Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others, 8th edition

Published by Pearson Canada (January 2, 2020) © 2021

  • Steven A. Beebe Texas State University - San Marcos
  • Susan J. Beebe Texas State University - San Marcos
  • Mark V. Redmond Texas State University - San Marcos
  • Lisa Salem-Wiseman Humber College

eTextbook

C$57.99

  • Easy-to-use search and navigation
  • Add notes and highlights
  • Flashcards help streamline study sessions

Revel

C$57.99

  • Inspire engagement through active learning
  • Provide an immersive reading experience
  • Assess student progress with performance insights

Emphasize the importance of relating to others

Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others provides a clear overview of interpersonal communication theory and principles balanced with practical suggestions on how students can apply these principles to become better communicators.

The importance of being other-oriented provides the foundation of Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others, and it continues as the central theme of the text. Becoming other-oriented is not a single skill but rather a collection of skills and principles designed to increase your sensitivity to and understanding of others. Being other-oriented doesn't mean you abandon your own thoughts, ignore your feelings, and change your behaviour only to please others; that would not only be unethical, it would also be an ineffective approach to developing genuine, honest relationships with others. An other-oriented person is self-aware as well as aware of others. True empathy, emotional intelligence, and sensitivity are possible only when we feel secure about our own identities.

Hallmark features of this title

  • Improving Your Communication Skills boxes offer practical strategies for applying chapter content. Many are interactive, allowing students to type their responses directly into the multimedia environment.
  • Being Other-Oriented boxes appear throughout the product and connect the other-orientation theme to specific discussions. Every box presents a thought-provoking question to get students thinking about how other-oriented their own communication is. In Revel, these questions are presented as journal prompts, which allow students to electronically submit a free-form response. Instructors have access to students' responses to these writing activities and can also assign them as homework.
  • Relating to Diverse Others features present research findings as well as communication strategies for understanding differences..
  • Canadian Connections boxes included in every chapter provide a Canadian context for understanding interpersonal communication, allowing Canadian students to see themselves and their environment reflected in the text

New and updated features of this title

  • As the world shifts to a greater reliance on digital media, it is appropriate that this resource evolves as well. This eighth Canadian edition is the first fully digital version of Interpersonal Communication. Instructors and students will find that, although the medium has changed, the content is fully consistent with prior editions
  • Updated.
    • Increased emphasis on technology and social media. Updated and expanded coverage explores the ever-increasing role of technology in interpersonal communication and the implications of technology for our daily communication and relationship with others. Our narrative includes the latest research findings about how our electronic connections affect our face-to-face interactions. 
    • #communicationandsocialmedia. The new feature box focuses on research conclusions about the ways in which social media is changing how we relate to and interact with others. It also offers practical applications relating to the impact of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, on establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
    • Increased emphasis on diversity. Inherent in our other-oriented approach is the understanding that people differ in significant ways. It is because of these differences that we need skills and principles that allow us to develop links to other people and encourage us to establish meaningful interpersonal relationships with them.
    • Relating to Diverse Individuals. Feature presents research conclusions and communication strategies for understanding human differences. In addition, through examples, illustrations, and research conclusions liberally woven throughout the book, we identify ways to become other-oriented despite differences we encounter in people of other genders, cultures, or ideologies.

Digital Assets in Revel

  • Student-friendly Recap features periodically summarize key concepts and terms. Almost all of the Recap boxes are interactive in Revel, so students can review and then immediately test their knowledge on the material they just read.
  • Being Other-Oriented boxes appear throughout the product and connect the other-orientation theme to specific discussions. Every box presents a thought-provoking question to get students thinking about how other-oriented their own communication is. In Revel, these questions are presented as journal prompts, which allow students to electronically submit a free-form response. Instructors have access to students' responses to these writing activities and can also assign them as homework.
  • Improving Your Communication Skills boxes throughout the text offer practical strategies for applying chapter content to help students improve their own communication skills and relationships. Many of these feature boxes are interactive in Revel, allowing students to type their responses directly into the multimedia environment.
  • Key terms are defined in the margins. In Revel, students can click on any bold-faced key term and the definition will automatically pop up.
  • Videos and interactives integrated directly into the narrative get students learning actively, making it more likely that they'll retain what they've read.
  • Embedded assessments afford students regular opportunities to check their understanding. The results enable instructors to gauge student comprehension and provide timely feedback to address learning gaps along the way.
  • Current Event Bulletins bring currency into your classroom with author-written articles that connect key concepts with real-life current events. Our authors regularly add new or revised articles to ensure that your students have relevant examples to help them engage with the course.
  1. Introduction to Interpersonal Communication
  2. Interpersonal Communication and Self
  3. Interpersonal Communication and Perception
  4. Interpersonal Communication and Diversity: Adapting to Others
  5. Listening and Responding Skills
  6. Verbal Communication Skills
  7. Nonverbal Communication Skills
  8. Conflict Management Skills
  9. Understanding Interpersonal Relationships
  10. Managing Relationship Challenges and the Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication and Relationships
  11. Interpersonal Relationships: Family and Workplace

Steven A. Beebe is Regents' and University Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Texas State University. He served as Chair of the Department of Communication Studies at Texas State for twenty-eight years and concurrently as Associate Dean for twenty-five years. Steve is the author or co-author of twelve widely used communication books, most of which have been through multiple editions (including Russian and Chinese editions), as well as numerous articles, book chapters, and conference presentations. He has been a Visiting Scholar at both Oxford University and Cambridge University in England. He made international headlines when conducting research at Oxford; he discovered a manuscript that was the partial opening chapter of a book that was to be co-authored with J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis called Language and Human Nature. Steve has traveled widely in Europe and Asia, and has played a leadership role in establishing new communication curricula in Russian universities. He has received his university's highest awards for research and twice for service, has been recognized as Honors Professor of the year, received the Texas State Evertte Swinney Excellence in Teaching Award twice, was designated a Piper Professor by the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation, and was named Outstanding Communication Professor by the National Speaker's Association. In 2013 he served as President of the National Communication Association, the largest professional communication association in the world. His passions include his family and a lifelong love of music; he is a pianist and organist and a struggling cellist.

Susan J. Beebe's professional interests and expertise encompass both oral and written communication. Sue has co-authored three books and has published a number of articles and teaching materials in both English and communication studies. She has received the Texas State University Presidential Awards for Excellence in Teaching and in Service and the College of Liberal Arts Awards for Excellence in Scholarly/Creative Activities, in Teaching, and in Service. After serving as Director of Lower-Division Studies in English for eleven years, Sue retired in 2014 from the Department of English at Texas State. An active volunteer in the community of San Marcos, Texas, Sue was the founding coordinator of the San Marcos Volunteers in Public Schools Program and has served on the San Marcos School Board and the Education Foundation Board. In 1993, she was named the statewide Friend of Education by the Texas Classroom Teachers' Association; in 2000 the San Marcos school district presented her with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Sue enjoys reading, traveling, and caring for the Beebe family pets. Sue and Steve have two adult sons: Mark, who works in marketing in the Dallas area; and Matt, who teaches middle school in Austin.

Mark V. Redmond is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Communication Studies at Iowa State University. In 2012 he received the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching. Besides this text, Mark has authored an introductory text on communication theory and research, edited an upper-level text in interpersonal communication, and co-authored a public speaking text. His research focuses on social decentering (taking into account another person's thoughts, feelings, perspectives, etc.), one of the themes incorporated in this text. His research studies include expectations associated with male–female relationships, social decentering's impact in marriage, initial interactions between strangers, adaptation in interpersonal interactions, and intercultural communication competence. This theory and research are presented in his 2018 book, Social Decentering: A Theory of Other-Orientation Encompassing Empathy and Perspective-Taking published by De Gruyter Oldenbourg. He is a Cyclone sports fan with an avocation for playing basketball at least three times a week (despite an aging hook shot). An unaccomplished piano and guitar player, he loves composing and writing songs and vows to someday complete the musical he's been working on for thirty years. Mark and his wife Peggy have three children: Beth, a graduate of the University of Iowa and Mount Mercy University; Nicholas, a graduate of Iowa State University and McCormick Theological Seminary; and Eric, a graduate of Iowa State University and Northwest Missouri State University.

Lisa Salem-Wiseman is an Associate Dean in Humber College's Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellness, overseeing the suite of Inclusive and Responsive Education programs. Prior to taking on this role in 2016, she was a faculty member in the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences for 12 years, teaching writing and literature courses in the General Arts and Science program. In 2014, Lisa was awarded the Robert S. Gordon Leadership Award for her cross-college service. In addition to Interpersonal Communication: Relating to Others, she has published two other textbooks on writing, as well as many scholarly articles and book reviews. Lisa has Bachelors and Masters degrees from Carleton University and a Ph.D. in English from York University. Lisa has been married to Jonathan for 30 years, and they have a daughter, Rachel. They live in Toronto, Ontario, with too many cats.

Need help? Get in touch

Revel

Inspire engagement through active learning. Revel® integrates interactives and assessments into a compelling digital narrative. By applying concepts as they read, students immerse themselves in learning, deepening their understanding. This mobile, user-friendly platform empowers students to learn and study on the go, anytime, anywhere, on any device.

Pearson+

All in one place. Pearson+ offers instant access to eTextbooks, videos and study tools in one intuitive interface. Students choose how they learn best with enhanced search, audio and flashcards. The Pearson+ app lets them read where life takes them, no wi-fi needed. Students can access Pearson+ through a subscription or their MyLab or Mastering course.

Video
Play
Privacy and cookies
By watching, you agree Pearson can share your viewership data for marketing and analytics for one year, revocable by deleting your cookies.

Help students learn, wherever life takes them

Your students deserve more than just a digital textbook. Revel® combines content, media, and assessment to create an engaging, immersive experience that lets them learn on the go — anytime, anywhere, on any device.