Interpersonal Process CHAPTER 1 Interpersonal Process

Why Study Communication? Why study an activity that you’ve done your entire life? New look at a familiar topic Increased communication effectiveness Studying communication can provide a new look at a familiar topic and lead to increased communication effectiveness.

Section 1 Interplay WHY WE COMMUNICATE

Why We Communicate How does communication help to fulfill the following human needs? Physical needs Identity needs Social needs Practical needs Communication helps to fulfill basic human needs, including needs which are physical, identity, social, and practical.

Dark Side of Communication Social needs are represented in research on loneliness and the Internet Connecting with others online can alleviate lonely feelings (Lee et. al, 2013) Preference to connect with others online can lead to problematic Internet use and increased loneliness (Chung, 2013) Although the internet potentially enables increased connection with others that can help to alleviate feelings of loneliness, it can also lead to more problematic internet usage which can increase loneliness. This exposes the potential dark side of communication.

Communication & Career Advancement Communication skills are crucial to finding a job Abilities in spoken and written communication rated highly (Supiano, 2013) Interpersonal communication essential for success (Coffelt et al., 2016) Important in virtually every career Research shows that interpersonal communication skills, both oral and written, are highly rated among business leaders and important in nearly every career.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS Section 2 Interplay THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

The Communication Process Communication is about using messages to generate meanings (Korn et al., 2000) Public speaking Small groups Mass media The communication process involves using messages to generate meanings and is relevant in all types of settings, including public speaking, small groups, and mass media.

Early Models of Communication Linear, one-way event Resembles an archer shooting a message at a target Later models Tennis game: Senders and receivers exchange messages Respond with verbal or nonverbal feedback While early models of communication were very linear and illustrated communication as one-way, later models of communication emphasized an exchange of messages using both verbal and nonverbal feedback.

Insights from the Transactional Communication Model Sending and receiving are usually simultaneous Meanings exist in and among people Environment and noise affect communication Channels make a difference The Transactional Communication Model demonstrates how messages are sent and received simultaneously. These messages are often influenced by contextual factors, such as the surrounding environment, noise, channel, and meaning that exists within and among communicators.

Focus on Research: Twitter Communication channels influence messages Research shows that Twitter messages created on a mobile device differ from those created on computers Mobile Tweets more egocentric and negatively worded than computer-generated Tweets Research demonstrates that communication channels influence messages. For example, a study found that messages created on Twitter were more egocentric and negatively worded than messages created on computers.

Communication Principles Transactional Mutual influence Interdependent behaviors Uniquely created Intentional or unintentional Irreversible Unrepeatable Content dimension and a relational dimension Which principles are demonstrated in this video? Primary principles of communication illustrate that communication is transactional, meaning it involves mutual influence of communicators, interdependent behaviors, and is uniquely created. Communication also can be both intentional and unintentional, is irreversible and unrepeatable, and contains both a content and relational dimension. Here’s a video from the Ellen DeGeneres Show featuring some autocorrect fails in a segment called “Clumsy Thumbsy.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMJMftb9KL4&list=PLzG6Gh3KlJXPNj32uAsvs2jPmhTuuMK_i&index=11

The Nature of Interpersonal Communication Every exchange has a relational dimension, ranging from highly impersonal to highly interpersonal By nature, interpersonal communication exchanges have a relational dimension that exists on a continuum somewhere between highly impersonal and highly interpersonal.

Characteristics of Interpersonal Communication Features of interpersonal relationships: Uniqueness Interdependence Self-disclosure Intrinsic rewards Interpersonal relationships are distinguished by the uniqueness of the interaction, level of interdependence between or among communicators, amount of self-disclosure, and the reward of developing a relationship with the communicator(s).

Masspersonal Communication Masspersonal communication characterizes interaction that crosses boundaries between mass and interpersonal contexts Traditionally, interpersonal communication was considered fairly private. The emergence of social media has create a unique type of interaction that is both personal and public at the same time, resulting in a new concept called masspersonal communication.

Communication Misconceptions All communication seeks understanding. More communication is always better. Communication will solve all problems. Effective communication is a natural ability. There are several misconceptions about communication. These misconceptions include the idea that all communication seeks understanding (for example, sometimes it is ritualistic or intentionally ambiguous), that more communication is always better (sometimes it is unproductive), that communication solves all problems (sometimes it can even create problems), and that effective communication comes naturally (in order to truly be effective, many require training).

COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE Section 3 Interplay COMMUNICATION COMPETENCE

Communication Competence Principles of Communication Competence Competent communication: Effective Appropriate No single “ideal” or “effective” way to communicate Competence is situational Competence can be learned Communication competence is reflected in the learned ability to effectively and appropriately achieve goals. It is important to remember that there is not one single and ideal way to communicate, as competence is situational.

Characteristics of Competent Communication A large repertoire of skills Adaptability Ability to perform skillfully Empathy/perspective taking Cognitive complexity Self-monitoring Common characteristics of competent communication include possessing a wide variety of skills, the ability to adapt and effectively perform appropriate behaviors, developing empathy to see another person’s point of view, construct different frameworks for understanding an issue, and paying close attention to one’s own behaviors.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION Section 4 Interplay SOCIAL MEDIA AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

Social Media and Interpersonal Communication Technology allows for starting and maintaining relationships Social media describes all communication channels that allow: Community-based input Interaction Content-sharing Collaboration Use the textbook quiz to assess your own use of social media The role of technology is increasingly important in relationships, as social media allows for multiple opportunities and ways to start and maintain relationships.

Characteristics of Social Media Leanness Asynchronicity Permanence Social media tends to lack nonverbal cues, but allows for flexibility in sending messages – though those messages then become quite permanent records of communication.

Focus on Research: Permanence Some instant messaging services – like Snapchat – are ephemeral Lightweight channel Sharing of spontaneous experiences More enjoyable than other digital platforms More likely to use for flirting and finding love One example of social media that does not feature permanence is Snapchat. The digital platform allows for communication that is spontaneous which has been shown to afford less inhibited communication.

Social Media and Relational Quality Social media might seem inferior Lacks richness Discourages community Superficial Can be rich and satisfying Increases amount and quality of interpersonal communication Why? Easier, less complicated Social media can create relational experiences that can feel superficial. However, there are also opportunities for satisfying, high quality interpersonal exchanges because using social media can be easier and less complicated than other channels.

Communicating Competently with Social Media Be careful what you post Be considerate Respect others’ need for undivided attention Keep your tone civil Be mindful of bystanders Balance mediated and face-to-face time Embrace Multimodality In order to competently use social media, communicators should be careful and considerate of the messages they post, being mindful of others and thoughtful of balancing mediated and face-to-face time.