Interpersonal communication networks: An approach through the understanding of self‐concept, significant others, and the social influence process

The analysis offered in this essay extends the symbolic interactionist position that individuals develop, maintain, and change their self‐concepts through communication with others. Although this view is generally held, it has been difficult to locate the precise source of this influence. Working within a “choice” framework and borrowing the sociological concept of significant others, the author proposes viewing communication networks along two dimensions: the social networks in which an individual is embedded, and the smaller, more influential network of relational ties that develop from contacts within the social networks. The relational ties that constitute, for the individual, the network of interpersonal influence are assumed to be relatively stable, but their impact is viewed as attitude‐specific (i.e., influencing particular clusters of social objects). Two examples are developed to illustrate the potential usefulness of the theory in examining the impact of interpersonal influence.