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Social interaction is a dynamic, changing sequence of social actions between individuals (or groups) who modify their actions and reactions due to the actions by their interaction partner(s). In other words they are events in which people attach meaning to a situation, interpret what others are meaning, and respond accordingly.

Social interactions can be differentiated into:

• accidental (also known as social contact) - not planned and likely not repeated. For example, asking a stranger for directions or shopkeeper for product availability.
• repeated - not planned, bound to happen from time to time. For example, accidentally meeting a neighbour from time to time when walking on your street;
• regular - not planned, but very common, likely to raise questions when missed. Meeting a doorman or a security guard every workday in your workplace, dining every day in the same restaurant, etc.
• regulated - planned and regulated by customs or law, will definitely raise questions when missed. Interaction in a workplace (coming to work, staff meetings, etc.), family, etc.

In sociological hierarchy, social interaction is more advanced than behavior, action, social behavior, social action and social contact, and is in turn followed by more advanced concept of social relation. In other words, social interactions, which consist of social actions, form the basis for social relations.

Main article: Developmental aspects of social interaction

Contents 1 See also 2 References & Bibliography 3 Key texts 3.1 Books 3.2 Papers 4 Additional material 4.1 Books 4.2 Papers 5 External Links

[edit] See also

• Interaction#Sociology
• Forms of activity and interpersonal relations
• Interpersonal attraction

[edit] References & Bibliography

[edit] Key texts

[edit] Books

• Baron, R.A. and Byrne, D. (1984) Social Psychology: Understanding Human Interaction, 4th edn, Boston, Mass-: Allyn & Bacon.
• Gahagan, J. (1984) Social Interaction and its Management, London: Methuen.

[edit] Papers

• Kendon, A. (1967) Some functions of gaze direction in

social interaction, Acta Psychologica 26: 22-63. Kennedy, A. (1984) The Psychology of Reading, London: Methuen.

[edit] Additional material

[edit] Books

[edit] Papers

• Google Scholar
• Kurzban, R., & Leary, M. R. (2001). Evolutionary origins of stigmatization: The functions of social exclusion. Psychological Bulletin, 127(2), 187-208.

[edit] External Links

• Full text

This page uses content from the English-language version of Wikipedia. The original article was at Social interaction. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Psychology Wiki, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.