UNIT-1

INTRAPERSONAL.COMMUNICATION
Intra-personal Communication-is the kind of communication that occurs within us. lt involves
thoughts, feelings, and the way we look at ourselves. Because intra-personal communication is
centered in the self, you are the only sender-receiver. The message is made up of your thoughts and
feelings. The channel is your brain, which processes what you are thinking and feeling. There is
feedback in the sense that you talk to yourself or discard certain ideas and replace them with others.
Even though you are not directly communicating with others in intra-personal communication, the
people and the experiences you have had determine how you "talk" to yourself. For example, if you
had a good day, you are likely to look at your-self in a positive way. If a teacher was disappointed
with your work, or if you had a fight with a fellow student, you are likely to focus more on your
depression or anger. You can never look at yourself without being influenced by the relationships you
have with others.
Intrapersonal communication is the first level of communication. It is the first and most basic level of
communication. Intrapersonal communication takes place within an individual. Unlike other
communication situations, here the individual is the only participant. He or she is the sender and he or
she receives the message. Intrapersonal communication is mostly our thought process. Also it is the
process of an individual talking to self and dreaming.
Communicating with self is called intrapersonal communication. Intrapersonal communication takes
place at every moment that we exist. The study of self is important for effective communication and it
begins with discovering yourself and realizing that you are a package of a number of selves combined
together.

Some Examples of Intrapersonal Communication:

• Day-dreaming
• Nocturnal (night) dreaming, including especially lucid dreaming
• Speaking aloud (talking to oneself), reading aloud, repeating what one hears; the additional
activities of speaking and hearing(in the third case of hearing again) what one thinks, reads or
hears may increase concentration and retention. This is considered normal, and the extent to
which it occurs varies from person to person. The time when there should be concern is when
talking to oneself occurs outside of socially acceptable situations.
• Writing (by hand or with a word processor, etc) one's thoughts or observations, the additional
activities, on top of thinking of writing and reading may again increase self-understanding
and concentration. lt aids ordering one's thoughts. In addition, it produces a record that can be
used later again. Copying text to aid memorizing also falls in this category.
• Making gestures while thinking: the additional activity, on top of thinking are body motions,
may again increase concentration, assist in problem solving and assist memory
• Sense-making e.g. interpreting maps, texts, signs, and symbols
• Interpreting non-verbal communication e.g. gestures and eye contact
• Communication between body parts; e.g. "My stomach is telling me it's time for lunch."

CONCEPT OF SELF:
Also intrapersonal communication involves an individual's emotions and intellect. In addition, it also
takes place at a physical level also.

PHYSICAL SELF: How we look? How we want us to show others. Bodily functions like
digestion, breathing, circulation, elimination of waste, etc. It includes the five senses. It is divided into
internal functions, external movements and body concepts. Body image is defined as a person's
perception of his/her own self while this perception remains fairly constant in normal individuals and
it is subjected to change in certain situations.

EMOTIONAL SELF: How are our emotions? How we feel? How we react? This prompts our
emotional responses as in case of fight, fright and flight, and all other emotions. It is the conscious
feelings that are accompanied by physiological changes such as tensed muscles, raised eyebrows,
laughing out loud, etc.

INTELLECTUAL SELF: How we perceive a situation? Performs mental actions like word and
sentences formation, comparison, use of logical reasoning, problem solving, decision making etc. It is
associated with your mental process and involves mental actions or behaviors. It involves the
intelligence quotient (IQ), decision making, logic and reasoning.

HABIT: Habits are repetitive behaviors that become so automatic that we are hardly aware of them.
For example: biting your nails, stroking your hair. These are acts that you don't consciously do to do
so.
An individual is a product of all these self's and to maintain a unified and happy self, we have to
increase our awareness of who we are by identifying our individual self.

CHARACTERISTICS OF INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

• It is self-contained communication.
• There is internal dialogue
• There is transfer of message between brain and other parts of body of an individual.
• It is a process by which individual transacts with the environment.
• It is a process of self-discovery and understanding of one-self.
• It's exclusively a neuro-psychological activity.
• It is virtually a continuous process.
• It is essential both to reality and to the understanding of all communication.
• It is a process of writing, day dreaming, speaking aloud, interpreting, etc.
• Intrapersonal communication is therapeutic in nature which creates an inner harmony and
leads to knowing ourselves better among itself and environment.

INTRAPERSONAL COMMUNICATION PROCESS

Intrapersonal communication is the foundation upon which interpersonal communication rests.
Therefore, it is necessary to understand how to communicate with yourself before you approach the
process of communicating with others.

1. STIMULI
The elements that set the process in motion are called stimuli. These are of two types:

i. Internal Stimuli (Originating from within us)

The brain is made aware of the state of the body by nerve impulses, internal stimuli that
can prompt you to respond by communicating. Let's say you have flu. Your muscles are
aching, your fever is high and you are depressed. Such a miserable state may promote you
to call a doctor to relieve your physical ills and a friend to relieve your depression. The
internal stimuli in the situation have resulted in communication.
ii. External stimuli (Coming from an outside source)
External stimuli are of course those stimuli that originate in the environment outside of
your body. There are two kind external stimuli.
 Overt stimuli are received on the conscious level. They are picked up by the sensory
organ and then sent to the brain. More than one overt stimulus usually affects a person at
any given movement. For example: the pizza being advertised on TV and the sound and
aromas coming from the kitchen can prompt an eager, “What's for dinner".
Covert stimuli are external stimuli that are received on the sub-conscious level. Let's say
you are getting dressed for work. One of your favorite songs comes on the radio, so you
turn the volume up. The song ends and the news begin, just as you discover a gaping hole
in your sock. You find another pair and finish dressing but you are running late. Is it too
cold for your light weight jacket? You suddenly realize that the weather report has just
ended but you have no idea what was said, despite the blaring volume.

The stimulus of the weather report was received and stored in your brain, but it was
below the threshold of consciousness. Thus, you were not consciously aware of what was
said, even though you recognized that you were hearing the weather report. Such covert
stimuli have been shown to affect behavior and communication. Split second presentation
of the words, “Drink smith's beer” can indeed make a viewer feel thirsty.

2. Reception
The process by which the body received the stimuli is called reception. In intrapersonal
communication, both external and internal receptors send information to the central nervous
system. External receptors for the five senses - sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch- receive
stimuli that are change into nerve impulses and then sent to the brain. These external
receptors are located on or near the body's surface and react to physical, chemical and
mechanical stimuli to provide you with information about the environment. Internal receptors
such as nerves endings, on the other hand, convey information about your interior state - the
dryness of your mouth or the fullness of your stomach etc.

Although your body receives every stimulus present in a particular communication setting,
you could not possibly communicate in response to every one of them. The process that helps
you to cope with this jumble of stimuli is called selective perception, the screening out of
huge number of stimuli present in your environment, which permits attention to just a few.
What determines which stimuli we do perceive? The main factor is intensity: loud sounds,
bright colors, sharp smells, and so forth are often perceived when less intense stimuli are not.

3. Processing
Processing of internal and external communication occurs at three levels: cognitive,
emotional and physiological. At each level of processing, some stimuli received more
conscious attention than others. This attention is a function of the particular stimulus and of
the context in which it is presented. Some stimuli are perceived with full awareness (traffic
light, sirens, TV programme), while others may not be consciously noticed (background noise
during a lecture, the hum of fluorescent lights in a room). Stimuli that are perceived
consciously, or at least with some awareness, are the first to be processed. Stimuli that are
perceived subconsciously are usually "stored" in your memory for later processing.
a. Cognitive Processing (thinking) is associated with the intellectual self and includes
storage, retrieval, sorting and assimilation of information.
b. Emotional Processing (feeling) is associated with the emotional self.
c. Physiological Processing occurs at the physiological level and is associated with our
physiological self.

4. Transmission
 The process by which messages are sent from a source to a receiver is called transmission. In
intrapersonal communication the source and the receiver are the same person. Thus,
transmission takes place through nerve impulses in the brain rather than through sound waves
in the air or words written on a page. The Intrapersonal communication cycle is complete
when the brain reacts to these nerve impulses by transmitting a message to smooth muscles,
which regulate the movements of the body.

5. Feedback
Intrapersonal communication also has feedback. Here it is called self-feedback.

6. Interference
The next element of intrapersonal communication is interference or noise. A sudden sound
disturbing our thought process is interference. Another form of interference occurs when we
process some information at a wrong level. For example, we are supposed to process bad
news rationally i.e. through cognitive processing. But we often react to such news through
emotions. The opposite is also a case of interference.

JOHARI’S WINDOW (SELF-MODEL)

It was designed by Joseph Luft Window and Harrington Ingham. According to this, self can be
divided into four windows

1. Open
2. Blind
3. Hidden
4. Unknown

Luft’s model of human interaction explains assumptions about the human behaviour and the four
types of self’s

• It assumes that human behaviour should be approached holistically

• Behaviour is primarily emotional and not rational.
• In human interactions qualitative factors such as trust, conflict, and acceptance are highly
important.
• It is not possible to quantify these behaviours as they are qualitative in nature.
• The principles governing behaviour should be examined through personal experience rather
than structure.
• Human behaviour should be understood in its total complexity considering factors like past
experience, roles that an individual plays and reference group in which an individual operates.
OPEN SELF- It represents self-knowledge that you are aware of and are willing to share with others.
It represents all information, behaviour, attitudes, desires, motivation that are known to the self and
others. This type of information may vary according to age, gender, socio-cultural status, etc. the
individual open –self-disclosure will depend on the time and closeness to the receiver.
HIDDEN SELF-It represents what you are aware of but are not willing to share with others. These
are secrets which are revealed at relevant times and are selectively disclosed. Hiding aspects of
yourself is an active process and consumes a lot of energy of the individual. As the communication
ties improve the hidden self becomes a part of open-self.
BLIND SELF- It represents all those things about ourselves which other know but we are ignorant of.
Ignorance of faults and virtue’s that exist in us can pose problems in interpersonal communication. It
is necessary to recognize the blind self when cues are given in interaction and not be defensive about
it.
UNKNOWN SELF- It represents parts of yourself which neither we know nor others know about us.
We only infer that it exists and sometimes this area is revealed to us through our dreams, institutions
or certain psychological tests.
From communication point of view, this model is very important for understanding yourself and for
effective interpersonal communication.
It stresses the changes in awareness that occur with time. Ideally as communication increases the open
self should increase in size and if communication is positive, feelings and behaviour from the hidden
self should move to the open self. Effective communication and feedback helps to recognize the blind
self and make it a part of the open self.
As communication become stronger, parts of blind and hidden self should come together as one
integral part.
You can use the concept of Johari’s window to increase yourself awareness. This would help you to
improve your communication with others and as you strive to shrink the blind and the hidden
segments. You may begin to disclose or discover a new self. The more information you can bring into
the open in any relationships the better interpersonal communication will result.

SELF CONCEPT
Self-concept is the basis for intrapersonal communication, because it determines how a person sees
him/her self and is oriented toward others. Self-concept (also called self-awareness) involves three
factors: beliefs, values and attitudes. This comes to exists and is developed through interaction with
the people and environment.
Everyone is a unique person made of many different dimensions that form a kind of "core" self. In
addition, other influences impact who you are. How you feel about each of these different parts of
yourself makes up your self-concept.
As your experiences and relationships with others change, your self-concept can change in specific
areas, in addition, one part of your self-concept can become more important than the others at any
given time. If you make a perfect score on a test, your academic ability may soar. If you find yourself
feeling awkward around a group you don't know, your social self may influence you to believe that
you are miserable and you want to leave.
Your self-concept lays the foundation for your communication with others on one-to-one group
situations. You are likely to repeat certain patterns of communication in specific situations. For
example, your self-concept of your social self affects how you communicate when you are with
friends. If you have a positive concept of yourself in that situation, your communication is likely to be
very effective. You may trend to fall into relaxed pattern of communication that makes your
interactions predictable and enjoyable.

Dimensions of Self:
Dimension Defined as…
1. Real Self Your "core self, who you really are
2. Perceived Self Who you see yourself to be
3. Ideal Self Who you want to be now or in the future
4. Public self The self you freely disclose to others who you are in public situations
5. Private self The self you do not share with others who you are in private
6. Professional Self Who you are in your job or profession
7. Social Self Who you are when you interact with other individuals, in groups in
society, or in social situations
8. Intellectual self Who you are as a student and a learner, the part of you that acquires and
uses knowledge
9. Emotional Self The part of you that uses and processes feelings
10. Physical Self Who you are physically, including your concept of your own body, athletic
ability, gracefulness and coordination, level of attractiveness, and physical
health and well-being
11. Artistic Self The part of you that is creative or artistic

This comes to exists and is developed through interaction with the people and environment. It
develops as a function of three primary set of variables.
 • Past Experiences- an individual’s home and school environment are very important in
determining his/herself concept. Positive past experience helps to develop an individual who
are confident, self-assures and have a positive outlook towards things and environment. These
are the various incidents, behaviour, values that an individual is exposed to during the course
of socialization.

• Reference Group- Groups that gives you a sense of identify and helps to establish your
attitudes, values are known as ‘reference’. They contribute to your self-concept, especially
during the adolescence as it is a very important part of the individual’s social environment.
The reference group enables a member to identify with an established goal giving a sense of
belongingness and identity. This identification is extremely important as individuals
incorporate into their own self. Many of the ideas, attitudes and values of the people with
whom they identify.

• Roles- Your self-concept is strongly affected by the people with whom you interact. You
assume different behavioural patterns and roles in different social settings which dictate the
roles you are playing and with those you interact. There can be ascribed role which are out of
your control and based on age, sex, kinship, etc. the individuals are expected to act in a
certain way so as to fit in that role. The gender role are usually ascribed and defined by each
culture. They are a product of behavioural patterns, values and norms which are expected to
fulfil by an individual belonging to particular society. These biological and social roles are
important in developing your self-concept.

• The Achieved Roles- They are earned by an individual accomplishment to perform social
and professional roles depending on the work you do (doctor, teacher, etc.). Therefore, it is a
combined interaction of your self-concept with these social gender ascribed and achieved
roles that determine your communication behaviour.

Increasing Your Self Awareness

• Dialogue with yourself: No one knows you better than you do. The problem is that we
seldom ever ask ourselves about ourselves. It is important to update at regular intervals, your
roles and self-perception.
• Listen: We can learn from seeing ourselves as other’s do. In every inter-personal interaction,
we get feedback which can be very explicitly or implicit and as effective communicators we
must pay close attention to these verbal and non-verbal cues to increase our self-awareness.
• Reduce your blind-self: Actively seeking out information to reduce this window pane.
Identify your different self’s clearly: It is important to really know all your selves because you
are a composite of all these. It is important to see yourself from other’s print of view as it will
give you a new and valuable self-concept.
• Increase your open self: when you reveal yourself to other’s you also reveal yourself to
yourself. It brings into consciousness a clear focus, what you may have buried within. Also by
increasing the open self you develop a more intimate and meaningful relationship with others.

Conclusion: Thus, an individual is a complex being of several self which are not separate and distinct
but are interacting cells which are dependent on one another. Knowing yourself is the foundation
upon which intrapersonal communication rests. It is necessary to understand how you communicate to
yourself before you actually start interacting with others.
Self Esteem
Self-esteem is actually our assessment of our own self. It is essentially a measure of self-worth and
importance. When this esteem is positive, we see ourselves as valuable and worthwhile and we
develop a strong self-esteem. When it is negative, we feel worthless, incompetent and unfortunate and
our self-esteem remains weak. Self-esteem is an important part of the personality that has been shaped
from the very early years.
Depending upon the success or failure and one's reaction to every significant situation in life, self-
esteem either grows stronger or gets weekend considerably.

Self-esteem is how we value ourselves; it is how we perceive our value to the world and how valuable
we think we are to others. Self-esteem affects our trust in others, our relationships, our work – nearly
every part of our lives. Positive self-esteem gives us the strength and flexibility to take charge of our
lives and grow from our mistakes without the fear of rejection.
Self-esteem is related to yourself worth and your value. Building self-esteem is a first step towards
your happiness and a better life. Self-esteem increases your confidence. If you have confidence, you
will respect yourself. If you respect yourself you can respect others, improve your relationships, your
achievements and your happiness.
Low self-esteem causes depression, unhappiness, insecurity and poor confidence. Other's desires may
take preference over yours. Inner criticism, that nagging voice of disapproval inside you, causes you
to stumble at every challenge and challenges seem impossible.
Following are some outward signs of positive self-esteem:

• Confidence
• Self-direction
• Non-blaming behavior
• An awareness of personal strengths
• An ability to make mistakes and learn from them
• An ability to accept mistakes from others
• Optimism
• An ability to solve problems
• An independent and cooperative attitude
• Feeling comfortable with a wide range of emotions
• An ability to trust others
• A good sense of personal limitations
• Good self-care
• The ability to say no

Low self-esteem:
Low self-esteem is a debilitating condition that keeps individuals from realizing their full potential. A
person with low self-esteem feels unworthy, incapable, and incompetent. In fact, because the person
with low self-esteem feels so poorly about him or herself, these feelings may actually cause the
person's continued low self-esteem.
Signs of low self-esteem:
• Negative view of life
• Perfectionist attitude
• Mistrusting others - even those who show signs of affection
 • Blaming behavior
• Fear of taking risks
• Feelings of being unloved and unlovable
• Dependence - letting others make decisions
• Fear of being ridiculed

How can you raise low self-esteem?

Feelings of low self-esteem often build up over a lifetime, and letting go of ingrained feelings and
behaviors is not an easy task. It may take time, hard work, and it may require professional counseling.
But there are some simple, positive thinking techniques that can be used to help improve self-esteem.
These are called affirmations. Using affirmations to is stop negative self-talk is a simple, positive
way to help increase self-esteem.

Affirmations are encouraging messages we can give ourselves every day until they become part of
our feelings and beliefs. Affirmations work best when a person is relaxed. But since people are often
upset when they are giving themselves negative self-messages, they may need to counter negative
messages with positive ones. For example, replace the message, "I made a stupid mistake, and I am no
good at this job," with "Yes, I made a mistake but I have learned from it, and now I can do a better
job.” Begin each day by looking into the mirror and giving yourself a positive message.
The following affirmations can help you to work toward a positive self-image:
• I respect myself and others
• I am lovable and likable
• I am confident, and it shows
• I care about myself
• I am creating loving, healthy relationships
• I am a good friend to myself and others
• I accept myself just as I am
• I look great
• Life is good, and I like being a part of it

Self-esteem quiz
• I have trouble accepting myself as I am T/F
• I desperately want to change the way I look T/F
• I think more about my failures than my successes T/F
• I worry a lot that people would not like me if they really knew me T/F
• I feel that everyone is much more competent and confident than me T/F
• I almost always avoid taking on new challenges T/F
• I am uncomfortable around successful people T/F
• I avoid making mistakes at all costs T/F
• I worry a lot that I am ineffective and incompetent T/F
• I feel worthless T/F

The more true answers you give, the lower your self-esteem.
References:
https://repository.ruforum.org/system/tdf/Types%20of%20communication.pdf?file=1&type=node&id
=33539&force=

http://nivedita-sharma.blogspot.com/2014/10/intrapersonal-communication.html

https://www.businessballs.com/self-awareness/johari-window-model-and-free-diagrams/

http://faculty.buffalostate.edu/smithrd/UAE%20Communication/Unit4.pdf
https://www.unodc.org/pdf/india/publications/per_rec_tool/binder7.pdf