Interpersonal Choice Points present brief scenarios about which students are prompted to make interpersonal communication choices. These features encourage application of the material in the chapter to varied specific interactions, helping students see how the research and theory discussed in the text can be applied to real-life situations. ViewPoints photo captions encourage students to explore significant communication issues from a more personal point of view. Understanding Interpersonal Skills boxes highlight the most important skills of interpersonal communication and prompt students to actively engage with these skills. Ethics in Interpersonal Communication boxes present ethical issues and prompt students to consider how they would react to the presented scenarios. Pedagogical tools guide students as they read: Learning objectives placed at intervals throughout each chapter help focus attention on key concepts and principles. Preview figures prepare students for the content introduced in each section. Nutshell summary tables at the end of each section help students review the content and commit it to memory. Each chapter concludes with a summary of the major concepts discussed and a list of key terms that have been introduced. Balanced coverage of both theory/research and skills sets students up to succeed Culture is presented as one of the foundation concepts for understanding interpersonal communication. Chapter 2, Culture and Interpersonal Communication, covers the relationship between culture and interpersonal communication, the ways in which cultures differ, and the strategies to make intercultural communication more effective. Politeness in interpersonal communication is stressed throughout as one of the major features of effective interaction. Coverage of social media throughout the text reflects the increasing importance of this form of communication in today’s world. Topics such as dating, keeping in touch with family and friends, and engaging in conflict are explored from the perspective of a world dominated by social media.