Understanding Interpersonal Relationships Chapters 9 and 10

Interpersonal communication begins with predictions.

To make predictions, you use three levels of information about the receiver:

Cultural Level Information You know the general characteristics that person shares with a large number of people like him or her.

Examples:  Geographic differences  Gender norms  Geographic differences  Gender norms

Sociological or Group Level Information  Gives you information about a person’s membership in a group.

Examples  ScoutsGroups one joins  Methodist church  Fraternity or sorority  TeenagersShared  Senior citizenscharacteristics  ScoutsGroups one joins  Methodist church  Fraternity or sorority  TeenagersShared  Senior citizenscharacteristics

Stereotyping  When you label people as being part of a certain group and treat them as if they only possessed all the characteristics of that group, you are stereotyping.

Individual Level Information  You have learned the special or unique characteristics of a person.

Examples  How past experiences of a person affect the way he or she thinks  Values  Beliefs  Attitudes  How past experiences of a person affect the way he or she thinks  Values  Beliefs  Attitudes

Stages of Relationship  How people share relationship levels.  How people move through a relationship to make it stronger.  How people share relationship levels.  How people move through a relationship to make it stronger.

Stages of Relationship  First Meetings

Stages of Relationship  First Meetings  Friendly Relationship  First Meetings  Friendly Relationship

Stages of Relationship  First Meetings  Friendly Relationship  Involved Relationship  First Meetings  Friendly Relationship  Involved Relationship

Stages of Relationship  First Meetings  Friendly Relationship  Involved Relationship  Stable Relationship  First Meetings  Friendly Relationship  Involved Relationship  Stable Relationship

Building Interpersonal Relationships

Self-disclosure Self-disclosure is voluntarily sharing personal information or feelings with another person for the purpose of building a relationship

Self-disclosure May be planned or spontaneous.

Self-disclosure involves:  Trust  Risk  Trust  Risk

Empathy  A skill involved in building interpersonal communication

Empathy  A skill involved in building interpersonal communication  The ability to feel with another person  A skill involved in building interpersonal communication  The ability to feel with another person

Empathy  A skill involved in building interpersonal communication  The ability to feel with another person  Differs from sympathy  A skill involved in building interpersonal communication  The ability to feel with another person  Differs from sympathy

Sensitivity is critical in interpersonal communication!

Developing sensitivity  Awareness of emotions

Developing sensitivity  Awareness of emotions  Determining feelings and backgrounds  Awareness of emotions  Determining feelings and backgrounds

Developing sensitivity  Awareness of emotions  Determining feelings and backgrounds  Put yourself in the other’s place.  Awareness of emotions  Determining feelings and backgrounds  Put yourself in the other’s place.