| We’re excited to announce the publication of the second edition of Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships, still open and free, available through Milne Open Textbooks! This updated edition builds on the strengths of the first while incorporating important enhancements to reflect today’s communication landscape: What’s New in the 2nd Edition?Structural & Pedagogical Updates New Design and Visuals: The 2nd edition features a completely new set of professional cover art and updated interior imagery. Expanded Student Resources: There is an emphasis on a new, free student workbook available for download. It includes a 16-week course planner, 20 unique adult coloring pages for mindfulness practice, and a full book outline. Updated Learning Objectives: Every chapter now begins with more detailed and refined learning objectives to guide student study.
Major Content Additions Updated Chapter 14: The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication: This edition includes a brand-new concluding chapter that covers sensitive and critical topics such as: Destructive relationship behaviors and secret testing. Internet infidelity and the difference between emotional and sexual betrayal. Hurtful messages and how individuals respond to them. Forms of aggression, including relational aggression, workplace bullying, and cyberbullying. Intimate partner violence (IPV) and domestic violence.
Human-Machine Communication (HMC): Chapter 12 has been significantly expanded to include "Human-Machine Communication as Interpersonal Interaction." It explores how humans form relationships with AI, chatbots, and social robots, and the ethical implications of these interactions. Modern Research Spotlight Boxes: The 2nd edition integrates much newer research (dated 2019–2025) through "Research Spotlight" boxes. Examples include: A 2023 study on communication competence, self-esteem, and loneliness. A 2025 study on intergenerational understanding and mindfulness. Research from 2022 on perceived risk of opioid misuse and concrete language.
Refined Topical Coverage Refined Statistics Explanation: The Preface now includes an improved "Note for Students" that explains the difference between "Differences of Kind" and "Differences of Degree" more clearly to help students interpret social science research. Updated Social Media Inclusion: Throughout the text, examples and research related to modern platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Snapchat, and Zoom have been added or updated to reflect the current digital landscape. Enhanced Mindfulness Integration: The book further integrates Shauna Shapiro and Linda Carlson’s model (Attention, Intention, and Attitude) and Ruth Baer’s Five Facets of Mindfulness more deeply into practical communication scenarios. Ethical Communication: The section on ethical communication has been updated with more current cultural context, such as respecting preferred pronouns and navigating "alternative facts".
Is the 1st Edition still accessible?Yes! We are committed to maintaining previous editions of this text for you and your students to use as you update your course materials to the new edition. Are there still Instructor resources and do I have to request the password again?The new edition has a full manual to accompany it that includes links to slide decks and test banks. It is now available both as a PDF and online. The new edition has a new password. If you have previously been approved, you should have received an additional email with access information! Feel free to contact Allison Brown (bro...@geneseo.edu) if you didn't receive one. See below for more information and links to access the text. If you have questions or would like to share feedback, we’d love to hear from you! |
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| | Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach to Relationships
2nd edition! |
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| License: Attribution-CC-BY-NC-SA ISBN: 978-1-956862-22-5 Available formats: Online (Pressbooks), PDF download (Print on Demand coming soon!) Instructor resources (manual, test banks, slides) provided for verified faculty Companion student workbook available
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| Interpersonal communication is the way we connect with others. Whether engaging with a spouse, a coworker, a close friend, or a stranger, our daily lives are defined by the messages we send and receive. Interpersonal Communication guides students through the complex landscape of human interaction, helping them navigate relationships in the twenty-first century. What distinguishes this textbook is its integration of mindfulness into the study of communication. Moving beyond simple skills training, the text encourages students to engage in mindful awareness and mindful practice. By learning to be fully present, open, and non-judgmental, students develop the ability to communicate with intention rather than reacting on “autopilot.” This book provides a user-friendly guide to the theories and research that underpin our understanding of relationships. It breaks down social scientific concepts—such as statistical relationships and differences—making them accessible and relevant. Students will explore how communication fulfills basic human needs for control, inclusion, and affection, and how it shapes physical health, identity, and professional success. |
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| Jason S. Wrench (Ed.D., West Virginia University) is a professor in the Department of Communication at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Wrench specializes in workplace learning and performance, or the intersection of instructional communication and organizational communication. His varied research interests include workplace learning and human performance improvement, computer-mediated communication, interpersonal communication, empirical research methods, family communication, humor, risk/crisis communication, and supervisor-subordinate interactions. Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter (Ph.D., Kent State University) is a professor in the Department of Communication and assistant dean of international affairs for the College of Media and Communication. She is also an associate professor of Communication Studies at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. Katherine S. Thweatt (Ed.D, West Virginia University) is an associate professor at the State University of New York at Oswego. Dr. Thweatt’s areas of interest are interpersonal communication, instructional communication, and health communication. She has published in the areas of teasing, teacher immediacy and misbehaviors, cognitive flexibility, and healthcare research. Healthcare publications involved shared medical appointments, heart failure, and infectious disease. |
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