vs. Empathy The fourth type of defensive behavior is neutrality. This is when the speaker has little concern or interest in the conversation. Neutrality makes the listener feel unwelcome and unimportant. The opposite of this is empathy. Empathy allows for an acceptance of the other person and their feelings. This can be taken as both verbal and non-verbal messages as communication is not linear and both communicators are giving and receiving messages at all times. Superiority vs. Equality Another form of defensive behavior in communication is superiority. This is when a person believes that they are better than the listener and can be shown by the way the speaker delivers the message. Equality is a contrasting behavior and shows that all people have self-worth. There are times when a speaker may be smarter or be better at something than the listener but speaking to them at the same level is important. Certainty vs. Provisionalism The final defensive behavior is certainty. When communicators believe they are right and that the other person is wrong and will not listen to the other person's ideas they are demonstrating certainty behavior. Provisionalism is the supportive behavior that contrasts certainty. This is when one person feels they are correct but is willing to listen to the other person and is prepared to change their mind or opinion if the other idea is more reasonable. Conclusion The six different defensive and supportive behaviors are used during interpersonal communication. There are times when both types of communication should be used and times when they should not be used. Understanding when to use different communication skills is key to effective interpersonal communication. References External links Jack Gibb's Supportive vs. Threatening Communication Behaviors (http://www.wilbers.com/ThreateningCommunication.htm) Human communication