Online Class: Interpersonal Communication

In this course, we will traverse several components of interpersonal communication. First, we will address individual components that comprise the complexities of interpersonal communication, and in the later units we will present how these individual components work together to create certain impressions. Our goal is to provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to make conscious decisions in your interpersonal communication with the hope of improving your communications and, in turn, improving your relationships and your successes.

Communication Defined

We begin with a brief discussion and some basic definitions of communication so that we have a clear idea of what we're working with. Communication is the sending and receiving of messages. These messages can be written, verbal, or nonverbal. Former interpersonal communication research suggested that communication occurred along one-way channels, where a message was sent, then received, then a response message was sent, then received, and so on -- each message was conceived of as individually sent and received. This way of viewing communication meant that an individual was either sending or receiving a message at any given time. Current research has evolved to the point of positing that communication is more complex than that. In fact, messages are sent and received simultaneously. If you consider yourself telling a story to an individual, or group of individuals, this will make more sense. As you tell your story, you "read" the impressions of your audience, and adapt your story accordingly. If your audience doesn't understand, their facial expressions will likely let you know, and you then know that you must elaborate further. If your audience is growing impatient, you will be able to sense this largely through their nonverbal communication, and you know that you should progress more quickly or lose your audience completely. This example illustrates how messages are simultaneously sent and received.

When we talk about interpersonal communication, we are talking about communication that occurs between two individuals, what researchers call a dyad. We are not talking about three or more individuals, as this then becomes small group communication; similarly, we are not talking about self-talk alone. This is not to say that the principles in this course do not apply to small groups and/or to self-talk, but rather that the focus here is on dyads.

With these brief definitions in mind, let us begin our journey to further understanding the complex dynamics that occur in interpersonal communication.