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What is Interpersonal Communication?
Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.
Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said – the language used – but how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures, and body language.
Answers and Definitions to Learn
| Term | Definition |
| Cognitive Conservatism | The tendency to seek and attend to information that conforms to an existing self-concept. |
| Face | The socially approved identity that a communicator tries to present. |
| Identity Management | The communication strategies people use to influence how others view them. |
| Perceived Self | The person we believe ourselves to be in moments of candor. It may be identical with or different from the presenting and ideal self. |
| Personality | A relatively consistent set of traits exhibited by a person across a variety of situations. |
| Presenting Self | The image a person presents to others. It may be identical with or different from the perceived and ideal self. |
| Reference Groups | Groups against which we compare ourselves, thereby influencing our self-concept and self-esteem. |
| Reflected Appraisal | The theory that a person’s self-concept mirrors the way the person believes others regard him/her. |
| Self-Concept | The relatively stable set of perceptions each individual holds of himself or herself. |
| Self-Esteem | The part of the self-concept that involves an individual’s evaluations of his or her self-worth. |
| Self-Fulfilling Prophecy | An expectation of an event, followed by behaviors based on that expectation, that makes the outcome more likely to occur than would have been the case otherwise. |
| Significant Others | People whose opinion is important enough to affect one’s self-concept strongly. |
| Social Comparison | Evaluation of oneself in terms of or by comparison to others. |
Interpersonal communication essentially defines a relationship
Interpersonal communication is relational in nature; it takes place in a relationship and the way we communicate depends on the kind of relationship we have with the other person. Example: You wouldn’t call your boss by their nickname, but you would for a sibling or a friend.
The kind of communication can range from relatively impersonal to highly personal. Example: You wouldn’t gossip about your ex with your boss, but would with a friend.
