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178 Communication Research Topics For Your Paper

178 Communication Research Topics

Imagine what the world would be without communication! How would we get along? I guess there would be no sense in existing after all. That is just a tiny snippet of how important communication is in everyday life. Exchanging information is a key component of coexistence as it creates order and a sense of satisfaction in the end.

However, communication as a discipline cuts across all other niches in the academic world. Students from an Engineering course would also take up communication as a unit of study. Students delve into the transmission, representation, reception, and decoding of information communicated to a greater extent.

Situations When You May Need To Write A Communication Paper

Various scenarios call for a communication paper either as an assignment or a research project in college. The communication papers needed for every situation vary in format and outline. Here are some of the cases when communication papers are necessary:

When writing a resume or cover letter In presentations and reports Internal or external communication in a company Writing a thesis statement

When writing communication papers in these different scenarios, students can develop the following aspects:

Understand the various communication phenomena Ability to direct communication messages towards accomplishing individual and organizational goals Understand various types of communication such as rhetoric, interpersonal or organizational

Such an assignment is peculiar because it deals with students’ communication processes. Therefore, the student can easily relate a communication assignment to the real-world environment.

You will have to conduct extensive digging before writing your paper like any other research project. In writing a communication research paper, you will benefit from the importance of communication in general, such as building better relationships and finding the right solutions to various problems.

It takes a lot of time to create a high-quality writing, so you have all the right to ask dissertation writers for hire to help.

Guidelines On Structure And Step By Step Tips On Writing

To have an award-winning communication paper, you need to understand that structure is always at the heart of it all. A great communication paper follows the structure below:

Solid intro : Begin by presenting a captivating introduction by highlighting the facts, questions, or problems that you will explore in the body. The reader should find more than a million reasons to proceed with your essay by reading the first two lines. A strong thesis statement is also necessary for the introduction. An insightful literature review : It shows the theoretical basis of your research project, thus giving it validity. An in-depth literature review will give room for exploration and further research. Main body : This is where we expect to find all your findings, methodological steps, concepts, analyses, and the outcome. Discussion and conclusion : Depending on your professor’s instructions, you can divide this into two parts or put it as one. In either case, this section will consist of the strengths and weaknesses of your research and any future development or improvements. You could also compare the results found in your research with what other authors have discovered.

Provided you have all your facts at hand, a communication research paper will be the easiest you will ever handle in college. Nonetheless, you can order a custom paper from various online writing experts.

If you want to make an impression with your communication research paper, here are some tips to consider:

Select a thought-provoking and captivating research topic Have a working outline with all the arguments and examples/evidence in place Ensure that you exhaust reading all the possible research materials on your topic Such papers are always in the first person except in unique cases

You can review some of the samples on our essay writer to familiarize yourself with the structure and outline of a communication research paper.

Let’s now explore 178 of the hottest communication research topics to ace your project:

Top Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

  • Evaluate the different relational patterns of interaction theory
  • How to achieve coordinated management of meaning
  • Discuss the fundamentals of pedagogical communication
  • How does technology relate to interpersonal communication?
  • Key constructs of openness and closeness
  • Establishing identities in the identity management theory
  • Evaluate the contribution of interpersonal communication scholars
  • How mental representations influence how people interpret information
  • Conceptualizing the process of social interaction
  • Discuss the various behavioral interaction patterns among siblings
  • Why do individuals modify their communicative behavior?
  • Describe why new environments present a challenge for most people to communicate effectively
  • The role of eye contact and gestures in interpersonal communication
  • Varying effects of nonverbal and verbal acts of interpersonal communication
  • Effects of different cultures on interpersonal communication strategies

World-Class Communication Research Topics For College Students

  • Understanding the historical research methods in communication
  • Discuss the relationship between technology, media, and culture
  • Evaluate the various revolutions in human communication
  • Discuss the developments made in the invention of human speech and language
  • The role of image-making, cinema, and media entertainment in communication
  • How to overcome communication barriers among students
  • Steps in encouraging participation in meetings
  • How employees contribute to the information flow in organizations
  • How to evaluate a report based on its findings
  • Sources of error during nonverbal communication
  • How the media can match the channels of communication to their audience
  • Ensuring audience attention during a presentation
  • The impact of graphics in communication strategies
  • How to interpret non-verbal signals
  • Developing communication methods that match a given purpose

Possible Topics For Communication Research

  • How to develop realistic communication strategies
  • Discuss the economics of finance in communication processes
  • How exposure to radio and TV impacts communication
  • How to manage controversial issues in communication
  • Why speaking with confidence is still difficult for many people
  • The effectiveness of communicating with words and body language
  • Why defining your purpose is key in any communication process
  • Why explanatory communication is more difficult than informative communication
  • The place of communication in long-distance relationships
  • Communication strategies that influence people
  • How to use communication effectively for conflict resolution
  • Developing your self-esteem for effective communication
  • Effects of redundancy in communication processes
  • The place of responsibility in developing communication messages
  • How to acquire effective communication skills in college

Latest Communication Topic For Research

  • The role of persuasive dialogue in negotiations
  • Why everyone must learn proper expression strategies
  • Effects of emoji and other characters in enhancing textual conversations
  • The role of propaganda in shaping communication tones
  • Evaluate the unique political language used in America versus Africa
  • The continuing impact of the internet on interpersonal communication
  • How images are enhancing communication
  • Discuss the effects of gender victimization on communication
  • Evaluate the development of modern digital communication
  • How to effectively communicate during a war or crisis
  • How hacking is transforming communication of encrypted messages
  • Effects of stereotyping in developing communication messages
  • Is virtual reality ruining effective communication?
  • Evaluate language as a barrier in communicating messages
  • The role of empathy in communicating to victims of a disaster

Top-Notch Communication Research Paper Topics

  • The role of diplomacy in fostering better relations among countries
  • Why aided communication may not achieve the intended purpose
  • Effects of using a translator in the communication of critical messages
  • Evaluate the development of audio-visual devices for communication
  • The dangers of failing to notice barriers to communication
  • How stigma and prejudice impact effective communication
  • Discuss the impact of having a common language in a country
  • How social classes affect communication messages
  • Factors that hinder communication between fighting political sides
  • How to develop strong communication skills in a marketplace
  • Why opinions may prevent one from seeing the true picture
  • Discuss the role of fantasy and exaggeration in communication
  • Differences between oral and verbal messages in conveying information
  • The role of attitude and mood in enhancing effective message delivery
  • How the media sets the communication pattern of a given society

Highly Rated Mass Communication Research Topics

  • Discuss the essence of social media among PR practitioners
  • The role of mass media in rebranding a nation
  • Challenges to media freedom and their impact on proper communication
  • Discuss the effects of news commercialization and their credibility
  • How TV advertisements impact children and their development
  • Compare and contrast between animation and real-people adverts in mass media
  • How the internet affects professionalization in news media
  • How mass media messages contribute to the development of religion in Africa
  • Evaluate the radio listenership patterns between men and women
  • How does mass media contribute to an emerging democracy
  • Discuss how the media enlightens the public on issues of concern
  • The role of mass media in communicating development messages
  • Why mass media is critical before, during, and after elections
  • Assess the influence of community radio in remote areas
  • How mass media contributes to national integration

Good Communication Research Topics

  • What determines consumer preference patterns in the 21 st century?
  • Effective communication strategies for creating awareness against drug abuse
  • Prospects and challenges of local dialects in communication
  • Evaluate the influence of television on public opinion
  • Discuss the growing cyberactivism in the digital age
  • How social media is contributing to misleading information
  • Challenges facing teachers when communicating to pre-school students
  • Discuss the impact of information overload on the credibility of information
  • Evaluate communication patterns among the youth in the US
  • Assess the effects of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on communication patterns
  • How public perception influences communication strategies
  • Explain how mothers learn to communicate with and understand their babies at such a tender age
  • The role of music in shaping communication models
  • How to overcome the challenge of top-down communication in companies
  • Management of information on online media for effective use

Business Communication Research Paper Topics

  • Discuss the increasing role of influencers on brand marketing
  • Why company blogs are essential in attracting new clients
  • Evaluate the differences between face to face and virtual business meetings
  • The growing popularity of social media in business marketing
  • Why every company should have a partner relations department
  • Dealing with complaints in a relaxed and useful manner
  • Why online project management is the future of business
  • Discuss why it is necessary to have company retreats
  • Explore the role of digital document sharing in speeding up business communication
  • Effects of relying on online communication at the expense of physical meetings
  • The role of effective business management in the performance of an organization
  • How staff motivation improve the overall working environment
  • Discuss the place of corporate social responsibility in a company
  • Effective ways of handling crisis in a large company
  • Explain why trust is important in any business partnerships

Intercultural Communication Research Topics

  • Discuss how Muslims interact with Christians at a social level
  • Evaluate the reception of instructions from a man to a woman
  • How Americans interact with Africans at the basic level
  • Discuss how an American Democrat would associate with a Chinese politician
  • Discuss the impact of marginalization in developing communication messages
  • How migration and immigration affect communication patterns
  • Effects of social stereotyping in communication
  • How do Western communication models differ from those of Africa?
  • Impact of discriminatory communication messages
  • How to organize an effective intergroup come-together
  • How the media represents various groups in its communication
  • Effects of the growing intercultural norms
  • The role of language attitudes in inhibiting effective communication
  • Evaluate how ethnographic perspectives affect communication messages
  • Why it is difficult to solve intercultural conflicts

Additional Interpersonal Communication Topics For Research Paper

  • The role of interpersonal communication in team member satisfaction
  • How collaboration and teamwork enhances business success
  • Discuss how interpersonal communication enhances problem-solving skills
  • The role of trust in interpersonal communication
  • Effects of confusion, negativity, and conflicts on interpersonal communication
  • How to deal with workplace miscommunication effectively
  • The role of personalizing information
  • How to improve internal communication channels in a company
  • Discuss the role of interests in communication patterns
  • Challenges when implementing modern communication solutions
  • Evaluate how jargon and inattention make internal communication difficult
  • The role of feedback in interpreting messages correctly
  • Discuss the influence of environmental factors in communication
  • Why miscommunication may result in a disconnect among a group of people
  • Discuss the role of skills and knowledge in effective communication among leaders

Interesting Communication Research Topics

  • How can effective interpersonal communication be a catalyst for action
  • Why a focused and intentional approach is necessary for effective communication
  • Discuss why online dating is not successful in most cases
  • Evaluate the role of non-verbal communication and customer satisfaction
  • Why is it important to have a list of communication networks?
  • Effects of lack of personal contact when it comes to communication
  • Discuss the various forms of human interactions and their influence on communication
  • The role of clear communication during an organizational change process
  • Why online communication is not as effective as physical meetings
  • Evaluate the roles and issues involved in a nurse-patient communication
  • The role of TV shows in determining how people relate to each other in the society
  • Effects of the digital divide in communication paradigms
  • The relationship between quality leadership and effective communication
  • Why is email still not yet an effective communication medium?
  • Effects of integrating marketing communication

General Communication Studies Research Topics

  • Discuss the differences in body language between male and female
  • The role of communication in familiarizing with someone
  • How online gaming communication affects one’s interpersonal communication
  • Why a leader without proper communication skills may not succeed
  • The role of communication in achieving an organization’s vision
  • How mobile phone conversations are turning around interpersonal communication
  • Discuss the role of different personality types in communication
  • Is there a difference between language and communication?
  • Discuss how communication in the military is different from that in a normal setting
  • Compare and contrast between written and spoken forms of communication
  • Why family communication is critical for a peaceful coexistence
  • Shortcomings to understanding foreign languages
  • Discuss the effectiveness of web-based communication

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100 Communication Research Topics

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Table of contents

  • 1 What Is Communication Research?
  • 2.1 Top Research Topic Ideas
  • 2.2 Research Topics for College Students
  • 2.3 Business-Focused Research Topics
  • 2.4 Social Media Research Topics
  • 2.5 Mass Communication Research Topics
  • 2.6 Interpersonal Communication Research Topics
  • 2.7 Intercultural Communication Research Topics
  • 2.8 Virtual Communication Research Topics
  • 2.9 Health-Related Research Topics
  • 2.10 Interesting Communication Research Topics
  • 3 Coming up with a Thesis Statement
  • 4.1 How to Create Strong Questions for Your Paper?
  • 4.2 How to Find the Right Research Topics?
  • 4.3 What Makes a Research Paper Topic Strong?
  • 4.4 Tips for Structuring and Writing Your Paper
  • 5 Conclusion

All fields of study have fresh and intriguing new research paper topics to explore. Within the subject of communication, there are loads of possibilities for research papers . This is thanks to the development of mass media and the growing popularity of various modern communication methods.

This article covers a broad range of effective research paper topics that are both interesting and relevant for this field. Any of them would make a suitable focal point for any research paper to do with how we interact with one another.

What Is Communication Research?

This is the study of how we interact with one another. It includes how the way we interact is affected by technology, culture, and individual differences. Researchers in this field use a variety of methods to study the way we converse and interact with each other, including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and experiments.

Research in this area can be used to improve communication skills in personal relationships, in the workplace, and in other settings.

Lists of Key Communication Research Topics

The range of research paper topics in this field is extensive, to say the least. Below are 100 relevant topics that are arranged in groups of 10.

They cover a broad selection of modern communication issues and debates, from corporate and computer mediated communication to effective interpersonal communication, communication strategies, and more.

Top Research Topic Ideas

The topics in this first group mostly focus on how different factors impact the way we interact with one another. These are some of the key issues in the communication discipline today.

  • The role communication plays in organizations.
  • How technology influences it.
  • The way globalization affects it.
  • How it’s influenced by broadcast media.
  • Ways in which advertising impacts it.
  • The influence propaganda has on it.
  • How it’s impacted by public relations.
  • The effects of international journalism and journalism ethics on it.
  • How the use of social media influences it.
  • How it’s affected by language.

Research Topics for College Students

These topics are ideal for college students. They focus on how communication processes can influence someone’s mental health and personality traits. Both of these are important since they can influence a student’s academic progress.

  • How does communication shape our identities?
  • How do we use it to build relationships?
  • What role does it play in influencing our emotions?
  • How is our thinking influenced by it?
  • In what ways do we use it to manage conflict?
  • How is our behavior influenced by it?
  • What factors influence the effectiveness of communication?
  • In what way is it impacted by technology?
  • What influences do cultural differences have on it?
  • How does it shape our physical and mental health?

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Business-Focused Research Topics

Having effective business communication is necessary for any sort of commercial activity to improve its marketing value. Both business to business communication and interactions with the public have to get the right message across. Below are some potential areas to do with organizational communication and public relations.

  • The impact of new communication technologies.
  • The use of social media and external communication.
  • What effects does globalization have?
  • How organizational communication is used in virtual teams.
  • The impact that intercultural communication has.
  • The way humor is used.
  • What are the effects of gender?
  • How we use non-verbal communication.
  • The effect that technology has on corporate communication etiquette.
  • The way we use business communication in crisis situations.

Social Media Research Topics

The focus of these topics is on social media, and it affects the way we communicate with one another. Using social media and being exposed to social media marketing can both have significant effects on practical communication skills. These topics focus on the way modern digital platforms influence our interactions.

  • The effect of social media on communication practices and patterns.
  • How social media changes relationship development.
  • What influence does social media have on how people interact with each other?
  • The effect of social media on the way people share information.
  • How social media impacts the way people interact with businesses.
  • The effect of social media on the way people interact with governments through proper communication channels.
  • What consequences does social media have on online interactions?
  • The effect that social media has on the way people interact with each other offline.
  • Social media’s influence on the way people interact with each other in different cultures.
  • What effects does social media have on the way people interact with each other in different age groups?

Mass Communication Research Topics

Mass communication is when you share information with a large number of people at the same time. Topics to do with mass communication are very relevant, thanks to the internet, social media platforms, and other kinds of mass media. The purpose of mass media is simply to inform loads of people about something as quickly and conveniently as possible.

  • What effect do social media platforms have on mass communication?
  • How does new technology affect it?
  • The impact that advertising has on it.
  • How news media influences it.
  • Ways in which propaganda impacts it.
  • The influence that public relations have on it.
  • How it’s impacted by digital media and print media.
  • Globalization’s impact on it.
  • How new forms of media affect it.
  • The ways it’s influenced by social networking.

Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

This is a broad term that refers to the exchanging of information between people. It’s when you use effective communication skills to share thoughts, ideas, and facts with at least one other person. The topics in this section look at some of the latest interpersonal communication trends.

  • The effect of technology on interpersonal communication.
  • The effect of culture on it.
  • How gender influences it.
  • The effect of age on it.
  • How someone’s interaction style may impact it.
  • The way context may influence it.
  • How relationships can influence it.
  • How it can be influenced by social apprehension.
  • The effect of social competence on it.
  • How it’s impacted by satisfaction.

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Intercultural Communication Research Topics

This is when people from different cultures exchange information. Things like different languages, traditions, and even artifacts affect intercultural communication. The topics below look at intercultural communication and how culture shapes the many ways we interact with one another.

  • How culture influences the ways we interact with one another.
  • The impact of intercultural communication styles on relationships.
  • How culture impacts our perceptions of interaction.
  • The effect that interaction has on business relationships.
  • How culture influences the way we interpret nonverbal communication.
  • The impact of culture on our way of interpreting speech.
  • How culture influences our information processing.
  • The way culture impacts our process of making decision.
  • The impact of culture on how we solve problems.
  • How culture influences our interactions with others.

Virtual Communication Research Topics

Are virtual communication skills essential? You have to be just as proficient at virtual dialogue as you are at spoken words. Mastering interactive online communication is key for anyone who wants to succeed, and the topics below delve into this further.

  • The impact on the development of personal relationships.
  • The use of virtual dialogue in the business world.
  • How it influences the way we think and learn.
  • The benefits of virtual communication for people with social anxiety.
  • The way it’s used in education.
  • How it impacts our mental health.
  • Ways in which it influences family relationships.
  • How it’s used in the workplace.
  • The effect it has on relationships.
  • The advantages and disadvantages of virtual communication.

Health-Related Research Topics

It’s essential to have effective communication strategies in any sort of healthcare setting. Having interpersonal communication competence is vital so that practitioners can speak with patients clearly and effectively. The topics below look at how internal and external communication in the healthcare industry affects and is affected by different factors.

  • The effectiveness of health communication campaigns in changing health behaviors.
  • The impact of social media on interactions in the health industry.
  • How humor is used in it.
  • How storytelling is used in it.
  • What effects it has on reducing health disparities.
  • What effects it has on increasing health literacy.
  • How new media technologies are used in it.
  • How it influences public health outcomes.
  • The role it plays in health education.
  • The impact it has on patient satisfaction.

Interesting Communication Research Topics

This last batch of topics looks at how both spoken words and non-verbal communication affect different things. Some of the topics are about how we interact with one another in different areas of life.

  • The impact of new communication technology on social interactions.
  • The way it is used in the workplace.
  • How we use it in education.
  • Ways in which it is used in marketing.
  • How people use it in healthcare.
  • The way it affects personal relationships.
  • The effects it has on organizational cultures.
  • How it impacts individual productivity.
  • Its effects on consumer behavior.
  • The influences it has on the environment.
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Coming up with a Thesis Statement

Once you have come up with a potential research topic, you should start writing. Your first step is to write an effective thesis statement .

Your thesis statement is the argument or main point you want to make about your topic. It’s a summary of what your paper is going to be about. The purpose of it is to show the reader what you will be discussing and invite them to read your work.

Once you have your thesis statement, start writing your paper. Make sure to include evidence from scholarly sources to support your work.

Topic Selection and Writing Tips

How to create strong questions for your paper.

This question doesn’t have a single answer, as the best way to create strong questions for your paper will vary depending on the specific research project and its goals.

However, some tips on how to create strong questions include:

  • Start by thinking about the specific goals of your research project. What are you trying to learn or understand?
  • Draft a few potential research questions that can help you answer your goals. Be sure to make them as specific as possible.
  • Test your research questions by asking them to others to see if they are clear and understandable. Are they interesting to people outside of your field of study?
  • Revise and refine your research questions as needed. Be sure to keep them concise and easy to understand.

How to Find the Right Research Topics?

When writing a communication research paper, first, you should decide what topic you want to learn more about.

  • Do the effects of social media and mass media on communication interest you?
  • What about the role of communication in a competitive global business environment?
  • What is the impact of new technology on the ways we exchange information?
  • Whether effective communication is necessary to ensure credible reporting?
  • How do improved relations make broadcasting media laws effective?

Once you have a general topic in mind, you can begin to narrow it down by focusing on a specific aspect of this field that interests you.

For example, if you are interested in the communication importance in a business market, you might want to focus on the impact of effective business interactions on employee productivity or customer satisfaction.

Alternatively, you could look at how private media ownership is affecting mass media, bringing journalism ethics into the discussion, and how journalists are ensuring credible reporting.

What Makes a Research Paper Topic Strong?

There is no one answer to this question, as it depends on the individual and the specific research goals. However, some factors that could make a research topic strong include its relevance to current events or real-world issues, its potential to generate new and innovative ideas, and its ability to generate interesting and valuable research findings.

Additionally, a strong topic should be interesting and engaging to read and write about, and it should be something that the researcher can be passionate about.

Tips for Structuring and Writing Your Paper

When writing communication research papers, it is important to structure your argument in a manner that’s clear and concise. Your paper should have a clear research paper introduction , body, and conclusion. Within the body of your paper, there should be a strong thesis statement, evidence that supports your argument, and a conclusion summarizing your argument.

Additionally, throughout the research paper writing process, it is significant to use clear and concise language. Use communication tips to help you put your own points across more effectively.

Deciding what to focus your research paper doesn’t have to be daunting. There are a huge number of research topics available. Finding the right one is easy.

First, think about the ideas that interest you the most. Which part of communication studies are you most passionate about? Is it media ethics, mass media, or something else?

When you’ve settled on one of the research topic ideas , start the research paper writing process. Find key sources such as books and academic articles. Think about what needs addressing in your research paper.

Now, it’s time for you to produce an excellent communication research paper.

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100 Best Communication Topics You’ll Ever Need

Interpersonal Communication Topics

Public speaking has gained great recognition over the past few years. Where it wasn’t even considered a valuable skill a decade ago, public speaking has now become the main part of college curriculums. Students who are good at delivering speeches are encouraged to do better and hone their skills.

If you are fond of public speaking or know someone who is into speeches and debates, this guide is going to serve you the right way. It will provide you with interesting communication research topics and give you the best writing help ever.

What Are Communication Topics?

If you are a newbie in this field, you might be wondering what public speaking is and how to ace it.

Basically, public speaking is any kind of speech that is given in front of an audience – be it an official event, a college competition, or any other occasion. It consists of a large range of interpersonal communication topics and has many benefits.

Public speaking is done for many different reasons, where education stands on top of the list. People who are studying communication topics are always on the lookout for communication research topics such as interpersonal communication research topics, communication thesis ideas, social media research topics, and whatnot.

Everyone wants to bag in the best communication thesis ideas and make sure their presentations are the finest of all. We are sure you are one of those people; that is why we have written this guide to give you an insight into lots of topics in interpersonal communication.

Benefits Of Public Speaking

As we mentioned above, there are numerous advantages to this skill, and it really helps you in all stages of your life. Here is a brief list:

Boosts up your confidence Improves your research skills Builds your patience Helps in educating other people through your knowledge Aids your mental growth Results in great exposure Better conclusive skills Makes you a convincing person You automatically build an opinion about everything after going through all the communication research ideas Transforms your body language

Now you probably know what we were talking about in the previous paragraphs. If you are not a speaker at the moment, it is high time you consider doing it from now on because you can see all the amazing benefits it will bring your way. It will certainly make you a better and more learned person who can actually influence people’s opinions about how they see the world.

100 Interpersonal Communication Topics For You

In case you are still stuck with interpersonal communication research topics, we have written down a long list of research topics for communication to help you with your studies as well as give you public speaking ideas.

Funny speech topics

  • No one wants to grow up
  • Parents should ask for our consent before bringing us into the world
  • Vegetarians not allowed
  • Why is there a temptation in only the prohibited things
  • Our favorite childhood memories
  • Let us travel back to happy times when we were not born
  • You should smile more often
  • A billion reasons why telling the truth doesn’t always work
  • Let us just say no to growing up
  • Mayonnaise beats ketchup
  • Being weird is good

Informative speech topics

  • The history of evolution
  • Is the earth flat or round?
  • Let us give our women their rights
  • 100 reasons why racism should not exist
  • Let us clean our motherland
  • Deep-rooted causes of coronavirus
  • History and origin of America
  • The era of believers
  • How did the internet affect us?
  • How continents came into existence

Beauty and fashion related speech topics

  • The history and origin of makeup
  • Why is skincare your best friend
  • Skincare is all about your water intake
  • Miniskirts vs. trousers
  • Reasons to wear makeup
  • How makeup impacts confidence
  • High heels or sneakers?
  • Ideal skincare routine for everyone
  • Makeup is not for a specific gender
  • Skincare over makeup

Sports-related speech topics

  • Football releases stress
  • College athletes should be paid
  • Girls need more inclusion in sports
  • Health benefits that sports bring
  • Why choose cricket over baseball?
  • Female vs. male wrestlers
  • Is wrestling a healthy sport?
  • Make sports safe for LGBT sportsmen
  • Paralympics and its benefits
  • Its high time we stop sexism in sports

Inspirational interpersonal communication topics

  • We got this!
  • There is way more to life than you think
  • Get your life together
  • Make yourself proud before anyone else
  • Way to love yourself
  • Forgiveness is not easy but always gives you relief
  • The key is to hold on
  • You should be the most important person in your life
  • 100 reasons why we should be more kind
  • Fake it till you make it!
  • Work hard in silence and let your success make the noise

Mental health awareness speech topics

  • Personality disorders amongst teens and their solutions
  • Is the medication required for mental illnesses?
  • How important is therapy?
  • Rub off those suicidal thoughts
  • You are important
  • Physical and mental health should be given equal importance
  • Men have the right to show their emotions, and no one should tell them otherwise
  • Peer pressure and its side effects
  • Deaf your ears to everything but your heart
  • Let us break stereotypes

Communication research topics for kids

  • Mobile phones or books?
  • The better side of technology
  • Play-time is as important as studies
  • No more homework!
  • Should homeschooling become more common?
  • Introduce evening shifts in schools!
  • How to be a pro at maths
  • Always stand up to bullies
  • Be a kinder version of yourself, every day
  • Should watching cartoons be allowed in schools?

Health and medical speech topics

  • Every doctor should get a gold medal for his services
  • Accept your body
  • The importance of drinking water
  • Take care of your diet
  • Here is why you should never step near drugs
  • Why should a headache never be ignored?
  • The correct first aid kit can help save a life
  • How do cell-phones affect our health?
  • Top things to do for better brain functioning
  • What should be done to improve immunity?

Political speech topics

  • Is democracy really the best option?
  • The problem of investing in biological weaponries
  • Why are taxes needed?
  • Should chain-smokers pay a health tax?
  • Does voting actually help?
  • We want justice
  • Why isn’t the government against racism?

Environmental interpersonal communication topics

  • Recycle paper as much as possible
  • How to make recycling a part of daily life?
  • Plastic should be completely banned
  • Only one car per house should be allowed
  • Let us beat global warming together
  • Why we need to plant more trees
  • We lack fresh air – aren’t you worried?
  • An animal’s life is just as important as a human’s.
  • It is high time you stop wasting water
  • Adopt a stray cat instead of buying an expensive breed
  • No one can save our planet but us!

Now that you have reached the century, we are sure you know what your next speech will be about. We hope this guide helped you out! However, should you need a professional writer by your side , feel free to contact our experts – they will nail it in no time!

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250+ Communication Research Topics & Ideas for Students to Consider

Communication Research Paper Topics

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Picture this: you're sitting at your desk, racking your brain for a killer communication research paper topic. You've scrolled through countless websites, but nothing is resonating. Sounds frustrating, right?

Well, good news – your search ends here. Our blog has been carefully designed to combat this exact problem by providing a broad array of unique communication research topics. Aimed at students like you, it offers topics that are not only relevant, but also engaging and thought-provoking.

We invite you to dive into these communication research paper topics, sure to set your communication study on the right track. They're ready to be picked, expanded, or simply serve as a spark to ignite your creativity. Forget the nightmare of topic selection! With our blog, that's a problem of the past. Dive in this collection from our paper writers online and let the inspiration flow!

What Are Communication Research Topics?

Communication studies is an academic field that integrates aspects of sociology, psychology, media and politics to examine human communication. It's an incredibly dynamic field that explores how information is transmitted and understood among people, organizations, cultures, or nations. 

In this regard, communication research topics cover a wildly diverse range of areas. Some subjects might revolve around understanding social media algorithms, while others focus on the power of political speeches. Basically, if your research explores sending, receiving, and understanding of messages – it fits right into communication studies.

Characteristics of Good Communication Research Paper Topics

Finding the right communication topics for a research paper is like looking for the perfect ingredient. It's not just about grabbing the first thing you see. Instead, you need to select a topic that satisfies your professor’s requirements and adds value to the academic conversation. 

So, what makes a communication research paper topic truly stand out? The answer is simple. You should be governed by a few key attributes that elevate a topic from good to great. Below are some of these features:

  • Present-time significance Choose a topic that resonates with contemporary issues. These subjects may vary from understanding the impact of social media on public discourse to exploring the ethics in digital advertising.
  • Novelty Communication field is vast, but repetitive themes can lose their appeal. Strive for novelty. A fresh viewpoint or a new exploration in a familiar domain can make your paper truly distinctive.
  • Practicality Grand ideas are wonderful, but an effective topic is the one that can be comfortably researched given your resources and timeframe. Consider your access to data, available literature, and your expertise while navigating through research topics for communication.
  • Personal engagement A study should keep you involved. Your own enthusiasm can make the research process more rewarding.
  • Precision A crucial attribute is the scope. An overly broad topic can lead to a surface-level discussion, while a hyper-narrow theme can limit the scope of your research. Make sure your communication research topic keeps that balance.

How to Choose a Communication Research Topic?

Selecting a good research topic in communication can be a time-consuming process since there are many areas to pick from. But with these steps, making a choice can be way easier.

  • Discover Stay updated with the latest trends, theories, and debates in communication studies. This can help you identify emerging or important areas that could form the basis of your title.
  • Ideate Generate a list of possible topics for communication research based on your readings, interests, and specific requirements. Ensure these themes are intriguing and meet instructions.
  • Refine Critically assess your ideas considering the availability of resources for research. Narrow down your list to ideas that can be researched with the resources you have.
  • Finalize Select a theme that you are genuinely interested in. Confirm your choice after discussing it with your mentors, peers or online research paper writing service .

Communication Research Topics List

Before you begin searching, remember to align your topic with your instructor's guidelines and course objectives. Our expert term paper writers have curated a list of engaging communication research paper topics. These ideas, both intriguing and diverse, can provide a robust starting point for your exploration.

  • Impact of emojis on digital conversation.
  • Non-verbal cues in virtual meetings.
  • Evolution of political discourse on social media.
  • Crisis communication in the age of Twitter.
  • Role of memes in shaping public opinion.
  • Ethics of persuasion in advertising.
  • Are podcasts a new form of storytelling?
  • Influence of cultural nuances on business communication.
  • Fake news and media literacy.
  • Language barriers in international diplomacy.
  • Social media influencers as modern change-makers.
  • Impact of technology on interpersonal communication.
  • Role of humor in effective communication.
  • How does workplace diversity affect communication styles?
  • Accessibility in digital communication.

Interesting Communication Research Topics

Great communications research topics should also tackle real-world issues and invite further exploration. We've tailored our suggestions to align with these criteria, aiming to pique your curiosity. Here are fascinating topics that you might find interesting:

  • Role of communication in climate change awareness.
  • Deconstructing political rhetoric in election campaigns.
  • Can emojis replace words in digital conversations?
  • Impact of influencers on consumer behavior.
  • Fake news and public trust in media.
  • Miscommunication: Root causes and effects.
  • Bridging cultural gaps in international negotiations.
  • Understanding gender dynamics in conversation.
  • Ethical boundaries in persuasive advertising.
  • Memes as a form of political commentary.
  • Podcasts: Reviving oral traditions in a digital age?
  • Influence of social media on body image.
  • Digital detox: A solution for information overload?
  • Negotiating language barriers in global diplomacy.
  • What impact does social media have on public opinion?

Good Communication Research Topics

If you are still in search of something more specific, the following communication research topics ideas can help. They cover a range of disciplines and avenues for exploration, from healthcare research topics to business topics and ideas.

  • Crisis communication in natural disasters.
  • Role of body language in job interviews.
  • Digital activism: Effective tool or just noise?
  • How does social media shape our self-image?
  • Impact of AI on interpersonal communication.
  • Ethics and transparency in public relations.
  • Humor as a communication tool in education.
  • Can language shape our perception of reality?
  • Exploring intercultural communication in multinational companies.
  • Analyzing propaganda techniques in modern media.
  • Role of storytelling in organizational leadership.
  • Communication strategies in health campaigns.
  • Power dynamics in family conversations.
  • Navigating digital communication etiquette: Do’s and don'ts.
  • Is anonymity empowering or threatening in online communication?

Simple Communication Research Paper Topics

Browsing through tons of research topics in communication can quickly become overwhelming if not managed properly. To simplify the process, these easy yet comprehensive ideas may be of help.

  • Role of silence in effective communication.
  • Influence of celebrity endorsements on brand image.
  • Impact of texting on language skills.
  • Social media as a tool for social change.
  • Power of non-verbal communication in public speaking.
  • Exploring communication styles across cultures.
  • Understanding effective communication in sports teams.
  • Cyberbullying: A new face of aggression?
  • Role of communication in customer service excellence.
  • Music as a universal language: Myth or reality?
  • Exploring personal space in different cultures.
  • Are billboards still effective advertising tools?
  • Impact of language proficiency on academic performance.
  • Bridging generational gaps through effective communication.
  • Role of communication in conflict resolution.

Latest Communication Research Topics

Keeping pace with the latest trends is crucial, as it allows you to tap into contemporary debates. It's about understanding the pulse of the present, exploring the new, and challenging the status quo. To help you get involved in these current discussions, here are some trending communication topics for research:

  • Role of TikTok in shaping youth culture.
  • Impact of remote work on team communication.
  • Is cancel culture affecting freedom of speech?
  • Rise of mental health conversations on social media.
  • Understanding AI's role in customer service communication.
  • Influencer marketing: Revolutionizing traditional advertising?
  • Dealing with misinformation in the era of instant news.
  • Impact of virtual reality on interpersonal communication.
  • Communication strategies in pandemic crisis management.
  • Role of livestreaming in shaping consumer behavior.
  • Can chatbots replace human customer service?
  • NFTs and their impact on digital art communication.
  • E-sports communication: New rules of the game.
  • Voice technology: Future of human-machine communication?
  • Communication patterns in online learning environments.

Communication Research Topic Ideas for Students

Requirements to research differ depending on the academic level. If you are searching for research topics on communication divided into separate groups based on their academic complexity, don’t go any further. Below we selected the best communication research ideas for both college and university students.

Communication Research Paper Topics for College Students

College-level studies require a more sophisticated approach than a high-school one. You should explore beyond the surface and engage critically with various facets of communication. To meet these academic expectations, we offer you a selection of communication research topics for college students.

  • Biases in news media coverage.
  • Understanding communication breakdown in diplomatic relations.
  • Role of data visualization in business communication.
  • The psychology of persuasion in advertising.
  • Impact of subliminal messaging in advertising.
  • Cross-cultural communication in global business.
  • Role of LinkedIn in professional networking.
  • Impact of language nuances on legal communication.
  • Political correctness in public discourse: Necessity or limitation?
  • Social media algorithms and user behavior.
  • Analyzing crisis communication in the airline industry.
  • Impact of cyber communication on teenage self-esteem.
  • Exploring echo chambers in digital media.
  • Communication strategies for environmental advocacy.
  • Role of whistleblowers in corporate communication.

Communication Research Paper Topics for University Students

University-level research is often more intensive and complex. To help you cope with this, we've prepared a selection of communication research topics for university students. These ideas should give you plenty of material to investigate.

  • Impact of bilingualism on interpersonal communication.
  • Role of visual aids in classroom communication.
  • AI's influence on journalism: A revolution?
  • Social networking sites: Anxieties and self-presentation.
  • How does music communicate cultural identities?
  • Body language in job interviews: What does it communicate?
  • Gated communities and their communication culture.
  • Graffiti: A form of social communication?
  • Comics: Communicating societal issues through art.
  • Silent films: Mastering communication without words.
  • Decoding communication in dance forms across cultures.
  • Role of color in marketing communication.
  • Dealing with information overload in the digital age.
  • Visual communication in the age of Instagram and Snapchat.
  • The impact of dark social on marketing.

Research Topics in Communication by Subject

Navigating through different communication research paper topics can be daunting, which is why we've categorized them by subject for your convenience. Whether you're focused on interpersonal communication, media studies, or communication technology, there's something here for everyone. Below, you'll find an array of communication paper topics, thoughtfully organized to cater to your specific academic needs.

Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

Interpersonal communication is the process by which people exchange information, feelings, and meaning through verbal and non-verbal messages. It's not just about what is said or expressed, but also how it's perceived and understood. Below are some interpersonal communication research paper topics you might find interesting:

  • Impact of language barriers on interpersonal relationships.
  • Perception of sarcasm in online communication.
  • Power dynamics in family communication.
  • Self-disclosure in romantic relationships: Benefit or bane?
  • Face-to-face vs. digital communication.
  • Exploring communication styles in leadership roles.
  • Interpersonal communication in multi-generational workplaces.
  • Art of persuasion in interpersonal communication.
  • Examining the role of empathy in effective communication.
  • Listening skills: Their impact on interpersonal relationships.
  • The role of humor in easing interpersonal tensions.
  • Social etiquette: Unspoken rules of interpersonal communication.
  • Impact of cultural norms on interpersonal communication.
  • Role of interpersonal communication in fostering team spirit.
  • The psychology of small talk.

Intercultural Communication Research Topics

Intercultural communication investigates how people from different societies interact and communicate with each other. It encompasses various topics, including language acquisition, cultural identity, political discourse, cross-cultural differences in business communication, and more. Here are some intercultural communication topics for research papers to get you started:

  • Body language: Deciphering variations across cultures.
  • Cultural adaptations in international business communication.
  • Etiquette in digital correspondence between representatives of different cultures.
  • Role of cultural intelligence in effective intercultural communication.
  • Impact of cultural stereotyping on communication.
  • Religious sensitivities in intercultural dialogue.
  • Challenges in international diplomacy.
  • Interpreting emotions across cultures.
  • Exploring cultural nuances in humor.
  • Role of intercultural communication in global marketing.
  • Cross-cultural adaptation of immigrants: Communication barriers and breakthroughs.
  • Cultural perceptions of privacy in communication.
  • Role of translation in intercultural understanding.
  • Impact of globalization on intercultural communication.
  • How cultural backgrounds affect negotiation tactics.

Communication Research Paper Topics on Public Relations

Public relations involve strategic communication and relationships between organizations, their target audiences, customers, suppliers, employees, media stakeholders, and other relevant publics. Below are some topics related to communication and public relations:

  • Ethics in PR: Navigating gray areas.
  • Social media's influence on modern PR strategies.
  • Celebrity endorsements: A PR perspective.
  • Public relations and communication in corporate social responsibility.
  • PR for start-ups: Building a brand from scratch.
  • The influence of PR on consumer decision-making.
  • PR in sports: Handling controversies and scandals.
  • Environmental PR: Advocating for sustainability.
  • Impact of fake news on PR practices.
  • Diversity and inclusion in PR campaigns.
  • PR and event management: Making a splash.
  • Dealing with PR failures: Lessons from high-profile cases.
  • PR in the hospitality industry: Ensuring customer satisfaction.
  • How does PR shape the public image of celebrities?
  • Communication strategies for handling negative PR.

Mass Communication Research Topics

Mass communication is a mechanism for disseminating information and ideas to large audiences. It can be used for educational, marketing, or advertising purposes. Here are some of the best mass communications research topics on offer:

  • Influence of political bias in news reporting.
  • Analyzing audience behavior in the digital age.
  • Impact of sensationalism on news quality.
  • How mass communication shapes societal norms.
  • Mass communication in health promotion campaigns.
  • Effects of product placement in television shows.
  • Understanding censorship in mass media.
  • Media literacy: The need for critical consumption.
  • Role of mass communication in electoral politics.
  • Effects of celebrity culture on mass audiences.
  • Representation of minority groups in mainstream media.
  • Pop culture influence on youth.
  • Role of mass communication in environmental awareness.
  • Impact of digital platforms on print journalism.
  • Mass communication and its effect on consumer behavior.

Communication Research Topics on Social Media

Social media has revolutionized the way people communicate, with far-reaching implications for marketing and public relations. Below are some research topics in communication for your next social media essay or project:

  • Balancing privacy and connectivity on social platforms.
  • What makes content shareable?
  • Brands navigating cancel culture on social platforms.
  • Social media and mental health: Exploring connections.
  • LinkedIn etiquette: Navigating professional communication online.
  • Snapchat's influence on short-term content consumption.
  • Crisis management on social media: Case studies.
  • The evolution of Facebook's news feed algorithm.
  • How does social media affect political discourse?
  • Twitch and the rise of livestreaming cultures.
  • Ethical considerations in data mining on social platforms.
  • Digital activism: Social media's role in social movements.
  • Analyzing the growth and influence of TikTok.
  • Determining the impact of fake news on voting preferences.
  • Pros and cons of using AI for content moderation.

>> View more: Social Media Research Paper Topics

Communication Research Topics on Journalism

Journalism is an integral part of our society as it informs and shapes a public opinion. As this field evolves, especially with digital technology, new research angles constantly arise. We did our best to collect the best journalism communication related topics below:

  • Challenges of investigative journalism in the digital age.
  • Citizen journalism versus traditional journalism.
  • The role of artificial intelligence in news generation.
  • Journalism ethics in the era of "clickbait."
  • Combating fake news: Strategies for news outlets.
  • The impact of podcasts on journalism.
  • Role of photojournalism in conflict reporting.
  • Impact of social media on newsroom practices.
  • 24/7 news cycle: A boon or a bane?
  • Exploring objectivity in political journalism.
  • The decline of print media: What's next?
  • Environmental journalism and its role in climate change awareness.
  • Multimedia communication: Integration of text, audio, and video.
  • Journalism's role in fostering social change.
  • The rise and impact of opinion journalism.

Communication Research Ideas on Negotiations

Negotiations are at the heart of business communication and diplomacy, making them a highly relevant topic of research. Explore these research topics about communication and negotiations:

  • Role of cultural understanding in international negotiations.
  • How do emotions affect negotiation outcomes?
  • Strategies for dealing with deadlock.
  • The art of persuasive language in communication.
  • Power dynamics in business negotiations.
  • The effect of gender stereotypes on negotiation.
  • Online negotiations: New rules and dynamics.
  • The psychology of 'win-win' scenarios.
  • Pre-negotiation stage: Preparation and its importance.
  • Building trust in communication processes.
  • Negotiation styles across different industries.
  • The role of ethics in negotiations.
  • The impact of negotiation training on business outcomes.
  • Strategies to handle aggressive negotiators.
  • Do introverts or extroverts negotiate better?

Virtual Communication Topics for a Research Paper

Virtual communication refers to the process of exchanging information between two or more people within a simulated environment. This could be anything from social media platforms to online gaming forums, virtual reality, and computer-mediated conferencing. Here are some digital communication research paper topics to consider:

  • Exploring how virtual teams bridge geographic divides.
  • Investigating how emojis and emoticons are changing language norms.
  • Defining digital etiquette and rules for the new age.
  • Virtual communication and work-life balance.
  • What is the role of virtual reality in revolutionizing communication?
  • Is social media a friend or foe in professional communication?
  • The evolution of language in the age of texting.
  • How does 5G influence our communication habits?
  • Is e-learning an effective method or just a convenient option?
  • How to navigate misinformation in online conversations?
  • Telemedicine marks a new era for healthcare communication.
  • Are virtual meetings a productivity booster or a time waster?
  • Is blockchain a game changer for secure communication?
  • The use of virtual reality in public speaking training.
  • Digital communication and the paradox of loneliness.

Communication Research Topics on Advertising

Advertising is the process of attracting attention to products and services through various forms of communication — from TV commercials to creative content marketing campaigns. Take a look at these advertising communication research ideas to pick a fitting topic:

  • How does emotional appeal work in advertising campaigns?
  • How do colors influence purchasing decisions in advertising?
  • Can humor in advertising guarantee a positive response?
  • The role of nostalgia in marketing campaigns.
  • How do different cultures react to the same ad?
  • Analyzing the communication techniques in Nike's 'Just Do It' campaign.
  • Evaluating the 'Got Milk?' campaign: The role of concise messaging.
  • The influence of McDonald's 'I'm Lovin' It' campaign on consumer behavior.
  • The impact of Apple's 'Think Different' campaign on brand perception.
  • Analysis of 'Share a Coke' ad: Personalization as a communication tool.
  • The 'Because You're Worth It' campaign by L'Oreal: A study in self-affirmative messaging.
  • 'Don't Be Evil': Understanding Google's corporate identity through its original slogan.
  • How are 'Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt' (FUD) used in smear campaigns?
  • How do 'Calls to Action' affect the success of digital campaigns?
  • The role of user-generated content in advertising.

>> More ideas: Marketing Research Topics

Communication Research Topics on Leadership

Leadership is all about effective communication. Leaders must be able to communicate their vision effectively in order for their followers to understand and buy into it. Below are some communication research topic ideas for your leadership essay or scholarly study.

  • Impact of transformational leadership communication on employee morale.
  • Persuasive techniques of successful women leaders.
  • Leadership and team productivity: The unspoken connection.
  • Comparison of narrative styles among autocratic and democratic leaders.
  • Communication pitfalls in leadership.
  • Effect of non-verbal communication in leadership efficacy.
  • Role of effective message conveying in conflict resolution among leaders.
  • Analysis of Steve Jobs' leadership communication style.
  • Assertive message conveyance and its effect on leadership success.
  • How does style of expression influence perception of leadership?
  • Importance of cultural intelligence in leadership communication.
  • Emotional intelligence and empathy in leadership.
  • Role of open dialogue in leadership and trust building.
  • Examining the importance of listening skills in effective leadership.
  • Communication strategies for leading remote teams.

Extra Communication Research Topic Ideas

As the field of communication is vast and encompasses multiple subjects, not all topics find their exact match in pre-established categories. For those unique, fascinating, and sometimes offbeat communication research paper topics, we have created an extra section. Here, you can explore additional ideas that although didn't neatly fit into a particular category, hold immense research potential.

Communication Research Questions

Are you about to write a research paper or a dissertation in communication but haven't settled on a topic yet? If so, then you can consider one of the following communication research questions:

  • In what ways has COVID-19 influenced remote communication techniques?
  • Can online video platforms replace face-to-face meetings fully?
  • How do different age groups perceive and interpret memes?
  • Is digital detox a viable solution for communication overload?
  • How does color psychology influence marketing communication?
  • What role does silence play in non-verbal dialogue?
  • How do political leaders use body language in public speaking?
  • How has podcasting influenced knowledge dissemination?
  • What are the communication challenges faced by astronauts during space missions?
  • Can communication training improve emotional intelligence?
  • How does culture impact our perception of visual communication?
  • How is AI changing the landscape of communication in healthcare?
  • Does text messaging and instant messaging deteriorate writing skills?
  • How does bilingualism influence communication styles?
  • What role does music play in cross-cultural communication?

Research Topics on Communication for Exam

If you have scrolled down this far, chances are you are about to take an exam on communication topics. To help you make the best of your exam preparation, we've compiled a list of communication research paper topics that you might face on your exam.

  • Evolving trends in workplace interactions.
  • The impact of social media on personal connections.
  • Ethical considerations in journalistic practices.
  • Influence of culture on conversation styles.
  • Symbolism in advertising messages.
  • Effect of virtual reality on social interactions.
  • The role of storytelling in organizational dialogue.
  • Gender differences in dialogue styles.
  • Importance of active listening in effective exchanges.
  • How leadership effectiveness is influenced by dialogue techniques.
  • Effects of mass media on societal behavior.
  • AI's impact on future interaction systems.
  • Technological advancements in telecommunication fields.
  • How does noise affect the quality of conversation?
  • Influence of personal branding on messaging.

Main Approaches to Studying Communication

Scholars have developed multiple frameworks to study this discipline. These techniques provide the backbone to many communication research studies and guide how we understand, analyze, and interpret messages. In the subsequent section, you can see 4 major approaches to studying communication, each offering a unique perspective.

Rooted in empirical evidence and quantitative methods, this approach is objective and often uses or to study communication as a predictable and somewhat controlled phenomenon.

Interpretive approach emphasizes understanding communication subjectively within its context. It tends to use , such as interviews or observations, focusing on the meanings and experiences of individuals.

This technique views communication as a form of power and control. Scholars using this approach often analyze societal issues related to media, culture, gender, and race, and their effects on communication.

This approach questions the existence of a single truth, emphasizing the multiplicity of realities. It challenges traditional norms and focuses on the complexity and unpredictability of communication, often through deconstructive analysis.

Bottom Line on Research Topics About Communication

We hope that this assortment of communication research paper topics will aid you in finding the right idea. Keep in mind that the research questions are just a starting point. Don’t hesitate to build on them or explore related sub-topics based on the direction your project takes. And remember to always cite properly when using existing studies for your paper. From how to cite a book in APA to how to cite a journal in MLA or create a Chicago website citation , we’ve collected the latest guidelines and examples for any citation format.

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Social Media Use and Impact on Interpersonal Communication

  • Conference paper
  • First Online: 01 January 2015
  • Cite this conference paper

interpersonal communication research paper topics

  • Yerika Jimenez 2 &
  • Patricia Morreale 3  

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 529))

Included in the following conference series:

  • International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

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This research paper presents the findings of a research project that investigated how young adult interpersonal communications have changed since using social media. Specifically, the research focused on determining if using social media had a beneficial or an adverse effect on the development of interaction and communication skills of young adults. Results from interviews reveal a negative impact in young adult communications and social skills. In this paper young adult preferences in social media are also explored, to answer the question: Does social media usage affect the development of interaction and communication skills for young adults and set a basis for future adult communication behaviors?

You have full access to this open access chapter,  Download conference paper PDF

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Investigating the Usage Patterns and the Implications of Young Adults’ Social Media Usage in South Africa

  • Social media
  • Social interaction
  • Interpersonal communications
  • Young adults

1 Introduction

Human interaction has changed drastically in the last 20 years, not only due to the introduction of the Internet, but also from social media and online communities. These social media options and communities have grown from being simply used to communicate on a private network into a strong culture that almost all individuals are using to communicate with others all over the world. We will concentrate on the impact that social media has on human communication and interaction among young adults, primarily college students. In today’s society, powerful social media platforms such as Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram (IG), and Pinterest have been the result of an evolution that is changing how humans communicate with each other. The big question we asked ourselves was how much has social media really impacted the way that humans communicate and interact with each other, and if so, how significant is the change of interpersonal interaction among young adults in the United States today?

The motivation behind this research has been personal experience with interaction and communication with friends and family; it had become difficult, sometimes even rare, to have a one-on-one conversation with them, without having them glancing at or interacting with their phone. Has social interaction changed since the introduction of advanced technology and primarily social media? In correlation with the research data collected in this study, it was concluded that many participants’ personal communication has decreased due social media influence encouraging them to have online conversations, as opposed to face-to-face, in-person conversations.

2 Related Work

The question of how social media affects social and human interaction in our society is being actively researched and studied. A literature review highlights the positive and negative aspects of social media interaction, as researchers battle to understand the current and future effects of social media interaction. A study done by Keith Oatley, an emeritus professor of cognitive psychology at the University of Toronto, suggests that the brain may interpret digital interaction in the same manner as in-person interaction, while others maintain that differences are growing between how we perceive one another online as opposed to in reality [ 1 ]. This means that young adults can interpret online communication as being real one-on-one communication because the brain will process that information as a reality. Another study revealed that online interaction helps with the ability to relate to others, tolerate differing viewpoints, and express thoughts and feeling in a healthy way [ 2 , 3 ]. Moreover a study executed by the National Institutes of Health found that youths with strong, positive face-to-face relationships may be those most frequently using social media as an additional venue to interact with their peers [ 4 ].

In contrast, research reveals that individuals with many friends may appear to be focusing too much on Facebook, making friends out of desperation rather than popularity, spending a great deal of time on their computer ostensibly trying to make connections in a computer-mediated environment where they feel more comfortable rather than in face-to-face social interaction [ 5 ]. Moreover, a study among college freshman revealed that social media prevents people from being social and networking in person [ 6 ].

3 Experimental Design

This research study was divided into two parts during the academic year 2013–2014. Part one, conducted during fall semester 2013, had the purpose of understanding how and why young adults use their mobile devices, as well as how the students describe and identify with their mobile devices. This was done by distributing an online survey to several Kean University student communities: various majors, fraternity and sorority groups, sports groups, etc. The data revealed that users primarily used their mobile devices for social media and entertainment purposes. The surveyed individuals indicated that they mainly accessed mobile apps like Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram, to communicate, interact, and share many parts of their daily life with their friends and peers.

Based on the data collected during part one, a different approach and purpose was used for part two, with the goal being to understand how social media activities shape the communication skills of individuals and reflects their attitudes, attention, interests, and activities. Additionally, research included how young adult communication needs change through the use of different social media platforms, and if a pattern can be predicted from the users’ behavior on the social media platforms. Part two of this research was conducted by having 30 one-on-one interviews with young adults who are college students. During this interview key questions were asked in order to understand if there is a significant amount of interpersonal interaction between users and their peers. Interpersonal interaction is a communication process that involves the exchange of information, feelings and meaning by means of verbal or non-verbal messages. For the purposes of this paper, only the data collected during spring 2014 is presented.

4 Data Collection

Through interviews, accurate results of the interaction of young adults with social media were collected. These interviews involved 30 one-on-one conversations with Kean University students. Having one-on-one interviews with participants allowed for individual results, first responses from the participant, without permitting responses being skewed or influenced by other participants, such as might occur in group interviews. It also allows users to give truthful answers, in contrast to an online or paper survey, as they might have second thoughts about an answer and change it. The one-on-one interviews consisted of ten open-ended questions, which were aimed to answer, and ultimately determine, how social media interaction involuntarily influences, positively or negatively, an individual’s attitude, attention, interests, and social/personal activities. The largest motive behind the questions was to determine how individual communication skills, formally and informally, have changed from interacting with various social media platforms. The interviews, along with being recorded on paper, were also video and audio-recorded. The average time for each interview was between two to ten minutes. These interviews were held in quiet labs and during off-times, so that the responses could be given and recorded clearly and without distraction (Fig.  1 ). A total of 19 females and 11 males participated, with ages ranging from 19 to 28 years old.

figure 1

Female participant during one-on-one interview

After conducting the interviews and analyzing the data collected, it was determined that the age when participants, both male and female, first began to use social media ranged between 9 to 17 years. It was found that, generally, males began to use social media around the age of 13, whereas females started around the age of 12. The average age for males starting to use social media is about 12.909 with a standard deviation of 2.343. For females, the average age is 12.263 with a standard deviation of 1.627. From this, we can determine that males generally begin to use social media around the age of 13, whereas females begin around the age of 12.

After determining the average age of when participants started using social media, it was necessary to find which social media platforms they had as a basis; meaning which social media platform they first used. MySpace was the first social media used by twenty-three participants, followed by Facebook with three users, and Mi Gente by only one user, with two participants not using social media at all. It was interesting to find that all of the participants who started using Myspace migrated to Facebook. The reasoning provided was that “everyone [they knew] started to use Facebook.” According to the participants, Facebook was “more interactive” and was “extremely easy to use.” The participants also stated that Myspace was becoming suitable for a younger user base, and it got boring because they needed to keep changing their profile backgrounds and modifying their top friends, which caused rifts or “popularity issues” between friends. After finding out which platform they started from, it was also essential to find out which platform they currently use. However, one platform that seemed to be used by all participants to keep up-to-date with their friends and acquaintances was Instagram, a picture and video-based social media platform. Another surprising finding was that many users did not use Pinterest at all, or had not even heard of the platform. After determining which social media platforms the users migrated to, it was essential to identify what caused the users to move from one platform to another. What are the merits of a certain platform that caused the users to migrate to it, and what are the drawbacks of another platform that caused users to migrate from it or simply not use it all?

4.1 Social Interaction Changes

For some participants social interaction had a chance for a positive outcome, while others viewed it in a more negative aspect. The participants were asked if their social interactions have changed since they were first exposed to social media (Table  1 ). One participant stated that “it is easier to just look at a social media page to see how friends and family are doing rather than have a one-on-one interaction.” As for people’s attitudes, they would rather comment or “like” a picture than stop and have a quick conversation. On the other hand, another participant felt that social media helped them when talking and expressing opinions on topics that they generally would not have discussed in person. Moreover, the participants are aware of the actions and thing that they are doing but continue to do it because they feel comfortable and did not desire to have one-on-one interactions with people.

The participants were also asked to explain how social media changed their communication and interactions during the years of using social media (Table  2 ). The data shows that participants interact less in person because they are relating more via online pictures and status. For other participants, it made them more cautious and even afraid of putting any personal information online because it might cause problems or rifts in their life. On the contrary, some participants stated that their communication and interaction is the same; however, they were able to see how it had changed for the people that are around them. A participant stated that “internet/social media is a power tool that allows people to be whatever they want and in a way it creates popularity, but once again they walk around acting like they do not know you and ‘like’ your pictures the next day.”

5 Discussion

The data illustrated in this paper shows how much the introduction and usage of social media has impacted the interaction and communication of young adults. The future of interaction and communication was also presented as a possibility, if the current trend continues with young adults and social media or online communities. This raises the notion of possibly not having any social, in-person interaction and having all communication or interaction online and virtually with all family and friends.

6 Conclusion

Referring back to the question asked during the introduction: how much has social media impacted the way we communicate and interact with each other? After reviewing all the findings, seeing the relationship individuals have with their mobile phones, and comparing social media platforms, it is clear that many young adults have an emotional attachment with their mobile device and want interaction that is quick and to the point, with minimal “in-person” contact. Many young adults prefer to use their mobile device to send a text message or interact via social media. This is due to their comfort level being higher while posting via social media applications, as opposed to in-person interaction. To successfully and accurately answer the question: yes, social media has had a very positive and negative effect on the way we communicate and interact with each other. However, how effective is this method of “virtual” communication and interaction in the real world?

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Jimenez, Y., Morreale, P. (2015). Social Media Use and Impact on Interpersonal Communication. In: Stephanidis, C. (eds) HCI International 2015 - Posters’ Extended Abstracts. HCI 2015. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 529. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21383-5_15

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150 Communication Research Paper Topics for Students: Pick Up the Best One for You

Communication is conveying information from one place or person to another. The explanation is simple, and it seems that there is nothing to say more. But, in fact, this topic is a huge field for researching both for college students and scientists. There are 4 types of communication (verbal, nonverbal, written, and visual), and each of them has a lot to say about. Moreover, communication is studied in colleges, and students are assigned to write a few communication research paper topics. The writing process is challenging as students have no idea how to choose the right topic, write, and structure the paper.

How to Choose a Communication Research Topic For College Students

  • Explore all areas of communication and come to a stop in the area, which raises your interest. If a topic is dull, you will postpone your work for later, and, as the final result, you will write in a rash moment and fail.
  • Study the background information before writing. You need to make sure that this topic is of interest these days, find out the existing results, and think about what you can add.
  • Get to know the topic limits. Some communication topics could be too broad, and it will be tough to stick to the main point while writing.
  • Develop the research questions you are going to find answers to. It could be one big question and a few small ones.

The topic is already picked up, and what’s next? You need to create a good, structured research paper outline. The main steps to organize your paper you could find below.

How to Create a Research Paper on Communication

  • Introduction. You have to write about your research's importance and goals, an overview of your entire paper, and the literature used.
  • Methods. In this section, you mention your methods and analysis scope and describe in detail the methods you use in your research.
  • Results. Describe the outcomes of your methods. Each method will have its own result, so don’t be lazy to point out all the peculiarities. Mention if you have achieved the goals you set in your communication research topic.
  • Discussion. Focus on how your study contributes to existing research and how important your results are for this field.
  • Concussion. Sum up all your research objectives, main findings, and their implications. Don’t forget to mention the scope for future research on the same topic.

150 Best Communication Thesis Ideas to Write About

Communication topics in journalism.

  • Following the Propaganda Models
  • Does True Journalism Still Alive?
  • Law of Privacy in Journalism: Is It Existing?
  • Journalism Bias
  • Gender Roles in Journalism
  • How Do Journalists Contribute to Politicians’ Lives?
  • Ethics in Journalism
  • What Makes Journalists Lie?
  • Politics Coverage in Today Press
  • Who Takes Responsibility for Reporting Events?
  • Famous Journalists of All the Time
  • Freedom of Speech in Journalism
  • Portrait of a Modern Journalist
  • Journalism of the Future: What Does It Like?
  • Press Representation of Immigrants in America Today

Journalism has always been a relevant field for research as not a day goes by without news. But it’s only the icing on the cake. If you go deeper, you will find out a bunch of interesting and unexplored issues worth highlighting in a research topic in mass media.

Unexplored Public Relations Topics

  • Public Relations Definition
  • How to Create an Effective Campaign?
  • Role of Women in Public Relations
  • Why Study PR Management to Promote Success?
  • Misuse of Mass Media as a Tool for Public Relations
  • Social Impact on PR
  • Evolution of PR Specialist
  • Crisis Management in PR
  • Technology and Public Relations
  • Role of PR in Building a Good Reputation of Politicians
  • How Does a PR Manager Create a Corporate Image?
  • The Best Promotion Campaigns in the History of PR
  • The Impact of PR on Global Communities

The collocation “public relations” is one of the most-talked-about things, but not everyone understands its meaning clearly. Choosing one of these communication research ideas, you get a nice chance to find out for yourself and help do the same for others.

Non-Worn-Out Research Topics on Advertising

  • History of Advertising
  • The Importance of Advertising Today
  • Ways to Influence People Minds Through Advertising
  • Can Large Companies Do Without Advertising?
  • Samsung Mobile: Implementation of Integrated Marketing Communication Plan
  • Role of Technology in Advertising Campaigns
  • Stages of the Audience's Advertisement Involvement
  • Roles of Genders in Advertising
  • Impact of Commercial Speech
  • How Do Ads Affect Children?
  • Who Is More Successful in Advertising: Men or Women?
  • What Defines Brand’s Success?
  • Cultural Peculiarities in Advertising
  • The Most Successful Ads for the Last Ten Years
  • Advertising as a Visual Communication

Advertising is the motor trade. We can see just a lovely picture or a promotional video, but the creating process itself is not less exciting as well as ads history.

Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

  • What Is an Interpersonal Dialogue?
  • How to Structure an Interpersonal Conversation
  • Culture in Interpersonal Communication
  • Role of Interpersonal Communication in Business
  • Ways to Express Emotions Not to Offend an Interlocutor
  • The System Theory and Approach to the Thought-Out Conversation
  • Relationships in the Family
  • Nonverbal Interpersonal Dialogue
  • Interpersonal Conflict
  • How to Reveal Deception in Communication
  • Why Is It Important to Listen to Each Other in Interpersonal Communication?
  • Ways to Avoid a Conflict While Debating
  • Influence of Society on Personal Communication
  • Information Exchange in Interpersonal Dialogue
  • Gender Roles in Interpersonal Communication

Most of us are sure that we have already achieved the best possible interpersonal communication results, but we still deal with conflicts and misunderstandings. The following interpersonal communication topics show us that we should keep on improving our skills.

Intercultural Topics on Communication

  • Etiquette in Intercultural Communication
  • How to Adapt to the US Campus
  • Translation as a Way for Better Understanding of an Intercultural Dialogue
  • What Influences on Our Cultural Perception
  • Nonverbal Behavior Patterns in Intercultural Dialogue
  • The Result of Misconception of Different Cultures
  • Role of Body Language in Intercultural Context
  • The Behavior of International Peers as a Way to Investigate Foreign Culture
  • Impact of Media on How We Perceive Other Culture
  • How to Develop Effective Communication Skills Against a Multinational Background?
  • Ways to Study a Foreign Culture
  • Intercultural Dialogue: America vs.Britain
  • Studying Abroad as a Way to Contribute to Intercultural Competence
  • Rituals and Superstitions in Different Cultures
  • Definition of Culture Shock
  • Values in Asian Countries
  • Everything We Have to Know About the Communication Barriers Between Ghana and Chinese Culture
  • Impact of Religion on Intercultural Conversation

It’s always exciting to have a conversation with other cultural representatives. But could you be certain that your communicative skills will not harm your relationships? Possible essay topics for communication skills will help to learn the peculiarities of intercultural dialogue.

Interesting Virtual Communication Topics

  • Globalization of Virtual Communication
  • Power of Social Media
  • Role of Social Media for Organizational Communication
  • The Danger of Virtual Dialogue
  • Virtual Love Relationships: Fact or Myth?
  • How to Improve Virtual Communication Skills
  • Nonverbal Dialogues in Social Media
  • Interpersonal Communication in the Virtual World
  • Email Etiquette: What Should We Remember?
  • Work of Virtual Communication at the Higher Levels
  • Effectiveness of Virtual Dialogue in Business
  • Pros and Cons of Virtual Conversation
  • Role of Messengers in Our Life
  • How Not to Be Cheated on Social Networks
  • Computers’ effects on the 21st Century Life

Virtual communication is slowly replacing face-to-face conversation, and moving with the times, we have to be aware of what new changes will bring. Research topics in interpersonal communication online might make students reconsider their views on virtual life.

Social Media Research Paper Topics to Investigate

  • How Does Social Media Affect the Young Generation?
  • Power of Online Communities
  • Social Media Helps in Educations: Facts
  • Kids Activity on Social Media
  • Impact of Online Gaming
  • Social Media Raises Up-to-Date Children
  • Social Media as an Income-Generation Source
  • Role of Social Networks in Advertising
  • History of Social Media
  • Why Do Some Countries Block Access to Social Media for Their Citizens?
  • Social Media and Crime
  • Contribution of Social Networks in Politics
  • How Are We Controlled Through Social Media?
  • Reasons to Be Popular in Social Media
  • Social Media in Asian Countries

Social media is filling our lives more and more. As a result, we keep asking ourselves, “Should we accept this situation or fight against it?” Investigating a media research topic, you will definitely find an answer.

Topics to Develop Leadership Skills

  • What Is Better: Be a Leader or Be Led?
  • Important Skills for a Leader
  • Key Factors in Leader Communication
  • Leadership Ethics
  • How to Build and Manage a Team
  • Being a Leader: How to Manage a Conflict Inside a Team
  • Development of Leading Ideas
  • How to Control Emotions
  • The Art of Persuasion
  • How to Keep a Team Motivated
  • Leader’s Tasks
  • Interpersonal Communication With Team Members
  • How to Stay a Productive Leader
  • Gender Roles in Leadership
  • Stages to Become a Leader

Having read a dozen of psychological books on leadership, you could have been inspired to research this topic on your own. Get started! Perhaps, you have hidden leader’s traits of character.

Negotiation Paper Topics

  • The Art of Business Negotiations
  • How to Manage a Negotiation Process
  • Negotiations as a Way to Solve a Conflict
  • Intercultural Negotiations: Key Points
  • Reaching a Consensus: An Outcome of Any Negotiations
  • Dealing With Difficult Interlocutors
  • Ways to Improve Negotiation Skills
  • What Is Win-Win Negotiation?
  • Role of a Mediator in Negotiations
  • Dispute Resolution as a Key Requirement in Negotiation Participants
  • Patience as a Way to Get Benefits at the Negotiation Table
  • Cases of Failed International Negotiations
  • Umbrella Agreement: How Does It Work?
  • Negotiations in the Family
  • How to Round Off Talks on a Positive Note

The one who knows how to negotiate can achieve a lot. The art of negotiation has been evaluated since ancient times. Studying communication research topics on negotiation, you will notice how you might have succeeded in dispute resolution.

Some More Exciting Topics Related to Communication

  • Types of Communication
  • Evolution of Communication
  • Social media and Privacy
  • Reasons for Blog Popularity
  • Censorship in Mass Media
  • Role of Radio Today
  • Technologies Simplifying Communication
  • Impact of Visual Communication
  • Ethics in Friendly Communication
  • Nonverbal Communication: Gender Difference
  • Do Text Messages Develop Our Writing Skills?
  • How Do Social Media Harm Humans?
  • Slang in Online Communication
  • Etiquette of Business Communication in Eastern Countries

Do you find it challenging to decide on a suitable communication topic in a narrow field? Then, you will not stay indifferent to general communication research topics. The following topics are flexible, and you can change them to your taste.

Are you willing to know the next steps you have to take after having your choice on one of the topics mentioned? Keep on reading, and you will discover plenty of useful information.

The Research Paper Writing Process from A to Z

  • Learn an assignment. Make sure that you understand it clearly. Ask your academic advisor if necessary.
  • Choose one of the media research topics for college students. You need to be interested in it if you want to create a good paper.
  • Research the background information. Think of how you can organize the existing facts and add your discoveries to them.
  • Create a research paper outline. It should include 5 sections: an introduction, methods, results, discussions, and a conclusion. The information you should write in each section you can find at the beginning of this article.
  • Write each section sticking to the main point.
  • Re-read your paper to edit content and correct the mistakes.
  • Submit your paper.

Writing a business communication topic is a time-consuming process. If you appreciate your time, but need to submit your paper not to fail the deadline. Feel free to contact us, and we will provide you with a highly-qualified writer who has good knowledge exactly in your field and write a plagiarism-free research paper . Feel suspicious that it could be so easy? The right way is to order a paper from PaperCoach and see it for yourself.

References:

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100 Best Communication Research Topics For College Students

communication topics

Interesting communication topics are not impossible to find. Communication is the conveyance of meanings through the use of signs and symbols that are mutually understood. Communication can be divided into information theory, communication studies, and biosemiotics. Communication can be verbal, nonverbal, written, business, political, interpersonal, and lots more.

The channels of communication could be visual, auditory, etc., and is unique in that it uses abstract languages extensively. The many innovations in transportation, computing, and telecommunication have necessitated finding means to increase the frequency and ease of communication around the world.

Choose Our Communication Research Topics!

Nowadays, there are many interestingly complex areas that the communication discipline covers. This makes choosing the best communication topics a challenge for students. However, we have prepared 100 communication topics covering many diverse fields of communication. These topics about communication include:

Communication research paper topics Business communication topics for presentation Communication essay topics Communication phenomenon topics Other possible topics for communication research

So, you can explore this list of communication research topics spanning all major communication areas and make your pick! Ready to choose? Let’s roll!

Interpersonal Communication Topics

Every human being communicates one way or the other with other humans. This forms the basis for the field of interpersonal communication. For this, you may need some interpersonal communication research paper topics for your thesis or research. This is why we have made a pick of 10 interpersonal communication research topics for you!

  • The Influence of culture on interpersonal discourse
  • How context impacts the quality of interpersonal dialogue
  • Methods to simulate interpersonal dialogue
  • How effective interpersonal dialogue can promote success both professionally and personally
  • How interaction via computers impacts communication
  • What roles do communication mediums play in interpersonal communication?
  • How to facilitate information exchange and persuasion
  • The concept of dysfunctional interpersonal communication
  • The role and challenges of interpersonal dialogues in mass media campaigns
  • How the concept of competence applies to interpersonal dialogue

Business Communication Topics

To succeed in business, one must be able to communicate effectively! Here are 15 business communication topics for the research paper. You can also take a look at our business ethics topics .

  • How excellent public relations facilitate business success
  • English as the universal language in business communication
  • Effective managerial communication
  • Comparisons between internal and external communication
  • How presentation and oral skills boost business success
  • The impact of public relations on global and local communities
  • How social media use can influence business communication
  • The impact of online interactions on outcomes of business communication
  • How does organizational structure affect business communication
  • How to reach customers via email
  • Best practices for effective business communication
  • Effective business to business (B2B) communication
  • How creative designs can help to communicate business ideas
  • Best practices for email writing in the workplace
  • Creating brand awareness through communication

Intercultural Communication Topics

Sometimes, difficulties arise when people of different cultures try to communicate. Here are five intercultural communication research topics for you!

  • How to facilitate intercultural information exchange
  • How culture affects intercultural communication
  • How to build competence in intercultural dialogue
  • How intercultural students can adapt to American colleges
  • How studying abroad can facilitate better intercultural dialogue competence

Mass Communication Research Topics

The world is a global village connected by the wildfire-like spread of information. Technology continuously spins new ways of reaching and communicating with a large number of people at a time. You may require some research topics in media and communication, and thus we have made this pick. Here are ten excellent mass communication topics for your research.

  • How advertisement influences consumer behavior
  • How social media affects student performance
  • Press freedom: the pro and cons
  • Comparisons of the effect of various mass communication methods on consumer behavior
  • How social media influences the effectiveness of political campaigns
  • Evolving patterns of mass communication over the last three decades
  • How mass communication facilitates rebellious social movements
  • How to effectively communicate ideas to a large audience
  • How Information Communication Technology (ICT) affects modern-day broadcast journalism
  • Social interaction across media

Health Communication Topics

Communication is essential in the field of health, whether it is communication between healthcare providers and patients or caregivers, or among healthcare providers. Here is a list of some excellent health communication research topics.

  • Communication problems between healthcare providers and patients
  • How social media and the spread of health news affect the health of citizens
  • How to effectively pass health-related information to health workers
  • Effective vertical and horizontal health communication techniques among health care providers
  • How to communicate health schemes to the public

Technical Communication Topics

Technical communication is a means of conveying scientific, engineering, law, or other technical information. Only people in these technical fields fully understand what is written and said in technical language. This is why technical communication is vital. Here are ten technical communication topics for you!

  • How cultural expression affects virtual dialogue
  • Virtual Classrooms: Less effective than traditional classroom learning?
  • Virtual reality and interpersonal communication
  • How technology has changed the game in journalism
  • How technical language differs from everyday language in corporate communication
  • How to seek and find information in the Law field
  • How to make technical textbooks more informative and accessible
  • Communicating intellectual property law to the public
  • How to teach technical communication to non-majoring English students
  • How the general public can make sense of technical essays

Organizational Communication Research Topics

Organizational communication refers to communication channels and forms within an organization as well as public-facing communications. Here are 15 great organizational communication research topics for you!

  • How supervisors can communicate better in an organization
  • How to write an effective organizational communique
  • Best organizational communication practices to teach in every organization
  • How to facilitate and enhance better leadership communication in an organization
  • Organizational channels, communication, and systems
  • Removing barriers to effective organizational communication
  • How personality traits and leadership communication styles affect organizational productivity
  • How social media impacts organizational communication
  • How organizational communication can allow for better organizational transition
  • Exploring the types of organizational communication
  • Vital problems in organizational communication
  • How to deal with uncertainties in an organization
  • How to manage communication crises in an organization
  • How organizations can benefit from the press
  • How to effectively change management culture in an organization

Nonverbal Communication Research Topics

Nonverbal communication is a fascinating field of communication. It refers to the use of tone of voice, gestures, facial expressions, posture, body language, eye contact (or lack thereof), and other techniques. Here are ten nonverbal communication topics for you!

  • Nonverbal communication in virtual dialogue environments
  • How nonverbal communication can pass wrong messages
  • How to effectively fine-tune nonverbal communication skills
  • How facial expressions could help close bigger business deals
  • Social media and its effect on nonverbal communication
  • The history and development of nonverbal communication
  • The crucial roles of nonverbal skills in interpersonal communication
  • Comparisons and contrasts between verbal and nonverbal communication
  • How to effectively combine the art of verbal and nonverbal communication
  • Nonverbal communication practices in the workplace

Communication Topics for Research

Here are some communication topics for your research. This list also covers communication research topics for college students and communication thesis topics!

  • How the style of a leader’s communication influences employee satisfaction
  • Leadership outcomes and communication styles
  • How gender affects communication effectiveness
  • Communication in relationships versus friendships
  • Going back in time: The history of communication
  • Analyzing the theories of communication
  • New communication technologies over the past decade
  • Why is radio communication still popular?
  • How international journalism grew
  • How communication determines productivity

Communication Topics for Presentation

You may be required to give a business presentation or speech. To captivate your audience, you must choose communication speech topics and business communication presentation topics that are not only easy to grasp but enjoyable to hear. Here’s our pick of 10 communication topics to serve this purpose!

  • Models of communication
  • Types of communication
  • The importance of communication in life and business
  • The dos and don’ts of nonverbal communication
  • How to grow social and personal relationships
  • Is print media still competitive?
  • The media and terrorism
  • The media and virtual reality
  • How effective communication enhances negotiation
  • The media and wrong information

So here we are! One hundred communication topics just for you! Make your pick and get ready to have an A+! Contact our thesis writers for further help!

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interpersonal communication research paper topics

200 Communication Topics You Should Use Right Now

Communication topics

Communication topics for research are critical for students pursuing communication studies in colleges and universities. In most cases, educators ask learners to come up with communication research topics or choose what to write about. However, this is not always easy for most learners. The recent innovations in telecommunication, transportation, and computing have made communication a broad and diverse research area. For this reason, many students have difficulties finding the best communication topics for research. If struggling to decide what to write about, this article highlights some of the most interesting topics about communication that you can consider.

Incredible Communication Topics for Research Papers

Do you want to write a research paper on a topic that your audience or educator will be interested to read about? If yes, pick the idea to write about from this list of incredible communication research paper topics.

  • How mass media can help in the achievement of millennium development goals
  • How to use communication tools to prevent coronavirus from spreading
  • How communication has helped prevent or reduce the spread of malaria
  • How audio drama helps in reducing HIV/AIDS among young people
  • Mass media role in preventing unwanted pregnancies
  • How communication can help in sensitizing people about fake drugs
  • Effectiveness of radio programs in creating awareness about family planning
  • Does the print media help in awareness creation in today’s society?
  • What role does radio play in curbing marginal areas’ violence?
  • The effectiveness of broadcasting media in promoting contraceptives usage
  • How social media can help in preventing the spread of the Ebola virus
  • Is drama effective as a communication tool?
  • Using mass media to reduce maternal deaths
  • How to use the media as the tool for promoting profitability
  • Cartoon programs and aggressive behavior- Do they have a connection?
  • When is good communication a prerequisite for business advancement?
  • Influence of great interchanges on business development
  • Highlights of good communication for business success
  • How business interchanges play a critical role in business improvement
  • The fundamental focus that business correspondence should remember when representing a company

All these are possible topics for communication research. Pick any of them if your goal is to write a paper that your educator will be interested to read about. Nevertheless, take your time to research any of these research topics in media and communication to come up with a brilliant paper.

Interesting Communication Topics for Research

Maybe you’re looking for mass communication research topics your audience or educator will find interesting to read about. You might as well need ideas you will find interesting to research or work with. In that case, consider this list of interesting communication essay topics.

  • How the media portrays different countries’ representatives
  • Hidden messages that the media convey through entertainment
  • Why is radio still popular in the era of digital media?
  • Role of communication in education
  • How does the media help with education?
  • Scientific journalism- What is the scientific aspect of journalism?
  • The Disney phenomenon- Is it new mythology or media?
  • Types and styles of communication
  • How to select the best communication method for your target audience
  • Public relations and politics- How important is communication?
  • How effective is social media as a communication tool?
  • Why are some people reverting to newspapers for communication?
  • Is virtual reality the future of modern media?
  • Does the media create or react to events?
  • How has the internet influenced communication?
  • Explain the role of media regulation and policy- How do they affect communication?
  • How do journalists affect military communication during the war?
  • What is international journalism and how does it influence communication?
  • What are communication ethics in journalism?
  • How the media changed during the wartime
  • How the media aids terrorist communication
  • Disasters and the media- How communication can prevent or enhance panic
  • Laws of mass communication in different countries
  • Fan-fiction and fandom in mass communication
  • The importance of exclusive material in the media
  • The role of social networks in modern communication
  • Video blogs as new diaries
  • Post-truth age in the media- What is it?
  • Mainstream media and art-house- What is the difference?
  • What are the children’s media peculiarities?

You can also find interesting communication speech topics in this category. All you need is to research the idea that you pick extensively to come up with an awesome speech or paper.   

Amazing Interpersonal Communication Topics

Do you want to write a research paper or essay about interpersonal communication? In that case, you need to pick your idea from this list of the best interpersonal communication research topics.

  • Effective ways to start an interpersonal dialogue
  • The effectiveness of interpersonal communication when persuading people
  • How culture can influence an interpersonal dialogue
  • Factors that limit interpersonal communication
  • How to improve your interpersonal communication
  • What are the latest interpersonal communication trends?
  • How gestures and body language influence interpersonal communication
  • How to coordinate words and gestures to enhance interpersonal communication
  • The effectiveness of interpersonal communication
  • Barriers to verbal and language communication
  • Is nonverbal communication effective?
  • How gender affects interpersonal communication
  • How perception affects interpersonal communication
  • Why listening is important in a conversation
  • How emotions affect interpersonal communication
  • Self-disclosure in the study of interpersonal communication
  • Communication and relational development
  • Deceptions in interpersonal communications
  • Intimate and family relationships- How does the connection differ?
  • How to address blindness as an interpersonal communication barrier
  • Interpersonal communication and culture- What is the connection?
  • Social media growth and personal relationships
  • Interpersonal communication competence
  • Conflicts that arise from interpersonal communication
  • Why is interpersonal communication crucial in business?

Select any of these interpersonal communication research topics and then develop them. You will come up with a brilliant paper if you take the time to identify sources, gather, and analyze information before writing.

Business Communication Topics for Research Papers

Perhaps, you’re interested in business communication. Thus, you’re looking for a list of the best business communication topics for research paper. In that case, consider these ideas.

  • Best approaches for business-to-business communication
  • Vital organizational communication issues
  • How to deal with organizational uncertainty using communication
  • Public relations and corporate communication
  • Effective business communication practices
  • How to write an effective communique for an organization
  • Management and email writing at the workplace
  • How to balance downward and upward communication in an organization
  • Effective ways to handle external communication
  • Intercultural communication in a business environment
  • The essence of cognitive-communication theory in marketing
  • How to develop marketing value using communication skills
  • Communication skills that can help in growing profits
  • How to enhance brand awareness through communication
  • Importance of communication skills in marketing
  • Critical features and symbols of good business communication
  • Creative designs in corporate communication
  • Reputation and importance of the failure or success of a company in communication
  • How communication promotes organization identity in the corporate world
  • How communication promotes ethical and responsible investor relations
  • Crisis communication- How organizations should handle it
  • How stereotyping affects business communication
  • How grapevine communication affects the success of a company
  • What are the best communication channels for a business?
  • Communication in corporate social responsibility

This category also has some of the best business communication topics for presentation. Nevertheless, you should understand the purpose of your research or presentation. What’s more, take your time to know the information you need to write about any of these organizational communication research topics. That way, you will pick a topic you can research and write about comfortably. You can also u se our online research paper writing servic e to get your paper done fast.

Great Communication Research Topics for College Students

Are you pursuing a college or university program in communication? If yes, your educator will most likely ask you to write papers about mass communication topics. Your goal should be to select an interesting topic that will compel your educator to award you the top grade. Here are some of the best communication phenomenon topics for college students.

  • Analyzing the role of communication and media in business rebranding
  • Democracy and mass media- Role of communication in a democracy
  • Challenges facing press freedom in today’s world
  • Mass media and constitutional provisions
  • How media ownership has grown over the years
  • Listeners and viewers’ attitude towards the media
  • How liberated are the airwaves?
  • How digital media affects society
  • How the internet affects media standards and ethics
  • Media and mass communication- Why are they important?
  • Role of journalists in modern communication and the dangers they face
  • How competitive is print media?
  • Effectiveness of phone-in programs
  • Private broadcasting versus state broadcasting
  • Defamation law and mass media
  • Discuss the communication history
  • Discuss different communication theories
  • What role do bloggers play in modern communication?
  • How effective are social networks as communication tools?
  • How speech freedom on media affect communication
  • Video blogs’ growth and their impact on communication
  • How the media affects terrorists’ communication
  • How media laws affect journalists’ reporting
  • How international journalism has grown over the years
  • New technologies in communication

You can also find great communication topics for presentation in this category. However, you should research your topic before preparing your presentation or writing your paper.

Intercultural Communication Topics for Research

Do you find intercultural communication interesting? If yes, you can write about any of these intercultural communication research topics.

  • How the media influence how people perceive a culture
  • Effects of technology on intercultural communication
  • Journalism ethics and how they affect intercultural communication
  • How networked journalism has affected the intercultural dialogue
  • How science journalism affects intercultural communication
  • How the media help in intercultural peace creation
  • Intercultural communication and participatory reporting
  • How language apps boost intercultural communication
  • How to deal with the intercultural exchange of information
  • Practical strategies for intercultural communication
  • Effective ways to teach intercultural communication
  • How artifacts affect intercultural communication
  • How effective is intercultural communication?
  • Persuasion techniques that work in interpersonal communication
  • How the medium affects intercultural communication
  • Common intercultural communication barriers
  • How learning in different environments affect intercultural communication skills
  • Dealing with intercultural communication bias
  • How to boost learning and understanding in intercultural communication
  • How international negotiations boost intercultural communication
  • How non-verbal behavior and culture boost interpersonal communication
  • Effects of intercultural communication at the workplace
  • How social change and cultural identity affect intercultural communication
  • Effects of intercultural dialogue on virtual dialogue
  • How integration and assimilation affect intercultural communication development

This list also has some of the best communication thesis topics. However, take your time to research your topic to come up with an awesome paper.

Health Communication Topics for Research

Do you want to write a communication paper about health? If yes, here is a list of health communication paper topics to consider.

  • Effective ways to advertise dietary supplements
  • The role of familial in health communication
  • Effective health communication for children
  • Family communication and health transition
  • Effects of communication on family health
  • Why are communication skills important to caregivers
  • How effective communication can promote health
  • Why communication is essential for social support providers
  • How communication can have unintended effects on health
  • How effective communication affects health campaigns
  • Crisis communication in the health sector
  • Communication strategies that boost awareness in the health sector
  • How the mass media and interpersonal communication affect health campaigns
  • Importance of patient-centered communication
  • Health communication premises
  • Body portrayals and images as part of health communication
  • A critical analysis of health and media
  • How pornography affects health
  • Importance of journalism and public relations in the health sector
  • Health effects of mass media on obese people

Pick any of these health communication research topics and then develop them through research. Ideally, identify good information sources to gather relevant and useful information for a paper on any of these topics. 

Technical Communication Topics for Research

Whether you need business communication presentation topics or a technical idea to explore and write about, this category has something for you. Here are some of the best technical topics in communication.

  • Define technical communication
  • How effective are communication courses in producing qualified communicators?
  • What is the difference between academic level communication and corporate communication?
  • What role do public relations play in communication?
  • Communication tips for dealing with a depressed person
  • How communication can help health experts address the COVID-19 pandemic
  • How technology affects communication
  • How to improve communication with a blind, mute, and deaf person
  • How to use communication as a political campaign tool
  • How to apply communication theories
  • How to use virtual dialogues to improve interpersonal communication
  • Virtual meetings and their impact on corporate communication
  • How to have a nonverbal dialogue during virtual communication
  • How to effectively train personals to hold virtual meetings
  • Virtual communication versus traditional discussion
  • What are the pros and cons of a virtual classroom?
  • How culture affects virtual communication
  • How effective are zoom and Skype meetings?
  • How to reach a consensus during a virtual dialogue
  • Credibility and trust issues in virtual communications
  • Is effective communication a sign of a great leader?
  • How excellent communication by a leader affects employee satisfaction
  • Effects of personality traits on the communication style of a leader
  • How communication affects an organization
  • How to strategize communication to boost meaning
  • Communication voice in leadership
  • How different communication styles affect the company’s bottom line
  • How communication affects a company’s leadership
  • Effects of personality traits on communication styles
  • How communication differs between men and women

Whether you opt to write about verbal or nonverbal communication research topics, take your time to investigate your topic extensively. That way, you will come up with information the educator or your audience will find interesting to read.

It’s a real challange to write an winning essay for every student. Don’t be afraid to ask a professional writer about paper writing help. Contact us with a “ do my research paper ” request and get a top grade.

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Top 100 communication research topics for scholars.

communication topics

Seldom will you find a college or high school assignment that does not deal with communication topics? Students will have to come up with the best intrapersonal and interpersonal communication topics for their essays. These should have a taste of originality and expertise.

With this post, you will not only achieve that but also know how to write these topics and more painstakingly. Let us dive right in:

Interesting Interpersonal Communication Research Topics

When you have to come up with topics in interpersonal communication, the lecturer expects you to deal with the aspect of the disclosure that takes place between people.

  • Impact of body language and gestures with business clients
  • How facial expressions affect interpersonal communication
  • How to coordinate gestures with words
  • How effective is non-verbal interpersonal communication?
  • Discuss the latest trends in non-verbal interpersonal communication
  • In what ways can we improve non-verbal communication?
  • Explain limitations to effective interpersonal communication
  • Influence of culture on interpersonal dialogue
  • How effective is interpersonal communication in persuasion?
  • How to stimulate interpersonal dialogue

Hot Negotiation Communication Topics

  • Impact of media on the outcome of negotiations.
  • How to start a negotiation
  • What is the specific language used in negotiation?
  • How intercultural dialogue affects negotiation styles
  • How do agents impact a negotiation?
  • How to negotiate during a social conflict
  • Differences between a social and a political negotiation
  • Discuss how to settle in a court setting
  • What are the bias and credibility issues associated with negotiation?
  • How gender affects mediations?

Finest Business Communication Research Topics

  • Discuss the factors influencing organizational communication
  • How can managers eliminate uncertainty in an organization?
  • Ways of handling crisis through effective communication
  • Impact of rumors and gossip on the company reputation
  • Ways of improving business communication
  • A case study of the latest trends in Business to Business (B2B) communication
  • How to write a topnotch business communique
  • Good practices in workplace E-mail writing and organization
  • How to create a neutral ground for upward and downward communication
  • Ways of managing external communication in an organization

Best Communication Thesis Ideas

  • The growing trend of teenage texting and its impact on relationships
  • Effect of Infotainment on the society
  • Reading of online books versus traditional physical books
  • Impact of the Internet on worker’s productivity
  • Buying habits and internet adverts
  • The use of ladies in advertisements: Does it effectively communicate the message
  • Growth of misinformation and mal-information
  • Online learning and physical classroom learning: Which of them communicates best?
  • Racism as a hindrance to effective communication
  • The role of censorship on effective communication: Television and radio news

Top Development Communication Research Topics

  • Using mass media to attain sustainable development goals
  • How to effectively flatten the coronavirus infection curve using media tools
  • Ways in which television adverts have reduced fear and stigmatization on COVID-19
  • Reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS using media campaigns
  • How to stop dug and substance abuse using the media
  • Impact of mass media on reducing school dropouts
  • How the media has helped reduce cases of racial discrimination
  • Role of radio in community development projects
  • How digital media has contributed to environmental conservation
  • The incorporation of family planning methods as a result of mass media appeal

Impressive Social Media Research Topics

  • Growth of fake news as a result of social media
  • How to prevent fraud and conning on online media platforms
  • The role of social media in making the world a global village
  • Social media and political campaigns
  • The rising number of impersonators and dummy accounts on Facebook and Twitter
  • How to identify genuine brands and people on social media
  • Faster and timely communication as a result of social media
  • Legal and ethical considerations when using social media
  • Should there be an age limit for social media users?
  • Factors influencing social media censorship in China

Expert Examples of Communication Research Questions

  • What is the future of communication? Will digital communication persist?
  • How can we harmonize diverse languages all over the world for effective communication?
  • What is the origin of communication?
  • Are bloggers journalists?
  • How does the media act as a watchdog?
  • Does the media give truthful and accurate information?
  • What is the place of media theories in communication?
  • What makes radio relevant in the 21 st century?
  • What is the effectiveness of sign language interpreters on TV?
  • Is it true that ladies communicate better than men?

Research Topics for Communication on Leadership

  • Is communication the trademark of a great leader?
  • How communication styles affect leadership outcomes
  • How to come up with transformational leadership speech
  • Ways of strategizing communication to add meaning
  • The voice of communication in leadership
  • Impact of various communication leadership styles on company outcomes.
  • Male versus female ways of leadership information exchange
  • The process of effective leadership communication
  • How personality traits impact leadership communication styles
  • Role of excellent leadership communication on employee satisfaction

Communication Research Questions on Virtual Communication

  • How effective are Skype and Zoom meetings?
  • Can parties reach a consensus in a virtual dialogue?
  • Impact of culture on virtual communication
  • Discuss the pros and cons of the “Virtual classroom.”
  • Traditional discussion versus virtual communication
  • Are virtual pieces of training effective in producing competent personnel?
  • Is it possible to have nonverbal dialogue in virtual communications?
  • Styles of team interactions on virtual meetings
  • The question of trust and credibility in virtual environments
  • Ways of improving interpersonal communication in virtual dialogues

General Communication Research Ideas

  • Are our communication courses effective in producing competent communicators?
  • Communication tips in handling a depression case
  • Healthcare-related research topic for communication studies: Coronavirus
  • Role of public relations
  • Communication theories and their application
  • How politicians use communication as a campaign tool
  • Ways of improving communication with the deaf, blind, and mute
  • Technology and its impact on communication
  • Why are there regular press briefings on the coronavirus?
  • Academic level versus communication effectiveness

From the deliberations above, you can note that communication thesis ideas and research questions are the most interesting ones to write. The reason for this is that communication comes in everyday life.

Not only do we offer communication topics but also professional and first-class writing help to students . Why don’t you have a feel of our services today and see the magic?

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Interpersonal communication.

Interpersonal communication concerns the study of social interaction between people. Interpersonal communication theory and research seeks to understand how individuals use verbal discourse and nonverbal actions, as well as written discourse, to achieve a variety of instrumental and communication goals such as informing, persuading, and providing emotional support to others. Although interpersonal communication has been traditionally conceived of as a process that occurs between people encountering each other face to face, increasingly social interaction is being accomplished through the use of such communication technologies as computers and mobile phones, thus adding a new dimension to this area of communication inquiry.

Research History

The study of interpersonal communication developed during the years following World War II and grew out of two distinct areas of social-psychological research that appeared during and after the war. One of these areas concerned the role communication plays in the exercise of persuasion and social influence, while the other area, known as group dynamics, focused on social interaction within groups. Group dynamics sought to illuminate how group interaction processes influence conformity to group norms, group cohesion, the exercise of social power and the decisions that groups make. During the 1960s most interpersonal communication research addressed the role that various source, message, channel, and receiver factors play in changing audience members’ attitudes and behavior; although studies of speech anxiety, communication apprehension, and group decision-making also appeared in the interpersonal communication literature of that era.

Most of the communication and persuasion research appearing during this time did not examine social influence in the context of ongoing social interaction; rather, experimental studies in which audience members were individually exposed to persuasive messages that systematically varied different source and message factors were used to investigate the effects of persuasive communication on recipients’ attitudes and opinions. As elegant as this experimental approach to the study of persuasion was, in that it allowed for the experimental control of extraneous factors, unfortunately it did not allow researchers to investigate the reciprocal influence processes that occur when people engage in faceto-face interaction. In social encounters, social influence is not a one-way street; individuals who enter such encounters hoping to influence their co-interlocutors instead may encounter resistance or find themselves being influenced by their partners.

Beginning in the late 1960s and early 1970s, interpersonal communication research perspectives expanded beyond the communication and persuasion domain to include the role social interaction plays in the development, maintenance, and deterioration of personal relationships. Interpersonal communication and interpersonal attraction in romantic and friendship relationships began to become a focal point of study; at the same time interpersonal communication researchers became interested in the study of self-disclosure. This period was also marked by a significant increase in attention to the study of nonverbal communication, and during the latter part of the 1970s interpersonal communication research began to reflect a concern to understand the cognitive structure and processes that underlie social interaction with respect to both message production and message processing (Berger 2005). Deceptive communication was another research focus that emerged during this period. In the ensuing decades, each of these research areas has continued to attract considerable attention.

During the 1970s, communication researchers in general and the interpersonal communication researchers in particular expressed considerable frustration over the lack of original theories designed to explain various interpersonal communication phenomena. As a consequence, beginning in this decade, interpersonal communication scholars began to engage in dialogue about the nature of communication theory, and they increased their theory development efforts. Since that time, interpersonal communication researchers have proposed a variety of theories concerned with explaining such phenomena as relationship development, nonverbal communication, message production, interaction adaptation, and deceptive communication.

As the theoretical and research trends set in motion in the 1970s continued to play out during the 1980s, interpersonal communication researchers became increasingly interested in illuminating the communication strategies individuals use to achieve a wide variety of goals, such as acquiring information, gaining compliance, making requests, comforting others, and seeking affinity. In conjunction with this focus on the functions that social interaction serves in the strategic pursuit of such goals, some interpersonal communication researchers began to develop theories and models of message production for the purpose of explaining how such strategic interaction works. This theory development work continued through the 1990s and into the new millennium.

As a sub-field of the communication discipline, interpersonal communication can be divided into six unique but related areas of study, each representing a relatively coherent body of theory and research. These six areas are concerned with uncertainty, interpersonal adaptation, message production, relationship development, deceptive communication, and mediated social interaction. In addition to these theoretical domains, interpersonal communication researchers have addressed specific topics such as emotion and social interaction, although these specific topics are not as well developed as the six domains. Nevertheless, some of these specific topics will be considered as each of the six research areas is described below.

Uncertainty in Interpersonal Communication

Few would disagree with the proposition that when individuals engage in social interaction with each other, they cannot be completely certain of their conversational partners’ current emotional states, beliefs, attitudes, and future actions, even when their interaction partners are familiar and perhaps even well known to them. That is, it is impossible to predict accurately all of these internal states and potential future actions at any given point in time. Consequently, when individuals engage in social interaction they do so under conditions of more or less uncertainty, but uncertainty is probably never completely absent. In addition, because individuals harbor uncertainties about cointerlocutors, they must, of necessity, have uncertainties about how they should act toward their partners; consequently, individuals experience uncertainty with respect both to themselves and to others. These uncertainties are maximal when strangers meet, but uncertainties can also arise in close relationships of long duration (Planalp & Honeycutt 1985). Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT; Berger & Calabrese 1975; Berger & Gudykunst 1991) proposes that individuals must reduce their uncertainties to some degree in order to be able to fashion verbal discourse and actions that will allow them to achieve their interaction goals. The theory’s propositions describe relationships between verbal and nonverbal communication and information seeking, self-disclosure and interpersonal attraction.

Berger (1979) identified three general classes of strategies for reducing uncertainty. Passive strategies do not entail social interaction between parties; rather, they involve the unobtrusive observation of others for the purpose of acquiring information about them. Active strategies also do not involve face-to-face social interaction between information seekers and their targets. Acquiring information from third parties about a target person falls into this category. Finally, interactive strategies such as asking questions, disclosing information about one’s self, and relaxing the target may be used to acquire information when interaction occurs. These strategies vary with respect to their efficiency and social appropriateness.

For example, acquiring personal information from another by asking questions might be an efficient strategy, but it could become socially inappropriate if too many questions or excessively personal questions were to be asked. Conversely, relaxing the target person might be perceived to be highly appropriate socially but, at the same time, might be highly inefficient for acquiring specific pieces of information from the target. A person who is more comfortable might say more than one who is less so but still not reveal the desired information. Studies have also examined the strategies individuals use to resist revealing information about themselves to highly inquisitive co-interlocutors (Berger & Kellermann 1994). URT has been found to have some purchase in explaining social interaction in intercultural (Gudykunst 1995) and organizational (Kramer 2004) communication contexts. Moreover, some have argued that individuals not only harbor uncertainties about themselves and others as individuals, but also may experience uncertainty with respect to their relationship with each other.

Some researchers have argued that individuals may not necessarily be motivated to reduce their uncertainty when they anticipate experiencing negative outcomes by so doing. For example, individuals who have their blood tested for the presence of the HIV virus because they suspect that they may be HIV positive may choose not to obtain their test result, presumably because they are fearful of it. That is, they will maintain their uncertainty in the service of avoiding hearing bad news. Similarly, married people who suspect that their spouses are cheating on them may elect to avoid reducing their uncertainty in this regard in order to avoid projected negative consequences that might follow from this knowledge. According to this perspective, then, uncertainty is something to be managed rather than necessarily reduced. Although there are a number of examples of situations in which some people might avoid reducing their uncertainty, the degree to which these uncertainty reduction avoidance maneuvers portend optimal adaptation to the environment is open to question. In the long run, ignorance may not always be bliss (Berger 2005).

Interpersonal Adaptation

Students of social interaction have long recognized that when individuals converse, they show strong proclivities to reciprocate each other’s verbal and nonverbal behaviors. The norm of reciprocity, which states that in the conduct of social intercourse people are obligated to help and not harm those who help them, provides a potential explanation for the ubiquity of reciprocity in social interaction. However, behavioral reciprocity has been observed between very young infants and their caregivers, suggesting a biological basis for reciprocal behavior (Burgoon et al. 1995).

Evidence for the operation of the norm of reciprocity was found in early studies of self-disclosure published in the 1950s and 1960s. This manifestation of the norm was labeled the “dyadic effect.” When individuals disclose information about themselves at a particular intimacy level, their co-interlocutors are likely to disclose information about themselves at a similar intimacy level. Moreover, as individuals increase the intimacy of their self-disclosures, their co-interlocutors tend to increase the intimacy level of their self-disclosures (Burgoon et al. 1995). It is not that individuals reciprocate the same information about themselves; rather, individuals tend to match the intimacy level of their disclosures. In addition to reciprocity at the level of message content, early studies demonstrated reciprocity of nonverbal behaviors in interview situations. As interviewers purposively increased or decreased their speech rate or the number of pauses in their speech, interviewees were observed to respond by adjusting their speech or pause rate in the direction of the interviewers’ (Burgoon et al. 1995).

Although the forces for reciprocity in social interaction are both highly pervasive and particularly strong, there are conditions under which interacting individuals will show compensation in response to each other’s behaviors. Compensation occurs when a behavior displayed by one person is not matched in some way by another. For example, in the domain of nonverbal communication a smile by one person might be met with a frown by a conversational partner, or an attempt to begin a conversation by moving closer to an individual might be responded to with eye-gaze aversion, signaling an unwillingness to converse. In the smile–frown case, compensation occurs within the same nonverbal communication channel, facial expressions; in the second case, the compensatory behavior is expressed in a different channel than is the initiating behavior.

A number of alternative theories have been devised to illuminate the conditions under which reciprocity and compensation are likely to occur during social interactions, especially with respect to nonverbal behaviors. Although Expectancy Violations Theory, Arousal Labeling Theory, Discrepancy-Arousal Theory, and Cognitive Valence Theory differ in terms of their explanations for reciprocity/compensation, they share a common assumption that when expectations for nonverbal behavior are violated, individuals tend to experience arousal. For instance, when people try to converse at inappropriately close conversational distances, they are likely to create arousal in their co-interlocutors. Arousal Labeling and Discrepancy Arousal theories suggest that when the experience of this arousal is pleasant, reciprocity is likely to occur; however, when the arousal is experienced negatively, compensation is likely to follow.

Research comparing these theories has been inconclusive and has prompted the development of Interaction Adaptation Theory (IAT) (Burgoon et al. 1995). This theory argues that when an individual’s interaction position matches a co-interlocutor’s behavior, reciprocity or matching is likely to occur, but when an individual’s interaction position is discrepant from the other’s behavior, compensation is likely to occur. Interaction position is determined by the individual’s basic drives and needs, their cognitive expectations concerning social norms and behavior, and their goals and preferences. Although IAT offers a potentially more comprehensive explanation of interaction adaptation than do the other theories, its scope is quite ambitious, thus making it difficult to evaluate.

Message Production

The notion that language is a tool or an instrument for attaining everyday goals has enjoyed long acceptance among students of language and communication. Given the uncontroversial nature of this proposition, it is but a small step to contend that social interaction, like language, is a tool or an instrument for goal achievement (Berger 2003; Dillard et al. 2002; Wilson & Sabee 2003). Consistent with this proposition, beginning in the 1970s and continuing through the 1990s, constructivist researchers endeavored to determine the characteristics of messages deemed to be effective for achieving a variety of goals, most of them concerned with persuasion; although, a parallel line of research concerned with the goal of providing emotional support also developed within this tradition (Burleson 2003).

A robust finding from this line of research is that when given the task of devising messages to achieve such goals, individuals with high levels of cognitive complexity tend to generate messages showing greater evidence of social perspective taking than do their less cognitively complex counterparts. Within this research perspective, cognitive complexity is indexed by the number of psychological constructs individuals typically used to construe other persons (cognitive differentiation) and the degree to which the constructs they use are abstract (construct abstractness). Greater numbers of highly abstract constructs contribute to higher cognitive complexity levels. Because highly differentiated individuals’ messages take into account their co-interlocutors’ goals, emotional states, and potential responses to their messages, their messages are, as a result, deemed to be potentially more effective than the more egocentric ones generated by their less cognitively complex counterparts.

Beginning in the 1980s, a more comprehensive and abstract message production theory labeled Action Assembly Theory (Greene 1997) was developed to explain how individuals produce actions and discourse, and during the same period theories featuring such knowledge structures as scripts, plans, and memory organization packets (MOPS) were devised (Berger 1997; Kellermann 1995). In the case of these latter theories, sometimes referred to as Goal-Plan-Action (GPA) theories (Dillard et al. 2002), scripts, plans, and MOPS are conceived of as hierarchically organized knowledge structures representing action sequences that will bring about the achievement of goals. Once goals are activated, these knowledge structures serve to guide actions toward their attainment. These knowledge structures vary with respect to their abstractness and level of detail, and they can be made more complex by including contingencies that anticipate points at which projected actions in them might fail. Individuals who plan ahead during conversations, anticipate their co-interlocutor’s future conversational moves, and develop plan contingencies to meet these future actions are more likely to attain their social interaction goals than are individuals who do not engage in such planning activity while they converse (Waldron 1997).

A potential shortcoming of GPA theories is that they do not provide a detailed account of how goals arise in the first place; i.e., they begin with the assumption that social actors have a goal or goals to pursue. However, there are at least two examples of attempts to formulate and test theoretical explanations for how goals arise during social interaction (Meyer 1997; Wilson & Sabee 2003). Because much of everyday social interaction is aimed at satisfying recurring goals, much of everyday conversational interaction is routine (Berger 2005). Nonetheless, important questions can be asked about the conditions under which specific goals are activated and the consequences that follow from the disruption of these routines once they are undertaken. Interference with the completion of these routines should provoke annoyance and other negative emotions because it prevents the efficient achievement of recurring goals; however, there may be circumstances under which the disruption of social interaction routines provides relief from boredom or from an undesirable situation such as a routine conflict with another person.

People sometimes imagine social interactions with others. These imagined interactions may occur before an encounter, as when employees imagine what they might say to their bosses, but imagined interactions can take place after a particular encounter is over. Under certain conditions, imagining what one might say to another person before an actual interaction with them takes place can reduce the amount of apprehension that the person who has imagined the interaction shows during the actual encounter. Moreover, imagining interactions may help those who imagine them cope with negative emotions they have experienced in their relationship with the person or persons with whom they imagine conversing (Honeycutt 2003). However, imagining interactions before they take place may have the effect of encouraging individuals to commit themselves prematurely to a particular plan for the actual interaction and, as a result, render them less inclined to recognize potential problems that arise during the actual conversation, and to consider contingent actions that might be undertaken to deal with these problems (Berger 2005).

Relationship Development

The idea that interpersonal communication plays a critical role in the development, maintenance, and deterioration of social and personal relationships is one that has gained widespread acceptance over the past 35 years. Although a great deal of research attention has been paid to the development of romantic relationships during this period, probably because college students, who are frequently used as research participants, are likely to be involved in such relationships, researchers have also investigated relationships between friends, spouses, and family members.

A central question researchers have sought to answer is why some relationships become closer over time while others grow distant and perhaps end. Social exchange theories have frequently been invoked to explain why relationship growth and deterioration occur (Roloff 1981). In general, these theories suggest that individuals experience both rewards for and costs of being in relationships with each other, and not only assess their own rewards and costs, but estimate their partners’ levels of rewards and costs. Rewards may be material (wealth) or emotional (emotional support), and costs may be similarly material (lack of money) or emotional (undesirable personality). Each individual puts these reward and cost estimates into ratio form (rewards/costs) and compares the two ratios (self: rewards/costs vs partner: rewards/costs).

Individuals will feel equity in their relationship to the degree that the reward/cost ratios match; however, if the self ’s ratio is less favorable than the partner’s, the individual will feel inequity and thus dissatisfaction with the relationship. Dissatisfaction arising from felt inequity is sometimes expressed verbally when people say, e.g., “I am putting more into this relationship than I am getting out of it.” In general, these theories suggest that favorable relative reward/cost ratios fuel relationship growth, whereas unfavorable ratios are associated with relationship deterioration. It is not the absolute levels of rewards and costs that determine equity but the degree to which the two ratios match. Individuals might perceive their partners to be receiving more rewards from their relationships than they are, but because their partners may be perceived to be incurring greater costs for being in the relationship, the fact that they are receiving greater rewards does not lead to feelings of inequity.

Some have argued that social exchange theories and other relationship development perspectives have made the processes of relationship development and deterioration appear to be much more continuous and linear than they actually are. These researchers contend that the development of relationships is fraught with dialectical tensions that may serve to pull individuals in opposite directions simultaneously (Baxter & Montgomery 1996; Montgomery & Baxter 1998). For example, individuals may at once feel interdependent and autonomous with respect to their partners, and because the tension between these polarities shifts over time, relationships are in a constant state of flux. There are a number of possible dialectics such as predictability–novelty, openness–closeness, and autonomy– connection; thus, these contradictions can interact with each other through time. Given the dialectical nature of personal relationships and their dynamic interplay, proponents of this perspective contend that the complete merger of relationship partners is not possible.

Although social exchange theories and the relational dialectics perspective provide explanations for the growth and deterioration of relationships, they do not centrally address the effects of messages exchanged between people. That is, in the case of social exchange theories, individual’s judgments about relative rewards and costs are presumed to be residues of verbal and nonverbal interaction; similarly, the dialectical contradictions that individuals report experiencing in their relationships ostensibly arise from communicative exchanges with relationship partners; however, actual message exchanges between partners are generally not examined.

Nevertheless, although not necessarily strongly motivated by theory, there has been considerable research interest in interpersonal conflict in general and marital conflict in particular, much of it based on direct observations of partners engaged in social interaction. Such studies have found that couples who display a demand–withdraw pattern of message exchanges when interacting with each other, such that one person makes a demand of the other and the other person responds by withdrawing, report lower levels of relational satisfaction than do couples who acknowledge and respond to each other’s demands in a conciliatory way. In addition, because emotional communication plays an important role in many different types of relationships, there is increasing interest in how the regulation of emotions affects relationship development.

Deceptive Communication

Many interpersonal communication researchers subscribe to the view that deception is an integral part of social interaction. So called “white lies” are commonplace in everyday social commerce. Some researchers have gone so far as to argue that deception is an important lubricant that enables the smooth operation of the social interaction machine. Many times these lies are told to help co-interlocutors save face when potentially embarrassing circumstances arise in social situations. For example, dinner guests might tell a host that the food they have just consumed was “wonderful” when, in fact, it was utterly horrible, and persons might tell acquaintances that new articles of clothing the acquaintances are wearing “look good,” when their true evaluation of the new clothing is highly negative. Deception by commission occurs when proffered information is at variance with the “true” state of affairs, as in the previous examples; however, deception may also occur by omission; i.e., individuals may intentionally withhold critical information so that others will draw erroneous inferences, as when a used car salesperson fails to reveal known mechanical defects present in a car to a prospective car buyer. The prospective buyer is left to infer that the car is mechanically reliable.

Although interpersonal communication researchers have expended considerable research effort on examining deceptive communication, there are relatively few theories of deceptive social interaction (Berger 2005; Miller & Stiff 1993). Nonetheless, there are at least two enduring questions concerning deceptive communication that have attracted considerable research attention over the years. One of these questions concerns the degree to which engaging in deception alters nonverbal behaviors; i.e., do truth tellers’ nonverbal behaviors differ systematically from those of individuals who are telling lies? The research germane to this question has focused on nonverbal behaviors because it is generally assumed that when people engage in deceptive communication, they can carefully monitor what they are saying but cannot necessarily control their nonverbal behaviors in ways that will make them appear to be telling the truth while they are lying.

Those employed in such fields as law enforcement and the military, as well as those who perform psychological counseling, have a great deal of interest in knowing when individuals are providing truthful and deceitful answers to their questions. In general, research findings suggest that no one nonverbal behavior – e.g., eye-gaze aversion, excessive leg movements, fast or slow speech rate, or changes in body posture – can be used as an indicator of deceptive communication across all individuals. Specific behaviors may be diagnostic of deceptive communication in specific individuals; however, no universal nonverbal indicator of deceptive communication has yet been identified.

Another enduring question investigated by interpersonal communication researchers is the degree to which individuals are skilled at detecting deception as they interact with others. In this case research has generally shown that most individuals are not very adept at detecting deception, even those whose professions frequently require them to ascertain whether people are lying or telling the truth, e.g., judges, counselors, and law enforcement personnel. One explanation for the apparent inability of most individuals to detect deception is the pervasiveness of the “truth bias.” The truth bias arises from the fact that in the conduct of everyday interpersonal communication, individuals must routinely assume that their conversational partners are telling the truth.

For example, when one friend tells another, “I went to the movies alone last night,” under most conditions it would be quite odd for the friend to reply, “Can you provide me with evidence to support that assertion?” Individuals involved in social interactions must assume that others’ utterances are truthful; after all, requiring co-interlocutors to provide evidence for the truthfulness of every statement they make in most conversations would make even mundane social interaction a torturous activity. Consequently, because individuals routinely assume others are telling the truth, it is difficult for them to detect deceit when it is being perpetrated. There is some evidence that deception detection accuracy can be improved with practice, but these improvements appear to be confined to those specific individuals who are observed on repeated occasions; there is little evidence of generalized improvement beyond those individuals who are observed.

Mediated Social Interaction

Increasingly, social interaction is being accomplished through such communication technologies as computers with email and chat-room capabilities and mobile phones with text messaging and other communication features. Teleconferencing has become a commonplace in business communication. As the use of these technologies has become progressively more widespread, there has been a concomitant increase in research aimed at understanding their potential individual and social effects. However, technologically mediated social interaction is hardly a new phenomenon, having been possible on a wide scale since the advent of the landline telephone.

As was the case after traditional mass media such as film, radio, and television were introduced, research has investigated the potential deleterious effects of Internet use, such as Internet addiction and increased social isolation and loneliness, although evidence for the latter association is both scant and equivocal (Berger 2005). An inherent difficulty in examining such effects is establishing causal directions of influence: Do high levels of Internet use induce people to feel socially isolated and lonely, or do people who are already socially isolated and lonely, for reasons other than Internet use, gravitate to the Internet to help them alleviate or cope with these unpleasant feelings? Do people with “addictive personalities” simply find Internet use to be another activity to which to become addicted, or does use of the Internet itself induce addictive behavior? Yet another, and perhaps more realistic, possibility in each of these examples is that both causal directions occur and interact with each other in a complex, reciprocal fashion.

Some researchers have observed that when individuals engage in anonymous computer-mediated communication (CMC), as they might in an Internet chat room or on email, they are more likely to act in ways that they would not if they were interacting with others face to face (FtF) or if their identities were known to others in the CMC context. Researchers have postulated both positive and negative possibilities in this regard. On the positive side, anonymous individuals communicating with others by CMC might assume new identities, personalities, or both that could help them cope with personal problems. For example, highly introverted and shy people who wish to overcome their social inhibitions might “try on” a highly extraverted and outgoing persona whilst engaging in CMC. The effect of this experimentation might be to move such individuals in the desired direction of becoming less shy and introverted. However, on the negative side, others have noted that this same cloak of anonymity may serve to embolden individuals to insult and attack others or to “flame” them, behaviors they would not normally display in most FtF interactions or in CMC if their identities were known to their co-interlocutors.

Just as the advent of television prompted both considerable speculation and research aimed at comparing the then-new medium’s potential effects, especially with respect to its visual channel, with those of older media such as radio, so too the appearance of CMC has precipitated considerable research aimed at determining how CMC and FtF interaction differ with respect to various outcomes associated with their use (Walther & Parks 2002). Because text-based CMC, as currently used in electronic mail (email), news groups, and chat rooms, filters out many nonverbal cues typically available to people engaged in FtF interactions, it is presumed, e.g., that communication via text-based CMC is more task focused than is FtF communication. Moreover, while relatively cue-deprived, text-based CMC venues may be quite useful for initially encountering and screening potential friends and romantic partners, they apparently do not afford sufficient information for developing close relationships. Individuals who initially meet in the text-based CMC world usually elect to communicate with each other through other channels, e.g., phone and FtF encounters.

These alternative communication channels afford their users potentially more rich and comprehensive samples of each other’s behavior. Although the ability to send pictures and live video in the CMC context may overcome some of this cue loss in the visual realm, there are certain nonverbal communication channels such as touch, pheromones, body temperature, and smell that are at once both highly significant in most close romantic relationships and currently difficult or impossible to instantiate in CMC. The unavailability of these channels in current, commonly used incarnations of CMC raises questions about this medium’s ability to help sustain close, romantic relationships over long distances.

Because text-based CMC may serve to filter out personal information that might be used to understand people as individuals rather than as group members, some researchers have suggested that when groups use CMC to communicate with each other, the lack of individuating information about group members may foster stronger ingroup identity. Increased ingroup loyalty may serve to “deindividuate” people to the point where they are willing to stereotype outgroup members and behave negatively toward them. Although research has supported this possibility (Postmes et al. 2000), some have observed that these findings are limited to the domain of group-based CMC and may not apply in situations in which people are using CMC to interact with others on an individual basis (Walther & Parks 2002). Beyond the realm of CMC, under the aegis of human–computer interaction (HCI), considerable research evidence has been adduced to support the idea that people tend to treat computers and other communication technologies as if they are human agents, even when users know that they are interacting with a machine (Reeves & Nass 1996). Apparently, technology users cannot help imputing human-like qualities to the communication technologies they encounter in their everyday lives.

Given the rapid rate at which new communication technologies that enable mediated social interaction between people are being made widely available to the public, understanding how the use of these technologies affects communication in these modes and how prolonged use of the technologies may alter the nature of FtF interaction represents a challenge to communication researchers.

Other Research Areas

The six areas just considered do not exhaust the entire domain of interpersonal communication research. In addition to these theoretically defined areas are specific concepts in which interpersonal communication researchers have had an enduring interest. A few of the more important of these are now considered.

Everyday experience suggests that some individuals are consistently better able than others to achieve their goals during their social interactions. Some people appear to be able to induce others to like them and others seem to be very effective at persuading others and getting their way. The skills associated with success in these and other social interaction domains can be subsumed under the term communication competence. Much has been written about the communication competence concept, but there remains considerable ambiguity concerning its meaning; moreover, there has yet to be a theory that elaborates the concept. Some have suggested that communication competence might profitably be viewed as a theoretical term or domain of study rather than a single theoretical concept (Wilson & Sabee 2003).

There appears to be some agreement that communication competence refers to the degree to which individuals are able to reach their goals (effectiveness) and the extent to which goal achievement is accomplished in an appropriate manner (social appropriateness). In addition, some have suggested that efficiency may be another component of competence; i.e., how quickly individuals are able to achieve their goals. Another point of convergence is that communication competence is not a generalized skill but is specific to different kinds of communication goals and situations. Thus, a parent might be very persuasive when conducting high-level business negotiations on the job but, at the same time, be quite ineffective at inducing a resistant son or daughter to finish his or her homework. Similarly, an individual might be very effective at offering social support and comfort to others but very ineffective at gaining compliance from others. Although most interpersonal communication researchers acknowledge that communication competence is goaland situation-specific, as yet there is no typology of goals and situations that enables us to determine specific skill sets that are associated with various classes of goals and situations. This typology development task is one in need of attention.

As noted previously, much of everyday social interaction is organized around recurring goals that arise in the course of everyday living. The routines associated with everyday family and work interactions, and with daily transactions in business and commerce, encourage the development of communication routines in order to reach these recurring goals effectively and efficiently. If people had to plan consciously how to reach each of these recurring goals every day, the pace of social life would slow to a crawl. Instead, communication is routinized and can be enacted automatically when the occasion arises. Routinization of language use is pervasive; it has been estimated that up to 70 percent of adult language is formulaic (Berger 2005). The notion of communication routines may be related in some ways to communication competence. Competent communicators may be those who, in a given situation, have rapid access to communication routines that generally eventuate in goal achievement. Of course, the relationship between the availability of communication routines and communication competence rests on the assumption that the routines accessed are both effective and socially appropriate. A given situation may be nonroutine and require conscious planning effort; thus, the discerning communicator must be able to differentiate between those social situations that are routine and those that are not. This requirement for astute social discernment suggests that competent communicative action involves more than the production of effective messages. Accurate perception of others’ circumstances, moods, and emotional states is a vital prerequisite to competent social conduct.

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The Internet Impact on Interpersonal Communication Research Paper

  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment

The progress of the digital era is one of the most discussed topics today, and people are free to introduce their attitudes toward the Internet and online services. On the one hand, the Internet performs a critical function of global connection. Finding the necessary information and sharing data does not take much time. On the other hand, it is wrong to neglect that the Internet has changed the quality of interpersonal communication and decreased the number of real-life meetings. This paper aims to answer the question, “How does the Internet affect human relationships and communication processes?” Despite the evident benefits of the Internet in human life, like time-saving and the content of exchanged information, the challenges of interpersonal communication continue to decrease the worth of nonverbal components and privacy issues.

It is hard to imagine this life without the Internet, and the possibility of saving time remains an important benefit in the context of interpersonal communication. In their intention to improve relationships, people try to use a single chance to share data in a timely manner. Sam defines the Internet as a “global village, transcending the boundaries of time and space” (473). Several years ago, society was concerned about the inability to find enough time and space to find the material, report on the event, or demonstrate personal opinions. Today, it is easy to create a post, record a video, or leave a comment from any part of the world. The Internet has facilitated interpersonal communication by significantly reducing time frames.

Another consequence of using the Internet for interpersonal communication is improved content expansion. Most individuals first grab their phones or other digital devices that connect them with the entire world when they wake up. According to Ruben et al., it does not matter if a person turns on the phone to scroll through Facebook or add another picture of their Outfit of the Day; the idea remains the same – the Internet is inevitable. Sometimes, people need more details about the situation or clear evidence not to be alone in this world (Sam 474). The Internet is a connection that is not determined by the weight or physical size of the message. Users can print words, send audio files, share video material, and exchange pictures. Thus, the Internet positively affects interpersonal communication due to a great opportunity of exchanging different types of personal and public information.

At the same time, any impact can be interpreted in different ways, and, together with evident advantages, the Internet may challenge interpersonal communication because of poorly interpreted nonverbal language. Technology-mediated communication is developed in various ways, but nonverbal behavior cues are frequently absent (Ruben et al.). Human gestures, voice tones, physical appearances, touches, and gazes are necessary to express relative status and define relationship roles in everyday life and business (Goman). The Internet transfers visual information but does not contribute to the appropriate interpretation of the material. Still, it is human nature to pay attention to nonverbal responses and “all of the emotional nuance behind the words,” either consciously or unconsciously (Goman). Digital communication is not as powerful and all-encompassing as face-to-face interaction. Many critical elements are neglected, which deprives people of observing many things and details. The Internet damages the quality of interpersonal communication due to the absence of body language and physical cues.

Finally, when people initiate communication processes, they expect their information to be private and personal, which is not always possible on the Internet. Digitalization and globalization are usually associated with vast opportunities and unlimited knowledge. Despite multiple attempts to strengthen the global politics of cyber systems, privacy complications continue emerging, and personal data protection is dramatically challenged (DeNardis 60). Many invisible threats exist even if people think they are alone in the room. For example, camera surveillance and video recording may be stored with the help of cloud services without even notifying users (DeNardis 60). There are many ways to circumvent privacy agreements, and interpersonal communication can never be the same as the one when two people talk to each other face to face. The Internet did not pursue such purposes when it was introduced for public usage, but hackers and technical experts developed their skills to penetrate private human lives in the most meticulous ways.

In conclusion, the impact of the Internet on interpersonal communication is associated with different benefits and shortages. People are easily fascinated with the number of digitalized opportunities they get when they choose the Internet for communication. They enjoy the absence of geographical boundaries, distance, and time limitations and exchange pictures and voices in a convenient way. At the same time, the lack of understanding of nonverbal communication and no privacy questions the appropriateness of the Internet for personal communication. Many individuals need to have guarantees and control their words and information distribution. The Internet facilitates many processes as well as creates additional problems that people need to consider if they want to enjoy their interpersonal relationships and communication. It is high time to realize the difference between online and face-to-face communication to prevent damage and gain personal profits.

Works Cited

DeNardis, Laura. The Internet in Everything: Freedom and Security in a World with No Off Switch . Yale University Press, 2020.

Goman, Carol Kinsey. “Has Technology Killed Face-To-Face Communication?” Forbes , Web.

Ruben, Mollie A., et al. “Is Technology Enhancing or Hindering Interpersonal Communication? A Framework and Preliminary Results to Examine the Relationship Between Technology Use and Nonverbal Decoding Skill.” Frontiers , Web.

Sam, Susan. “Impact of Internet on Interpersonal Relationships.” International Journal of Home Science, vol. 5, no. 2, 2019, pp. 473-476.

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Essays on Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication plays a pivotal role in our daily lives, shaping our relationships, interactions, and understanding of the world around us. Therefore, writing an essay on interpersonal communication holds significant importance for several reasons.

Firstly, exploring the topic of interpersonal communication allows individuals to delve into the complexities of human interaction. By examining various aspects such as verbal and nonverbal cues, active listening, empathy, and conflict resolution, individuals can gain a deeper understanding of how communication shapes our interactions with others.

Secondly, writing an essay on interpersonal communication fosters self-awareness and personal growth. Through reflection and analysis of communication patterns, individuals can identify their strengths and weaknesses in communication and work towards improving their interpersonal skills. This self-awareness is crucial for building healthier and more fulfilling relationships in both personal and professional contexts.

Furthermore, studying interpersonal communication through essay writing enables individuals to appreciate the diversity and complexity of human interaction. Communication styles, norms, and expectations vary across cultures, social contexts, and individual personalities. By exploring these differences, individuals can develop a more inclusive and empathetic approach to communication, fostering harmony and understanding in diverse social environments.

Additionally, writing an essay on interpersonal communication provides an opportunity to address contemporary issues and challenges in communication. With the rise of digital communication platforms and globalization, new dynamics and complexities have emerged in interpersonal interactions. Essays on topics such as the impact of social media on face-to-face communication or the influence of technology on family dynamics can shed light on these evolving trends and their implications for society.

Moreover, discussing interpersonal communication in essays can contribute to practical insights and strategies for improving communication skills. By examining case studies, research findings, and real-life examples, individuals can learn effective communication techniques and apply them in their personal and professional lives, ultimately enhancing their relationships and overall well-being.

Writing an essay on interpersonal communication is essential for gaining insights into human interaction, fostering self-awareness and personal growth, appreciating diversity, addressing contemporary challenges, and acquiring practical communication skills. By engaging with this topic, individuals can deepen their understanding of interpersonal dynamics and contribute to building more empathetic, inclusive, and harmonious relationships in society.

What Makes a Good Interpersonal Communication Essay Topic

Choosing the right topic is crucial when writing an interpersonal communication essay. A good essay topic should be thought-provoking, relevant, and engaging. To brainstorm and choose an essay topic, consider your interests, current events, and areas of interpersonal communication that you find intriguing. Think about what you want to learn more about and what you believe others should know. A good essay topic should also be specific and focused, allowing you to delve deep into the subject matter. Finally, consider the impact of your chosen topic and how it relates to the broader field of interpersonal communication.

Best Interpersonal Communication Essay Topics

  • The impact of social media on face-to-face communication
  • Nonverbal communication in romantic relationships
  • The role of empathy in effective communication
  • Gender differences in communication styles
  • Overcoming communication barriers in a diverse workplace
  • The influence of culture on interpersonal communication
  • The art of active listening in personal relationships
  • The power dynamics of communication in leadership
  • Communication strategies for conflict resolution
  • The role of trust in effective communication
  • The impact of technology on family communication
  • Communicating effectively in long-distance relationships
  • The psychology of persuasion in interpersonal communication
  • The influence of personality on communication styles
  • The role of communication in building strong friendships
  • The impact of communication on mental health and well-being
  • Effective communication in healthcare settings
  • The influence of language on intercultural communication
  • The role of communication in building successful teams
  • The impact of communication on romantic attraction

Interpersonal Communication Essay Topics Prompts

  • Imagine a world without verbal communication. How would people connect and understand each other?
  • Write about a time when you experienced a miscommunication and how it could have been avoided.
  • Create a fictional story about two people from different cultures who struggle to understand each other's communication styles.
  • Research and write about a unique form of nonverbal communication from a specific culture or community.
  • Reflect on a personal experience where effective communication was the key to resolving a conflict.

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The Main Sources of Stereotypes, The Concept of Self-monitoring and Self-concept in Interpersonal Communication

Importance of nonverbal communication skills in interpersonal communication, my pet peeve: the inappropriate use of the cellphone, the importance of effective communication, maintaining effective communication in distance relationship, the film inside out and the symbolic interaction theory in movies, significance and importance of nonverbal communication in relationships, nonverbal communication differences in gender communication, communication breakdown in business and everyday life: reasons and solutions, intersocial communication and its paralinguistic aspects, the impact of computer-mediated forms of communication (cmc) on interpersonal relationships, understanding the meaning of fallacy, discussion on the importance of communication skill, the dynamic role of language in our everyday lives, the importance of communication in customer service, the importance of self-concept in the development of human relations, the role of networking in my personal and professional growth, interpersonal communication: italians vs. americans, nonverbal communication: the importance and main aspects, the use of politeness theory in daily life.

Interpersonal communication is an exchange of information between two or more people. It is also an area of research that seeks to understand how humans use verbal and nonverbal cues to accomplish a number of personal and relational goals.

Interpersonal communication research addresses at least six categories of inquiry: 1) how humans adjust and adapt their verbal communication and nonverbal communication during face-to-face communication; 2) how messages are produced; 3) how uncertainty influences behavior and information-management strategies; 4) deceptive communication; 5) relational dialectics; and 6) social interactions that are mediated by technology.

There are four types of interpersonal communication — oral, verbal, nonverbal, and listening.

1. Berger, J. (2014). Word of mouth and interpersonal communication: A review and directions for future research. Journal of consumer psychology, 24(4), 586-607. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1057740814000369) 2. Miller, G. R. (1978). The current status of theory and research in interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 4(2), 164-178. (https://academic.oup.com/hcr/article-abstract/4/2/164/4626715) 3. Weber, T. (2008). Handbook of interpersonal communication (Vol. 2). Walter de Gruyter. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110211399/html 4. Penley, L. E., & Hawkins, B. (1985). Studying interpersonal communication in organizations: A leadership application. Academy of Management Journal, 28(2), 309-326. (https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/256203) 5. Graham, E. E., Barbato, C. A., & Perse, E. M. (1993). The interpersonal communication motives model. Communication Quarterly, 41(2), 172-186. (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01463379309369877) 6. Burgoon, J. K., Berger, C. R., & Waldron, V. R. (2000). Mindfulness and interpersonal communication. Journal of Social Issues, 56(1), 105-127. (https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/0022-4537.00154) 7. Wackman, D. B. (1973). Interpersonal communication and coorientation. American Behavioral Scientist, 16(4), 537-550. (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/000276427301600405?journalCode=absb) 8. Bylund, C. L., Peterson, E. B., & Cameron, K. A. (2012). A practitioner's guide to interpersonal communication theory: An overview and exploration of selected theories. Patient education and counseling, 87(3), 261-267. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S073839911100557X)

Relevant topics

  • Effective Communication
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Media Analysis
  • Cultural Appropriation
  • Sociological Imagination

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interpersonal communication research paper topics

International Communication Research Paper Topics

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  • Americanization of the Media
  • Arab Satellite TV News
  • BBC World Service
  • Bertelsmann Corporation
  • China Central Television Channel 9 (CCTV-9)
  • Cultural Imperialism Theories
  • Cultural Products as Tradable Services
  • Deutsche Welle
  • Francophonie
  • Free Flow of Information
  • Global Advertising Industry
  • Global Satellite Communication
  • Globalization Theories
  • History of Global Media
  • Hybridity Theories
  • Independent Media Centers Network
  • International Communication Agencies
  • International News Reporting
  • International Radio
  • International Regulation of Internet
  • International Television
  • Korean Cultural Influence
  • Kurdish International Broadcasting
  • Le Monde Diplomatique
  • Migrant Community Media
  • Music Industry
  • NAFTA and International Communication
  • New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO)
  • News Corporation
  • Public Relations in Global Firms
  • Radio France Internationale
  • Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  • Samsung Corporation
  • Security and Surveillance Agencies
  • Sony Corporation
  • Time Warner Inc.
  • Tourism Industry
  • Transnational Social Movement Media
  • Vatican Radio
  • Voice of America
  • War Propaganda

Four Theories of the Press, by Siebert, Petersen and Schramm (1956), was the first major comparative media study. The theories in question were normative, the official views of media goals in four contrasting polities: authoritarian, libertarian, Soviet, and “social responsibility.” Comparative news studies have substantially revived recently.

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Another major stimulus to research was ‘third world’ development, often framed at the time by the modernization’ schema which held that unless the west’s modernity spread, global raw materials and markets risked Soviet/Chinese takeover. Lerner’s book, The Passing of Traditional Society (1958) and Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (1962) were key texts.

Schiller’s series of studies of global media from 1969 onwards (e.g. Schiller 1991) challenged this schema. From the 1980s onwards, he argued emerging ICTs were being used to intensify transnational corporate hegemony. A second challenge came from Armand Mattelart (2000), who wrote on international advertising, international communication history, and multicultural policies, but paid more attention to cultural dynamics than Schiller.

Three Theories of International Communication

‘Cultural imperialism’ (Schiller, Mattelart) covered education, religion, business practice, consumerism, law, governmentality, dress, as well as media. The term framed the US as a global superpower pursuing cultural domination overseas. Tomlinson (1991) argued that cultural imperialism presumed that third world media users could not interpret western media fare in their own ways, and that the term’s popularity canalized discontent at modernity’s juggernaut. China’s and India’s global media industries, and Nigeria’s video-movie industry (Nollywood), considerably complicated these issues.

The ‘hybridization’ metaphor focused on how global audiences refract cultural imports (Kraidy 2005). Some Latin American scholars argued that Latin America’s history of Indigenous, European, and African exchange, and Mexican–US cultural exchanges, made the metaphor more compelling. The notion of ‘cultural proximity’, although critiqued for cultural essentialism, claimed that regional or linguistic resonances often rivaled foreign cultural imports’ attractiveness. The emergence of ‘Hallyu’, the ‘Korean Wave’ of media exports, complicated the picture further.

‘Globalization’ could mean cultural imperialism, modernity, postmodernity, or even the ascendancy of free-market dogma. The roles of computer networks, satellites, and global media firms were plainly central, as were key world cities. Some found the term over-stated for the media and information sectors.

Global Media Firms

Global media players such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Bertelsmann, News Corp., Samsung, Sony and Time Warner Inc. (Fitzgerald 2012) usually have varied media interests (e.g., cinema, publishing, music, video games, theme parks). Advertising, public relations and marketing firms also play significant roles internationally (Sinclair 2012). The recorded music industry has three key global players (Warner Music, Universal Music and Sony Music).

This scenario marks a sea change from some decades earlier, when cultural policies were often run by government ministries. All these companies are considerably smaller in financial terms than General Motors or ExxonMobil. Nonetheless, although media products are tradable commodities, their cultural impact cannot be assessed simply by the money spent on them.

Global Media Policies

In the years before and since World War II, the US government worked in a sustained manner to promote the ‘free flow of information policy’. This challenged British domination of ocean cable traffic and its Reuters news agency. Attempts to forge partly noncommercial global policies emerged in the 1970s NWICO debates (Many Voices, One World, 1980/2004, the MacBride Report), and the 2003 and 2005 World Summits on the Information Society (WSIS). The international Internet Governance Forum has emphasized ‘multi-stakeholderism’, i.e. the public, not just states and corporations, has a compelling interest in framing Internet policies.

Certain trade regimes and international agencies influence transnational communication policies: the World Trade Organization, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NA FTA), the European Union, UNESCO, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).

Within the EU, France has actively supported exempting cultural products trade from WTO rules (the so-called ‘cultural exception’), while the UK has militantly supported the US. Canada and South Korea, amongst others, have supported France’s stance. Global media and information policy has been marked by clashing agendas.

Global News Flows

The 1980 MacBride Report noted how most western news coverage (as now) emanated within the global north and reported on its doings. International news about the global south, when available at all, focused on disasters, natural or political. This made for a gravely under-informed planetary citizenry.

However, the turn of the millennium witnessed new international news interventions. Established stalwarts, such as the BBC World Service, Voice of America, CNN International, Deutsche Welle, Radio France Internationale, and Vatican Radio, were joined by Arab satellite TV news and entertainment channels, and China’s English-language global TV channel CCTV-9. Britain’s The Guardian newspaper could claim 16 million Internet readers worldwide.

Nonhegemonic International Communication Flows

Given the increasing activity of global social movements of many kinds, it appears likely that nonhegemonic transnational media may become a growing force. The emergence of the Qatar-based news broadcaster Al-Jazeera is an example. It has challenged the deferential state broadcast news of the Arabic-speaking world, and influential US government definitions of Middle Eastern affairs.

Perhaps the successful anti-apartheid movement (1948–94), challenging the white-minority regime which ran South Africa during those decades, could be defined as the first major transnational media campaign. In a series of countries, independent media, campaigning mainstream journalists, ongoing demonstrations, university teach-ins, media smuggled into and out of South Africa, the African National Congress’s Zambia radio station, very effectively combined together over time.

Bibliography:

  • Curtin, M. & Shah, H. (eds.) (2010). Reorienting global communication: Indian and Chinese media beyond borders. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
  • Fitzgerald, S. (2012) Corporations and cultural industries. New York: Lexington.
  • Kraidy, M. (2005). Hybridity, or the cultural logic of globalization. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.
  • Lerner, D. (1958). The passing of traditional society. Glencoe, IL: Free Press.
  • Mattelart, A. (2000). Networking the world: 1794–2000. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
  • Rogers, E. (2003). Diffusion of innovations, 5th edn. Glencoe, NY: Free Press. (Original work published 1962).
  • Schiller, H. (1991). Not yet a post-imperialist order. Critical Studies in Mass Communication, 8(1), 13–28.
  • Siebert, F., Peterson, T., & Schramm, W. (1956). Four theories of the press. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.
  • Sinclair, J. (2012). Advertising, the media and globalization. London: Routledge.
  • Tomlinson, J. (1991). Cultural imperialism. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

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