INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION IN THE BALANCE OF PRODUCTIVITY AND STAGNATION

Abstract

According to Erik H. Erikson's (1963) Lifelong Developmental Theory of, it is the psychosocial developmental task of the adult individual to show "sincere interest" in creation by establishing a balance between productivity and stasis. In this study, the relationship between interpersonal communication, which is an integral part of development, and sincere interest and the rejectionism that balances it is examined. Using a deductive approach, the first of two qualitative stages is a "discourse analysis" of the movie Gandhi, which exemplifies the language and rituals used in interpersonal communication by adults leading social movements. The second stage was a semi-structured in-depth interview with 17 adults working at Marmara University. In both samples, the relationship between sincere interest and rejection orientation and interpersonal communication was examined. The data were analyzed by descriptive method and the findings were shared.