This document defines interpersonal communication and discusses various aspects of interpersonal relationships. It covers topics such as defining interpersonal communication, types of interpersonal relationships including complementary and symmetrical relationships, how conflict is normal but should be managed constructively, the concept of self-disclosure and its role in relationships, stages of relationship development, motivations for initiating and maintaining relationships, and differences in communication styles across gender and culture. It also briefly touches on compliance gaining, personal idioms, and potential negatives like obsession, jealousy, and abuse.

1. Ch6
Interpersonal Communication
MARIA SUBERT

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 are
NOT interpersonal relationships.
•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.
It tends to be reciprocal. Though, reciprocal disclosure generally does not occur
in families.
Partners in romantic relationship report greater feeling of security after an
honest and intentional self-disclosure.
◦ Yet, at least one-fifth of sexually active college students purposefully misrepresent
their sexual history to their sex partners.
Disclosure varies across cultures.

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.

10. Dialectic
Dialectic refers to the tension that exists
between two conflicting or interacting forces.

11. Interesting fact:
Researches show that close relationship can be
maintained through texting and messaging

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