Paper Summary:

Interpersonal communication is the communication that takes place between two persons who have an established relationship. This paper examines the different types of coummunication such as face-to-face and looks at how, with inventions such as the telephone, fax machine, Internet, email, and other technological mediums for communication, a lot of face-to-face communication has been minimized. It discusses how interpersonal communication functions for many purposes: to learn, influence, help, and more. It also looks at some of the different theories regarding interpersonal communication such as the uncertainty and reduction theory, the social exchange theory and politeness theory.

From the Paper:

"One motivation that underpins interpersonal communication is the acquisition of information with which to reduce uncertainty (Health and Bryant, 2000, p.153). The uncertainty and reduction theory presumes that high uncertainty prevents intimacy, and low uncertainty creates intimacy. Within an interpersonal interaction, people communicate to reduce the amount of uncertainty. During interpersonal communication, the reduction of uncertainty follows a pattern: the entry stage consists of general information about a person's sex, age, race, and/or social status, among other things. "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Baxter, L. A. (1988). A dialectical perspective on communication strategies in relationship. In S. Duck (Ed.). Handbook of Personal Realtionships, 257-273. New York: Wiley & Sons
• Byrne, D., & Nelson, D. (1965). Attraction as a linear function of proportion of positive reinforcements. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,1, 659-663.
• Devito, J. A. (2004). The Interpersonal Communication Book (10th ed.) 4, 257. Boston: Pearson, and Allyn & Bacon.
• Duffy, K. G., & Atwater, E. (2002). Psychology for Living: Adjustment, Growth, and Behavior Today (7th ed.) 176. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Heath, R. L. & Bryant, J. (2000). Human Communication Theory and Research, 153. Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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