Chapter 8: Interpersonal Communication
Learning Objectives
After reading this chapter you should be able to:
- Define interpersonal communication
- Explain self-disclosure
- Understand the role of communication climate on interpersonal communication
- Be aware of the role of dialectical tensions in interpersonal communication
- Understand the unique dynamics of friendship
- Understand the unique dynamics of romantic relationships
- Understand the unique dynamics of family
- Understand the various ways of interpreting and responding to conflict in interpersonal communication
Think about your relationships in the last few years. You have likely experienced many changes in your home, work, and school life. Imagine the potential changes that may occur over the following years. You and your friends from high school may attend different colleges and will live far apart from each other. If you have recently been separated by distance from friends or family, you have noticed that it is more difficult to stay connected and share all of the little things that go on in your day. As you continue to grow and change in college, it is likely that you will create relationships along the way. Being away from your family, you will probably notice changes in your relationships with them. All of these dynamics, and many more, fall under the scope of interpersonal communication.
