Interpersonal Communication Chapter 1

is the process of acting on information

communication

the process of making sense out of the world and sharing that sense with others by creating meaning through the use of verbal and nonverbal messages

human communication

a distinctive, transactional form of human communication involving mutual influence, usually for the purpose of managing relationships : "I-Thou

interpersonal communication

occurs when you treat people as objects, or when you respond to their roles rather than who they are as unique people : "I-it

impersonal communication

means that all partners in the communication are affected by a transaction

mutual influence

a connection established when you communicate with another person: what one person says or does influences the other person

relationship

occurs when someone communicates the same message to many people at once, but the creator of the message is usually not physically present, and listeners have virtually no opportunity to respond immediately to the speaker

mass communication

occurs when a speaker addresses an audience in person

public communication

occurs when a group of from three to fifteen people meet to interact with a common purpose and mutually influence one another

small group communication

communication with yourself

intrapersonal communication

the originator of a thought or an emotion, who expresses ideas and feelings as code that can be understood by a receiver

the source

translating ideas, feelings, and thoughts into a code

encoding

the opposite process of encoding, occurs when the words or unspoken signals are interpreted by the receiver

decoding

the written, spoken, and unspoken elements of communication to which people assign meaning

messages

A message is communicated from sender to receiver via some pathway called a

channel

the person who decodes and attempts to make sense of what the source encoded

the receiver

anything that interferes with a message and keeps it from being understood and achieving its intended effect

noise

the response to the message

feedback

the physical and psychological environment for communication

context

describes the interconnected elements of a system in which a change in one element affects all of the other elements

systems theory

sequence of interactions between individuals during which the message of one person influences the message of another

episodes

human communication is linear, with meaning sent or transferred from source to receiver

human communication as action

human communication occurs as the receiver of the message responds to the source through feedback. This model views communication as a linear action-reaction sequence of events within a specific context

human communication as interaction

human communication is mutually interactive. Meaning is created based on a concurrent sharing of ideas and feelings. This model most accurately describes human communication

human communication as transaction

when you use media, such as a cell phone or the Internet to carry your message

mediated interpersonal communication

anonymity
physical appearance
distance
time

how is mediated interpersonal communication different from live, face-to-face conversation? (there are four key differences)

suggested that emotional expression is severely restricted when we communicate online because sending text messages via the internet filters out nonverbal cues such as facial expression, gestures, and tone of voice

cues-filtered-out theory

suggests that we can communicate relational and emotional messages via the Internet, but it just may take longer to express messages that are typically communicated with facial expressions and tone of voice

social information-processing theory

a certain type of interpersonal communication that is facilitated by using a computer to establish relationships with others

hyperpersonal communication

identifies the richness of a communication medium based on the amount of information, including emotional expression, it communicates

media richness theory

who u think you are
who u think the other person is
who u think the other person thinks u are
who the other person thinks he or she is
who the other person thinks you are
who the other person thinks you think he or she is

when you communicate with another person, there are really at least six "people" involved. they are:

a word, sound, or visual image that represents something else, such as a thought, concept, or object

symbol

a followable prescription that indicates what behavior is obligated, preferred, or prohibited in certain contexts

rule

respect each other's privacy
don't reveal each other's secrets
look the person in the eye during conversation
don't criticize the other person publicly

the most important relationship rules revealed by a British study are (there are 4 of them)

information, ideas, or suggested actions that a speaker wishes to share

content

the implied aspect of a communication message, which conveys information about emotions, attitudes, power, and control

relationship dimension

verbal or nonverbal communication about communication

metacommunication

pleasure-displeasure
arousal-nonarousal
dominance-submissiveness

emotional response theory suggests that any human emotion experienced can be interpreted along three dimensions, what are they

theoretical perspective that suggests communication behavior can be predicted based on personal traits and characteristics that result from people's genetic or biological background

communibiological approach

theory of human behavior that suggests we can learn how to adapt and adjust our behavior toward others; how we behave is not solely dependant on our genetic or biological makeup

social learning theory

beliefs, values, and moral principles by which people determine what is right or wrong

ethics

one who considers the thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of communication partners while maintaining his or her own integrity

other-oriented communicator

one who creates messages without giving much thought to the person who is listening; a communicator who is self-focused and self-absorbed

egocentric communicator

myth
more words will make the meaning more clear

reality
sometimes it's best to stop talking, take a deep breath, and listen

myth
meanings are in words

reality
meanings are in people, not in words

myth
information equals communication

reality
information is not communication. Saying, writing, or expressing a thought or feeling doesn't mean someone else will make sense of the message merely because we've created it

myth
interpersonal relationship problems are always communication problems

reality
we may understand what someone means but just disagree with them