ABSTRACT
Communication is the process whereby people transmit information about their ideas, feelings, and intentions to one another. This chapter begins with an examination of language, moves on to nonverbal communication, and analyzes the impacts of communication and social relationships on each other. It considers the delicate coordination involved in people most common social activity—conversation. The chapter examines the nature of verbal, nonverbal, and computer-mediated communication (CMC). It also examines some outcomes of apparent consistency and inconsistency among channels. The chapter explains the basic components of spoken language and some of the advantages of language use. It discusses three models of communication: the encoder-decoder model, the intentionalist model, and the perspective-taking model. The chapter considers how each model views the communication process and discusses communication accuracy. It also discusses some of the rules and skills that are crucial for initiating conversations, regulating turn taking, and coordinating conversation through verbal and nonverbal feedback.
