Skilled Interpersonal Communication: Research, Theory and Practice

by Owen Hargie

There is a fundamental, powerful, and universal desire amongst humans to interact with others. People have a deep-seated need to communicate, and the greater their ability in this regard the more satisfying and rewarding their lives will be. The contribution of skilled interpersonal communication to success in both personal and professional contexts is now widely recognised and extensively researched. As such, knowledge of various types of skills, and of their effects in social interaction, is crucial for effective interpersonal functioning.

Previous editions have established Skilled Interpersonal Communication as the foremost textbook on communication. This thoroughly revised and expanded 6th edition builds on this success to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the current research, theory and practice in this popular field of study. The first two chapters introduce the reader to the nature of skilled interpersonal communication and review the main theoretical perspectives. Subsequent chapters provide detailed accounts of the fourteen main skill areas, nonverbal communication; reinforcement; questioning; reflecting; listening; explaining; self-disclosure; set induction; closure; assertiveness; influencing; negotiating; and interacting in, and leading, group discussions.

Written by one of the foremost international experts in the field and founded solidly in research, this book provides a key reference for the study of interpersonal communication. This theoretically informed yet practically oriented text will be of interest both to students of interpersonal communication in general, and to qualified personnel and trainees in many fields.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Communication

647 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2003

Reviews

[Tsneds · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first glance, this looks like a standard book on communications, perhaps for managers or the commercial market. The subtitle, however, indicates that maybe it is an academic book. In fact it is somewhere in between, or maybe both.

With 542 pages, including 64 pages of references, it is no lightweight.

The topics covered are solid set of fundamentals, with full chapters on each of:

Nonverbal communications
Rewarding and reinforcing
Questioning
Reflecting
Listening
Explaining
Self-disclosure
Set induction and closure
Assertiveness
Influence and persuasion
Negotiation
Groups and group interaction

What is really nice is the high level of strong content. Rather than motherhood-and-apple-pie that is often found in books on communications, this text is based on solid and well-referenced research.

The book is written in clear language with a straightforward layout. There are a number of tables, but no diagrams. Visuals would have been nice, but the solid text means these were not particularly missed.

The balance of a strong academic foundation and clear writing makes this book ideal for both students and practitioners who are seeking a strong general text on the subject of interpersonal communication.

In short: Solid meat from cover to cover.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice book for a non-expert in the field like me, introducing the most important topics on interpersonal communications, with thousands of references if you want to deep in, but with enough details if you just want to skim over this topic

[Zeki]

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