Now in a new edition, Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication provides a comprehensive and engaging introduction to communication in interpersonal relationships. Based on an extensive body of scholarship, interplay cites more than 1,000 sources--30% of which are new to the ninth edition--and provides a variety of thought-provoking photos, sidebars, and cartoons that illustrate key points in the text and connect them to everyday life and popular culture.
The ninth edition is updated and revised throughout to help make material more clear and useful to students. It provides new information on how people manage their identities on the Internet, how people interpret language in everyday situations, reasons for defensiveness, the role of physical appearance in relational communication, and how technology and gender affect different types of interaction. In addition, the text expands coverage of emotional expression, and extends its balance treatment of gender influences, self-disclosure, and methods of managing privacy in personal relationships.
FEATURES OF THE NINTH EDITION
New-Part IV: Contexts of Interpersonal Communication focuses on some of the most important circumstances that surround human interaction. Dedicated chapters focus on culture (Chapter 12), and work and family (all-new Chapter 13). Each chapter provides context-specific guidelines for communicating effectively.
New-Self-Assessment Instruments in each chapter allow students to analyze their current communication behavior and its consequences. The behaviors discussed include listening styles, expressing emotions, self-disclosure, and ways to handle aggression.
Updated-Film Clips at the end of each chapter profile recent feature films-including About a Boy (intimacy and self-disclosure), Ghost World (defensiveness), and Life as a House (the role of touch in relationships)-that illustrate communication concepts from the text.
Updated-Focus on Research sidebars highlight scholarship that students will find interesting and useful. New profiles address a diverse array of topics, such as the many interpretations of "flaming" in e-mail messages and expressions of intimacy between fathers and sons.
Updated-The Interplay website: www.oup.com/us/highered/interplay features a wealth of resources on theories, concepts, and skills addressed in the text. The website includes a section titled "Now Playing" that contains reviews of recent films that illustrate communication concepts covered in the text. Other ancillaries include an updated and expanded instructor's manual and a computerized test bank.
Interplay: The Process of Interpersonal Communication, 9/e is ideal for freshman and sophomore courses in communication, speech communication, and interpersonal communication.
Each chapter ends with a Summary and Activities.
PART ONE: FOUNDATIONS OF INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION
CHAPTER ONE
Interpersonal Process
Why We Communicate
Physical Needs
Identity Needs
Social Needs
Practical Needs
The Communication Process
A Model of Communication
Insights from the Communication Model
Communication Principles
Communication Misconceptions
Interpersonal Communication Defined
Quantitative and Qualitative Definitions
Personal and Impersonal Communication: A Matter of Balance
Interpersonal Communication and Technology
Communication Competence
Communication Competence Defined
Characteristics of Competent Communication
CHAPTER TWO
Culture and Communication
Fundamental Concepts
Culture and Co-Culture
Intercultural Communication
Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication
Cultural Values and Norms
High- versus Low-Context
Individualism versus Collectivism
Power Distance
Uncertainty Avoidance
Achievement versus Nurturing
Codes and Culture
Verbal Codes
Nonverbal Codes
Decoding Messages
Developing Intercultural Communication Competence
Motivation and Attitude
Tolerance for Ambiguity
Open-mindedness
Knowledge and Skill
CHAPTER THREE
Communication and the Self
Communication and the Self-Concept
How the Self-Concept Develops
Characteristics of the Self-Concept
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy and Communication
Changing Your Self-Concept
Presenting the Self: Communication as Identity Management
Public and Private Selves
Characteristics of Identity Management
Why Manage Impressions?
How Do We Manage Impressions?
Identity Management and Honesty
CHAPTER FOUR
Perceiving Others
The Perception Process
Reality Is Constructed
Steps in the Perception Process
Influences on Perception
Physiological Influences
Psychological Influences
Social Influences
Cultural Influences
Common Tendencies in Perception
We Make Snap Judgments
We Cling to First Impressions
We Judge Ourselves More Charitably Than We Do Others
We Are Influenced by Our Expectations
We Are Influenced by the Obvious
We Assume Others Are Like Us
Synchronizing Our Perceptions
Perception Checking
Building Empathy
PART TWO: CREATING AND RESPONDING TO MESSAGES
Language Is Subjective
Language and Worldview
The Impact of Language
Naming and Identity
Credibility and Status
CHAPTER FIVE
Language
The Nature of Language
Language Is Symbolic
Language Is Rule-Governed
Affiliation, Attraction, and Interest
Power
Sexism and Racism
Uses (and Abuses) of Language
Precision and Vagueness
The Language of Responsibility
Disruptive Language
Gender and Language
Extent of Gender Differences
Accounting for Gender Differences
CHAPTER SIX
Nonverbal Communication
Nonverbal Communication Defined
Characteristics of Nonverbal Communication
All Behavior Has Communicative Value
Nonverbal Communication Is Primarily Relational
Nonverbal Communication Is Ambiguous
Nonverbal Communication Is Influenced by Culture
Functions of Nonverbal Communication
Creating and Maintaining Relationships
Regulating Interaction
Influencing Others
Concealing/Deceiving
Managing Identity
Types of Nonverbal Communication
Face and Eyes
Body Movement
Touch
Voice
Proxemics
Territoriality
Time
Physical Attractiveness
Clothing
Physical Environment
CHAPTER SEVEN
Listening: Understanding and Supporting Others
The Nature of Listening
The Importance of Listening
Listening Defined
Reasons for Listening
The Challenge of Listening
Listening Is Not Easy
All Listeners Do Not Receive the Same Message
Poor Listening Habits
Components of Listening
Hearing
Attending
Understanding
Remembering
Responding
Types of Listening Responses
Silent Listening
Questioning
Paraphrasing
Empathizing
Supporting
Analyzing
Evaluating
Advising
Which Style to Use?
CHAPTER EIGHT
Emotions
What Are Emotions?
Physiological Changes
Nonverbal Reactions
Cognitive Interpretations
Verbal Expression
Influences on Emotional Expression
Personality
Culture
Biological Sex and Gender
Social Conventions
Social Roles
Fear of Self-Disclosure
Emotional Contagion
Guidelines for Expressing Emotions
Recognize Your Feelings
Choose the Best Language
Share Multiple Feelings
Recognize the Difference between Feeling and Acting
Accept Responsibility for Your Feelings
Choose the Best Time and Place to Express Your Feelings
Managing Difficult Emotions
Facilitative and Debilitative Emotions
Thoughts Cause Feelings
Irrational Thinking and Debilitative Emotions
Minimizing Debilitative Emotions
PART THREE: DIMENSIONS OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
CHAPTER NINE
Dynamics of Interpersonal Relationships
Why We Form Relationships
Appearance
Similarity
Complementarity
Rewards
Competency
Proximity
Disclosure
Communication and Relational Dynamics
Developmental Models of Interpersonal Relationships
Communication and Relational Maintenance
Dialectical Perspectives on Relational Dynamics
Communicating about Relationships
Compliance-Gaining in Interpersonal Relationships
Types of Compliance-Gaining Strategies
Which Strategy to Choose?
CHAPTER TEN
Intimacy and Distance in Relationships
Intimacy and Distance: Striking a Balance
Dimensions of Intimacy
Dimensions of Distance
The Dialectics of Intimacy and Distance
Influences on Intimacy and Distance
Male and Female Intimacy Styles
Cultural Influences on Intimacy
Self-Disclosure in Relationships
A Definition of Self-Disclosure
Degrees of Self-Disclosure
A Model of Self-Disclosure
Risks and Benefits of Self-Disclosure
Alternatives to Self-Disclosure
Silence
Lying
Equivocation
Hinting
The Ethics of Evasion
Guidelines for Self-Disclosure
Is the Other Person Important to You?
Is the Risk of Disclosing Reasonable?
Is the Self-Disclosure Appropriate?
Is the Disclosure Relevant to the Situation at Hand?
Is the Disclosure Reciprocated?
Will the Effect Be Constructive?
Is the Self-Disclosure Clear and Understandable?
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Communication Climate
What Is Communication Climate?
How Communication Climates Develop
Levels of Message Confirmation
Defensiveness
Assertiveness
Climate Patterns
Creating Positive Climates
Evaluation versus Description
Control versus Problem Orientation
Strategy versus Spontaneity
Neutrality versus Empathy
Superiority versus Equality
Certainty versus Provisionalism
Transforming Negative Climates
Seek More Information
Agree with the Critic
CHAPTER TWELVE
Managing Conflict
What Is Conflict?
Expressed Struggle
Perceived Incompatible Goals
Perceived Scarce Rewards
Interdependence
Inevitability
Functional and Dysfunctional Conflicts
Integration versus Polarization
Cooperation versus Opposition
Confirmation versus Disconfirmation
Agreement versus Coercion
De-Escalation versus Escalation
Focusing versus Drifting
Foresight versus Shortsightedness
Positive versus Negative Results
Conflict Styles
Avoidance (Lose-Lose)
Accommodation (Lose-Win)
Competition (Win-Lose)
Compromise (Negotiated Lose-Lose)
Collaboration (Win-Win)
Which Style to Use?
Conflict in Relational Systems
Complementary, Symmetrical, and Parallel Styles
Intimate and Aggressive Styles
Conflict Rituals
Variables in Conflict Styles
Gender
Culture
Conflict Management in Practice
APPENDIXES
APPENDIX ONE
Communication in Families
Types of Family Communication
Spouses/Partners
Parent-Child
Siblings
Elements of Family Communication
Families as Communication Systems
Roles
Family Narratives
Models for Other Relationships
Communication Rules
Effective Communication in Families
Strive for Closeness While Respecting Boundaries
Strive for a Moderate Level of Adaptability
Encourage Confirming Messages
Deal Constructively with Conflict
Summary
APPENDIX TWO
Interpersonal Communication at Work
Communicating in Organizations
Formal and Informal Relationships
Face-to-Face and Mediated Relationships
Personal Relationships
Giving Praise
Offering Constructive Feedback
Relationships in Work Groups
Personal Skills in Work Groups
Group Cultures
Leadership, Power, and Influence in Working Groups
Interviewing
Before the Interview
During the Interview
After the Interview
Summary
Glossary
References
Credits
Name Index
Subject Index