Interpersonal Communication Application Paper

Application Paper

Interpersonal communication is both transactional and constitutive. Transactional means that communication is an on going process, while constitutive means that communication helps construct the reality of what is and what will be. An example of interpersonal communication is when I FaceTimed my mother to ask her how to do laundry. The example qualifies as interpersonal communication because it follows the transactional communication model; the communication is qualitative in nature and it exemplifies communication competence, all of which demonstrates interpersonal communication.

An example of interpersonal communication was the conversation between my mother and I about laundry. I rarely do laundry at home, therefore it

was a new task for me in college. Since I was unsure about the settings on the washing machine, I called my mother through FaceTime. She took me through the process and I successfully did my laundry.
The conversation between my mother and I follows the transactional communication model. The transactional communication model depicts all factors that affect human interaction. In order for communication to satisfy the transactional communication model it must meet the general requirements. There should be at least two communicators who are sending and receiving messages. In my laundry example, both my mother and I are the communicators and we both are sending and receiving messages by conversing about laundry. For example, my mother told me, “First separate the laundry by color.” I replied to her, “Um, Mom I already did that.” In the first part of the dialogue, the sender is my mother and I am the receiver. After that, I am the sender while my mother is the receiver. In this case, we both allowed each other to talk and there was no interruption. Additionally, the communication must also have meaning. In this case, the verbal communication was goal oriented. For example, I asked my mother, “Mom, can you please help me with laundry.” The environment of the communication aids in making sense of the situation. Since I was in the laundry room and my mother could see it, she could have deduced that I was doing laundry. In addition, the environment doesn’t only refer to the physical location, but also to the personal experiences and cultural background that the participants bring to the conversation. For me, I have done laundry a couple of times, so it was strange doing it at college because it was a different washing machine from the one I am used to. Naturally, my mother on the other hand had more experience with doing laundry, she did it at my grandparent’s house and also at laundry mats. Another factor that can contribute to the environment is noise. Noise is anything that interferes with the transmission and reception of a message. In my situation, there was no noise, but if my father walked in the room, where my mother was and could see me, that would be considered noise. My father would be considered noise because he would probably interrupt our conversation to check on how I was doing in college. Additionally, every communication must have a channel, which is the medium through which messages are exchanged. In my example, the channel was FaceTime. FaceTime is an app created by Apple that allows communicators to see, hear and converse with each other. In fact, using FaceTime aided our communication. I was able to show my mother the settings for both of the washer and dryer. On her end, she was then able to determine what settings I should use on my laundry. Since the conversation between my mother and I followed the general requirements as outlined in the transactional communication model, it qualifies as interpersonal communication.
Experts debate on another characteristic of interpersonal communication which is whether the communication is quantitative or qualitative.

Quantitative is the number of people conversing, while qualitative is when communication occurs between people who treat one another as unique individuals regardless of the context in which the interaction occurs or the number of people involved. In the example of the laundry, this would not qualify as quantitative because the number of people in the conversation is not crucial. The qualitative approach to communication includes uniqueness, relational culture, irreplaceability, interdependence, disclosure of personal information, and spending time with interpersonal relationships. For instance, the laundry scenario is qualitative because my mother and I have a unique relationship as mother and daughter. In addition to that, I would normally not ask a stranger how to do laundry because it would be intrusive to my ego. I also feel comfortable asking my mother dim-witted questions like asking how I should chop a vegetable. Similarly, to uniqueness, my mother is someone who can’t be replaced. She is the one who took care of me when I was little and the person I talk to when I’m upset. The communication that we have is irreplaceable, because it can’t be replicated with anyone else. For example, when I ask my mother for advice, I listen and try to heed her words. Equally important is disclosure of personal information. I will admit that I am not afraid to tell my mother when I’m sick, stressed out, or upset. Additionally, interdependence plays a key role in my mother’s and mine relationship. For example, if my mother decided to go back working as a nurse, it would affect my life because she would be busier and have less time to communicate with me. Therefore, that Qualitative in terms of interpersonal communication is communicating with someone you are comfortable with and not holding back your

words.
Lastly interpersonal communication should demonstrate communication competence. Competence communication is both effective and appropriate. Effective communication is when the communicator gets the results he or she wants. In my situation, I got the instructions on how to do the laundry. Additionally, appropriate communication enhances the relationship. Because my mother helped instruct me to do my laundry, I know that I can rely on my mother for anything. In my mother’s case, it gave her an opportunity to teach me how to be independent and spend time with her daughter. In order for communication competence to be successful, it must have a balance of both appropriate and effective. For example, I asked my mother, “So I put my intimates, socks, and undershirts in one dryer. What about my t-shirts?” My mother answers, “You can put them in with your shorts.” In the example, my mother fulfills my request by telling me that I can put my t-shirts in with my shorts. Also she is spending time with me, which enhances our relationship. Therefore, our conversation was competent communication. Competent communication is interpersonal communication because it’s a give and take; both participants are getting something out of the communication.
As stated before, interpersonal communication follows transactional communication model, it is qualitative in nature, and displays communication competence. The communication between my mother and I demonstrated the transactional communication model by including factors that aid the model. In addition to that my mother and I have a special bond as mother and daughter. That bond is what makes it qualitative in nature. Throughout the conversation, we are both getting and receiving something and this demonstrates communication competence. Interpersonal communication is the communication between communicators that has meaning to both party members.