This document provides an overview of interpersonal communication and key concepts in the field. It discusses several examples of communication, such as a couple interacting about chores, an individual thinking aloud, and posting on social media. It also summarizes key axioms of communication, such as that communication cannot be avoided, occurs through both digital and analog means, and influences relationships. The document concludes by listing assignments for a communication studies course.

1. Interpersonal Communication
CNA 210 – Spring 2010

2. What is Communication?
Introduction to Communication Studies

3. 2 Minute Paper
What counts as communication?

4. Rich is watching the
Bears game on
television. He is really
into the game and
does not realize his wife
is yelling in other room.
She comes into the
living room and asks,
“When are you going
to finish painting the
basement?” Rich
replies, “Yes hun, I will
take out the trash
when the game is
over.”

5. Sara is looking
through her closet
for an outfit to wear
on her date. She
says to herself, “I
really have nothing
to wear.” No one
else was in the
room.

6. Jason is browsing
through Facebook
and he notices an
old friend from Jr.
High. He makes a
post on her bulletin
board that asks
what she has been
up to.

7. Tonya, having
not slept the
previous
evening, fell
asleep during
her professors
lecture on the
axioms of
communication.

8. The field of communication focuses on how people
use messages to generate meanings within and
across various contexts, cultures, channels, and
media. The field promotes the effective and ethical
practice of human communication.

9. Pragmatics of
Human
Communication

10. Axiom 1
One Cannot Not Communicate

11. Axiom 2
Humans communicate both
digitally and analogically

12. Axiom 3
Communication is both the
content and the relationship

13. Axiom 4
The nature of any relationship
relies on the punctuation

14. Axiom 5
All communication is either
symmetrical or complimentary

15. You are a teacher and you have a student in your
Group Work
office. This student is the son of a friend of yours. He
was caught plagiarizing a paper. You call up your
friend to discuss his son and he yells at you and claims
that you are picking on his son. You try to explain the
situation and how you caught him, but the father is not
listening and continues to yell.

16. Assignments for the Semester
• Discussion Leader
• Individual Reflections
• Research Abstract
• Advice Column
• Quizzes

17. For Thursday
• Read Chapter 1 – come to class with your
definition of Persuasion.
TODAY’S REFLECTION PROMPT
• Why is the study of communication important
to a developed and educated society?