appropriateness: A measure of communication competence that indicates the degree to which your communication matches the situational, relational, and cultural expectations regarding how people should communicate.

channel: The sensory dimension (sound, sight, touch, scent, or taste) used to transmit information during communication. For example, you may apologize by showing someone a sad facial expression, lightly touching his shoulder, and saying, “I’m so sorry.”

communication: The process through which people use messages to generate meanings within and across contexts, cultures, channels, and media.

communication skills: Repeatable goal-directed behaviors and behavioral patterns that enable you to improve the quality of your interpersonal encounters and relationships. See also appropriateness; interpersonal communication competence.

contexts: Situations in which communication occurs. Context includes the physical locations, backgrounds, genders, ages, moods, and relationships of the communicators, as well as the time of day.

dyadic: Communication involving only two people.

effectiveness: The ability to use communication to accomplish interpersonal goals.

ethics: The set of moral principles that guide our behavior toward others. Ethical communication consistently displays respect, kindness, and compassion.

feedback: Verbal and nonverbal messages that receivers use to indicate their reaction to communication, such as a frown or saying, “I disagree.” See also interactive communication model.

fields of experience: Beliefs, attitudes, values, and experiences that each communicator brings to an interaction.

gender: The composite of social, psychological, and cultural traits associated with one sex or the other; unlike biological sex, with which we’re born, gender is largely learned.

I-It: A type of perception and communication that occurs when you treat others as though they are objects that are there for your use and exploitation—for example, when you dismiss someone by saying, “I don’t have time for your stupid questions. Figure it out yourself.”

impersonal communication: Messages that have negligible perceived impact on your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, or relationships, such as commenting about the television schedule or passing someone and saying, “How’s it going?” without looking up.

instrumental goals: Practical aims you want to achieve or tasks you want to accomplish through a particular interpersonal encounter.

interaction: A series of messages exchanged between people, whether face-to-face or online.

interactive communication model: A depiction of communication messages that are exchanged back and forth between a sender and a receiver and are influenced by feedback and the fields of experience of both communicators.

interpersonal communication: A dynamic form of communication between two (or more) people in which the messages exchanged significantly influence their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships.

interpersonal communication competence: The ability to communicate consistently in appropriate, effective, and ethical ways.

intrapersonal communication: Communication involving only one person, such as talking to yourself.

I-Thou: A way to perceive a relationship based on embracing fundamental similarities that connect you to others, striving to see things from others’ points of view, and communicating in ways that emphasize honesty and kindness.

linear communication model: A depiction of communication messages that flow in one direction from a starting point to an end point.

media: Tools used to exchange messages, including everything from newspapers, blackboards, and photographs to computers, smart phones, and television.

message: The “package” of information transported during communication.

noise: Environmental factors that impede a message on the way to its destination.

online communication: Interaction through communication technology such as social-networking sites, e-mail, text- or instant-messaging, Skype, chatrooms, and even massively multiplayer online video games like World of Warcraft.

receiver: The individual for whom a message is intended or to whom it is delivered.

relationship goals: Goals of building, maintaining, or terminating relationships with others through interpersonal communication.

self-monitoring: The process of observing our own communication and the norms of the situation in order to make appropriate communication choices.

self-presentation goals: Presenting yourself in certain ways so that others perceive you as being a particular type of person.

sender: The individual who generates, packages, and delivers a message.

sexual orientation: Enduring emotional, romantic, sexual, or affectionate attraction to others that exists along a continuum ranging from exclusive heterosexuality to exclusive homosexuality and that includes various forms of bisexuality.

transactional communication model: A depiction of communication in which each participant equally influences the communication behavior of the other participants. For example, a salesperson who watches his customer’s facial expression while describing a product is sending and receiving messages at the same time.