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Interpersonal Communication

The Within and The Between (First Edition)
Jody Koenig Kellas and Valerie Manusov
©2025, 438 pages

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Interpersonal Communication

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    Interpersonal Communication: The Within and The Between explores the intricacies of interpersonal communication, focusing on the interconnectedness of the cognitive, emotional, cultural, social, and biological aspects of individuals (the within) and their interdependent, collaborative, symbolic interactions with others (the between). The book introduces a philosophy termed "wholeness," where communication is viewed as a product of both the within and the between. It emphasizes the importance of communication in personal, professional, and public spheres, highlighting its role in psychosocial, physical, and relational health.

    The book meticulously examines the foundational cornerstones, complexities, and consequences of interpersonal engagement. Each of its 12 chapters reveals a key takeaway about interpersonal communication. These “big ideas” extend an invitation to the reader to probe deeper into the multifaceted aspects of communication, addressing its intricacies while directing students towards a profound understanding of their lives.

    The book discusses processes such as meaning-making, thoughts and emotions, cultural influences, the social construction of realities, and the functional ambivalence of communication. It also addresses interpersonal communication's potential for being a relationally patterned, dynamic, transformative, and restorative personal and social force.

    Interpersonal Communication: The Within and The Between is designed to facilitate students' understanding of the core principles of interpersonal communication, making the content approachable and relevant to their lived experiences.

    Jody Koenig Kellas is a Willa Cather Professor and chair of the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She conducts research and teaches classes on interpersonal, family, and health communication. Her scholarship focuses on the links between storytelling and well-being and developing narrative interventions to improve lives.
    Valerie Manusov, Ph.D. is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Washington, where she teaches courses in research methods and interpersonal, nonverbal, and interpersonal communication and leads the departmental honors program. In 2022, she received the Mark L. Knapp Award in Interpersonal Communication from the National Communication Association.
    Other Cognella titles by Valerie Manusov:

    Cognella Active Learning is available for this title! Adopting instructors can provide students with dynamic online learning activities that reinforce key concepts from the text, provide engaging educational experiences, and support various learning styles.

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    The Cognella Active Learning content for Interpersonal Communication: The Within and The Between includes:

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    • 12 chapter quizzes
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    "The authors are trying to do something different, and important, by providing a conceptual organization to their text (and the IPC class more broadly). They know the literature well, write clearly, and use a nice mix of materials (research, movie, and personal examples). [...] The idea of organizing the book around “takeaways” or ideas/themes/lessons students ideally will pull from the text/class is novel and seems useful. I like the fact that certain ideas (e.g., within/between, functional ambivalence) are pulled through in each chapter; the text has more “perspective” than many introductory IPC texts that are organized topically. [...] The coverage is good. The authors cover a wide range of theories in each chapter and often bring together perspectives (e.g., in Chapter 7, work on conversation analysis and relational turbulence theory) that you might not expect to see in the same chapter but that highlight a common theme. In my view, the authors have done a nice job making sure they represent classic and contemporary IPC scholarship. [...] To me, what the authors are doing is a bit like what G.R. Miller did when he published Between People – i.e., he wanted to provide an organized way of thinking about IPC rather than just a list of topics. He was writing at a very different time than now, but this text seems to be trying to do something similar – i.e., to introduce a way of thinking about IPC that is coherent and useful."
    Steven Wilson, University of South Florida

    "This text innovatively knits scholarship and philosophy to help us re/consider some of our taken-for-granteds about interpersonal contact with others, including helpful ways to understand and work with its built-in complexities. It aids theory-based interpersonal problem-solving. [...] I appreciate how [the authors] orient their work relative to the more standard model of interpersonal textbooks, filling a less populated niche that starts with big-picture takeaways relevant to students’ own IPC puzzles. […] These conceptual takeaways please me as a professor of IPC. […] The writing is engaging, accurate, and pitched appropriately for its intended audience. [...] Its focus on 'the big-picture items – the statements that reflect deeply significant ideas about interpersonal communication' implies a problem-based center that’s appealing, in that it allows students to 'oh yeah…' know more about why they’re taking on this new research, philosophy, and information. Its relevance-centered thought is appealing to me. [...] I love seeing bolded references to theories and concepts/models, backed by individual studies’ findings applying those notions to interpersonal realities. [...] [Chapter 11: “How Can You Mend This Broken Heart?”: Interpersonal Communication Can Heal] is an important chapter in the text, and value-added beyond conventional interpersonal textbooks. iIn its inclusion of humanistic interpersonal insights alongside the social science findings throughout. It works to bridge humanities and social scientific understandings of these particular interpersonal phenomena, wisdom, and aspirations. [...] I like the way claims are advanced and then supported via research guided by relevant boldfaced theories, concepts, and modeling. The book offers a reasonable balance across the two (claims and evidence) to support students’ application and adoption intents."
    Jeff Kerssen-Griep, University of Portland

    "[H]aving the textbook material grounded in takeaways makes it easier to see the ‘big picture’ which leads to greater instructor and student engagement. […] I like the fact that the text explicitly refers to ‘you’ as if it is talking directly to the reader. That conversational tone made the text more accessible and more interesting and engaging to read. The examples used were excellent – timely, relevant to students, clearly applicable to the point being made, and well-explained. […] I really felt like the field, in all its diversity, was well represented. [...] I really liked the nuanced discussion of positives and negatives in interpersonal communication. Putting values together with functional ambivalence enables a much richer understanding of both ideas. Many times our discussions of positives and negatives in interpersonal communication are quite one-sided and heavy handed. This text avoids this problem by pointing out that many forms of interpersonal communication that we think of as good, can have negative aspects to them, and many forms of interpersonal communication we think of as dysfunctional can have positive aspects to them. I think this helps students understand the balance of communication better."
    Isabelle Bauman, Missouri State University

    "The use of key takeaways to organize the content helps demonstrate the ways in which interpersonal communication is important and keeps the focus on the functions and substance of the communication, as opposed to the more typical segmented approach that divides verbal, nonverbal, listening, etc. It will help students understand the material and its application better, and it is more engaging than the usual chapter organization. [...] I really like the idea of focusing on key takeaways instead of 'siloed' topic areas. I also like the focus on 'within' and 'between' and 'functional ambivalence' as frameworks for understanding the concepts. [...] The philosophy and approach to the book seem like it would be highly engaging to those students and give them a useful structure within which to understand and improve their own communication. [...] I particularly like the diversity of perspectives and the authors’ self-reflection throughout the book. [...] The idea of wholeness will help students frame communication concepts. The idea of communication as complex and consequential will help students see that it’s not all 'obvious' because 'everyone communicates' (an attitude that can often show up in intro courses). The goal of being able to understand and put into words their communication experiences via the concepts in the text is one of my primary goals in the course (helping students become aware of and analyze the communication around them). [...] The examples illustrate the concepts well, and the explanations of research studies to illustrate concepts helps clarify those concepts while also giving students an idea of the kinds of research that happen in the field of communication. [...] I like the use of authors’ first and last names when discussing research findings. I think that seeing first names will help students see the researchers as people and make the research findings more interesting or approachable (vs. research done by some first-nameless automaton)."
    Erin K. Ruppel, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

    "Starting with key takeaway points and filling in the details where relevant is a clever antidote to students’ complaints that 'this is all so obvious!' I like the idea of a storyline that runs through the book so that the topics are integrated instead of presented using a piecemeal approach. [...] I’m enthusiastic about the organizational structure of the book. I’m very excited about the possibilities of this book. [...] The most impressive aspect of the textbook to me is the fresh, new, and innovative way of conceptualizing interpersonal communication. I like the top-down, claim-based approach as an intriguing alternative to the bottom-up, topic-based approach that all or almost all of the other textbooks favor."
    Leanne K. Knobloch, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    "I like the focus on how interpersonal communication is related to quality of life and I can see how the focus on takeaways and application could be useful and appealing to students. [...] [The balance of content, in terms of theory and application and in terms of representation of diverse perspectives, methodologies, and topics] is one of the greatest strengths of this book. The authors did a great job of balancing theory, research, and application in an accessible way. I also think they did a nice job of pulling research from a variety of disciplines (while keeping communication the most prominent). The application of the concepts, which is honestly what I usually glaze over in textbooks, was well done."
    Eve-Anne M. Doohan, University of San Francisco

    "Using wholeness within and between as a foundational framework is a market differentiator in traditional interpersonal textbooks. […] I really like that they authors have ‘shaken up’ the format that most contemporary interpersonal textbooks use. It often feels like one format keeps getting cloned over and over again without any substantive differences. I also like the integration of concepts rather than separating them based on themes or categories. There is an intuitive appeal to such an approach."
    Alan D. Heisel, University of Missouri - St. Louis

    "This textbook is a novel and engaging text to use when teaching Interpersonal Communication. The takeaways feature that it is organized around is a unique way to present the key concepts and theories I consider central to an introduction to Interpersonal. I believe that a course designed around takeaways will be a really approachable way for students to articulate what they have learned in a memorable way. [...] Another macro strength is the breadth and depth of the sources that are being used. I really appreciate that the authors are clearly grounding their takeaways in empirical research but that they are also in conversation with other kinds of evidence and source types (for example, Brene Brown’s popular press books). This all adds up to the chapters feeling really uniquely well-rounded and intriguing. [...] This textbook also contains a unique blend of content focusing on both interpersonal (the between) and intrapersonal (the within) dynamics. The conceptualization of the wholeness of the within and the between is a useful one that I don’t see clearly described in other texts I have used in the past. [...] A most impressive aspect is the wide variety of examples and evidence that are synthesized to support each of the key takeaways in the chapters. The chapters are interesting and engaging while maintaining rigor and excellence. I really love the organizational structure of the book compared to other traditional IPC texts, so I consider it really impressive to see this organizational structure so clearly grounded in good information."
    Toni Maisano, St. Norbert College

    "I like this way [the within and the between] of looking at IPC because it emphasizes the co-creation aspect of IPC while still acknowledging the effect IPC has on us as individuals. I find that a lot of students become more interested in the course when they realize how IPC affects our health and well-being. This brings it “home” to them. [...] The first takeaway is that IPC is complex and consequential. The discussion of the models of communication and other examples in the chapter illustrated how complex the process of IPC is. I also thought the discussion of how IPC affects our physical health and well-being was quite powerful. I think that information could be quite persuasive to students that this book and class will be genuinely valuable to them."
    Jay Frasier, Lane Community College

    "I like the inclusion of work from so many scholars and their studies. In introductory texts, the scholarship can sometimes feel lacking, or highlight only foundational studies. This work does a great job of bringing in both diverse scholarship while also focusing on both foundational and new studies. […] The [authors’] goal of integrating empirical research with approachable topics and examples is absolutely accomplished."
    Shaye Morrison, University of Missouri

    "I really enjoy the 'takeaway' approach to organizing this book. I find these takeaways valuable. This book has a clear strategy for why it is organized the way it is (cornerstones, complexities, consequences), which I appreciate. [...] [The authors’ approach] is very attractive to the way that I would like to teach an introductory communication course. [.].. I appreciate that the authors polled IPC scholars (I think I answered the call on Facebook!) to find out what they hope students learn in IPC courses. [...] I like the conversational tone the authors take with the students. This style is much more engaging and approachable for students. I really like the definition of IPC that they describe, along with examples of what is and what is not IPC (good, student-relevant examples)."
    Kelly R. Rossetto, Boise State University

    "I appreciate the rationale and impetus and incorporating the three 'C’s' help frame the text. I do appreciate the Wholeness approach. I do think about People of Color and how often times we get generalized in a way that is not always relevant or realistic. […] I think the content is well done, easy to follow, organized. […] [The within and the between] theme felt unique and positive and I appreciated it. [...] It will be a solid text that offers needed voices and identities in the field of COMM studies."
    Steven R. Montemayor, Northwest Vista College

    "The case for the book is quite compelling. Although I’m used to the segmented approaches of IPC textbooks and courses, I have been craving a deeper and more soulful approach to teaching my IPC class. Jody and Valerie’s orientation toward wholeness, creativity with design, and focus on academic research(ers) fills that void. [...] I appreciate that the authors aren’t afraid to try new things and get creative (with chapter titles, ways to divide and group concepts, illustrations)! This text acknowledges that IPC is messy and that these concepts overlap and inform each other. It’s tricky to acknowledge this and still keep the concepts distinct (I think the authors can keep working on that) but I appreciate that the authors refer back to previous concepts and chapters to build on each other. [...] [A point of distinction is the book’s] focus on (foundational and contemporary) research. I find that other IPC books talk about concepts more generally. I like how this one outlines specific lines of research and uses them as exemplars for concepts and theories. I appreciate that the authors focus on researchers to illustrate the work scholars are doing to build the field."
    Haley Kranstuber Horstman, University of Missouri

    "I loved the variety of examples. […] [The textbook] reads like a story, it has a very storytelling tone to it. I enjoyed reading it in a way that is closer to when I read fiction than a textbook. I think students would like reading it. […] [The book’s most impressive aspects are its] readability and relatability. I think the authors did an excellent job of making this a book students would want to read and would find easily relatable. [...] I would describe this book as innovative—a new approach to teaching interpersonal communication that focuses on a macro view instead of dividing it into areas of research that are often tied to individual classes."
    Kaitlin E. Phillips, Baylor University

    "Their approach and organization is novel, and I appreciate both of these aspects as pushing the field of IPC instruction. […] I love this [within and between] theme and the way it was described. […] I like the tone. I also like the personal style of writing, where the authors refer to themselves by their first names. I think that makes the material more accessible to students. I also like when the authors gave personal examples. I think students will really relate with that. […] If all students were communication students, then I see this book as being the best, hands down."
    Angela L. Palmer-Wackerly, University of Nebraska—Lincoln

    "The diversity of examples and perspectives is impressive. The up-to-date cultural references are student centered and engaging. […] The use of updated cultural references and the synthesis of concepts into broad “Take-Aways” make this book unique from others out there."
    Dave Kosloski, Clark College

    "This book is a very interesting approach and is certainly very different than the cookie cutter texts that exist. I like the approach because it is novel but also because it reflects the way I would like to approach the teaching of IPC. […] I like the key-takeaways and the within and the between theme. It makes sense and should help student grasp their role in the process of IPC."
    Kristi A. Schaller, University of Georgia

    "I liked the 'three C’s' approach, and I think it’s an intuitive way to divide up key concepts within this topic. […] I love the breadth of topics covered in this book. […] The narrative voice is easy to read and engaging."
    Heather L. Voorhees, University of Montana