CH. 1
Universals of Interpersonal
Communication
Interpersonal Communication
 Selective
 Systemic
 Unique
 Ongoing
 Quantitative
 Qualitative
Quantitative or Dyadic Approach
between 2 persons who
have an established
relationship
Qualitative or Developmental Approach
two-person communication
based on psychological data,
Explanatory knowledge, and
personally established rules.
Elements of Interpersonal
Communication
A. Source-Receiver = of
messages
simultaneously
Encode = form messages
Decode = decipher messages
•break down and assign
meaning for understanding
Competence
is your ability to
communicate effectively
interpersonal competence = ability
to adjust your communication
according to the context
Messages
Verbal or Nonverbal
Feedback = message sent by the
receiver of a message, back to the
original sender
Feed-forward
= is information given prior to
the main message
1. sets you up to receive
the
information in a particular way
Channel
= medium through which the
message is transmitted
Always involves the 5 senses
Noise
= anything that
interferes with the
transmission of a
message
 physical = environment
 physiological = biological problems
of the communicators
 psychological = mental
interference located in the
minds of the communicators
Semantic = language
problems
Context = influences the
form and content of
messages
physical = setting
temporal = time
social-psychological
status of relationship
cultural = influences values, morals,
beliefs
Purpose = variety
Ethics = every act has a moral
dimension
II. Transactional Process
 A. Is a Process = continual and ever
changing
 B. Elements are Interdependent
= a change in one
= a change in all
Transactional View
Speaker/
Listener
Fig. 2.1
Speaker/
Listener
Communication is:
 Inevitable - one cannot Not
communicate
 Irreversible - can’t take it
back
 Unrepeatable - can’t duplicate
it
III. Symmetrical vs.
Complementary
 Symmetrical = equal or similar
status
 Complementary = unequal or
opposite status
Content & Relational Dimensions
 Content Dimension = the
information that tells what
behavior is expected
Relational Dimension =tells us how
to interpret the content
• implications from two
dimensions
•gender differences
 Process of Adjustment = learning
another's unique system of signals
over time.
Communication Accommodation =
adjusting speaking style for listeners
to gain social approval