ABSTRACT
The resulting 60-item scale consisted of 4 items representing 15 interpersonal communication functions: caring, relaxation, companionship, habit, passing time, entertainment, social interaction, arousal, information, escape, self-learning, convenience, social norms, control, and emotional expression. Participants assess how much the Interpersonal Communication Motives scale reasons are like their own motives for engaging in interpersonal communication by responding to 28 items using a Likert-type scale that ranges from not at all to exactly. Conversational sensitivity was positively related to pleasure, affection, and relaxation motives. Furthermore, loneliness was found to be inversely related to the pleasure and affection motives. Correlations indicated that younger people communicate for pleasure, inclusion, control, and escape and older people communicate to show affection. Women were more inclined to communicate for pleasure, affection, inclusion, and relaxation than were men. Education was positively related to control and negatively related to the inclusion motive.
