Chapter 6: Interpersonal Communication

6.6: Summary, Discussion, References

As you can see, Interpersonal Communication impacts every aspect of our life. If you are taking Communication 101 at Indiana State University, then by now you have experienced both the benefits and the challenges to negotiating a relationship. This chapter has introduced you to a wide range of theories that help explain interpersonal communication as well as skills for improving our relationships. Additionally, it is important to realize that our relationships are not static or fixed in any singular way because we are always changing as individuals. We must communicate effectively to others during these changes, especially when conflicts arise. Our chapter on Conflict Management offers more insight into managing relationships effectively by understanding the nature of conflict and strategies for success in conflict situations.

Discussion Questions

  1. Select an important person in your life and pay attention to your communication climate. How do you and this other person demonstrate recognition, acknowledgment, and endorsement?
  2. Reflect on one of your important friendships and trace its development through Rawlins’ six stages. How was it affected by important transitions in your life, sexual attraction, and diversity?
  3. Reflect on a current or past romantic relationship. How did you communicate attraction or needs for connection and separateness?
  4. Does Pearson’s definition of family fit your own? Why? Why not?
  5. Interview one or both of your parents about how their communication has changed as they have moved along the family life cycle. How did their relational culture change? How did they manage relational dialectics?
  6. How was conflict managed in your family while growing up? Was it viewed as positive or negative? How did those early messages and lessons about conflict shape your current attitudes?

Key Terms

  • acknowledgement messages
  • autonomy-connection
  • avoiding
  • bonding
  • circumscribing
  • communication climate
  • confirming climate
  • developing a family
  • differentiating
  • disconfirming climate
  • dyad
  • encouraging independence
  • endorsement messages
  • enlarging a family
  • establishing a family
  • experimenting
  • family
  • friendly relations
  • initiating
  • integrating
  • intensifying
  • interpersonal communication
  • Johari Window
  • Knapp’s Model
  • launching children
  • moving toward friendship
  • nascent friendship
  • neutralize
  • novelty-predictability
  • openness-closedness
  • post-launching of children
  • recognition messages
  • reframing
  • relational dialectics
  • relationship maintenance
  • retirement
  • role-limited interaction
  • segmentation
  • separation
  • self-disclosure
  • Social Penetration Theory
  • stabilization
  • stabilized friendship
  • stagnating
  • terminating
  • waning friendship

 

References

Augsburger, D.W. (1992). Conflict mediation across cultures: Pathways and patterns. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox.

Baxter, L.A. (1990). Dialectical contradictions in relational development. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships,7, 69-88.

Bell, S., & Coleman, S. (1999). The anthropology of friendship: Enduring themes and future possibilities. The Anthropology of Friendship. Oxford, UK: Berg Print.

Booth, M. (2012). Boundaries and student self-disclosure In authentic, integrated learning activities and assignments. New Directions For Teaching & Learning, 131, 5-14.

Burleson, B. R., Holmstrom, A. J. & Jones, S. M. (2005). Some consequences for helpers who deliver “cold comfort”: Why it’s worse for women than men to be inept when providing emotional support. Sex Roles, 53(3-4), 153-72.

Carrier, J. G. (1991). People who can be friends: Selves and social relationships. The Anthropology of Friendship. Oxford, UK: Berg.

Coates, J.  (1984). Women, men, and language: A sociolinguistic account of sex differences in language. London: Longman Publishing.

Cole, M. (1996). Interpersonal conflict communication in Japanese cultural contexts. Arizona State University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books/about/Interpersonal_Conflict_Communication_in.html?id=T6pkuAAACAAJ

Echols, L., & Graham, S. (2013). Birds of a different feather: How do cross-ethnic friends flock together?. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 59(4), 461-488.

Harriman, A. (1985).  Women/men/management. NY: Praeger.

Kim, K., & Markman, A. (2013). Individual differences, cultural differences, and dialectic conflict description and resolution. International Journal of Psychology, 48(5), 797-808.

Luft, J. (1969). Of human interaction. Palo Alto, CA: National.

Mathews, A.,  Derlega, V. J., & Morrow, J. (2006). What is highly personal information and how is it related to self-disclosure decision-making? The perspective of college students. Communication Research Reports,23(2), 85-92.

Monsour, M. & Rawlins, W. K. (2014). Transitional identities and postmodern cross-gender friendships: An exploratory investigation. Women & Language,37(1), 11-39.

Nishina, A., Juvonen, J. & Witkow, M.R. (2005). Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will make me feel sick: The psychosocial, somatic, and scholastic consequences of peer harassment.  Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 34(1), 37-48.

Olson, D. & McCubbin, H. Families: What makes them work. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Özad, B. E. & Uygarer, G. (2014). Attachment needs and social networking sites. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal,42(1), 43-52.

Pearson, J. C. (1992). Communication in the family: Seeking satisfaction in changing times. NY: Harper & Row.

Rahim, M. A.  (2011). Managing conflict in organizations. Transaction Publishers. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=qauUlGypkhEC&printsec=frontcover&dq=Rahim,+M.+A.++(2015).+Managing+conflict+in+organizations.+Transaction+Publishers.&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi5pIbUgIrQAhWJ5YMKHWUHDXsQ6AEILjAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Rahim, M. A., &. Magner, N. R. (1995). Confirmatory factor analysis of the styles of handling interpersonal conflict: first-order factor model and its invariance across groups. Journal of Applied Psychology, 80(1), 122.

Rawlins, W. K. (1981). Friendship as a communicative achievement. Doctoral dissertation. Temple University. Dissertation Abstracts International,42, 454A-455A.

Thomas, K. W. & Kilmann, R. H. (1974).  Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Tuxedo, NY: XICOM.

Wood, J. T.  (1999). Interpersonal Communication in Everyday Encounters (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

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