ABSTRACT
Interpersonal communication is the most frequently used and, some would argue, the most important form of communication. This chapter looks at the unique characteristics that differentiate interpersonal, or dyadic, communication from other kind of interactions. It begins by looking at three of the dialectical tensions that partners must resolve in order to build healthy relationships: the expressive-protective, autonomy-togetherness, and novelty-predictability dialectics. It then goes on to discuss the importance of face in interpersonal interaction. Patterns that can damage relationships, including disconfirmations, rigid role relations, paradoxes, and spirals are described.
To understand how interpersonal relationships are built and how they fall apart, the chapter looks at Duck’s Filtering Theory, Altman and Taylor’s Social Penetration Model, and at Knapp’s Relational Stages. It also discusses some of the interpersonal skills that determine how successful relationships will be and how long they will last. These include relational maintenance strategies, effective use of self-disclosure, the management of interpersonal conflict, and the ability to offer constructive feedback. The chapter ends by looking at some of the effects of using electronic media to conduct interpersonal relationships including cyberstalking, cyberbullying, jealousy, and dependence. It also considers how the advent of companion robots is beginning to affect dyadic communication.
