Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication studies face-to-face and dyadic communication — how people exchange messages and manage relationships.

Scope

It covers relationship development, self-presentation, uncertainty and disclosure, nonverbal communication, and conflict.

Core questions

• How do people communicate in relationships?
• How do relationships form and develop through communication?
• How do people present themselves to others?
• How is uncertainty managed in interaction?

Key concepts

• Self-presentation
• Impression management
• Uncertainty reduction
• Self-disclosure
• Nonverbal communication
• Relational development

Key theories

The presentation of self

Goffman analysed everyday interaction as dramaturgical performance and impression management.

Uncertainty reduction

Berger and Calabrese theorized that initial interaction is driven by reducing uncertainty about others.

History

Interpersonal communication drew on Goffman's dramaturgy and developed theories such as uncertainty reduction (Berger & Calabrese), social penetration, and relational dialectics.

Debates

Is communication mainly strategic or relational?

Whether interpersonal communication is best modelled as goal-driven information exchange or as relationship maintenance.

Key figures

• Erving Goffman
• Charles Berger
• Richard Calabrese

Seminal works

• goffman-1959
• berger-calabrese-1975

Frequently asked questions

What is uncertainty reduction theory?

The theory that, in initial interactions, people are motivated to reduce uncertainty about others through communication.