Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication is a special form of unmediated human communication that occurs when we interact simultaneously with another person and attempt to mutually influence each other, usually for the purpose of managing relationships

Types of Interpersonal Communication                    

A.  Oral communication

1) Verbal communication – through words

          a) Dyadic communication–it involves two people             such as a telephone conversation

          b) Public speaking

          c) Small group communication

        2) Non-verbal communication – through body languge.

        

     B. Written communication  

    through emails, notices, memorandums etc

Basic Elements

Principles

The process involves four basic elements

 1) Sender : person who sends information

 2) Receiver : person who receives the information sent.

 3) Message : content of information sent by sender

 4) Feedback : response from receiver.

Communication Channels

•Communication channels are the medium chosen to convey the message from sender to receiver. categorized into two main categories:

 1) Direct

    Direct channels are obvious and easily recognized by the receiver. Both verbal and non-verbal information is completely controlled by the sender. Verbal channels rely on words, as in written or spoken communication. Non-verbal channels encompass facial expressions, controlled body movements (police present hand gestures to control traffic), color (red signals 'stop', green signals 'go'), and sound (warning sirens). 

2) Indirect      

   Indirect channels are usually recognized subconsciously by the receiver, and are not always under direct control of the sender. Eg. gut-feeling, hunch, or premonition 

The four principles of inter personal communication are :

•Interpersonal communication is inescapable

    We can't not communicate. The very attempt not to communicate communicates something. Through not only words, but through tone of voice and through gesture, posture, facial expression, etc., we constantly communicate to those around us. Through these channels, we constantly receive communication from others. Even when you sleep, you communicate. Remember a basic principle of communication in general: people are not mind readers. Another way to put this is: people judge you by your behavior, not your intent.

•Interpersonal communication is irreversible

     You can't really take back something once it has been said. The effect must inevitably remain. Despite the instructions from a judge to a jury to "disregard that last statement the witness made," the lawyer knows that it can't help but make an impression on the jury. A Russian proverb says, "Once a word goes out of your mouth, you can never swallow it again."

•Interpersonal communication is complicated

     No form of communication is simple. Because of the number of variables involved, even simple requests are extremely complex. Theorists note that whenever we communicate there are really at least six "people" involved: 1) who you think you are; 2) who you think the other person is; 30 who you think the other person thinks you are; 4) who the other person thinks /she is; 5) who the other person thinks you are; and 6) who the other person thinks you think s/he is.

•Interpersonal communication is contextual

     In other words, communication does not happen in isolation. 

There is:

 - Psychological context, which is who you are and what you bring to the interaction. Your needs, desires, values, personality, etc., all form the psychological context. ("You" here refers to both participants in the interaction.)

  - Relational context, which concerns your relations to the other person.

 - Situational context deals with the psycho-social "where" you are communicating. An interaction that takes place in a classroom will be very different from one that takes place in a bar.

 - Environmental context deals with the physical "where" you are communicating. Furniture, location, noise level, temperature, season, time of day, all are examples of factors in the environmental context.

 - Cultural context includes all the learned behaviors and rules that affect the interaction. If you come from a culture (foreign or within your own country) where it is considered rude to make long, direct eye contact, you will out of politeness avoid eye contact. If the other person comes from a culture where long, direct eye contact signals trustworthiness, then we have in the cultural context a basis for misunderstanding