2. Defining Interpersonal Communication
Interpersonal communication is the process of using messages to
generate meaning between at least two people in a situation that
allows mutual opportunities for both speaking and listening.
3. Interpersonal relationship
•Interpersonal relationships are associations between
at least two people who are interdependent, who use
some consistent pattern of interaction, and who have
interacted for a period of time.
•Our interactions with strangers, salespeople, and waiters is NOT
interpersonal relationship.
•Interpersonal relationships are important because they
allow us to fulfill our needs for inclusion, affection, and
control.
4. Types of interpersonal relationships
Complementary relationship: in which each person supplies
something the other person(s) lack.
Symmetrical relationship: in which participants mirror each
other or are highly similar.
5. Conflict
Conflict is inevitable and normal in interpersonal relationships; it
can be constructive and creative.
Conflict management involves remain calm, too be specific about
what is bothering you, avoiding words such as never and always; not
exaggerating; and establishing ground rules to adopt by both part.
6. Self-disclosure
Self-disclosure: making intentional revelations about yourself the others would be unlikely to
know and that constitute private, sensitive, or confidential information. 117.
Self-disclosure tends to be reciprocal. 118.
Reciprocal disclosure generally does not occur in families. 119.
Partners in romantic relationship report greater feeling of security after an honest and
intentional self-disclosure.
At least one-fifth of sexually active college students purposefully misrepresent their sexual
history to their sex partners 119
Disclusure varies across cultures.119.
7. Extreme Self-disclosure
Self-disclosure, affectionate communication, and mutual
influence can become unhealthy when they become
extreme.
We might avoid self-disclosure: for self-protection;
relationship protection; partner unresponsiveness; social
appropriateness.
8. Friendship
•Changes over time
•New types of friendships: online friends, friends with
benefits, cross-cultural relationships.
•Friends with benefits: are those who are not romantically
involved but who agreed to have a sexual relationship.
9. Stages of relations
Relational development: the initial stage that moves a couple from meeting to
mating.
Relational maintenance: the second stage after the has bounded and in which
they engage in the process of keeping the relationship together
Relational deterioration: in which the prior bond disintegrates . It is marked by
differentiating behaviors.
12. Motivations
Motivations for initiating a relationship: proximity, attractiveness,
responsiveness, similarity, complementarity.
Motivations for maintaining relationships: predictability and
certainty; additional personal info; to be involved in empathic and
caring relationship.
Motivation for terminating relationships: messages that creat
emotional pain (hurtful mess.) the practice of deliberately making
somebody to believe things that are not true (deceptive comm)
aggressiveness, argumentativeness and defensiveness.
13. Gender and cultural differences
Women use more maintenance strategies
Asian Americans emphasize caring while African
Americans respect and acceptance
14. Compliance gaining & Compliance resisting
oCompliance gaining: a person’s attempt to influence a
target to perform a desired behavior that the target
otherwise would not perform.
oCompliance resisting: The refusal of the targets of influence
messages to comply with request.
15. Idioms and bargain
Personal idioms help to develop a unique relationship.
Bargain: in which two or more parties attempt to reach an
agreement on what each should give and receive in a
transaction between them.
16. Dark side of the interpersonal
relationship
Obsession
jealousy
misunderstanding
gossip
conflict
and abuse
