ABSTRACT
All communication is ultimately communication between people, but not all communication is interpersonal, at least not in the sense in which the term is used in the discipline of communication. When used to designate intra-disciplinary boundaries, interpersonal communication refers to communication that takes place between individuals that at a minimum is (a) interactive, such that all parties are able to address each other and respond to one another; (b) individualized, such that communicators are aware of each other as unique individuals, rather than solely as occupants of social roles, such as sales clerk, teacher, police officer, or audience, for example; and (c) relational, such that communicators are in ongoing interpersonal relationships with one another that assume future interactions, such as dating, marriage, family, or work group relationship.
