Adolescent’s Interpersonal Communication
Dr Nooraida Yakob
29 October 2012
DEFINITION

Communication - the process of responding to
the information

Human’s communication – a process of
communication in order to share feelings /
information with others through the use of
verbal and non verbal language

Interpersonal communication - a specific form
of human’s communication in handling
relationships with other people

Interpersonal communication occur
spontaneously, transparent, nonjudgmental
and based on the similarities between
individuals with other individuals.

Example : if you are from the same place,
the communication becomes more personal
and the quality of your communication
become more intimate
Based Bebee (2005)

There are two views:
◦ Contextual view
 The number of people involved
 Have affinity/similarities between them
 Feedback are given and often is immediate
Developmental View

According to this view, communication
occurs when:
◦ Individuals involved have been known for a long
time
◦ Each individual is unique
◦ Example : Communication between a salesman is
not the same as communication between friends
or family
According to Martin Buber (2005)

Divided into three types of communication:
◦ Communication "I-It"
 Communication in our social life
 Usually exists between you and salesman, you and
waitress
 Usually, the relationship begins with this type of
communication.
 The closer the relationship is will lead to you the
second stage of "I-You"
According to Martin Buber (2005)
Communication "I-You"
Most of our communication is “I-YOU”
 Interactions that exist still weighed on the
social role
 Example : teacher-student relationship
 The relationship exists is still not close
- Example : ordinary partnership, coworkers and you-cousins.

According to Martin Buber (2005)
Communication "I-Thou"
 High-level of communication
 The communication exists is beyond the social role
and often affect the uniqueness of the individual
 Communication involves : trust and personal
matters lead to a close relationship
 Example : communication of lovers, parents and
children, siblings, close friends
Communication "I-Thou"

There are individuals who never achieve this
communication

There are several ways to achieve this type of
communication:
◦ Be a good listener
◦ Build a close relationship
◦ Resolve and avoid conflicts effectively
◦ The success of developing this type of
communication gives the individuals a satisfaction
in life
The Importance of Interpersonal Communication
1.
2.
3.
4.
Improving your communication skills
with family members
Build a close relationship with friends
and the one who you loved
Improved your relationship with your
colleagues
Increased your physical and emotional
health
The Importance of Interpersonal Communication

Request the information
◦ Based on the Social Penetration Theory – with the
information, the interaction between individuals will be
more effective
◦ As a result : you can expect what your friend’s thinks, do
and felt
◦ You can get the information in a passive way by
observation
◦ You can get information by actively engage in
communication
◦ Self-disclosure
The Importance of Interpersonal Communication

Build a context of understanding
◦ help us better understand what someone says in
a given context
◦ depending on how they are said or in what
context
◦ Two types:
 Content message - surface level meaning of a message"
 Relationship message – explained how the message was
said
 These two are sent simultaneously, but each affects the
meaning assigned to the communication.
The Importance of Interpersonal Communication

Establish your identity
◦ The roles we play in our relationships help us to
establish identity
◦ the public self-image we present to others

Interpersonal needs
◦ Express and receive interpersonal needs
◦ The needs are : Participation, control and
affection
The needs ….



Inclusion
◦ is the need to establish identity with others.
Control
◦ is the need to exercise leadership and prove one's
abilities. Groups provide outlets for this need. Some
individuals do not want to be a leader. For them,
groups provide the necessary control over aspects of
their lives.
Affection
◦ is the need to develop relationships with people.
Groups are an excellent way to make friends and
establish relationships.
Forms of Interpersonal Communication

Oral Communication
◦ Verbal
 Expression language - speech
 Receptive language – understanding/comprehending

Non-verbal communication
◦ Use facial expressions - eye-contact, your
drawing, writing, body movement, etc.
The Development of Self-concept
1. Interaction with other individual
- see yourself through the mirror
2. Joined yourself in the group
3. Expected role
4. Label yourself
- The label comes from personal reflection
5. Personality
The
development of Self-Esteem
◦ assessment of self-perceptions on the ability,
talent, skills and appearance
How to Increasing your self-esteem

Intrapersonal Communication

Your positive self-image

Avoid comparing yourself with others

Limit the events and experiences to the broader
aspects

Ability to focus on your vision

Get support from an appropriate individuals
Self-disclosure
The strategy used to share the information with
others
 With a view, the relationship becomes more
intimate/close
 By using “Johari window”
 Used to better understanding of their mental
instability

◦ http://kevan.org/johari
Johari Window (Joseph Luft & Harry Ingham, 1950’s
Not Known to self
Not Known to Others
Known to Others
Known to self

OPEN

BLIND

HIDDEN

UNKNOWN
A Johari window consists of the following 56 adjectives used as possible descript
In alphabetical order they are:
•intelligent
•able
•dependable
•introverted
•accepting •dignified
•kind
•adaptable •energetic
•Knowledge
•bold
•extroverted
able
•brave
•friendly
•logical
•calm
•giving
•loving
•caring
•happy
•mature
•cheerful •helpful
•modest
•clever
•idealistic
•nervous
•complex •independent
•observant
•confident •ingenious
•organized
•patient
•powerful
•proud
•quiet
•reflective
•relaxed
•religious
•responsive
•searching
•selfassertive
•selfconscious
•sensible
•sentimental
•shy
•silly
•smart
•spontaneous
•sympathetic
•tense
•trustworthy
•warm
•wise
•witty
Open:
Adjectives that are selected by both the
participant and his or her peers are placed
into the Open quadrant. This quadrant
represents traits of the subjects that both they
and their peers are aware of.
Hidden:
Adjectives selected only by subjects, but not by
any of their peers, are placed into the Hidden
Quadrant, representing information about them
their peers are unaware of. It is then up to the
subject to disclose this information or not.
Blind Spot:
Adjectives that are not selected by subjects but
only by their peers are placed into the Blind Spot
quadrant. These represent information that the
subject is not aware of, but others are, and they
can decide whether and how to inform the
individual about these "blind spots".
Unknown:
Adjectives that were not selected by either
subjects or their peers remain in the Unknown
quadrant, representing the participant's behaviors
or motives that were not recognized by anyone
participating. This may be because they do not
apply or because there is collective ignorance of
the existence of these traits.
1.
Open Area

Other people know about you.You also know
about yourself.

The more you know about yourself or other
people know about you, the greater the open
space this section

Example : your attitudes, feelings, emotions,
knowledge, experience, skills and insights
2. Blind Area
Others know about you, but you did not know
 This section is realized by you and you
unconsciously communicate it to others
 Information may be in the form of body language,
behavior, voice, style
 When you learn and begin to realize about yourself,
this section begins to diminish

3. Hidden Area

You know about you but other people did not
know about you

Information including feelings, opinions, prejudices,
and experience

You think about the facts, thoughts, feelings,
fantasies that you do not want others to know due
to your nature (shyness)

Keeping it as secrets
4. Unknown Area
This section is not known by you and others
 There are things you did not already know about
yourself
 Example “

◦ How to act when faced with the death of someone that
you loved . Other people do not know
Example : talents / abilities that you have
 Everybody has this area

The characteristic of self-disclosure





Occurred gradually
Occurred from the less personal information to
more personal
Have certain risk
Related to trust and honest
Potential to improve the quality of interpersonal
relationships
Relationship Development

Knapp’s Relationship Escalation Model
◦ There are five stages:
 Initiatian - short stage :-10-15 seconds. Eg. Greeting
 Experimenting - you ask questions to obtain more
information and make a decision whether to continue
the relationship or not
 Intensifying - self-disclosure occurred, the relationship
becomes more informal and are committed to that
relationship
Continued ....

Integrating - becomes close, work together,
and start to share the identity with partners

Bonding – you have the relationship however
only few of relationship ended at this level.
The Termination of Relationship
Knapp’s Relationship Termination Model
 There are five stages:

◦ Differentiating
 you start to use the word "I" instead of "we"
 Beginnings of self-reliance/autonomy
 Early signs to terminate the relationship
Continued ....

Circumscribing
◦ No further communication between you and your
partner
◦ Try to avoid discussion by changing the conversation
topic
◦ Other people did not notice this situation- only you
know about this
◦ Trying to discuss the relationship- did not want to
end the relationship
Continued ....

Stagnating
◦ Do not want to discuss the relationship anymore
because other people already know about the
broken relationship
◦ most of them know that there is no more
relationship
Continued ....

Avoiding
◦ Physically separate
◦ Try to reduce and avoid discussions and meetings

Termination
◦ Positive or negative depending on the situation
 Situation A-semester break : physically separate with
your roommate or
 Situation B – physically separate with your family
or
 Situation C – divorce ?
or
Group Communications (Small Group)

Mc Grath (1984) - a group formed by two /
more individuals who meet the following
features:
◦ Always communicate through a structured and
predictable way
◦ Shared the goals
◦ Identifying them as a part of a group and dependable to
each other
Continued ....

Occurs both verbally and non-verbally

Position, location – need an effective
communication system

Influence the members’ behaviour
THE END