INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: What is it, Types, Characteristics and Examples

The role of communication is increasingly central in all areas of social life and it is not surprising that books, seminars, undergraduate courses and professions are born around it. All human activity based on interpersonal relationships always involves communication processes. In all of our contacts with others, we need the ability to communicate and we must be effective.

In this Psychology-Online article, we will talk about the interpersonal communication: what is it, types, characteristics and examples.

Index

1. What is interpersonal communication
2. Types of interpersonal communication
3. Characteristics of interpersonal communication
4. Disturbances in interpersonal communication
5. Examples of interpersonal communication

Communication is the essential element through which the interpersonal relationship is carried out. The word communication comes from Latin communicare Y smeans sharing. Communicate is a

So what is interpersonal communication? Face-to-face communication. It can be considered as the set of phenomena that allow the exchange of information between two or more people. This exchange is carried out through spoken language and through the non-verbal signals that we send through the movements of the body or parts of it. These are received through the visual channel. Interpersonal communication, understood as a moment of meeting / exchange, determines the quality of the relationship. In this article, you will see the communication factors in everyday life.

Interpersonal communication, which involves several people, is based on a report in which the interlocutors influence each other as in a vicious circle. Specifically, there are three types of interpersonal communication:

• Verbal communication: It is done through the use of language, both written and oral, and that depends on precise syntactic and grammatical rules. Know the functional and structural characteristics of verbal language.
• Non-verbal communication: it occurs without the use of words, but through diversified channels, such as facial mimicry, looks, gestures and postures. Discover the types of non-verbal communication.
• Paraverbal communication: ultimately refers to the voice. That is, to the tone, volume and rhythm. It also refers to pauses and other sound expressions such as clearing one's voice or, for example, playing with everything that happens within handheld.

In this article, you will see what the differences between verbal and non-verbal communication.

Interpersonal communication is a spiral process, with obvious characteristics of reciprocity, in which the information sent by a "sender" to a "receiver" produces reactions or answers. These then "come back" as new information to the first of the two interlocutors, therefore it is allowed to send new information. Thus, the main elements and characteristics of interpersonal communication are:

• The sender, or the source of transmission, is the person from whom the communication occurs. The issuer is characterized and depends on their culture, their own interests, their own language, the resources and instruments available to him, his past experience and his knowledge of the context and its interlocutors.
• The message it is represented by the contents and meanings that the sender wants to convey to the recipient.
• The channel it is the medium used to convey the message. For example, newspapers, radio, television, voice, etc.
• The code It is the set of conventional rules used to express the message. For example, the mother tongue, the hierarchical language used within a youth group, the alphabet for the deaf-mute or Braille for the blind,
• The receptor is the subject to whom the message is addressed. He or she is also characterized by their culture, their own language and their own experiences and instruments.
• Feedback represents the "return message" from the receiver to the sender. Allows you to verify that the message has reached its destination and has been understood.

Regarding the structure of the communicative process, there are communication disturbances also called "noises". These act on the elements of interpersonal communication and can interrupt this flow, causing a "bad" reception of the broadcast message. Communication disturbances can affect the following factors.

• Attitude: little interest in communication.
• Channel or code: a disturbed phone line, a different language, etc.
• Listens: poor listening by both the receiver and the sender.
• Context or culture: diversity of cultural values.
• Content and relationship: a message constructed too complex for the receiver.
• Verbal or non-verbal.
• Stereotypes.

Communication disturbances also occur when one of the actors involved in the process of communication realizes that the other does not respond, that is, does not give adequate feedback to their communication. When communicating, especially if you communicate in a personal and deep way, it is very important to receive adequate feedback. If this does not happen, the issuer can retract and stop communicating. In this article, we tell you how to maintain good interpersonal relationships.

Now that we have talked about the concept of interpersonal communication, we show you some examples of this type of communication:

• Phone call: talking on the phone is an example of interpersonal communication. Verbal and paraverbal communication are used.
• Meeting of friends: meeting friends is an act of interpersonal communication. There is an exchange of information through verbal, non-verbal and paraverbal communication.
• Exposing a project at work: formal meeting of people in which an exchange of information takes place. In this case, interpersonal communication is very important to convey what we want correctly. Discover the importance of assertive communication at work.
• Write an email or text message: when we write a text message it is about written communication. It is also an example of interpersonal communication because there is an exchange of information.
• Glancing game: when you come across someone you like or know on the street. In these situations there is usually an exchange of looks, gestures or words. In this case, non-verbal communication plays a very important role. In this article, you will find information about eye contact in psychology.

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.

If you want to read more articles similar to Interpersonal communication: what is it, types, characteristics and examples, we recommend that you enter our category of Social psychology.

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• PAQ (2013). Interpersonal communication. Retrieved from: qualitapa.gov.it/sitoarcheologico/relazioni-con-i-cittadini/comunicare-e-informare/comunicazione-interpersonale/index.html
• Zanon, R. (2010). Elementi di etica per operatori socio-sanitari. Santarcangelo di Romagna: Maggioli Editore.