Analyzing an Interpersonal Situation Paper Example

Issues with interpersonal situations and relationships are common to all personality disorders. The issues make people develop problematic feelings, thoughts, and behaviors which are capable of affecting and having a negative impact towards the accomplishment of duties, compromising their ability to perform social roles as well as the ability to maintain and form healthy rewarding relationships (Martin, Andrew and Dowson). This paper will discuss the influence of interpersonal communication and view situations (group vs individual viewing) on television entertainment.

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Delivery of news and entertainment involves a series of individuals, for the entire process to be effective there must be the audience and the journalists who broadcast the news or lead us through entertainment. Some journalists dressing code is abusive to others, there are individuals who will feel like decency is lost while other individuals would think that the way the news is broadcasted is not the best as they think of other alternatives. When there are disagreements and unsettled minds on the how some issues should be addressed, some people opt for other channel s where they feel accommodated.

Communication is a delicate issue and yet interesting, when addressing a range of people there is a need to understand them so that their grievances are heard to meet their expectations. (McMillan, David and David). Without which the relayed messages will reach the intended audience in a non-understandable way. When communicating with someone and you happen to use vocabularies that the other party does not understand could be intimidating, as the other party may feel inferior or disrespected. An individual could feel challenged to learn to get to the levels of the other party but at times they feel insulted, angered, stressed and frustrated with their experience.

There are theories that explain the social connections of our interpersonal relationships, they include; uncertainty reduction theory, social exchange theory, dialect theory and attachment theory. The connections can be brief or enduring depending on how the relationships are kept. There is a variety of relationship in our daily endeavors with friends, family, workplaces and the society at large. Every relationship is unique, but there are themes that are common in the continuation and influence of relationships as it will be explained in the theories.

Uncertainty reduction theory: which emphasizes on reducing uncertainties about others by learning their behaviors, what they like, their believes and customs. If journalists could focus on understanding the audiences they will find better ways of broadcasting news to meet the demands of the masses. Just as the journalists should have an eye on wanting to understand the masses so should the audience. The audience should be willing to learn and adapt to new ways and the way news is being broadcasted so that there is reduced complaints on the way things are done. When some individual watches a program for the first time, they hardly tell if they will want to watch it again, they still need to be keen to understand the flow to know whether it fits their expectations or not. People should not be too quick to conclude on the observations they have made on early stages. They should reduce the uncertainty by giving them some time to understand them better and know them better. The theory states that two strangers have to go through various stages for them to develop a bond and to see whether the will be a continuation of the relationship for a longer or shorter period. The stages in this theory entail; the entry stage, a personal stage if possible, and thirdly, the exit stage. In the entry stage, both parties should be willing to learn and understand each other. Understand the level of education of the individuals, their believes and customs so that there are reduced cases of interpersonal and communication conflicts. The second stage is the personal stage, for the case of broadcasting it will be difficult for both parties to understand the personality traits of each but sharing of attitudes and believes should be encouraged for both parties to consider whether they are compatible. Third, is the exit stage where a journalist can decide to stop some ways of broadcasting as per the demands of the audience, or where the audience decides to stop watching a particular program due to them disliking them for particular reasons known to themselves.

The second theory is the social exchange theory, there is a feeling people develop while still in a relationship, some feel what they are giving is more to what they receive. In most cases, people want to receive as much as they give to feel the balance or have some appreciation. This theory tends to show whether there is a cost-reward on their dealings. For instance, television channels would want to know if at all they are bringing meaning to the society, they would want to feel rewarded for their efforts as this will boost their activities of bringing information and entertainment to the communities.

When misunderstandings are solved there is a tendency of the free flow of information and communication. In the social exchange theory, most of what is exchanged is emotional. Some of the costs involved are sacrificing one's interests to please the other party and poor communication. Whereas rewards could range from continued relationships, being understood and sharing common interests. In this theory, there is a great comparison of the input and output. No person would want to put more effort that goes unappreciated. Parties involved; that is the television channels, journalists, and the audience should try to bring a balance in their activities so that every party feels included in the whole exercise.

The third theory is the dialectical theory. This theory acknowledges the need for change as it states that the only constant thing is change. In this theory relationships are said to be changing, that they never remain at the place they started. As relationships develop, there is a need to cope up with the changes of the persons you are relating to. The success of any relationship is dependent on how the changes are handled by the parties involved. (Broom, Glen, Shawna, and James). There are times people have contrary desires, but this should not make them develop major differences. For instance, in the television programs, journalists and the audiences should develop mechanisms in which they can settle their differences, communicate their differences so that they can compromise on some to reach an agreement on how things should be run. It is only through working in fluctuations that interpersonal relationships and life events can be maintained.

The relationship between broadcasters and viewers can be a challenging one, but with an understanding of the current changes on either side can result in a longer relationship. Sometimes compromising the desires and goals is critical in the continuation of how people relate. (Kelley, Harold, et al) For journalists to understand the audience they will need to conduct an audience analysis which will entail; identifying the intended audience, adopting a speech that will match their interests, attitudes and their levels of understanding as well as their beliefs. Taking this approach will improve the effectiveness of communication as information will be relayed in the best possible manner.

The 4th theory is the attachment theory, which involves the perceptions people have about their first experience with someone. It is compared to the experience children have with their parents, that the early stages of the way they relate will determine how they will relate in the future. Early relationships play a vital role in the way the relationship will be in the future. In the relationship between the audience, journalists, and Tv programs, there is a need to develop the willingness to adopt the culture of the other party until you understand them. It is always good to have a good impression at the first sight as it is going to contribute to how you will be viewed. Some people maintain that first look or experience, such that even if you changed they would still not notice there is a difference.

The relationship between the two parties is likely to be longer if the first impression or early stages of interaction was good. People tend to be attached to what pleases them from the time they have the first experience, they will have a perception that the other party will remain to be good and satisfactory to their wants. In that case, when a new program is being implemented, or a journalist is anchoring they try as much as possible to ensure they are appealing so that they remain relevant in the audience.

It is important to understand different cultures, beliefs, and practices of societies. It makes it possible to develop the best way of communicating and reaching out to the people, thus avoiding interpersonal issues that may arise. (Andersen, Susan and Serena). An understanding of the type of communication used can play a significant role in building or destroying relationships. To solve catastrophic conflicts which could otherwise hinder relationships it would be ideal to learn on the differences between the parties to settle and compose differences.

Running away from the problem is never a solution, whenever there is an interpersonal conflict, proper procedures should be followed to ensure the conflict is resolved. (Ledingham) Parties involved should be keen at identifying the challenges affecting their relationship to address them such that there is no replication of conflicts. When communication is done in the right way in a manner that all the parties benefit from the interaction there is a potential for building a long-lasting relationship.

Conclusion

There is a need to develop solutions for conflicts as soon as they are noted, it can easily be done by having negotiations with participants. Participants would be more resourceful when the issues are addressed earlier. Interpersonal differences would never cease to be there and for that reason, we should always be prepared to find ways to counter the problems whenever they arise. lastly, we should never be too quick to judge from few observations, we should take time to understand the people we are relating to, this will help have sustainable relationships.

Work Cited

Martin, Andrew J., and Martin Dowson. "Interpersonal relationships, motivation, engagement, and achievement: Yields for theory, current issues, and educational practice." Review of educational research 79.1 (2009): 327-365.

Broom, Glen M., Shawna Casey, and James Ritchey. "Toward a concept and theory of organization-public relationships." Journal of Public relations research 9.2 (1997): 83-98.

McMillan, David W., and David M. Chavis. "Sense of community: A definition and theory." Journal of community psychology 14.1 (1986): 6-23.

Andersen, Susan M., and Serena Chen. "The relational self: an interpersonal social-cognitive theory." Psychological review 109.4 (2002): 619.

Ledingham, John A. "Explicating relationship management as a general theory of public relations." Journal of public relations research 15.2 (2003): 181-198.

Kelley, Harold H., et al. An atlas of interpersonal situations. Cambridge University Press, 2003.