"you" statements

Moralistic judgments where we imply the wrongness or badness of another person and the way they have behaved.

6 X 6 rule

A guide for text on visual aids. Generally present no more than six bullet points with no more than six words per bullet point on a slide. Only break this rule if you have a compelling reason.

abstract

Refers to words that relate to ideas or concepts that exist only in your mind and do not represent a tangible object.

abstraction ladder

A diagram that explains the process of abstraction.

academic sources

Peer-reviewed, published articles, journals, and sources

accent

Nonverbal communication that emphasizes a portion of a message or word rather than the message as a whole.

accidental communicatioin

When an individual sends messages to another person without realizing those messages are being sent.

Accusations

Hurtful assignments of fault or blame.

acquiescent responses

Involve crying, conceding, or apologizing.

acting with awareness

Purposefully focusing one’s attention on the activity or interaction in which one is engaged.

action models

A category of communication models that view communication as a one-directional transmission of information from a source or sender to some destination or receiver.

active

Strategy of asking around about, or investigating, another person to learn information about them.

active friendships

Type of stabilized friendship where there is a negotiated sense of mutual accessibility and availability for both parties in the friendship.

active verbal responses

Involve attacking the other, defending yourself, or asking for an explanation.

ad hominem

A logical fallacy of focusing judgment on the provider of a message rather than on the message itself.

advising statements

Hurtfully call for a course of action.

affect

“Any experience of feeling or emotion, ranging from suffering to elation, from the simplest to the most complex sensations of feeling, and from the most normal to the most pathological emotional reactions. Often described in terms of positive affect or negative affect, both mood and emotion are considered affective states.”

affect displays

Nonverbal cues that show feelings and emotions.

affectionless psychopathy

The inability to show affection or care about others.

affective

The level of persuasive impact consisting of feelings, attitudes, opinions, positions, and values.

affective orientation

An individual’s recognition of their own emotions and the emotions of others and reliance on these emotions during decision making processes.

affiliation

A connection or association with others.

agape

The love style that involves altruism, giving, caring, kindness, and other-centered love.

agentic friendships

Friendships marked by activity.

Agreeableness

degree to which someone engages in prosocial behaviors like altruism, cooperation, and compassion

alexithymia

A general deficit in emotional vocabulary—the ability to identify emotional feelings, differentiate emotional states from physical sensations, communicate feelings to others, and process emotion in a meaningful way.

ambiguous language

Language that has multiple meanings.

analyzing

This is helpful in gaining different alternatives and perspectives by offering an interpretation of the speaker’s message.

anecdote

a brief account or story of an interesting or humorous event.

anonymous CMC identity

People in CMC interactions can communicate in a manner where their actual identity is simply not known.

anticipation of future interaction

The belief that we will deal with someone again, thus boosting the need to reduce uncertainty.

anxious shyness

The fear associated with dealing with others face-to-face.

appreciative listening

The type of listening you engage in for pleasure or enjoyment.

appropriate communication

Communication featuring tactics and behaviors that most people would consider acceptable and ethical.

argument

A verbal exchange between two or more people who have differing opinions on a given subject or subjects.

argumentativeness

Communication trait that predisposes the individual in communication situations to advocate positions on controversial issues, and to attack verbally the positions which other people take on these issues.

ARPANET

The U.S. Department of Defense’s Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, which was the precursor to what is now known as the Internet.

Artifacts

Items with which we adorn our bodies with or carry with us.

assertiveness

The degree to which an individual can initiate, maintain, and terminate conversations, according to their interpersonal goals during interpersonal interactions.

asynchronous communication

A mediated form of communication in which the sender and receiver are not concurrently engaged in communication.

attending

The act of focusing on specific objects or stimuli in the world around you

attention

Factor of mindful practice that involves being aware of what’s happening internally and externally moment-to-moment.

attitude

Factor of mindful practice that involves being curious, open, and nonjudgmental.

attraction

Interest in another person and a desire to get to know them better.

attribution error

The tendency to explain another individual’s behavior in relation to the individual’s internal tendencies rather than an external factor.

authoritarianism

A form of social organization where individuals favor absolute obedience to an authority (or authorities) as opposed to individual freedom.

autonomy

An individual’s independence in their behaviors and thoughts within a marriage relationship.

avoidance

Conflict management style where an individual attempt to either prevent a conflict from occurring or leaves a conflict when initiated.

avoidance strategies

Used to evade communication that might threaten a relationship.

avoiding

The fourth stage of Coming Apart when a couple stays away from each other entirely, ceases communication, and considers moving out of the shared residence.

Balance strategies

Used to maintain equality in the relationship so that partners do not feel underbenefited or overbenefited.

behavioral

The level of persuasive impact consisting of actions and habits.

Behavioral CQ

The degree to which an individual behaves in a manner that is consistent with what they know about other cultures.

behavioral jealousy

The acts of observing, investigating, and reacting to fears and suspicions about relational threat.

belief

Assumptions and convictions held by an individual, group, or culture about the truth or existence of something.

bias

An attitude that is not objective or balanced, prejudiced, or the use of words that intentionally or unintentionally offend people or express an unfair attitude concerning a person’s race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or illness.

biased language

Language that shows preference in favor of or against a certain point-of-view, shows prejudice, or is demeaning to others.

bonding

The final stage of Coming Together when commitment is increased and announced to wider social networks.

boundary turbulence

Chaotic condition resulting when violations of explicit or implicit privacy rules are broken within a relationship.

breadth

Amount various topics discussed.

bullying

A form of repeated communication or behavior by an aggressive individual of greater power who targets an individual perceived as weaker for harm or discomfort.

buzz word

Informal word or jargon used among a particular group of people.

career strategizing

The process of creating a plan of action for one’s career path and trajectory.

catfishing

Deceptive activity perpetrated by Internet predators where they fabricate online identities on social networking sites to lure unsuspecting victims into an emotional/romantic relationship.

cause/effect pattern

A common organizational pattern which groups main points of a topic start with the cause(s), followed by the effect(s)

central route

From the Elaboration Likelihood Model, decision making or persuasion that relies on at least a fair amount of elaboration.

channel

The mode, means or media that transmits a message.

Charisma

An indicator of credibility, it is enough attractiveness or charm or gravitas to make others pay attention.

Chronemics

The meaning(s) of time and use of it to communicate.

chronological organizational pattern

An organizational patter that groups information based on time order or in a set chronology—first this occurred, then this, then this, then that

chunking

purposefully grouping information into an order the audience can logically follow

circumscribing

The second stage of Coming Apart, when partners strive to limit the number of interactions and amount of communication with each other.

Cisnormativity

A bias involving presumptions about gender assignment, such as the presumption of a gender binary, or expectations of conformity to gender roles even when transgender identities are otherwise acknowledged.

citation

A written or spoken description of the elements (e.g. author, date, title) that uniquely identify a resource

classical conditioning

The process by which a new stimulus is so repetitively and consistently associated with an original stimulus that it elicits the same responses as the original.

cliché

Idea or expression that has been so overused that it has lost its original meaning.

clincher

something memorable with which to conclude your speech

closed system

Information is behind a paywall or requires a subscription.

co-culture

Regional, economic, social, religious, ethnic, or other cultural groups that exerts influence in society.

co-present interactions

When people are physically occupying the same space while interacting with one another.

code-switching

Differences in language use based on the environment, who you are talking to, and the reason for communicating.

coercive power

The base of power that is an ability to punish an individual who does not comply with one’s influencing attempts.

cognitive

The level of persuasive impact consisting of thoughts and beliefs.

cognitive complexity

A characteristic of seeing the world from multiple and nuanced perspectives that is associated with communication effectiveness.

Cognitive CQ

The degree to which an individual has cultural knowledge.

cognitive dispositions

General patterns of mental processes that impact how people respond and react to the world around them.

cognitive dissonance

An unpleasant sensation of experiencing regretted or inconsistent beliefs, attitudes, or behaviors.

cognitive jealousy

Thoughts and worries that plague one who suspects a rival's threat to a relationship.

collective self-esteem

The aspect of an individual’s self-worth or self-image that stems from their interaction with others and evaluation of their various social groups.

collectivism

Characteristics of a culture that values cooperation and harmony and considers the needs of the group to be more important than the needs of the individual.

collegial

A type of relationship explicitly united in a common purpose and respect each other's abilities to work toward that purpose.

collegial peers

Type of coworker with whom we have moderate levels of trust, self-disclosure, and openness.

colloquialism

Informal expression used in casual conversation that is often specific to certain dialects or geographic regions of a country.

commemorative friendships

Type of stabilized friendship that reflects a specific space and time in our lives, but current interaction is minimal and primarily reflects a time when the two friends were highly involved in each other’s lives.

communal friendships

Friendships marked by intimacy, personal/emotional expressiveness, amount of self-disclosure, quality of self-disclosure, confiding, and emotional supportiveness.

communication

The process by which messages representing information, meaning, and emotion are sent and received between two or more people.

communication apprehension

The fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated communication with another person or persons.

communication competence

Communication that is both socially appropriate and personally effective.

communication dispositions

General patterns of communicative behavior.

communication ethics

Considering the consequences of your messages and whether you are treating others fairly and with the same respect that you deserve and desire.

communication motives

Reasons why we communicate with others.

communication needs

Shows us how communication fulfills our needs.

communicator style

the way one verbally, nonverbally, and paraverbally interacts to signal how literal meaning should be taken, filtered, or understood

comparison level (CL)

The minimum standard for satisfaction that a relational partner is willing to tolerate. 

comparison level of alternatives (CLalt)

The threshold for satisfaction in a relationship determined by available alternative arrangements.

Compassion

The sympathetic consciousness for someone who is suffering or unfortunate

compatible

Able to exist together harmoniously.

competence

An indicator of credibility, it is the characteristic of possessing knowledge about, or experience with, a topic.

competitive conversations

Conversations where parties are more concerned with their points of view than others within the conversation

complement

Nonverbal communication that reinforces verbal communication.

complementary

When people fulfill each other's needs by featuring differing characteristics.

compliance

When an individual accepts an influencer’s influence and alters their thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors.

comprehension listening

Listening for facts, information, or ideas that may be of use to you.

computer mediated communication

The use of some form of digital technology to facilitate interaction between two or more people.

Concealment

Deception that involves withholding, rather than fabricating, of information.

concept-orientation

Family communication pattern where freedom of expression is encouraged, and communication is frequent and family life is pleasurable.

conditioning

The act of associating things in perception to create particular desired outcomes.

conflict

An interactive process occurring when conscious beings (individuals or groups) have opposing or incompatible actions, beliefs, goals, ideas, motives, needs, objectives, obligations, resources, and/or values.

Connective statements

statements generally designed to help “connect” parts of your speech to make it easier for audience members to follow.

connotation

What a word suggests or implies; connotations give words their emotional impact.

connotative definitions

The emotions or associations a person makes when exposed to a symbol.

Conscientiousness

the degree to which an individual is aware of their actions and how their actions impact other people.

contact frequency

How often relational partners communicate with each other.

content level

Information that is communicated through the denotative and literal meanings of words.

Context-Situated Communication

The type of communication that may be accomplished as interpersonal, mass, public, and organizational but that takes place in specific and well-established areas or contexts, such as politics, health, sports, and gender.

contextual dialectics

Friendship dialectics that stem out of the cultural order where the friendship exists.

contradict

Nonverbal communication conveying the opposite meaning of verbal communication.

converge

Adapting your communication style to the speaker to be similar.

conversation

a dyadic communication interaction process where two people engage with one another in interaction that has multiple turns

Conversational narcissism

an extreme focusing of one’s interests and desires during an interpersonal interaction while completely ignoring the interests and desires of another person

conversations

Interpersonal interactions through which you share facts and information as well as your ideas, thoughts, and feelings with other people.

Cooperative conversations

Conversations which involve mutual interest in what all parties within the conversation have to contribute

cost escalations

A form of relational disengagement involving tactics designed to make the cost of maintaining the relationship higher than getting out of the relationship.

Credibility

A characteristic we assign to each other that determines whether we pay attention to, and believe, each other.

critical listening

To analyze what the person is saying based on known facts and evidence.

critical thinking

decision-making based on evaluating and critiquing information

cross-group friendship

Friendship that exists between two individuals who belong to two or more different cultural groups (e.g., ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, nationality, etc.).

cues filtered out perspective

The argument that mediated communication (CMC) is inherently impersonal.

cues to action

Inputs like media or friends that create awareness or concern about a potential threat, in the Health Belief Model.

cultural intelligence

The degree to which an individual can communicate competently in varying cultural situations.

culture

A group of people who through a process of learning can share perceptions of the world that influences their beliefs, values, norms, and rules, which eventually affect behavior.

culture as normative

The basic idea that one’s culture provides the rules, regulations, and norms that govern a culture and how people act with other members of that society.

cyberbullying

Intentional harm, inflicted through online and social media platforms, that is repeated over time.

deception

‘‘a deliberate act perpetuated by a sender to engender in a receiver beliefs contrary to what the sender believes is true.”4

denotation

The dictionary definition or descriptive meaning of a word.

denotative definitions

Definitions for words commonly found in dictionaries.

depersonalization

A form of relational disengagement where an individual stops all the interaction that is not task-focused or simply avoids the person.

depression

A psychological disorder characterized by varying degrees of disappointment, guilt, hopelessness, loneliness, sadness, self-doubt, all of which negatively impact a person’s general mental and physical wellbeing.

depth

How deep or intensely a topic is discussed.

describing

Being detailed focused on what is occurring while putting it into words.

deviance

Behavior that is unexpected or out of place and boosts the need to reduce uncertainty.

deviant workplace behavior

The voluntary behavior of organizational members that violates significant organizational norms and practices or threatens the wellbeing of the organization and its members.

dialectical tension

How individuals deal with struggles in their relationship.

dialectics

Opposing forces that create everyday experiences of feeling pushed and pulled at the same time.

differentiating

The first stage of coming apart when parties start to disengage with their identity as a couple in favor of their own.

direct strategies

Used to remind a partner of relationship objectives.

directive support

The factor of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational-leadership model that involves a leader overseeing the day-to-day tasks that a follower accomplishes.

Directives

Involve a negative order or  command.

disagreement

A difference of opinion between two or more people or groups of people.

discourse

Spoken or written discussion of a subject.

dismissing attachment

Attachment style posed by Kim Bartholomew and Leonard Horowitz describing individuals who see themselves as worthy of love, but generally believe that others will be deceptive and reject them in interpersonal relationships.

distributive conflict

A win-lose approach, whereby conflicting parties see their job as to win and make sure the other person or group loses.

diverge

Adapting your communication style to the speaker to be drastically different.

dogmatism

The inclination to believe one’s point-of-view as undeniably true based on insufficient premises and without consideration of evidence and the opinions of others.

domestic violence

The willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another.”29

dominant culture

The established language, religion, behavior, values, rituals, and social customs of a society.

dormant friendships

Type of stabilized friendship that “share either a valued history or a sufficient amount of sustained contact to anticipate or remain eligible for a resumption of the friendship at any time.”

Dunning-Kruger effect

The tendency of some people to inflate their expertise when they really have nothing to support that perception.

duration

The length in time of a relationship.

dynamism

An indicator of credibility, it is a large measure of enthusiasm and animation.

dysfluencies

Vocal fillers or sounds that we make to fill dead air while we are thinking of what to say next.

ease of opportunity

When romantic workplace relationships happen because work fosters an environment where people are close to one another.

effective communication

Communication that  achieves the goal(s) at least one party had for an interaction.

elaboration

The effortful and careful processing of information, alternatives, and possible outcomes, to make a decision.

emblems

Gestures that are are clear and unambiguous and have a verbal equivalent in a given culture.

emoticon

A series of characters and/or letters designed to help readers interpret a writer’s intended feelings and/or tone.

emotional awareness

An individual’s ability to clearly express, in words, what they are feeling and why.

emotional blackmail

Trying to influence someone’s behavior or persuade them to do something by making them feel guilty or exploiting their emotions.

emotional intelligence

The ability to recognize your own emotions and the emotions of others.

emotional jealousy

The affect dimension of jealousy that may carry feelings of  anxiety, discomfort, anger, fear, sadness, shame, and guilt.

emotional loneliness

Form of loneliness that occurs when an individual feels that he or she does not have an emotional connection with others.

emotional vampires

A colloquial term used to describe individuals with whom we interact that use more of our emotional resources when interacting with people, which often causes an increase in our levels of stress.

emotions

The physical reactions to stimuli in the outside environment.

empathic listening

Attempting to put yourself in another person’s shoes or to provide a supportive listening environment.

empathizing

This is used to show that you identify with the speaker’s information.

empathy

The ability to recognize and mutually experience another person’s attitudes, emotions, experiences, and thoughts.

environment

The context or situation where communication occurs.

equivocation

Use of a statement that could be interpreted as having more than one meaning, for the sake of obscuring the whole truth.

eros

The love style that emphasizes love and romance, physical beauty and attraction, emotional intensity, and strong commitment.

ethics

The judgmental attachment to whether something is good, right, or just.

ethnocentrism

The degree to which an individual views the world from their own culture’s perspective while evaluating different cultures according to their own culture’s preconceptions often accompanied by feelings of dislike, mistrust, or hate for cultures deemed inferior.

euphemism

Replacing blunt words with more polite words.

Evaluations

Messages that assess value or worth, which may be hurtful when delivering a negative assessment.

evaluative listening

Listening for a speaker’s main points and determining the strengths and weaknesses to formulate a rebuttal or present important points that may not have been covered.

excuse-making

Any time an individual attempts to shift the blame for an individual’s behavior from reasons more central to the individual to sources outside of their control in the attempt to make themselves look better and more in control.

expectancy violation theory

An understanding of what happens when an individual within an interpersonal interaction violates the norms for that interaction.

experimenting

The second stage of coming together when “small talk” happens and commonalities are discovered.

expert power

The base of power that is the ability to influence others because of one's knowledge.

explicitly previewing

clear and easy to follow statement of main points so that there is no question in your audience’s minds what they are.

expressive communication

Messages that are sent either verbally or nonverbally related to an individual’s emotions and feelings.

external locus of control

The belief that an individual’s behavior and circumstances exist because of forces outside the individual’s control.

extraversion

An individual’s likelihood to be talkative, dynamic, and outgoing.

eye gaze

The act of fixing your eyes on someone.

face

The standing or position a person has in the eyes of others.

Falsification

Deliberately presenting information that is untrue or fraudulent as factual.

family

Two or more people tied by marriage, blood, adoption, or choice; living together or apart by choice or circumstance; having interaction within family roles; creating and maintaining a common culture; being characterized by economic cooperation; deciding to have or not to have children, either own or adopted; having boundaries; and claiming mutual affection.

fearful attachment

Attachment style posed by Kim Bartholomew and Leonard Horowitz describing individuals who see themselves as unworthy of love and generally believe that others will react negatively through either deception or rejection.

Features

options within a channel/mode, what can be done in the mode.

feedback

The response to the message.

feelings

The responses to thoughts and interpretations given to emotions based on experiences, memory, expectations, and personality.

feminine

Cultures focused on having a good working relationship with one’s manager and coworkers, cooperating with people at work, and security (both job and familial).

followership

The act or condition under which an individual helps or supports a leader in the accomplishment of organizational goals.

formal language

Specific writing and spoken style that adheres to strict conventions of grammar that uses complex sentences, full words, and third-person pronouns.

gaslighting

Falsely leading another to doubt their own ability to perceive reality accurately.

gatekeeper

A "middleman" who passes along a message somewhere between the source and the receiver.

gender

The behaviors and traits society considers masculine and feminine.

general purpose

the overall goal of a presentation, usually limited to three categories: to inform, to persuade, or to entertain

genogram

A pictorial representation of a family across generations that can be used to track generations of family interactions, medical issues, psychological issues, relationship patterns, and any other variable a researcher or clinician may be interested in studying.

Gestures

Movements of the body, especially the arms and hands, that convey meaning.

goals

Expectations and hopes for relational functions and outcomes.

good will

An indicator of credibility, it is a desire to help another person, to leave them better off than you found them.

group

Three or more people interacting together to achieve a common goal.

haptics

The study of touch as a form of communication.

hearing

A passive activity where an individual perceives sound by detecting vibrations through an ear.

Hereonormativity

a bias whereby people assume that others are heterosexual

heuristic function

The use of language to explore and investigate the world, solve problems, and learn from your discoveries and experiences.

heuristics

Mental shortcuts for making decisions quickly and easily.

high-context cultures

Cultures that interpret meaning by relying more on nonverbal context or behavior than on verbal symbols in communication.

High-quality LMX relationships

relationships "characterized by greater input in decisions, mutual support, informal influence, trust, and greater negotiating latitude.”

hyperpersonal

CMC interactions that exceed those possible of traditional FtF interactions.

ideal-self

The version of yourself that you would like to be, which is created through our life experiences, cultural demands, and expectations of others.

idealism

An indicator of credibility, it is the quality of being unlike the targets of persuasion but in ways that they will admire and/or aspire to.

identification

When an individual accepts influence because they want to have a satisfying relationship with the influencer or influencing group.

ideology of traditionalism

Marriages that are marked by a more historically traditional, conservative perspective of marriage.

idiom

Expression or figure of speech whose meaning cannot be understood by looking at the individual words and interpreting them literally.

illustrators

Kinesics that emphasize or explain a word.

imaginative function

The use of language to play with ideas that do not exist in the real-world.

Imaginative functions

language which helps to create imaginary constructs and tell stories

importance to identity

The degree to which group membership is important to an individual.

impression formation

How we present ourselves to others through our online persona.

impression management

"The attempt to generate as favorable an impression of ourselves as possible, particularly through both verbal and nonverbal techniques of self-presentation."

incentive value

The belief that knowing someone will benefit us in some way, thus boosting the need to reduce incertainty.

independents

Marital definition where couples have a high level of interdependence, an unconventional ideology, and high levels of conflict engagement.

indigenous peoples

Populations that originated in a particular place rather than moved there.

indirect suggestions

Joking or hinting about more serious stages of a relationships such as marriage or having children.

individualism

Characteristics of a culture that values being self-reliant and self-motivated, believes in personal freedom and privacy, and celebrates personal achievement.

individuality

Aspect of Murray Bowen’s family system theory that emphasizes that there is a universal, biological life force that propels organisms toward separateness, uniqueness, and distinctiveness.

indulgence

Cultural orientation marked by immediate gratification for individual desires.

Infidelity

Behaviors of "cheating," being unfaithful to a committed spouse or other sexual partner.

inflection

Changes in vocal pitch.

influence

When an individual or group of people alters another person’s thinking, feelings, and/or behaviors through accidental, expressive, or rhetorical communication.

informal language

Specific writing and spoken style that is more colloquial or common in tone; contains simple, direct sentences; uses contractions and abbreviations; and allows for a more personal approach that includes emotional displays.

information peers

Type of coworker who we rely on for information about job tasks and the organization itself.

informational power

The base of power that is an ability to bring about a change in thought, feeling, and/or behavior through the provision of information.

informative statements

Reveal unwanted information.

initiating

The first stage of coming together when making contact and signaling interest are the goals.

instrumental function

The use of language as a means for meeting your needs, manipulating and controlling your environment, and expressing your feelings.

integrating

The fourth stage of coming together when deeper levels of expectations and commitment, perhaps including exclusivity, are reached.

integrative conflict

A win-win approach to conflict, whereby both parties attempt to come to a settled agreement that is mutually beneficial.

intensifying

The third stage of coming together when identity as a couple is established and knowledge about partners increases greatly.

intensity

The volume of your speech; how loudly or softly you express yourself.

intention

Factor of mindful practice that involves being aware of why you are doing something.

interaction model

Communication model that views the sender and the receiver as responsible for the effectiveness of the communication.

interaction models

A category of communication models that portray both the sender AND the receiver as responsible for the effectiveness of the communication they share.

interaction variability

The variety of interaction types experienced, and topics covered, with particular relational partners.

interactional dialectics

Friendship dialectics that help us understand how communicative behavior happens within friendships

interactional function

The use of language to help you form and maintain relationships.

interactive

Strategy of participating in interaction with another person to learn information about them.

interdependence

When individuals involved in a relationship characterize it as continuous and important.

internal locus of control

The belief that an individual can control their behavior and life circumstances.

Internal previews

Connective statements that let your audience know what is coming up next in the speech and what to expect with regard to the content of your speech.

Internal summaries

Connective statements which emphasize what has come before and remind the audience of what has been covered.

internalization

When an individual adopts influence and alters their thinking, feeling, and/or behaviors because doing so is intrinsically rewarding.

interpersonal communication

Communication between a small number of people that is the essence of relationships and often face-to-face and synchronous.

interpreting

Interpretation is the act of assigning meaning to a stimulus and then determining the worth of the object (evaluation).

intrapersonal

Something that exists or occurs within an individual’s self or mind.

intrapersonal communication

Communication phenomena that exist within or occurs because of an individual’s self or mind.

introversion

An individual’s likelihood to be quiet, shy, and more reserved

invulnerable responses

Range from ignoring the message to laughing.

jargon

The specialized or technical language particular to a specific profession, occupation, or group that is either meaningless or difficult for outsiders to understand.

jealousy

A set of "cognitive, emotional, and coping behaviors" in response to "a potential threat to, or an actual loss of a valued relationship due to a real or imagined rival for a partner's attention."12

Johari Window

A model that illustrates self-disclosure and the process by which you interact with other people.

Jokes

Hurtful messages that involve a prank or witticism.

kinesics

The study of how the body is used in communication and includes facial expressions, eye behaviors, posture, and gestures.

language

A system of human communication using a particular form of spoken or written words or other symbols.

language adaptation

The ability to alter one’s linguistic choices in a communicatively competent manner

language awareness

a person’s ability to be mindful and sensitive to all functions and forms of language.

lateral reading

Fact-checking source claims by reading other sites and resources.

launching stage

Period in a family life cycle when late adolescents leave the parental home and venture out into the world as young singles themselves.

leader-member exchange

Theory of leadership that explores how leaders enter into two-way relationships with followers through a series of exchange agreements enabling followers to grow or be held back.

legitimate power

The base of power that is the valid right to influence another person based on cultural or structural roles.

Lies

deceptive speech acts that result in the hurt of recipients.

linguistic determinism

The perspective that language influences thoughts.

linguistic relativity

The argument that the structure of a language influences its speakers' worldview or cognition, and thus individuals' languages determine or influence their perceptions of the world.

listening

A complex psychological process that can be defined as the process of physically hearing, interpreting that sound, and understanding the significance of it.

locus of control

An individual’s perceived control over their behavior and life circumstances.

loneliness

An individual’s emotional distress that results from a feeling of solitude or isolation from social relationships.

long-term orientation

Cultural orientation where individuals focus on the future and not the present or past.

looking glass self

The concept that recognizes our self-images are shaped by how others act around, and speak to, us as well as by what we inherently know about ourselves.

love style

A persistent attitude about how love is perceived and valued, practiced and experienced, that is usually stable but may change over time.

low-context cultures

Cultures that interpret meaning by placing a great deal of emphasis on the words someone uses.

low-quality LMX relationships

relationships “characterized by less support, more formal supervision, little or no involvement in decisions, and less trust and attention from the leader.”

ludic

The love style that features viewing of love as a game to be played according to rules that include acceptance of multiple partners, deception, and manipulation.

Machiavellianism

Personality trait posed by Richard Christie where cunningness and deceit are exalted as a means of attaining and maintaining power to accomplish specific, self-centered goals.

mania

The love style characterized by dependence, uncertainty, jealousy, and obsessive need for affirmation.

masculine

Cultures focused on items like earnings, recognition, advancement, and challenge.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Theory of motivation proposed by Abraham Maslow comprising a five-tier, hierarchical pyramid of needs: physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization.

mass communication

The process by which sources use mediated channels to address large, diverse audiences whose members are usually anonymous, dispersed in space and possibly, time.

matching hypothesis

A prediction that people are more likely to find themselves in romantic relationships with people who are perceived as similarly physically attractive.

Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis

Hypothesis posed by John Bowlby that predicts that infants who are denied maternal attachment will experience problematic outcomes later in life.

membership esteem

The degree to which an individual sees themself as a “good” member of a group.

message

The information, meaning, and/or emotion conveyed by verbal or nonverbal means, the content of a communication interaction.

message/bulletin boards

Online discussion sites where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages.

metacognitive CQ

The degree to which an individual is consciously aware of their intercultural interactions in a manner that helps them have more effective interpersonal experiences with people from differing cultures.

Metacommunication

communication about communication

metamessage

The meaning beyond the words themselves.

microculture

Cultural patterns of behavior influenced by cultural beliefs, values, norms, and rules based on a specific locality or within an organization.

mindful awareness

To be consciously aware of your physical presence, cognitive processes, and emotional state while engaged in an activity.

mindful communication

The process of interacting with others while engaging in mindful awareness and practice

mindful practice

The conscious development of skills such as greater ability to direct and sustain our attention, less reactivity, greater discernment and compassion, and enhanced capacity to disidentify from one’s concept of self.

model

A simplified representation (often graphic) of a system that highlights the crucial components and connections of concepts, which are used to help people understand an aspect of the real world.

modes

a synonym for communication channels, like text messaging, phone calls, video calls, and email are all unique channels

monotone

The quality of voice that features virtually no change in pitch and may be evaluated as droning and lifeless.

motivational CQ

The degree to which an individual desires to engage in intercultural interactions and can easily adapt to differing cultural environments.

narcissism

A psychological condition (or personality disorder) in which a person has a preoccupation with one’s self.

netiquette

The set of professional and social rules and norms that are considered acceptable and polite when interacting with another person(s) through mediated technologies.

Neuroticism

the degree to which an individual is vulnerable to anxiety, depression, and emotional instability.

noise

Anything that interferes with, hinders, or distorts a message.

Nonacademic information sources

Popular press information sources.

nonjudging of inner experience

Being consciously aware of one’s thoughts, feelings, and attitudes without judging them.

nonreactivity to inner experience

Taking a step back and evaluating things from a more logical, dispassionate perspective.

Nonverbal communication

Communication that is produced by some means other than words such as eye contact, body language, or vocal cues.

nonverbal immediacy

Physical and/or psychological closeness.

nonverbal vocalization

A type of paralanguage that consists of sounds, noises, and behaviors that are often accompanied by body language.

norms

Informal guidelines about what is acceptable or proper social behavior within a specific culture.

observing

Being aware of what is going on inside yourself and in the external environment.

oculesics

The study of how individuals communicate through eye behavior.

olfactics

The study of scent and communication.

One-way conversations

conversations where an individual is talking at the other person and not with the other person

open system

Open system describes information that is publicly available and accessible.

Openness

“openness to experience,” or the idea that some people are more welcoming of new things.

operant conditioning

The process by which a behavior is so repetitively and consistently associated with a positive or a negative consequence that its continued performance is encouraged or discouraged effectively.

organization

A social, structured collectivity in which activities are coordinated in order to achieve individual and collective goals

organizational communication

The interaction between members of an organization.

organizing

Organizing is making sense of the stimuli or assigning meaning to it.

ostracized

Excluded or removed from a group by others in that group.

outcomes

iohboihb

outline

a visual structure where you can compile information into a well-organized document

paralanguage

Voice characteristics and nonverbal vocalizations that communicate feelings, intentions, and meanings. In a speech, paralanguage involves things like inflection, stresses, volume, rate, pauses, rhythm, and creating variety.

paraphrase

To restate what another person said using different words.

passive

Strategy of observing another person to learn information about them.

patterns of organization

Common ways to organize a speech logically, these include chronological, spatial, topical, cause-effect, and problem-solution formats.

Perceived barriers

Anything a persuasive target feels will make the recommended behavior difficult or less likely to be performed, in the Health Belief Model.

Perceived benefits

Anything the persuasive target feels will make the recommended behavior easier or more likely to be performed, in the Health Belief Model.

Perceived severity

The degree to which a problem or threat is believed by a target of persuasion to be serious and bad, in the Health Belief Model.

Perceived susceptibility

The degree to which a a target of persuasion believes they are vulnerable to a problem or threat, in the Health Belief Model.

perception

The process of acquiring, interpreting, and organizing information that comes in through your five senses.

peripheral route

From the Elaboration Likelihood Model, decision making or persuasion that relies on very little elaboration.

personal function

The use of language to help you form your identity or sense of self.

personal responsibility

An individual’s willingness to be accountable for how they feel, think, and behave.

personal story

a story about yourself that is relevant to your topic

personality

The combination of traits or qualities such as behavior, emotional stability, and mental attributes that make a person unique.

Persuasion

The communicative process by which one person influences what another person thinks or believes, feels, or does.

physical attraction

The degree to which one person finds another person aesthetically pleasing.

physical bullying

Hitting, kicking, pulling hair, harming possessions, giving a “wedgie,” or a plethora of other acts of aggravation or violence.

pitch

The placement of your voice on the musical scale; the basis on which singing voices are classified as soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, or bass voices.

postmodern friendship

Friendship where the “participants co-construct the individual and dyadic realities within specific friendships. This co-construction involves negotiating and affirming (or not) identities and intersubjectively creating relational and personal realities through communication.”

Posture

The shape of our bodies when standing or sitting and varies from curved and slouched to erect and straight.

power

An indicator of credibility, it is the ability to reward or punish someone.

power distance

The degree to which those people and organizations with less power within a culture accept and expect that power is unequally distributed within their culture.

pragma

The love style that is practical, logical and rational, resulting sometimes in arranged relationships.

preoccupied attachment

Attachment style posed by Kim Bartholomew and Leonard Horowitz describing individuals who do not perceive themselves as worthy of love, but do generally see people as trustworthy and available for interpersonal relationships.

Preparation outlines

A written comprehensive outline that include all of the information in your speech. These are often full-sentences and include in-text citations and a reference page

presentation aids

a form of supporting materials, visual and/or auditory examples and tools used to help your intended audience better understand and remember the key ideas in your speech.

presenting the relationship to outsiders

Form of secret testing in which the partner publicly declares their relationship status to gauge a partner’s response.

Privacy boundaries

Symbolically placed borders between personal private information and details that are shared with others.

private collective esteem

The degree to which an individual positively evaluates their group.

problem-solution pattern

A common organizational pattern asking the audience to address a problem with a concrete course of action

procedural disagreements

Disagreements concerned with procedure, how a decision should be reached or how a policy should be implemented.

process

Something that is ongoing, dynamic, and changing with a purpose or towards some end

profession

An occupation that involves mastery of complex knowledge and skills through prolonged training, education, or practical experience.

professionalism

The aims and behaviors that demonstrate an individual’s level of competence expected by a professional within a given profession.

proxemics

The study of communication through the use and understanding of physical space.

pseudonymity CMC identity

Identity that someone takes on that is beyond themself in the creation of CMC messages.

public affairs and issue management

The communication employed as organizations as collectives interact with their publics such as citizens, consumers, government bodies, and the media.

public collective self-esteem

The degree to which nonmembers of a group evaluate a group and its members either positively or negatively.

public communication

A one-to-many mode of communicating that occurs when an individual addresses an entire audience in a public setting.

questions

Asked in a way that implies something negative.

racism

Bias against others on the basis of their race or ethnicity.

racist language

Language that demeans or insults people based on their race or ethnicity.

Rapport

Demonstrating care, concern, and interest in a partner. In a speech it is the relationship or connection you make with your audience.

real-life CMC identity

When our CMC identity and our FtF identities are congruent.

receiver

The individual who decodes the message and tries to understand the source of the message and the meaning they intended.

referent power

The base of power that is an ability to influence another person based on their desire to be associated with the persuader.

regulate

Nonverbal communication which controls the flow of conversation.

regulators

Gestures like head nods and eye contact that help initiate, coordinate, or terminate the flow of conversational turn taking.

regulatory function

The use of language to control behavior.

rejection sensitivity

The degree to which an individual expects to be rejected, readily perceives rejection when occurring, and experiences an intensely negative reaction to that rejection.

relational bullying

The manipulation of social relationships to inflict hurt upon another individual.

relational dialectics

A “dynamic knot of contradictions in personal relationships; an unceasing interplay between contrary or opposing tendencies”20 such as integration vs. separation, expression vs. privacy, and stability vs. change.

relational dispositions

General patterns of mental processes that impact how people view and organize themselves in relationships.

relationship

A connection or association between people that is marked by affiliation, attachment, and commitment.

relationship dialectic

Tensions in a relationship where individuals need to deal with integration vs. separation, expression vs. privacy, and stability vs. change.

relationship maintenance

The behaviors and strategies that enable the stabilization point between relationship initiation and potential relationship destruction.

relative language

Language that gains understanding by comparison.

repeat

Nonverbal communication that repeats verbal communication, but could stand alone.

representational function

The use of language to represent objects and ideas and to express your thoughts.

Research

the process of discovering new knowledge and investigating a topic from different points of view

responsiveness

The degree to which an individual considers other’s feelings, listens to what others have to say, and recognizes the needs of others during interpersonal interactions.

restraint

Cultural orientation marked by the belief that gratification should not be instantaneous and should be regulated by cultural rules and norms.

reward power

The base of power that is an ability to offer an individual rewards for complying with one’s influencing attempts.

rhetoric

the practice, art, and study of using communication, particularly public address, to convince and persuade.

rhetorical communication

Purposefully creating and sending messages to another person in the hopes of altering another person’s thinking, feelings, and/or behaviors.

rhetorical question

a question to which no actual reply is expected.

rhythm

Variation in the flow of your voice created by differences in the pitch, intensity, tempo, and length of word syllables.

richness

The potential information carrying capacity of data.

right-wing authoritarians

Individuals who believe in submitting themselves to established, legitimate authorities; strict adherence to social and cultural norms; and the need to punish those who do not submit to authorities or who violate social and cultural norms.

romantic relationship

A union that features any or all of: affection, caregiving, shared relational identity, and intimacy in the form of emotional, intellectual, physical or sexual closeness.

romantic relationships

Romantic relationships involve a bond of affection with a specific partner that researchers believe involves several psychological features: a desire for emotional closeness and union with the partner, caregiving, emotional dependency on the relationship and the partner, a separation anxiety when the other person is not there, and a willingness to sacrifice for the other love.

romantic workplace relationship

When two employees have acknowledged their mutual attraction to one another and have physically acted upon their romantic feelings in the form of a dating or otherwise intimate association.

rules

Explicit guidelines (generally written down) that govern acceptable or proper social behavior within a specific culture.

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

A theory that suggests that language impacts perceptions. Language is ascertained by the perceived reality of a culture.

secret tests

Indirect strategies individuals use to assess the state of their relationship.

secure attachment

Attachment style posed by Kim Bartholomew and Leonard Horowitz describing individuals who believe that they are loveable and expect that others will generally behave in accepting and responsive ways within interpersonal interactions.

selective perception

Due to our limited cognitive abilities we are always focusing on a particular things and ignoring other things

Self-Compassion

Being touched by the suffering of others, opening one’s awareness to others’ pain and not avoiding or disconnecting from it, so that feelings of kindness toward others and the desire to alleviate their suffering emerge.

Self-compassion

Being touched by and open to one’s own suffering, not avoiding or disconnecting from it, generating the desire to alleviate one’s suffering and to heal oneself with kindness. Self-compassion also involves offering nonjudgmental understanding to one’s pain, inadequacies and failures, so that one’s experience is seen as part of the larger human experience.

self-concept

An individual’s relatively stable mental picture of him or herself.

self-conscious shyness

Feeling conspicuous or socially exposed when dealing with others face-to-face.

self-disclosure

The process of sharing information with another person.

self-esteem

An individual’s subjective evaluation of their abilities and limitations.

self-image

The view an individual has of themself.

Self-kindness

Extending the same level of care and understanding to ourselves as we would to others

self-monitoring

The ability to focus on and recognize your own behavior, including communication.

self-worth

The degree to which you see yourself as a good person who deserves to be valued and respected.

semantic rules

the dictionary definition of the word

sender

The person who decides to communicate, identifies the intent of the message (entertain, inform, distract), and constructs its content.

separates

Marital definition where couples have low interdependence, conventional ideology, and low levels of conflict engagement.

sex

A person's biological status as male or female, as determined by chromosomes and secondary sex characteristics.

sexism

Bias of others based on their biological sex.

sexist language

Language that excludes individuals on the basis of gender or shows a bias toward or against people due to their gender.

sharing

The process of revealing and disclosing information about oneself to another.

short messaging service (SMS)

Communication technology allowing for the exchange of short alphanumeric messages between digital and mobile devices found in phones, the Web, or in mobile communication systems (commonly referred to as “text messaging”).

short-term orientation

Cultural orientation where individuals focus on the past or present and not in the future.

shyness

Discomfort when an individual is interacting with another person(s) in a social situation.

sibling hostility

Characteristic of sibiling relationships where sibling behaviors as causing trouble, getting into fights, teasing/name-calling, taking things without permission, etc.

sibling warmth

Characteristic of sibiling relationships where sibling behaviors such as sharing secrets, helping each other, teaching each other, showing physical affection, sharing possessions, etc.

signifier

something that represents or signifies something else (e.g., the word 'dog')

Signposts

connective statements that emphasize the physical movement through the speech content and let the audience know exactly where they are. Signposting can be as simple as “First,” “Next,” “Lastly” or using numbers such as “First,” “Second,” Third,” and “Fourth.”

silent listening

This occurs when you say nothing and is appropriate for certain situations.

similarity

An indicator of credibility or romantic potential, it is the sharing of qualities so as to be like another person.

 

 

similarity thesis

The idea that we tend to form relationships with others who are like us due to validation, predictability, and affiliation.

slang

The nonstandard language of a particular culture or subculture.

small group communication

Any interaction that involves at least three people interacting towards a common goal.

social attraction

The degree to which an individual is seen as entertaining, intriguing, and/or fun to be around.

Social Identity Theory

Explains how individuals develop their self-concept from social group membership.

social loneliness

Form of loneliness that occurs from a lack of a satisfying social network.

social penetration theory

Theory originally created by Altman and Taylor to explain how individuals gradually become more intimate as individuals self-disclose more and those self-disclosures become more intimate (deep).

social presence

The degree to which we, as individuals, perceive another as a real person and any interaction between the two of us as a relationship.

social support

The perception and actuality that an individual receives assistance, care, and help from those people within their life.

social-personal dispositions

General patterns of mental processes that impact how people socially relate to others or view themselves.

socio-orientation

Family communication pattern where similarity is valued over individuality and self-expression, and harmony is preferred over expression of opinion.

sociocommunicative orientation

The degree to which an individual communicates using responsive or assertive communication techniques.

source

The person who decides to communicate, identifies the intent of the message (entertain, inform, distract), and constructs its content.

spatial pattern

A common organizational pattern which moves thorough the thought process based one movement in space or direction

speaking outline

a keyword outline used to deliver a speech – often extemporaneous

special peer

Type of coworker relationship marked by high levels of trust and self-disclosure; like a “best friend” in the workplace.

specific purpose statement

builds on your general purpose (such as to inform) and makes it more specific (as the name suggests)

spin

The manipulation of language to achieve the most positive interpretation of words, to gain political advantage, or to deceive others.

stagnating

The third stage of Coming Apart when the relationship has stopped improving or growing and emotional inertia blocks hopes for reconciliation.

state-of-the-relationship talk

A form of relational disengagement where an individual explains to a coworker that a workplace friendship is ending.

statements of desire

Harmfully express an individual preference.

static evaluation

Language shows that people and things change.

stereotype

A set of beliefs about the personal attributes of a social group.

storge

The love style that resembles, or develops slowly out of, friendship where stability and psychological closeness are valued more than passion.

substantive disagreement

A disagreement that people have about a specific topic or issue.

substitute

Nonverbal communication that has a direct verbal translation.

support

Any message or behavior that conveys caring or comfort to another person so as to improve their condition.

supportive leadership behavior

The factor of Hersey and Blanchard’s situational-leadership model that occurs when a leader is focused on providing relational support for their followers

symbol

A mark, object, or sign that represents something else by association, resemblance, or convention

synchronous

A mediated form of communication in which the sender and receiver are concurrently engaged in communication.

system

Sets of elements standing in interrelation.

task attraction

The perception that another possesses specific knowledge, skills, and/or contacts that may help with accomplishing specific goals.

temperament

The genetic predisposition that causes an individual to behave, react, and think in a specific manner.

tempo

The rate of your speech; how slowly or quickly you talk.

temporal regularity

The degree to which a couple sticks to a consistent schedule in their day-to-day lives.

terminating

The fifth and final stage of Coming Apart, and tenth overall, when the parties end the relationship, gradually or suddenly, and make arrangements for life after the "break-up."

the hookup

When romantic workplace relationships occur because individuals want to engage in casual sex without any romantic entanglements.

thesis

a succinct, single-sentence, description of the main idea for the presentation. Thesis are often based on and very similar to the specific purpose for the presentation.

third-culture

When a couple negotiates their cultural background with the cultural background of their partner essentially creating a third-culture or hybrid culture between the two.

Threats

Messages that indicate a desire or the potential to inflict physical or psychological harm.

timbre

(pronounced “TAM-ber”) The overall quality and tone, which is often called the “color” of your voice; the primary vocal quality that makes your voice either pleasant or disturbing to listen to.

time

When romantic workplace relationships occur because people put in a great deal of time at work, so they are around and interact with potential romantic partners a great deal of the average workday.

togetherness

Aspect of Murray Bowen’s family system theory that emphasizes the complementary, universal, biological life force that propels organisms toward relationship, attachment, and connectedness.

tolerance for disagreement

The degree to which an individual can openly discuss differing opinions without feeling personally attacked or confronted.

topical organizational pattern

A common organizational pattern that groups information logically into naturally divides such as “types of,” “kinds of,” “sorts of,” or “categories of.”

traditionals

Marital definition where couples are highly interdependent, conventional ideology, and high levels of conflict engagement

transaction models

A category of communication models that demonstrate how individuals often act as both sender and receiver simultaneously.

Transitions

Connective statements that bridge between seemingly disconnected (but related) material, most commonly between your main points.

trustworthiness

An indicator of credibility, it is the quality of others having faith in a person who is honest, consistent, and reliable.

Two-way conversations

conversations where there is mutual involvement and interaction between conversation partners

Uncertainty

An uncomfortable state of not knowing much or enough about something or someone.

uncertainty avoidance

The extent to which cultures as a whole are fearful of ambiguous and unknown situations.

uncertainty reduction theory

The tendency of human beings to eliminate unknown elements of individuals whom they have just met. Individuals wish to predict what another person thinks and how another person behaves. Strategies for reducing uncertainty include passive, active, and interactive.

undifferentiated space

The degree to which spouses do not see her/his/their ownership of personal belongings as much as they do ownership as a couple.

uses and gratifications theory

Theoretical explaination for why people use the types of mass media they do.

values

Important and lasting principles or standards held by a culture about desirable and appropriate courses of action or outcomes.

variety

Efforts to vary the stress, tone, rate, etc. of a speech to avoid sounding monotonous and repetitious.

verbal aggression

The tendency to attack the self-concept of individuals instead of, or in addition to, their positions on topics of communication.

verbal bullying

Threats, degrading comments, teasing, name-calling, putdowns or sarcastic comments.

verbal surrogates

The sounds humans make as they attempt to fill dead air while they are thinking of what to say next (e.g., uhh, umm).

versatility

The degree to which an individual can utilize both responsiveness and assertiveness that is appropriate and effective during various communication contexts and interpersonal interactions.

vocabulary

All the words understood by a person or group of people.

vocalics

Vocal utterances or characteristics, other than words, such as pitch, tempo, and volume, that serve as forms of communication.

Volume

How loudly or softly an individual speaks.

willingness to communicate

An individual’s tendency to initiate communicative interactions with other people.

workplace bullying behaviors

Workplace bullying involves isolation and exclusion, intimidation and threats, verbal threats, damaging professional identity, limiting career opportunities, obstructing work or making work-life difficult, and denial of due process and natural justice.

workplace socialization

The process by which new organizational members learn the rules (e.g., explicit policies, explicit procedures, etc.), norms (e.g., when you go on break, how to act at work, who to eat with, who not to eat with), and culture (e.g., innovation, risk-taking, team orientation, competitiveness) of an organization.

License

Icon for the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License

Connecting and Relating: Why Interpersonal Communication Matters Copyright © by Cameron W. Piercy; Michael Robert Dennis; and Maura D. Corder is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

Share This Book