Interpersonal

Communication Prepared by:

Karla Maolen Visbal MA in Speech Communication University of the Philippines Diliman

What is Interpersonal

Communication?

Interpersonal Communication came from the Latin word “inter”, meaning between.

It pertains to relations between persons. [dictionary.com]

“The dyad [or communication between two people] is the building block of human social interaction.” [Zimmerman, Owen and Seibert, 1986]

What is Interpersonal

Communication?

“Interpersonal Communication is a

selective, systemic, unique and on-going

process of interaction between people,

who reflect and build personal knowledge

of one another and create shared

meanings.”[Wood, 2002]

Why do we communicate

to form relationships?

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

“There are many reasons why we seek

interaction, and we meet many human

needs by communicating.” [Maslow, 1968]

“Communication is a primary means of

meeting our needs at each level in the

hierarchy.” [Wood, 2002]

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Self-actualization

Self-Esteem Needs

Belonging Needs

Safety and Protection Needs

Physical Needs for Survival

Most

Abstract

Most Basic

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

At the most basic level, human needs air, food

and water in order to survive.

We rely on communication to communicate

what we need (e.g. a baby crying for milk) or if

something is amiss (e.g. when we are in pain)

Physical Needs for Survival

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

We meet safety needs by communicating

what we need (e.g. fix a leaking roof, report

threats to police or authority, etc.)

News announcements are also made if food

threats or natural calamities are taking place.

Safety and Protection Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

This may also refer to social needs. We want

other people’s acceptance and affirmation.

We want to be included in groups.

Our fear of rejection prevents us from disclosing

information about ourselves [Powell, 1969]

Belonging Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Value that we give ourselves and value other

people gives us.

Derived from positive evaluation of other

people.

Self-Esteem

Needs

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

The most abstract human need.

“It is defined as the fully using and developing

our unique talents, capacities and potentials.”

[Maslow, 1970]

Self-

Actualization

Adler and Towne, 1987

We like people who are similar to us.

We like people who are different from us.

We like people who like us.

We are attracted to people who can help

us.

We like competent people.

We like people who discloses themselves to

us.

We feel strongly towards people we

encounter often.

A Communication

Continuum

Interpersonal vs. Impersonal

All communication happens between

people yet many interactions don’t involve

us personally [Wood, 2002]

When we talk about interpersonal

communication, we are referring to the

quality of interaction between individuals

[Adler & Towne, 1987]

Interpersonal vs. Impersonal

In impersonal interactions, we tend to

classify the other person by using labels.

[Adler & Towne, 1987]

I-IT relationship

We do not acknowledge the humanity of other people, sometimes not even their existence. [Buber, 1970].

Interpersonal vs. Impersonal

The degree to which the communicators

rely socially constructed rules to interact

with other people determine the degree of

our relationship with other people. [Adler &

Towne, 1987]

I-You relationships

We don’t look at other people as objects, but we don’t see them as unique individuals either. [Buber, 1970].

Interpersonal vs. Impersonal The amount of information the

communicators have about each other also

determines the level of their relationship with

one another. [Adler & Towne, 1987]

I-Thou relationships

The rarest kind of relationship…the highest form of human dialogue because each person affirms the other as cherished and unique. [Buber, 1970]

Self-Disclosure in

Relationships

Self-Disclosure

“It is the process of deliberately revealing

information about oneself that is significant

and that would not normally be known by

others” [Adler & Towne, 1987]

Levels of Self-Disclosure

Cliché

Facts

Opinions

Feelings

Stages of Interpersonal

Relationships

Stages of Interpersonal

Relationships

Initiating

To show that you are interested in making

contact and to show that you are a person

worth talking to.

Experimenting

Initially, people tend to look for a common

ground.

The hallmark of this stage is small talk. “Small

talk is like Listerine: we don’t like it but we

get a doze of it everyday” Mark Knapp

Intensifying

The amount of personal information

disclosed increases.

Forms of addresses become more informal.

Integrating

As the relationship strengthens, the parties

begin to take on an identity as a social unit.

[Adler & Towne, 1987]

Bonding

At this stage, parties make symbolic public

gestures to show the world of the

relationship.

Differentiating

After both parties have established their

commonality, they now seek to re-establish

their individual identities.

The key to successful differentiation is the

need to maintain commitment to a

relationship while creating the space for

members to be individuals as well. [Adler &

Towne, 1987]

Circumscribing

The communication concentrates more on

superficial and public topics with less

breadth or depth

Communication decreases in amount and

becomes more restricted to certain "safe"

topics

Stagnating

Communication about the relationship

ceases

Participants may sit in each other's

presence for long periods without

communicating

There is a great amount of tension in the

relationship and it is evident the relationship

is in jeopardy. [Thomlison, 2000]

Avoiding

Parties in the relationship begin to put distance between each other, sometimes in guises of excuses or more direct “I don’t want to be with/see you today”. [Adler & Towne, 1987]

Includes avoidance of physical contact as well as ignoring the other nonverbally and verbally when they are in the same physical space [Thomlison, 2000]

Terminating

This final stage may include dialogues of

where the relationship has gone and the

desire to disassociate [Adler & Towne, 1987]

Open access ceases and it is clear the

relationship, in its current form, no longer

exists [Thomlison, 2000]

Four Principles of Interpersonal

Communication

Interpersonal Communication

is in-escapable

We constantly communicate with others.

Gestures, posture, facial expressions,

clothing, etc. play a role in substituting

spoken language in its absence

People are judged by behaviour, not by

intent.

Interpersonal Communication

is irreversible

Messages cannot be taken back once

uttered or shown.

Actions and spoken messages make an

impression that cannot be erased.

Interpersonal Communication

is complicated

No form of communication is simple.

The number of variables involved can make

the simplest requests complex

Interpersonal Communication

is complicated

There are 6 people involved when we

communicate:

Who you think you are

Who you think the other person is

Who you think the other person thinks you are

Who the other person thinks he/she is

Who the other person thinks you are

Who the other person thinks you think he is

Interpersonal Communication

is contextual

Communication does not happen in

isolation; it occurs in different contexts at

the same time.

Psychological Context

Relational Context

Situational Context

Environmental Context

Cultural Context

Models of Interpersonal

Communication

Linear Models

Laswell’s Communication Model

Who?

Says what?

To whom?

In what channel?

With what effect?

Linear Models

Interactive Models

Adopted from

Schramm’s

Model, 1955

Transactional Model

Theories on Interpersonal

Communication

Confucianism

A study and theory of relationship within

hierarchies.

When each person within a society plays his

or her part well in the social order, social

harmony will be achieved.

Social Exchange Theory

“Relationships grow, develop and deteriorate

and dissolve as a consequence of an unfolding

social-exchange process…” [Huston & Burgess,

1979]

Also known as the “Theory of Interdependence”

[Thibaut and Kelley,1959]

Social Penetration Theory

It is customary for the individuals within the

relationship to undergo the process of self-

disclosure [Ledbetter, 2012]

Example: A facebook user’s profile

The user’s level of self-disclosure is directly

related to the level of interdependence

with other people.

Questions?

Thank you!

References

Looking Out/Looking In, by Ronal Adler and Neil Towne, Rinehart and Winston Inc., 1987, p. 16-19, p. 278-2-97

Interpersonal Communication: An Everyday Encounter, by Julia Wood, Wadsworth Group, 2002, p. 12-18, p. 28-33

Speech Communication: A Contemporary Introduction, by Gordon Zimmerman, James Owen & David Seibert, West Publishing Company, 1986, p. 205-207

References

An interpersonal primer with implications for public relations by T. Dean Thomlison 2000

Social Intercourse: From Greeting to Goodbye, by Mark L. Knapp, Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1978, p. 33

Social Behavior as Exchange, by George Homans, 1958, p. 4

"Attitudes Toward Online Social Connection And Self-Disclosure As Predictors Of Facebook Communication And Relational Closeness.“ by Andrew M. Ledbetter, 2012

References:

"Confucius". iep.utm.edu. Internet

Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved July

25, 2012.

http://www.pstcc.edu/facstaff/dking/interp

r.htm. Retrieved July 27, 2012