ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the role of language in two major aspects of interpersonal relations—interpersonal judgments and persuasion. The factors that mediate the “communication game” include the processes considered in the “information transmission” literature: labeling or categorization, verbal comparison, perceptual comparison, attention, comprehension, retention, and “role-taking.” The factors and processes involved in information transmission are an important part of the “communication game.” It is well recognized that to be an effective communicator one should tailor one’s message to suit the characteristics of the recipient, and there is substantial evidence that communicators do, in fact, modify their message to suit the recipient. Communicators will also modify their message to suit the information needs of their recipient. An important variety of this latter type of role-taking occurs when people take the viewpoint of others in judging their own behavior.
