Earlier in this chapter we discussed the three competing goals of communication. Do you remember what they were? When we communicate with another person we have a task, a relational, and an identity management goal. How can we be successful in reaching these various goals? The first goal is to get the job done. Often […]

Internet Romance icki and Russ met online through instant messag­ing [IMs]. Both believed that the self-disclosure they made earlier promoted connections out of emotional intimacy rather than physical attraction. Vicki and Russ talk about how they met and share their first IMs: Russ: I found that it was easier to interact with women by computer, […]

The other day a floral delivery truck passed me on the highway, and the sign on its side said, “Increase your vocabulary: Say it with flowers.” What does this mean? What does it mean when you send flowers? What does it mean to receive them? Truth is, it can mean several things: “I love you,” […]

ecently I asked a group of students what it would be like to spend 24 hours with their part­ner but be able to use only nonverbal communi­cation. Students thought about it, and many didn’t know what to make of the question. Would it really be possible for them to be alone with their partner but […]

In the preceding section we discussed gender differences in communication, but why do these differences exist? Is it biology? Society? We discussed earlier that researchers often disagree about whether there are gender differences, but it’s also true that researchers who agree that there are differences disagree on the reasons for these differences. There may be […]

I Love Peanut Butter! was born in Regensburg, Germany, and I have lived there all of my life up until now. For the past year I have been living in the United States, and during this time, I have learned a lot about cross-cultural differences in communication. When I first came to the States I […]

Students often tell me they wish they could improve their communication skills. Before we talk about how to do this, let’s discuss how we learn to communicate with others. Are we born with the ability to communicate with others, or do we learn it as we grow? If you’ve ever been around babies, you know […]

Good communication is the hallmark of a healthy, developing relationship. These skills can be applied to all aspects of life, such as improving family relationships, being more effective in relationships at school or work, developing a love relationship, or discussing relationship issues and sexuality with a partner. Communication fosters mutual under­standing, increases emotional intimacy, and […]

The Importance of Communication It Takes Some Learning to Communicate ■ HUMAN SEXUALITY IN A DIVERSE WORLD I Love Peanut Butter! How Women and Men Communicate ■ SEX IN REAL LIFE Gossiping and Complaining Types of Communication: More Than Words ■ PERSONAL VOICES Internet Romance Communicating More Effectively ■ SEX IN REAL LIFE Being a […]