Studying Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication involves the study of verbal and nonverbal messages in dyadic interaction. We explore the various ways that communication functions in both social and personal relationships along with a range of topics, including affection, competition, conflict, dating, emotion, health, and maintenance in relational contexts such as marriage, friendship, initial interaction, and family relationships.

Our Strengths

The interpersonal communication faculty in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication are experts in a variety of approaches to the study of relationships, including quantitative, qualitative, ethnographic, and experimental. The school has a communication sciences laboratory equipped for individual, dyadic and small group interaction, video and audio recording, and physiological measurement.