Content area
Full Text
The tone of speech and its impact on interpersonal relationships has been observed in psychological, sociological and linguistic studies. The scientific research conducted in the second half of the twentieth century shows a relationship between the tone of speech and the development of emotional, social and language attitudes in a society. The research in this pilot study aims at determining how the tone of speech influences interpersonal relationships. To reach the objective the pilot study has been conducted among English Philology students from Poland in the age group from 18 to 26. In this pilot study two research tools are used, namely the questionnaire and the incomplete sentence test arranged independently by the author of the study. The results of the data analysis show that the tone of speech has its impact of the development of interpersonal relationships. In conclusion the results of the pilot study confirm the hypotheses that high tones defined as emotional tones may weaken or strengthen interpersonal relationships, whereas neutral tones only weaken those relationships.
Keywords: Tone of speech, Emotions, Interpersonal relationship.
Introduction
Interpersonal relationships understood as all the symbols of the mind, including their means of transmission in space and behaviour in time, exist and develop in the communication process (Cooley, 1909). According N^cki (1996) and Cooley (1909) interpersonal communication is an attempt to take an exchange of verbal, nonverbal and vocal signals (symbols) that are intended to achieve a better level of interoperability in a specific context. In order to understand the psychological dimension of interpersonal relations better, it is necessary to focus on the meaning of the term communication, because due to this factor the relationships are shaped (Grygielski, 1994), in which one mind can affect the other (Shannon, Weaver, 1949). According to the dictionary definition, communication ,,is the activity or process of giving information to other people or other living things, using signals such as speech, body movement or radio signals'' (CCELD, 1988). This way of defining the term communication involves both verbal and non-verbal dimension of expression that is not only speech but also tone, melody and speed of speaking.
Oral expression includes the content and context transferred through the words, which are transformed with the application of grammar rules into semantic phrases. In the...