Q1 Why we study interpersonal communication ?

Personal and Social Success: Your personal success and

happiness depend largely on your effectiveness as an interpersonal
communicator.
Professional Success: The ability to communicate interpersonally
is widely recognized as crucial to professional success.

Q2 what is the nature of interpersonal communication?

Interpersonal communication:
1) Involves interdependent individuals.
Interpersonal communication is the communication that takes place
between people who are in some way connected.
Example : what takes place between a son and his father, an employer
and an employee, two sisters, a teacher and a student, two lovers, two
friends.
2) Is inherently relational.
Takes place in a relationship with u and another person, people interact
differently u and ur professor OR u and your neighbor.
-The way you communicate influences the kind of relationship you will
have. Example: if u interact in friendly ways, you are likely to develop a
friendship.
If u regularly exchange hateful and hurtful messages, u are likely to
develop antagonistic relationship.
3) Exists on a continuum.
4) Involves verbal and nonverbal messages.
The words you use as well as your facial expressions , your eye contact
and your body posture
you receive messages through your sense of hearing as well as through
other senses, especially visual and touch.
Verbal Your words
Nonverbal Facial expressions Eye contact Silence Visual Touch
Body language Tone
5) Exists in varied forms.
- Face to Face

Online
Computer-mediated Asynchronous Synchronous

6) is transactional.
The Linear View of Interpersonal Communication:

a linear view of communication, in which the speaker speaks

and the listener listens.
Speaking and listening were seen as taking place at different times
when you spoke, you didnt listen, and when you listened, you
didnt speak.
a transactional process in which each person serves in same way
as speaker and listener.
According to the transactional view, at the same time that you
send messages, youre also receiving messages from your own
communications and from the reactions of the other person.

7) involves choices.
- Choice points
Deweys Reflective Thinking Method
1. The problem 2. The criteria 3. The possible solutions 4. The
analysis 5. The selection and execution
Q3 elements of interpersonal communication?

1) Source- Receiver: Interpersonal communication involves at least two

persons. Each functions as a source (formulates and sends
messages) and operates as a receiver (receives and understands
messages).
Interpersonal communication involves at least two individuals
Source-Receiver Encoder-Decoder
2) Messages: For interpersonal communication to exist, messages that
express your thoughts and feelings must be sent and received.
Workplace Messages

 Upward communication: from lower levels of hierarchy. Usually about

job-related activities.
Downward communication: from higher levels to lower levels of
hierarchy.
Lateral communication:-among equals/peers
Grapevine communication: doesnt follow formal lines of communication
Meta messages: are messages about messages. They may be both
verbal and nonverbaL
Feedback Messages: are special types of messages in which you get
feedback from and about your own message.
Feed forward Messages: prepare the listener for the upcoming message
and may be verbal and nonverbal.
3) Channel: The communication channel is the medium through which
message signal pass. The channel works like a bridge connecting
source and receiver.
- Medium through which messages are sent: Face to face
Telephone Email Movies Television
Information overload
Mediated Channels E-mail Instant Messages Text Pages Film
Television Cell Phone
4) Noise
Anything that interferes with the message being received
Physical noise is external to both speaker and listener.
Physiological noise lies within the sender or receiver (hearing loss,
memory loss).
Psychological noise is mental interference (biases, preconceived ideas,
closed-mindedness, emotionalism)
Semantic noise occurs when speaker and listener have different
meaning systems (jargon, abstract terms)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio : signal means a useful information and noise
refers to information that is useless.
for example mailing list or blogs that contain lots of useful information
would be high on signal and low on noise those that contain useless
information would be high on noise and low on signal.
5) Context
Content refers to The environment influencing form and content of
communication.

 Dimensions of context:
Physical (room, workplace, street)
Social-psychological (status relationships among participant)
Temporal or time dimension (time of the context)
Cultural (rules, norms, beliefs, and attitude)

Chapter 3
What is receiving in listening ? How do receive listening effectively ?

Receive messages more effectively by: Pay attention, think of their

message, not your response. Avoid interrupting. Avoid assuming you
understand.
Listening begins, but doesnt end, with receiving messages the speaker
sends. In listening, you receive both the verbal and non-verbal messages
not only the words but also the gestures, facial expressions, variations in
volume and rate, accompanying photos, and lots more.

What is evaluating in listening ? how do you evaluate listening effectively ?

consists of judging messages in some way, often by judging the speakers
underlying intention. To evaluate more accurately: Resist evaluation until
you fully understand the speakers point of view. Assume that the
speaker is a person of goodwill. Ask for clarification on issues that you
feel you must object to. Distinguish facts from opinions and personal
interpretations as well as any biases, self interests, or prejudices that may
lead the speaker to slant unfairly what is presented.

What is remembering in listening ? how do you evaluate listening

effectively ?

Effective listening involves the ability to recall details. Memory for

speech is reconstructive, not reproductive. U actually reconstruct the
messages u hear into systems that make sense to u To remember the
message, u have to: Focus on the central ideas in a message. Organize
what you hear. Summarize the message in a more easily retained form.

Unite the new with the old; relate new information to what you already
know. Repeat names and key concepts to yourself or aloud.

How to respond to message while the speaker is talking ?

Responding occurs in two forms: 1. Responses you make while the
speaker is talking. 2. Responses you make after the speaker has stopped
talking.
While Speaker Is Talking Should be supportive Acknowledge you are
listening Backchanneling Cues ( words and guesture) that let the speaker
know you are paying attention, as when you nod in agreement or say, I
see or Uhhuh.

Once Speaker Stops Talking More elaborate, include empathy Request

clarification Show challenge or agreement To improve: Express
support. Show you are listening.

What is listening barriers ?

1.Distractions Physical Mental
2 Biases and Prejudices
3. Lack of Appropriate Focus
4. Premature Judgment