Course Snippet

The text on this page is taken from Unit 5 of the Certificate in Interpersonal Skills for Volunteers by distance learning course.

Uses of Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication can be used to:

Give and collect information.
Influence the attitudes and behaviour of others.
Form contacts and maintain relationships.
Make sense of the world and our experiences in it.
Express personal needs and understand the needs of others.
Give and receive emotional support.
Make decisions and solve problems.
Try to anticipate and predict behaviour.
Regulate power.

What is Interpersonal Communication?

Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages. This definition highlights the important fact that interpersonal communication is not only concerned with what is said, i.e., the language used, but how it is said, e.g. the non-verbal messages sent, such as tone of voice and facial expressions.
Hartley (1999, p.20) defines interpersonal communication as having the following characteristics:

Communication from one individual to another.
Communication which is face-to-face.
Both the form and the content of the communication reflect the personal characteristics of the individuals as well as their social roles and relationships.

When two or more people are in the same place and are aware of each other's presence, then communication is said to be taking place, no matter how subtle or unintentional. Even without speech, an observer may be using cues of posture, facial expression, and dress to form an impression of the other's role, emotional state, personality or intentions. Although no communication may be intended, people receive messages through forms of non-verbal behaviour. This is an important point for workers in people-centred occupations who need to cultivate an awareness of the range of cues involved in interpersonal communication.
Hargie (1997, cited in Hartley, 1999, p.53) suggests that interpersonal communication includes the following aspects: non-verbal communication, reinforcement, questioning, reflecting, opening and closing, explanation, listening and self-disclosure.

Elements of Interpersonal Communication

Many researchers have broken down interpersonal communication into a number of elements in order that it can be more easily understood. These are:

the communicators - both sender and receiver
the message
noise
feedback
context
channel

The Communicators

For any communication to occur there must be at least two people involved. This is sometimes referred to as a dyad. Traditionally, communication is seen as involving a sender and a receiver of a message. However, the problem with this way of seeing a relationship is that it presents communication as a one-way process, i.e., one person sends the message and the other receives it; which is a lateral or linear process.
Today, it is recognised that communications are almost always complex, two-way processes, with people sending and receiving messages to and from each other, in any interaction, i.e., an interactive process.

The Message

Message not only means the speech used or information conveyed, but also the non-verbal messages exchanged such as facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures and body language. Non-verbal behaviour can convey additional information about the message spoken. In particular, it can reveal more about emotional attitudes which may underlie the content of speech.

Noise

Noise has a special meaning in communication theory. It refers to anything that distorts the message, so that what is received is different from what is intended by the speaker. Whilst physical 'noise' (sounds) can interfere with communication, such things as the use of complicated jargon, inappropriate body language, inattention and cultural differences can be considered 'noise' in the context of interpersonal communication. In other words, any distortions or inconsistencies that might occur during an attempt to communicate can be seen as noise.

Feedback

Feedback consists of messages the receiver returns, which allows the sender to know how accurately the message has been received, as well as the receiver's reaction. The receiver may also respond to the unintentional message as well as the intentional message. Types of feedback range from direct verbal statements, e.g. "Say that again, I don't understand", to subtle facial expressions or changes in posture which might indicate to the sender that the receiver feels uncomfortable with the message. Feedback allows the sender to regulate, adapt or repeat his/her message in order to improve the communication.

Context

All communication is influenced by the context in which it takes place. However, apart from looking at where the interaction takes place, i.e., the situational context (room, office, etc.), the social context needs to be referred to i.e., the roles, responsibilities and status of the participants. The emotional climate and participants' expectations of the interaction will also affect the communication.

Channel

This refers to the physical means by which the message is transferred from one person to another. As this Unit is concerned with communication in a face-to-face context the channels which are considered are speech and vision.

Exercise

"When you have the opportunity to observe interpersonal communication, make a mental note of the behaviours used, both verbal and non-verbal. If this is not possible, you could examine some of the different ways interpersonal relationships are conveyed on the television. Make notes of your observations on the following:

Who are the communicators , what messages were exchanged, what (if any) noise distorts the message, how is feedback given and what is the context of the communication?"

Course Snippet

The text on this page is taken from Unit 5 of the Certificate in Interpersonal Skills for Volunteers by distance learning course.