What is it called when a communication takes place between two individuals?

Interpersonal Communication came to being when men began to exchange ideas and thoughts to one another. Interpersonal Communication is a kind of communication in which people communicate their feeling, ideas, emotions and information face to face to each other. It can be in verbal or non-verbal form. Interpersonal communication is not only about what is said and what is received but also about how it is said, how the body language used, and what was the facial expression.

In simple words the communication between two people is referred as Interpersonal communication. It is one of the basic means of communication. The Interpersonal communication skills can be improved by practice, Knowledge and feedback. The Interpersonal Communication takes place when two people are at same place and aware of each other’s presence, no matter how unintentional or unpremeditated it is. It may not be in the form of speech, it may be a gesture, an expression, the dress, or the body. The essential factor is there should be a message and it should be send by the sender and it should be received by the receiver.

There are certain elements involved in the process Interpersonal communication, they are as follows

The Communicators

The communicators refer to the sender and the receiver. The sender is the person who sends the message and receiver is the person who receives the message. For the occurrence of Interpersonal communication there should be at least two individuals, one to send the message and other to receive the message.

The Message

It is the idea conveyed through speech, facial expression, body language, tone of voice, gestures and other verbal and non-verbal means. The non-verbal means have the ability to bear additional information such as the persons attitude and interests.

Noise

Noise refers to any sort of distortion causes to the message while it is sent. The noise causes differences in what is received from what is sent. The background sound of a jet while talking is a kind of noise, the other kind of noise include the use of complicated jargon, inappropriate body language, inattention, disinterest, cultural differences, language difference etc…

Feedback

Feedback is the respond of the receiver, it comprises the message he sends back. Feedback enables the sender to know how accurately the message is being received and how it is being interpreted. The feedback includes respond for the intentional as well as unintentional message. The feedback can be even in the form of a gesture.

Context

How the message is being interpreted is mostly depend on the context he receives the message. The process of communication is influenced by the context it occurs. The emotional climate and expectations of the people, the place of occurrence, and social, political cultural and environmental conditions comprise context.

Channel

Channel is the means through which communication happen. The message is sent and received through the channel. It is also referred as the medium through which message transmitted. The speech and vision are the channels in a face to face communication whereas the cable or electromagnetic waves in a communication through telephone.

Example 1

Joe texts Rachel “I am throwing a party tonight, please come” when they were in class and Rachel replied texting “I am in”.

Here

Sender – Joe

Receiver – Rachel

Message – ‘I am throwing a party tonight’

Noise – All the barriers which occurred

Feedback – ‘I am in’

Context – Class, emotional situation of Joe and Rachel

Channel – Mobile phone.

Example 2

Sam was driving his car in 100 miles per hour, cop followed him, blows the siren but Sam was listening to music so he couldn’t hear. Then cop drove closer blows the siren, this time Sam listened and stopped his car.

Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages: it is face-to-face communication.

Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually said - the language used - but how it is said and the non-verbal messages sent through tone of voice, facial expressions, gestures and body language.

When two or more people are in the same place and are aware of each other's presence, then communication is taking place, no matter how subtle or unintentional.

Without speech, an observer may be using cues of posture, facial expression, and dress to form an impression of the other's role, emotional state, personality and/or intentions. Although no communication may be intended, people receive messages through such forms of non-verbal behaviour.

See our pages on Body Language and Non-Verbal Communication: Face and Voice for more.

Elements of Interpersonal Communication

Much research has been done to try to break down interpersonal communication into a number of elements in order that it can be more easily understood. Commonly these elements include:

The Communicators

For any communication to occur there must be at least two people involved. It is easy to think about communication involving a sender and a receiver of a message. However, the problem with this way of seeing a relationship is that it presents communication as a one-way process where one person sends the message and the other receives it. While one person is talking and another is listening, for example.

In fact communications are almost always complex, two-way processes, with people sending and receiving messages to and from each other simultaneously. In other words, communication is an interactive process. While one person is talking the other is listening - but while listening they are also sending feedback in the form of smiles, head nods etc.

The Message

Message not only means the speech used or information conveyed, but also the non-verbal messages exchanged such as facial expressions, tone of voice, gestures and body language. Non-verbal behaviour can convey additional information about the spoken message. In particular, it can reveal more about emotional attitudes which may underlie the content of speech.

See our page: Effective Speaking for more on how you can use your voice to full effect.

Noise

Noise has a special meaning in communication theory. It refers to anything that distorts the message, so that what is received is different from what is intended by the speaker. Whilst physical 'noise' (for example, background sounds or a low-flying jet plane) can interfere with communication, other factors are considered to be ‘noise’. The use of complicated jargon, inappropriate body language, inattention, disinterest, and cultural differences can be considered 'noise' in the context of interpersonal communication. In other words, any distortions or inconsistencies that occur during an attempt to communicate can be seen as noise.

Our page: Barriers to Effective Communication explains this in more detail.

Feedback

Feedback consists of messages the receiver returns, which allows the sender to know how accurately the message has been received, as well as the receiver's reaction. The receiver may also respond to the unintentional message as well as the intentional message. Types of feedback range from direct verbal statements, for example "Say that again, I don't understand", to subtle facial expressions or changes in posture that might indicate to the sender that the receiver feels uncomfortable with the message. Feedback allows the sender to regulate, adapt or repeat the message in order to improve communication.

Our pages: Giving and Receiving Feedback, Clarification and Reflecting describe common ways to offer feedback in communication, while our page: Active Listening describes the process of listening attentively.

Context

All communication is influenced by the context in which it takes place. However, apart from looking at the situational context of where the interaction takes place, for example in a room, office, or perhaps outdoors, the social context also needs to be considered, for example the roles, responsibilities and relative status of the participants. The emotional climate and participants' expectations of the interaction will also affect the communication.

Channel

The channel refers to the physical means by which the message is transferred from one person to another. In a face-to-face context the channels which are used are speech and vision, however during a telephone conversation the channel is limited to speech alone.

When you have the opportunity to observe some interpersonal communication, make a mental note of the behaviours used, both verbal and non-verbal.

Observe and think about the following factors:

• Who are the communicators?
• What messages were exchanged?
• What (if any) noise distorts the message?
• How is feedback given?
• What is the context of the communication?

You probably do this all the time, subconsciously, but when you actively observe interpersonal communication you can more fully appreciate its mechanics.

By observing others - making a conscious effort to understand how communication occurs - you will think about how you communicate and be more aware of the messages you send. This provides a perfect opportunity for you to develop your interpersonal communication skills.

Further Reading from Skills You Need

The Skills You Need Guide to Interpersonal Skills eBooks.

Develop your interpersonal skills with our series of eBooks. Learn about and improve your communication skills, tackle conflict resolution, mediate in difficult situations, and develop your emotional intelligence.

Uses of Interpersonal Communication

Most of us engage in some form of interpersonal communication on a regular basis, often many times a day, how well we communicate with others is a measure of our interpersonal skills.

What is communication between individuals?

When the communication takes place within the individual is called?