We explain what intrapersonal communication is and what its characteristics and problems are. Also, its differences with interpersonal communication.
What is intrapersonal communication?
Intrapersonal communication or self-communication is that which an individual establishes with himself. It is a form of communication in which the sender and receiver of the message are the same person.
Individual thoughts and reflections, as well as ideas, dreams and comments that someone makes to themselves, both silently and out loud, are part of intrapersonal communication. They can be voluntary and conscious communications, or involuntary and automatic..
From this point of view, intrapersonal communication is part of the “own speech” or “personal monologue” that each individual has with himself, which fulfills different psychological, emotional and social functions. Through this type of utterance, for example, people connect with themselves, evaluate themselves, encourage themselves, or rehearse what they will later say to others.
- See also: Intrapersonal intelligence
Characteristics of intrapersonal communication
Intrapersonal communication has the following characteristics:
- It is both voluntary and involuntary. People can engage in this type of communication consciously, as a thinking strategy, or they can simply act it out, without being aware that they are talking to themselves.
- It is one-sided. Since the sender and receiver are the same person, there is no possibility of exchanging roles or feedback or feedback.
- It is not necessarily literal. The message sent can have different levels of interpretation and consist of its own language that only the person involved understands.
- It is stated in the first or second person grammatical. Individual monologues can use the first person verbal (“I”) or the second person (“you”). It all depends on whether the person addresses himself or speaks as if a third party is listening.
- It is socially free. Intrapersonal communication does not always adapt to social standards of what is okay to say. It can operate as an outlet for people to say what they think, even if no one can hear it.
Intrapersonal communication problems
intrapersonal communication is not free of dilemmas and difficulties. Since it is a communication that has no other interlocutors other than the sender himself, it does not allow contrasting points of view, obtaining new information or influencing anyone else.
On the other hand, can perpetuate or emphasize certain thoughts whose recurrence can become obsessive. If so, it could have negative effects on mental and emotional life, and affect self-esteem, mental peace and connection with other people. In these cases, the assistance of a psychotherapist may be a recommended strategy.
Examples of intrapersonal communication
Some examples of intrapersonal communication are the following:
- Talks in front of the mirror. Many people, before facing a personal challenge, look at themselves in the mirror and give themselves encouragement or reminders or warnings out loud.
- Recurring thoughts. They are the ideas or statements that tend to settle in people's consciousness on a daily and repeated basis, and that are part of an internal monologue.
- intimate reflections. These are the thoughts, doubts and ideas that are formulated in the mind during moments of inactivity, such as the moments before sleep, at night.
- Dreams. Although the exact nature of dreams is still being studied by science, they can be considered a disorganized, metaphorical or imaginary form of intrapersonal communication. For this reason, some message or revelation is often sought in them.
Differences between intrapersonal and interpersonal communication
Although they are related, intrapersonal communication should not be confused with interpersonal communication. The difference between the two lies in the presence of an interlocutor: We talk about interpersonal communication when two or more people intervene.
The differences between these two forms of communication can be summarized as follows:
| Intrapersonal communication | Interpersonal communication |
|---|---|
| The sender and the receiver are the same person. | The sender and the receiver are different people. |
| There is only one individual involved. | There may be many individuals involved, who exchange roles of sender and receiver. |
| It can be oral or take place in thought. | It can be oral or given through some system of representation, such as writing. |
| It is one-sided. | It can be unilateral or bilateral. |
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References
- Valdez Cocina, M. (2013). Intrapersonal communication: a forgotten field of study. Spanish Academic Publishing.
- Vocate, D. (2012). Intrapersonal Communication. Different Voices, Different Minds. Routledge.
