What is the difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal communication and the keys to communication? This article will help you understand all you need to know.
In most cases, people confuse interpersonal skills with intrapersonal skills and modes of communication.
The fact remains that these are two different concepts and cannot be used interchangeably at all! The foundation of understanding is in the root of the word – “inter” which implies that something is between two people or groups, “intra” which implies that something is within a person or group.
Both are important in their own way to succeed at work, school and in life.
Stay Informed Group has prepared this article in a way that you will understand all you need to know about these two concepts; the difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal Communication, all you need to do is read on to find out exactly what they are and how to improve your relationships and people skills.
Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal Communication: Be Strong In Both
Getting your interpersonal communication developed – this has to do with communication within yourself and your interpersonal communication has to do with communication between yourself and others – will ultimately result in making you successful in life.
It’s okay for one to be no more important than the other and to be stronger in one genre – but if you want to do well in school, at work, and in improving your relationship with people and yourself, then you need to work on your interpersonal and intrapersonal communication over time Work is the only way to a relationship.
What is interpersonal communication?
Before we go into the Difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal Communication we need to define and talk about each term differently.
Interpersonal communication is the exchange of ideas and information between two or more people through any channel. This can be in person, online, over the phone or in writing.
There is more than one aspect that makes this type of communication explicitly interpersonal:
- Inevitability: Even if we have something in our hearts and don’t express it verbally, it can also take the form of other non-verbal aspects, such as emotions, attitudes or body language.
- Irreversible: Once something is written, said or committed, it cannot be taken back. It is always in the minds of others.
- Complex: There is a high probability of miscommunication between sender and receiver, so interpersonal communication is considered a complex concept.
- Context: Context is a vital part of this style of communication. Context can be situational, relational, and with respect to situation.
What is intrapersonal communication?
Intrapersonal communication is a kind of communication that takes place within oneself. Include thoughts, assessments, musings, and feelings related to one’s inner communication.
To further understand the difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal communication here are some of the unique things you need to know about intrapersonal communication:
Expectations:
Expectations are a product of based intrapersonal communication with oneself and are considered to be predictions of what will happen based on how one sees what has happened.
Perception:
Perception is the way individuals interpret what is happening around them. Perception affects communication with oneself (intrapersonal communication).
Self-concept:
A person’s own self-concept is central to intrapersonal communication. It includes an assessment of one’s own beliefs, values, and attitudes, and how that assessment affects what happens in the outside world.
Differences Between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal Communication Comparison
| COMPARISON Basis | INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION | INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION |
| The meaning | Intrapersonal mode of communication is a type of communication that goes on with ourselves, i.e. the kind of interaction and communication that takes place in our mind. | Interpersonal Communication is a type of communication that takes place between two or more persons, which can be through a verbal or non-verbal message. |
| Number of persons Involved | One | At least two |
| Occurrences | This is continuous in nature as human nature permits that | Regular, with respect to social needs. |
| Media | This involves the internal senses of an individual. | Takes place via verbal and non-verbal media as the case may be. |
| Concerned with | Thoughts of the mind and Analysis | The exchanging and sharing of ideas or information between persons |
Differences Between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal Communication
The paramount difference you need to understand between interpersonal communication and intrapersonal communication is that interpersonal communication is a type of communication that goes on between two or more people whereas intrapersonal communication is a type of communication that goes on between one and himself or herself.
Here are the other key differences between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal Communication:
Media and Feedback
Interpersonal feedback can be broad—it can be verbal, non-verbal (such as shrugging, nodding, or raising an eyebrow), orally or in writing. Interpersonal feedback can be face-to-face, by phone, computer, or by letter.
The medium used for intrapersonal communication seems to be much simpler – always considered in person, although it can be live, recorded or written. Intrapersonal feedback is difficult to define. The feedback you give is yours, and only you know how you react toward your feelings, thoughts, and inherent ideas.
Reason
Reasons, why you might want to use interpersonal communication, is to communicate a story, convey an idea or your experience, or pass on information to another person or group of people.
Reasons you may want to make use of intrapersonal communication is to reflect on what happened, make goals and also plan your activities, imagine the future, and get closer to how you feel.
The parties
When it comes to interpersonal communication, there is should be more than just one person involved in the communication. Whether you communicate online, by phone, or by email does not matter, it just has to be between more than one person. Communication between two people means interpersonal communication.
This is in contrast to internal communication that takes place only within one’s own thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
Difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal communication
Difference Between Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Comparison-Summary
The image below shows the difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal communication comparison summary, this is an infographic that will help you further understand this topic holistically.
What are intrapersonal skills?
What does it mean to be an intrapersonal person? As we have discussed the difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal communication, it is important you understand individually what it means to be an intrapersonal person.
An introspective or intrapersonal person is someone who has strong introspective or intrapersonal skills. They are connected to themselves in a very deep way and at any given moment they know what they are feeling, need and want.
Some of the skills that highly introverts and intrapersonal possess are:
Decision making
When a decision needs to be made, a person with an inner personality has the ability to scan for potential options, visualize them and make the right decision. The ability to do this without stress and inner conflict is a skill you can acquire with practice – it is also an important intrapersonal skill
Identify negative emotions
Immediately things begin to get negative in your mind, it’s of essence that you stop the thought and realize that this is happening. Identifying negative thoughts and having the ability to reverse them is an important personal skill – it is an important intrapersonal skill that will help your mental health and stability of your mind.
Compassion
The ability to see another person’s point of view and therefore being empathetic to them is also an introspective or intrapersonal skill. Putting aside your own opinions and your own experiences is part of being compassionate.
Visualization
It’s the ability to see things in your head, the way things are, or how you plan things. Many athletes, artists, and politicians have excellent visualization skills to “see” themselves in a situation and develop a plan for how to be successful in that situation.
How does interpersonal communication work?
Excellent interpersonal communication comes from two or more people who have the high-level skills required for interpersonal communication. Good interpersonal communication begins when both parties are able to listen effectively, express themselves accurately, and become active participants in the conversation.
What are interpersonal skills?
You cannot really say that you have really understood the difference between the Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal communication concept if you cannot comfortably discuss individually what interpersonal and intrapersonal skills are, and below we have discussed some of the interpersonal skills you should know.
Empathy
Hearing others out, putting yourself in their shoes, and understanding them is what empathy is all about. If you can have a strong sense of empathy, you’re one step closer to becoming a master in the art of interpersonal communication.
Conflict management
Interpersonal communication is a kind of communication that takes place by more than one person, and when this goes on, conflict is something that must sprout out at one point or another. Good conflict management is important for conflict between you and every other person and for managing the conflicts of others.
Leadership
Posing a strong skill in leadership entails being able to inspire and encourage others to help everyone become a success. You don’t necessarily need to be appointed o elected into a leadership position to be a leader – you can lead from anywhere.
Negotiation
Negotiation skills are an active part of interpersonal skills and also goes hand in hand with the skill of interpersonal communication skills. Effective negotiations skill require you to listen, plan and visualize, and solve problems—all important parts of interpersonal communication.
Communication
Communication is divided into three parts: verbal/oral communication, non-verbal/oral communication, and public speaking. All three of these need to be strong in a person for them to have a high level of interpersonal skills.
Teamwork
Interpersonal communication is a kind of interaction and communication that goes on with more than one person, so of course, teamwork is going to be very important. Collaboration, active listening, team building, and conflict resolution are all important team-based components of interpersonal interaction and communication.
Listening
Interpersonal communication does not end in expressive communication, it is also receptive – which means listening! listening actively when others are speaking is a great way to improve your interpersonal skills.
Positive Attitude
When you give out a positive attitude, you are will be successful in having positive interactions with other people. This is a kind of interpersonal skill that will help you succeed in school, work and personal life.
How to improve interpersonal skills
One component that is considered one of the most important dimensions of intrapersonal is awareness—being aware of your own thoughts, of yourself in a situation, and of how others perceive you.
Though this may sometimes not be noticed, one way to improve your intrapersonal skills is to reach out – ask people how you’re doing! By asking what other people think about your thoughts and actions, you will gain a better understanding of what you are doing and the way you take action.
To become more aware of the thoughts that go through your mind and feelings, practice mindfulness via meditation and do things that bring your mind to the present moment throughout the day.
Conclusion
You may be wondering the difference between Interpersonal Vs Intrapersonal communication which one is better.
The truth is that they are all are equally important if you are going to have a better career and more successful relationships.
To work well with others, you are required to have interpersonal skills such as listening, empathy and leadership. These skills have become more developed and you will be able to maximise their benefit when you develop personal skills such as empathy, self-concept, and visualization.
Use both skills in interviews, communicate professionally and personally with others, and add a good education and you’re sure to go far!
