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The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in Pursuing Personal Goals

The document discusses how interpersonal communication is used to pursue personal goals. It defines interpersonal communication as the exchange of symbols between people, at least partly to achieve interpersonal goals. The key assumptions of interpersonal communication are that it requires exchange between developing people using symbols strategically and competently while considering how it affects others. Goals indicate what people seek to accomplish and come in varying degrees of clarity, challenge, immediacy and types like self-presentation, relational, and instrumental goals. Plans detail how interactants may achieve their goals.

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Yumi Kazumi
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21 views10 pages

The Importance of Interpersonal Communication in Pursuing Personal Goals

The document discusses how interpersonal communication is used to pursue personal goals. It defines interpersonal communication as the exchange of symbols between people, at least partly to achieve interpersonal goals. The key assumptions of interpersonal communication are that it requires exchange between developing people using symbols strategically and competently while considering how it affects others. Goals indicate what people seek to accomplish and come in varying degrees of clarity, challenge, immediacy and types like self-presentation, relational, and instrumental goals. Plans detail how interactants may achieve their goals.

Uploaded by

Yumi Kazumi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPS, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Chapter 1:

The Importance of Interpersonal


Communication in Pursuing
Personal Goals
A Goals Approach

We use interpersonal
communication to pursue our
personal goals.

Interpersonal communication
is a critical part of achieving
our goals.

Goals indicate what we


generally seek to accomplish
in our daily lives.
Defining Interpersonal
Communication

Interpersonal Communication
the exchange of symbols
used, at least in part, to
achieve interpersonal goals.
(This is based on six
assumptions.)

Point: Goals are the driving


force underlying interpersonal
communication.
Assumptions of Interpersonal
Communication

Assumption 1: Interpersonal Communication


requires an exchange between people.

Assumption 2: Interpersonal Communication


occurs between people who are themselves
developing (changing.)

Assumption 3: Interpersonal Communication


involves the use of symbols.

Symbols include verbal and nonverbal


representations of ideas, emotions, or
events. Meaning are in people.
Assumptions Continued

Assumption 4: Interpersonal Communication


is strategic.

Assumption 5: Communicators must be


competent in order to achieve their goals.
Competence means being both appropriate
and effective.

Assumptions 6: People should consider how


their communication affects others. Ethics are
a part of interpersonal communication.

Ethics the use of principles to guide


action.
Defining Goal/s

Goal a state you want to


achieve. Goals have both
cognitive and emotional
elements; they combine thoughts
and feelings.

People who share interpersonal


goals are interdependent.
The Nature of Goals

1. Goals vary in their degree of abstractness;


general to specific.

2. Goals differ in clarity.

Goals vary in their degree of challenge.


Self-efficacy the achievement (attainment)
of a goal.

4. People often engage in multiple goals.


Primary goals the most important to the
communicator.
Secondary goals less important to the
communicator.
The Nature of Goals
Continued

5. Goals vary in terms of immediacy. Goals


that occur in the immediate future are called
proximal goals. Goals that are realized in the
distant future are called distal goals. We are
more likely to focus on proximal goals than
distal goals.

6. Peoples goals are affected by the


communication event itself. Goals can be
changed or modified during interaction.

7. Goals prompt plans for action. Plans


differ in complexity and completeness. Plan
the production of one or more mental models
detailing how you might achieve your goal
through interaction.
Types of Interpersonal Goals

1. Self-presentation goal (identity management)


we perform facework. i.e. competent;
friendly; intelligent; funny, etc.

2. Relational Goal we maintain or neglect our


relationships. Relationships are the products
our interpersonal communication. How we
communicate depends in turn on the nature
and quality of our relationships.

3 Types of Relational Goals:


Escalating growing more
intimate and more interdependent

Maintaining activities and


communication behaviors
used to sustain a healthy
relationship

De-escalating drifting apart


Types of Interpersonal Goals
Continued
3. Instrumental goals we try to get
others to do us a favor or offer some
kind of resource; desires for self-
advancement. i.e. getting a ride to
school, obtaining a day off from
work, persuading someone to help
you print something from the
computer.

Communicators sometimes pursue


one type of goal at the expense of
other goals.

People communicate to achieve


multiple goals.

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