, studying interpersonal communication through essay writing enables individuals to appreciate the diversity and complexity of human interaction. Communication styles, norms, and expectations vary across cultures, social contexts, and individual personalities. By exploring these differences, individuals can develop a more inclusive and empathetic approach to communication, fostering harmony and understanding in diverse social environments.

Additionally, writing an essay on interpersonal communication provides an opportunity to address contemporary issues and challenges in communication. With the rise of digital communication platforms and globalization, new dynamics and complexities have emerged in interpersonal interactions. Essays on topics such as the impact of social media on face-to-face communication or the influence of technology on family dynamics can shed light on these evolving trends and their implications for society.

Moreover, discussing interpersonal communication in essays can contribute to practical insights and strategies for improving communication skills. By examining case studies, research findings, and real-life examples, individuals can learn effective communication techniques and apply them in their personal and professional lives, ultimately enhancing their relationships and overall well-being.

Writing an essay on interpersonal communication is essential for gaining insights into human interaction, fostering self-awareness and personal growth, appreciating diversity, addressing contemporary challenges, and acquiring practical communication skills. By engaging with this topic, individuals can deepen their understanding of interpersonal dynamics and contribute to building more empathetic, inclusive, and harmonious relationships in society.

What Makes a Good Interpersonal Communication Essay Topic

Choosing the right topic is crucial when writing an interpersonal communication essay. A good essay topic should be thought-provoking, relevant, and engaging. To brainstorm and choose an essay topic, consider your interests, current events, and areas of interpersonal communication that you find intriguing. Think about what you want to learn more about and what you believe others should know. A good essay topic should also be specific and focused, allowing you to delve deep into the subject matter. Finally, consider the impact of your chosen topic and how it relates to the broader field of interpersonal communication.

Best Interpersonal Communication Essay Topics

The impact of social media on face-to-face communication
Nonverbal communication in romantic relationships
The role of empathy in effective communication
Gender differences in communication styles
Overcoming communication barriers in a diverse workplace
The influence of culture on interpersonal communication
The art of active listening in personal relationships
The power dynamics of communication in leadership
Communication strategies for conflict resolution
The role of trust in effective communication
The impact of technology on family communication
Communicating effectively in long-distance relationships
The psychology of persuasion in interpersonal communication
The influence of personality on communication styles
The role of communication in building strong friendships
The impact of communication on mental health and well-being
Effective communication in healthcare settings
The influence of language on intercultural communication
The role of communication in building successful teams
The impact of communication on romantic attraction

Interpersonal Communication Essay Topics Prompts

Imagine a world without verbal communication. How would people connect and understand each other?
Write about a time when you experienced a miscommunication and how it could have been avoided.
Create a fictional story about two people from different cultures who struggle to understand each other's communication styles.
Research and write about a unique form of nonverbal communication from a specific culture or community.
Reflect on a personal experience where effective communication was the key to resolving a conflict.

The Johari Window Reflection

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The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in Healthcare

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The Main Sources of Stereotypes, The Concept of Self-monitoring and Self-concept in Interpersonal Communication

Importance of nonverbal communication skills in interpersonal communication, my pet peeve: the inappropriate use of the cellphone, the importance of effective communication, maintaining effective communication in distance relationship, the film inside out and the symbolic interaction theory in movies, significance and importance of nonverbal communication in relationships, nonverbal communication differences in gender communication, communication breakdown in business and everyday life: reasons and solutions, intersocial communication and its paralinguistic aspects, the impact of computer-mediated forms of communication (cmc) on interpersonal relationships, understanding the meaning of fallacy, discussion on the importance of communication skill, the dynamic role of language in our everyday lives, the importance of communication in customer service, the importance of self-concept in the development of human relations, the role of networking in my personal and professional growth, interpersonal communication: italians vs. americans, nonverbal communication: the importance and main aspects, the use of politeness theory in daily life.

Interpersonal communication research addresses at least six categories of inquiry: 1) how humans adjust and adapt their verbal communication and nonverbal communication during face-to-face communication; 2) how messages are produced; 3) how uncertainty influences behavior and information-management strategies; 4) deceptive communication; 5) relational dialectics; and 6) social interactions that are mediated by technology.

There are four types of interpersonal communication — oral, verbal, nonverbal, and listening.

1. Berger, J. (2014). Word of mouth and interpersonal communication: A review and directions for future research. Journal of consumer psychology, 24(4), 586-607. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1057740814000369) 2. Miller, G. R. (1978). The current status of theory and research in interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 4(2), 164-178. (https://academic.oup.com/hcr/article-abstract/4/2/164/4626715) 3. Weber, T. (2008). Handbook of interpersonal communication (Vol. 2). Walter de Gruyter. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110211399/html 4. Penley, L. E., & Hawkins, B. (1985). Studying interpersonal communication in organizations: A leadership application. Academy of Management Journal, 28(2), 309-326. (https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/256203) 5. Graham, E. E., Barbato, C. A., & Perse, E. M. (1993). The interpersonal communication motives model. Communication Quarterly, 41(2), 172-186. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01463379309369877) 6. Burgoon, J. K., Berger, C. R., & Waldron, V. R. (2000). Mindfulness and interpersonal communication. Journal of Social Issues, 56(1), 105-127. (https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/0022-4537.00154) 7. Wackman, D. B. (1973). Interpersonal communication and coorientation. American Behavioral Scientist, 16(4), 537-550. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/000276427301600405?journalCode=absb) 8. Bylund, C. L., Peterson, E. B., & Cameron, K. A. (2012). A practitioner's guide to interpersonal communication theory: An overview and exploration of selected theories. Patient education and counseling, 87(3), 261-267. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S073839911100557X)

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Effective Communication
Conflict Resolution
American Identity
Effects of Social Media
Discourse Community
Family Relationships
Globalization

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Communication 101: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

Introduction to interpersonal communication research, recommended databases for interpersonal communication research, communication competence goals.

How Do I Search?
Selecting Sources
APA Citation Style

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After your library session today you should be able to:

1. Identify appropriate keywords or search terms that best describe your research.

2. Select appropriate sources that discuss a specific topic.

3. Assign proper attribution and citations using APA Citation Style.

►Below is an extra copy of the Concept map distributed in your classes.

Concept Map
Communication & Mass Media Complete Communication & Mass Media Complete is an index of articles in communication and mass media, communication sciences and disorders. It does include some full text.
PsycARTICLES (APA) The PsycARTICLES® database covers general psychology and specialized, basic, applied, clinical and theoretical research in psychology. The database contains more than 25,000 searchable full text articles from 40 journals published by the APA and 9 from allied organizations. It contains all journal articles, letters to the editor and errata from each of the 49 journals.
PsycINFO (APA) PsycINFO is the core database for searching academic, research, and practice literature in psychology. Search the database for citations and summaries of psychology literature published in journals, books and dissertations. Also search here for psychological aspects of related fields such as medicine, psychiatry, nursing, sociology, education, pharmacology, physiology, linguistics, anthropology, business, law and others. It includes over one million citations and summaries. 98% of the materials included here are peer reviewed.
JSTOR Archival and current issues of more than 2,400 scholarly journals across more than 60 academic disciplines ( title lists ) along with a growing number of open access ebooks. The UW-Milwaukee Libraries have acquired access to JSTOR collections Arts and Sciences I-VIII and the subject collections for Biological Sciences, Jewish Studies and Ireland.
Academic Search Complete Academic Search Complete is a comprehensive scholarly, multi-disciplinary full-text database, with more than 7,000 full-text periodicals, including nearly 6,000 peer-reviewed journals. In addition to full text, this database offers indexing and abstracts for more than 11,000 journals and a total of more than 11,600 publications including monographs, reports, conference proceedings, etc. The database features PDF content going back as far as 1887, with the majority of full text titles in native (searchable) PDF format. Searchable cited references are provided for more than 1,000 journals.
Sociological Abstracts The Sociological Abstracts database abstracts and indexes the international literature in sociology and related disciplines in the social and behavioral sciences. It provides abstracts of journal articles and citations to book reviews drawn from thousands of serials publications, and also provides abstracts of books, book chapters, dissertations, and conference papers.
Web of Science Web of Science includes three databases: Science Citation Index Expanded, Social Sciences Citation Index, and Arts & Humanities Citation Index. It indexes over 12,000 journals and 120,000 conference proceedings with the strongest coverage in the sciences (over 8,500 journals), followed by social sciences (over 3,000 journals), and arts and humanities (over 1,700 fully indexed journals). Our Web of Science subscription includes articles published from 1987 to the present; updated weekly. For impact factor information about specific journals use Journal Citation Reports.
Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts This database abstracts and indexes the international literature in linguistics and related disciplines in the language sciences. The database covers all aspects of the study of language including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax and semantics. Documents indexed include journal articles, book reviews, books, book chapters, dissertations and working papers.

Example Communication Competence Goals

You do not have to choose from this list. Be sure to look ahead to our readings and skim the textbook for additional ideas. This is only a guide if you are having difficulty finding a topic. Please see your discussion section instructor if you need additional help identifying a skill for improvement.

Becoming more culturally sensitive
Increasing self-awareness
Using self-disclosure more appropriately (for some this will be self-disclosing less, for others it might be more)
Becoming more assertive
Becoming less aggressive
Dealing with negative self-fulfilling prophecies
Practicing empathic listening
Becoming a more critical listener
Using paraphrasing
Practicing immediacy behaviors (behaviors that express closeness)
Communicating with individuals who are disabled
Becoming more skilled in decoding nonverbal cues
Not adhering to one style of conflict management
Establishing power in relationships
Managing nonverbal adaptor displays
Improving relationship initiations
Interrupting less in conversations
Eliminating verbal fillers
Avoiding blame in conflict situations
Becoming more adept at conversational turns
Using more "I-messages" as opposed to "you-messages"
Using appropriate maintenance/repair strategies in relationships
Decreasing mirroring destructive behaviors
Reducing use of personal rejection in conflict episodes
Dealing effectively with relationship dissolution
Expressing feelings more accurately
Becoming less apprehensive in newly created friendships
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6.1: Introduction to Nonverbal Communication

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Page ID 90697

Daniel Usera & contributing authors
Austin Community College

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Define nonverbal communication and explain its metacommunicative nature.
Describe the process of nonverbal communication.
Assess the impact of nonverbal communication in interpersonal relationships.

INTRO TO NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

Defining nonverbal communication

Your partner flashes a big smile when you surprise them for their birthday even though they secretly are embarrassed. You send an emoji “face with tears of joy” (��) to your BFF after getting a perfect score on a rhetorical criticism paper. You kiss someone on a first date. What do these scenarios have in common? Nonverbal communication of course -- an essential but frequently misunderstood dimension of interpersonal relations (Gifford, 2011). Nonverbal communication is often simply defined as communication without words. Others have noted that nonverbal communication includes “all behaviors that are not words” (Guerrero & Floyd, 2006, p. 4). Regardless of the deceiving simplicity of its definition, know that nonverbal communication is very complex.

In everyday life, nonverbal communication is multimodal and multifunctional in nature serving many functions. It is closely linked to how we feel about our relationships with others and how we manage those relationships. In interpersonal interaction, nonverbal messages can be found in facial expressions, eyes, body language, touching as well as clothing, tone of voice, posture and even spatial distance. Indeed, you can say a lot without saying anything, or as psychologist and philosopher Paul Watzlawick (1978) observed in the first axiom of his interpersonal communication theory that you cannot not communicate. The inevitability of sending and receiving messages is extremely important to understand because it means that each of us is a type of “transmitter” that cannot be shut off. Nonverbal behaviors are implicated in messages of intimacy, arousal and composure, dominance, formal, and task or social orientation. Whether intentional or unintentional, deceitful or sincere, no matter what we do, we give off information about ourselves. In short, nonverbal communication is an important part of human interaction and always present in face-to-face interactions.

A related concept is what social scientists call metacommunication -- communicating about communication. In interpersonal relationships, it involves how people perceive you, not just your words. For example, if I say, “Nice to see you!” to someone and roll my eyes at the same time, they will likely doubt my sincerity.

This example illustrates one of the more interesting effects of nonverbal messages: most people tend to believe the nonverbal message over the verbal message if the two appear to be in disagreement (Knapp, 1972; Knapp, Earnest, Griffin, & McGlone, 2020; Malandro & Barker, 1983; Mehrabian, 1981). People seem to believe that actions really do speak louder than words. As a result, they place a disproportionate emphasis on the nonverbal response -- therefore it’s always a good idea to make nonverbal behavior consistent with our verbal messages (Hackman & Johnson, 2000).

So, welcome to the world of nonverbal communication. Its types, its contexts, and its impacts -- all of these will be explored in the pages that follow.

The process of nonverbal communication

Is nonverbal communication its own type of language? Yes and no. Like language, the fundamental process of nonverbal communication consists of a message encoded in a selected medium (body language, for example) that is then decoded. When you form language and speak it, your brain encodes a thought into words and intelligible sounds. For example, if you want to tell someone to leave the room, you can simply speak the words, “Please leave the room.” Nonverbally, you can also encode an extra layer of “illustration” -- for example, first pointing at the person and then at the door.

Some forms of nonverbal communication are emblematic in nature, where the performance stands for a concrete idea. Emblems are gestures like pointing, giving a thumbs up, or signing “OK” in specific contexts where those gestures are intelligible. Other nonverbal emblems include wearing a uniform to indicate team membership or sporting a tattoo that has a literal, unambiguous meaning. The most famous emblem of all, of course, may be the infamous “middle finger.”

However, not all nonverbal communication is emblematic. If you sway in your chair during a lecture, the meaning of that behavior may not be immediately obvious. Perhaps you need to go to the bathroom. Maybe you’re just restless. You could even be doing light exercises to help stay awake. Without asking you, any interpretation would be tentative -- a guess. In fact, you might not even know the answer to what your behavior means. It turns out that some people perform nonverbal gestures without realizing them. When some people speak before an audience, for example, they might look down a lot, move their legs a lot, or put their hands behind their backs -- all without realizing it. These are “adaptive” behaviors designed to subconsciously help the speaker feel better (more comfortable) about the situation they’re in.

How aware (or not) someone is of their nonverbal behavior raises the important question of intention . Certainly, some aspects of nonverbal are intentionally performed. Chances are, your clothing and hairstyle at the moment you’re reading this were intentional choices, but what about your posture and the position of your hands and arms? There are aspects of nonverbal communication that we may convey without meaning to. Goffman (1952) called the intentional aspects of nonverbal performance as “cues given” and the unintentional aspects as “cues given off.” Whether intentional or not, these cues can be communicated via a variety of “media” (all of them associated with you) -- your eyes, smell, tone of voice, facial expressions, and gestures to name a few. Increasing your competence in nonverbal communication means learning to pay more attention to these unintentional aspects.

Later in this chapter, you will learn different channels of nonverbal communication. These channels are grouped into four categories: personal characteristics (aspects relating to a person’s physical features), environment (artifacts in a given location), motion (movement-oriented gestures), and vocal cues (relating to the non-linguistic aspects of talking).

The impact of nonverbal communication

You might have heard that 93% of communication is nonverbal. That figure comes from a famous study by Merhabian and Ferris (1967). Participants in their study were read aloud single words that they previously rated as either positive, neutral, or negative on-paper. When they were read aloud, they were read vocal tones that were previously rated as either neutral or positive. Then the experiment was repeated using facial cues, where the experimenter read the words while displaying certain facial cues (Mehrabian & Wiener, 1967). Mehrabian utilized the results to calculate the listener’s perceived attitudes, which were a combination of three cues in the following proportion: 7% verbal, 38% vocal (tone), and 55% facial expression.

Notice that these studies were focused on the utterance of single words, not complete sentences within a context. We know that our typical social interactions occur in contexts of complete thoughts and actions, not just single words. These studies, therefore, face issues with external validity (the ability to apply to actual social situations). This criticism (among others concerning sample size and possible participant biases) was expressed by Burgoon, Woodall, and Ferris (1989). Though you may hear the 93% number frequently expressed in popular culture, you now know that this is based on a very limited study.

So if it isn’t 93%, how much of communication is nonverbal? The only thing that scholars agree on is that it matters , and that it matters in many contexts. In the next section, we will explore 14 channels (yes, 14!) and the many ways they allow us to communicate ideas beyond the power of words. In the end, our competence in nonverbal communication can help determine how an interaction will proceed and, perhaps, whether it will take place at all.

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Activity 1: Gestures List

Ask students: How do we communicate without words? What are some common gestures? Divide students into groups and give each group just two minutes to come up with as many ways of communicating without using words as they can.

Activity 2: Silent Scene

Divide students into pairs. Have each pair create a one-minute scene featuring a problem that needs to be solved. When performing the scene, neither member of the pair can talk (all communication has to be expressed nonverbally). Can the audience guess the content of the scene without any dialogue to help?

Ambady, N., & Weisbuch, M. (2010). Nonverbal behavior. In S. T. Fiske, D. T. Gilbert, & G. Lindzey (Eds.), Handbook of social psychology, ( pp. 464-497). Wiley.

Burgoon, J. Buller, D, & Woodall, W. (1989) Nonverbal communication: The unspoken dialogue . Harper and Row.

Gifford, R. (2011). The role of nonverbal communication in interpersonal relations. In L. Horowitz, & S. Strack (Eds.), Handbook of interpersonal psychology Theory, research, assessment, and therapeutic interventions (pp. 171-190). Wiley.

Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life . Anchor Books.

Hackman, M.Z., & Johnson, C.E. (2000). Leadership: A communication perspective . Waveland.

Knapp, M. L. (1972). Nonverbal communication in human interaction . Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Knapp, M., Earnest, W., Griffin, D., & McGlone, M. (2020). Lying and deception in human interaction (3rd ed.). Kendall Hunt.

Knapp, M., Hall, J., & Horgan, T. (2014). Nonverbal communication in human interaction (8th ed.). Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Malandro, L. A., & Barker, L. (1983). Nonverbal Communication . Addison-Wesley.

Mehrabian, A. (1981). Silent Messages: Implicit Communication of Emotions and Attitudes (2nd ed.). Wadsworth.

Mehrabian, A. & Ferris, S. (1967). Inference of attitudes from nonverbal communication in two channels. Journal of Consulting Psychology , 13 , 248-252.

Mehrabian A., & Wiener, M. (1967). Decoding of inconsistent communications. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , 6 , 109-114.

Watzlawick, P. (1978). The language of change: Elements of therapeutic communication . Norton W.W., & Company, Inc.

Competence: One’s ability to encode and decode nonverbal communication.

Decoding: The process of interpreting and assigning meaning to a message.

Encoding: The process of organizing a message, choosing words and sentence structure, and verbalizing the message.

Medium: The channel or system by which information is transmitted.

Metacommunication: Messages that refer to other messages, usually in the context of a relationship.

Nonverbal Communication: Communication enacted by means other than words.

Emblem: A nonverbal signal that stands for an established semantic meaning.

1. Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are

At the TEDGlobal 2012 conference, social psychologist Amy Cuddy gave the talk “Your body language shapes who you are,” based on research in which she detailed the effects of “power posing.” Do you agree or disagree with her that our body language can change other people’s perceptions—and perhaps even our own body chemistry—simply by changing body positions? Are her findings consistent with definitions of nonverbal communication? https://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_may_shape_who_you_are?language=en

2. The Secrets of Body Language

Full documentary ; This 90-minute documenary shows us several examples of this, including the summit meetings between U.S. president Bill Clinton, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak which took place at the dawning of the new millennium, and President Richard Nixon's offerings of transparency while in the throes of the Watergate scandal more than two decades earlier. In each instance, the simplest pat on the back, crossing of arms across the chest, quiver in the voice, speed of a footstep or stance during a handshake illustrates underlying tensions and doubt. Can you identify or describe the process of creating and interpreting nonverbal cues in this documentary?

Interpersonal Relationships Essay

Introduction, barriers to effective communication, principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communication, improving communication competencies.

Interpersonal relationships are normally evidenced between two or more individuals and may be based on (among other factors) love and solidarity (Berscheid, 1983, p. 1). These bases of interpersonal relationships normally vary but basically, they are centered on social, cultural, family or kinship relationships (in addition to other forms of social relations). This fact is affirmed by Jeannette (2010) who states that:

“Interpersonal communication is derived from the close relationships we have in our life of our choosing. Yet, we have interface with people on many levels in our life, ranging from personal to professional. Interpersonal relationships constantly change and shift and can derive from formal settings. Relationships can vary from friendships, family members, lovers, acquaintances, professionals and even adversaries. Life welcomes and encompasses most relationships in each of these categories” (p. 12).

It is important to note that interpersonal relationships command some level of interdependence but there are often incidences where people in interpersonal relationships influence each other in thought, actions, activities and feelings (Fincham, 2010, p. 4).

The level of interdependence among partners in interpersonal relationships allows for the influx of opinions, thoughts and feelings but the success and longevity of interpersonal relationships basically thrives on communication as a basic component, determining the thriving of interpersonal relationships. Dr. Ramesh Rao, a sociology researcher, explains that “We thrive when we communicate well, and we starve ourselves of companionship, camaraderie and community when we fail to communicate effectively” (Rao, 2010, p. 1).

When communication lacks, people tend to live in worlds completely and needlessly alienated from each other, and in extreme cases, miscommunication may lead to excessive boredom and even the eventual breakup of two individuals. Those who decide to live with communication problems are normally subjected to a lot of despair, agony and frustration. However, the positive thing regarding the controversy surrounding miscommunication in interpersonal relationships is that it need not be that way.

In other words, there are a number of ways and strategies through which if properly applied can avoid instances of miscommunication. From this basis of understanding, this study will explore the barriers to effective communication as the background research to understanding how to avoid miscommunication in interpersonal relationships. Secondly this study will explain the principles and misconceptions in effective interpersonal communications, which consequently causes miscommunication in interpersonal relationships.

Lastly this study will identify how people in interpersonal relationships can assess their personal communication strategies to improve their communication competencies. Comprehensively, these elements when applied sequentially will eventually lead to the avoidance of miscommunication within interpersonal relationships.

Communication essentially defines the basic social fabric of any society and it is an effective tool that has been used in upholding social cohesion for centuries (Mystic Madness, 2011, p. 1). However, there are barriers to communication that prevent the conveyance of thoughts or ideas from one individual to another.

Consequently, this causes ambiguous communication between individuals because if there are barriers to effective communication, the messages passed across cannot be appropriately received. If the sender or receiver finds himself or herself in such a situation; it means that there are surmountable barriers to communication.

The barriers to effective communication therefore become a hurdle for many individuals to express their thoughts and feelings, and in extreme situations; this scenario has been seen to limit professional and social progression. In fact, Mystic Madness (2011) affirms that “According to various psychologists, approximately 50 percent of message looses its meaning while being conveyed from the sender to the receiver” (p. 3).

There are therefore a number of stages where communication between two or more individuals loses its meaning and they are summarized in the following paragraphs:

Physical barriers have been identified as the main problem why people across the globe have found it difficult to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships (Jain, 2011).

This was the problem I experienced a year ago in my workplace where the company had a large working area and existing employees were physically estranged from each other. Also, each office had its own doors where each worker operated under closed doors and the general employee population was divided on the basis of ranks (where high-ranking employees operated in their own environment while low-ranking employees also operated in their own environment).

The organizational environment was therefore not conducive for effective interpersonal communication and it was further aggravated by the fact that there was a lot of noise from cars on the background. This type of environment significantly strained the development of interpersonal relationships within my workplace.

Mystic Madness (2011) categories physical barriers to communication in four categories; the first is environmental barrier where the physical environment becomes non-facilitative to the development of a good interactive atmosphere (probably because of excessive humidity, excessive lighting, high or low temperatures, or even poor ventilation and the likes).

The second category of communication barrier is the challenging stimulus where if there is a disturbing stimulus such as noise in the background or a wide distance between a sender and receiver of information, miscommunication may eventually occur because it would be quite difficult for both parties to interpret what each other is saying.

Thirdly, Mystic Madness (2011) identifies subjective strain as another barrier to communication where miscommunication may occur if one of the parties is in bad health, is of poor mental state, lacks adequate sleep (and the likes). Miscommunication is bound to occur because effective communication occurs only if there is high concentration about the message conveyance process among the two parties involved.

Lastly, Mystic Madness (2011) identifies media ignorance as the last category to physical barriers to communication because of the fact that some communicators are not versant with the best mode of media to convey their messages. For instance, in my organization, the senior managerial team used to explain the company’s progress to workers using maps and charts. This mode did not seem effective for the workers.

Linguistic barriers are also identified as a major barrier to communication because in scenarios where it is present, language becomes excessively vague and the words mentioned by one party (for example) are rather symbolic and may convey a number of meanings to the receiver (if he or she understands it at all).

The miscommunication evidenced here basically occurs where the sender and receiver variably interpret different language symbols. In fact, it has been affirmed in many research studies that communicating to someone in his or her own language is an effective communication tool as opposed to someone communicating using an alien language (Mystic Madness, 2011).

Cultural barriers have also been identified to be a strong barrier to communication, especially where two or more people in an interpersonal relationship are from different religions, cultures or places. However, cultural barriers does not only end in form of cultural, religious or place variations; it also extends to age, social position, mental behaviors, social status and other socioeconomic parameters.

If communication occurs within the confines of a given culture, there is a very minimal probability that misinterpretation will occur, but when communication occurs between two or more cultures, there is a high probability that misinterpretation will occur.

Lastly, emotional barriers have been advanced as a critical barrier to effective communication because people who are emotionally distant are bound to differ from each other in situations and affairs (Mystic Madness, 2011). There are often many types of emotions that present themselves in form of anger, fear and hostility and all result in a number of reactions encompassing sudden reactions, unfair assumptions, terror, overconfidence and defense (Jeannette, 2010). These factors comprehensively define the major barriers to communication.

Misconceptions about interpersonal relationships often arise out of the fact that people are different and it is therefore very easy for someone to misunderstand the other. The biggest misconception among many people regarding interpersonal communication is that it is an innate trait that often does not need to be perfected (HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector, 2011).

It is also widely misconceived that interpersonal communication applies to all individuals and can be applied in virtually all social contexts (HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector, 2011). This assumption is wrong because interpersonal communication has its own shade of grey areas where different people are in different relationships, and therefore, not all relationships are the same.

Moreover, each person is different from each other and therefore the characteristics of one person in a relationship may sometimes disparage the personality of the other or in another way, compliment it. It is therefore essential that the right attitude is applied to different situations because relationships are different and so are people.

There is also a common misunderstanding about interpersonal communication where one person thinks that if he or she communicates, the other person will automatically understand them. This is not necessarily the case considering there are usually many factors that can cause wrongful misinterpretation of information and therefore it is important to carry out a follow-up conversation to determine whether the previously conveyed information was correctly understood.

Many people also carry on the misconception that the more the quantity of information a person conveys; the more he or she will be understood (HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector, 2011). This is normally not the case because if a person is misunderstood, talking more would not essentially be the correct approach to take because this would only mean that there will be more misunderstandings and misinterpretations of the information being conveyed.

While a person may think that he or she is clarifying the information conveyed, he or she may only be exacerbating the situation. In such situations, one would be tactful to know when to tone down, keep quiet and explain further.

The reason why the above misconceptions about interpersonal communication are evidenced is because many people don’t understand the principles to effective communication. It is therefore important for people to understand relevant principles surrounding effective communication so that they can be able to communicate effectively in the first place. The first principle in effective communication is understanding oneself.

Even though interpersonal communication occurs between two people, it is normally recommended that people who want to effectively communicate with each other need to understand themselves first (their goals, personalities and the likes). Mares (2010) affirms that “Self-awareness helps you identify the actions required to behave competently in different situations. The more self-aware you are, the more able you are to manage your own behavior and your ability to adapt your behavior to changing circumstances” (p. 12).

Another principle of communication in interpersonal relationships is to communicate effectively. Mares (2010) explains that in this type of situation, the sender or receiver should describe various behaviors without being judgmental or giving evaluative statements which may change the course of the communication process. He also explains that people should maintain congruence between verbal and nonverbal messages in addition to precisely describing ones feelings.

Lastly, listening and responding is also another important communication principle in interpersonal relationships where people will be able to understand one another’s feelings and thoughts more effectively (Mares, 2010). In fact, it has been affirmed that taking into consideration the other person’s feelings is an effective communication strategy. Conversely, this can be linked to talking from the “shoes” of the other person (Mares, 2010).

Using the obliging style has been advocated as one of the most basic ways through which people can effectively develop their communication competencies (Jeannette, 2010). This style has been pit against the avoidance strategy where people avoid conflict in relationships by ignoring miscommunication altogether (Jeannette, 2010).

The obliging style empowers people to be more empathic and critical listeners to what the other party in the relationship says. This style also proposes that if a person feels like expressing his or her opinion, he or she should do so gently, without being assertive. Comprehensively, the obliging strategy has been evidenced to provide the bedrock to the development of interpersonal relationships because it essentially lays the groundwork through which two people relate (Jeannette, 2010).

The other competence element identified by many social researchers, with regards to improving interpersonal competence, is basically related to the principles of effective communication which is putting oneself in the other’s shoes. This is congruent to understanding the values of the other person, their beliefs and points of view. Jeannette (2010) explains that:

“It can be challenging to assess each individual and how to correctly approach communication when there are so many factors involved. With the proper effort and evaluation, one can identify personality traits of an individual and build positive communication around those aspects. This not only develops proper interpersonal relationships, but also broadens the skills necessary to effectively communicate and represent oneself in a positive manner” (p. 29).

Understanding these communicative variables is essential to developing genuine empathy with another party in a relationship, but more importantly, understanding them enables the other party to better empathize with the other.

Lastly, inquiry is another competence element that if well inculcated among individuals, it can expressly show genuine concern about the other person’s welfare. Genuine concern is a good attribute in avoiding miscommunication in interpersonal relationships and this is the reason why many researchers advocate that people should be more inquisitive of each other at all times (Jeannette, 2010).

This study points out that the avoidance of miscommunication within interpersonal relationships is a simple process that can be avoided if people understand the barriers to communication, develop an understanding of the principles and misconceptions about personal relationships and eventually horn specific competencies needed in developing personal relationships. It is only through understanding communication problems in interpersonal relationships that people can be able to avoid miscommunication altogether.

Berscheid, E. (1983). The Emerging Science of Relationships: Close Relationships. (pp. 1–19). New York: W.H. Freeman and Company.

Fincham, F. (2010). Of memes and marriage: Toward a positive relationship science. Journal of Family Theory & Review , 2, 4–24.

HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector. (2011). Workplaces that Work . Web.

Jain, R. (2011). The Barriers to Effective Communication . Web.

Jeannette, V. (2010). Interpersonal Relationships and Communication . Web.

Mares, T. (2010). Avoiding Miscommunication: This Darned Elusive Happiness. Web.

Mystic Madness. (2011). 4 Main Barriers to Effective Communication . Web.

Rao, R. (2010). Communication Studies . Web.

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Advantages and Disadvantages of Communication Privacy Management Theory

This essay about Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory offers a nuanced exploration of how individuals navigate privacy in interpersonal relationships. It highlights the theory’s strengths, such as its recognition of the dynamic nature of privacy and its consideration of contextual influences. Additionally, it discusses the limitations of CPM theory, including its potential oversight of power dynamics and its tendency towards oversimplification. Overall, the essay provides valuable insights into the complexities of privacy management within the realm of human connection.

How it works

Communication Privacy Management (CPM) theory, sculpted by the deft hands of Sandra Petronio, serves as a guiding lantern illuminating the darkened corridors of interpersonal privacy. Picture it as a seasoned cartographer, mapping out the uncharted territories of disclosure and secrecy within the realm of human relationships. Yet, amidst its brilliance, CPM theory reveals both the shimmering treasures and hidden pitfalls of its theoretical landscape.

An advantage of CPM theory lies in its recognition of the dynamic nature of privacy management, akin to the ebb and flow of tides.

It portrays privacy as a living entity, subject to the whims of context and circumstance. Individuals are not mere gatekeepers of their secrets but rather architects of their own boundaries, continually adjusting the sails of disclosure as they navigate the choppy waters of social interaction.

Moreover, CPM theory shines a light on the multifaceted influences that shape our privacy decisions, akin to a prism refracting light into a spectrum of colors. Cultural norms, social roles, and situational factors converge to paint a complex tapestry of privacy management practices. By acknowledging these contextual nuances, CPM theory transcends the confines of individual psychology to encompass the broader landscape of social interaction.

Yet, within the glittering expanse of its theoretical framework, CPM theory harbors its own shadows. One critique is its tendency to overlook the power dynamics that loom over interpersonal communication like silent sentinels. In relationships where power differentials exist, the ability to assert one’s privacy boundaries may be compromised, challenging the assumptions of autonomy embedded within CPM theory.

Furthermore, CPM theory may flatten the nuanced contours of privacy management into a binary landscape of disclosure and concealment. Like a painter reducing a landscape to mere brushstrokes, this oversimplification fails to capture the intricate dance of revelation and reservation that unfolds within the hearts of individuals. By framing privacy management as a series of discrete choices, CPM theory risks obscuring the subtleties of human experience.

In conclusion, Communication Privacy Management theory stands as a beacon in the foggy labyrinth of interpersonal privacy, offering both illumination and shadow. Its recognition of the dynamic interplay between disclosure and secrecy, coupled with an awareness of contextual influences, enriches our understanding of how individuals navigate the delicate balance of intimacy and autonomy in their relationships. However, it is imperative to acknowledge the limitations of CPM theory, including its potential blind spots regarding power dynamics and its tendency towards oversimplification. Like any theoretical framework, CPM theory is a tool to be wielded with care, guiding us through the complexities of human connection while reminding us of the mysteries that lie beyond its reach.

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BUS210: Business Communication

Interpersonal Communication

1. Introduction

Essays on Interpersonal Communication

What Makes a Good Interpersonal Communication Essay Topic

Best Interpersonal Communication Essay Topics

Interpersonal Communication Essay Topics Prompts

The Johari Window Reflection

The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in Healthcare

Effective Ways to Deal with Shyness

The Main Sources of Stereotypes, The Concept of Self-monitoring and Self-concept in Interpersonal Communication

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Communication 101: Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

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6.1: Introduction to Nonverbal Communication

LEARNING OUTCOMES

INTRO TO NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Interpersonal Relationships Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Communication Privacy Management Theory

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