Interpersonal relationships are closely related to different types of social relationships. G.M. Andreeva emphasizes that the existence of interpersonal relations within various forms of public relations is the realization of impersonal (public) relations in the activities of specific people, in acts of their communication and interaction.
Public relations are official, formally fixed, objectivized, effective relations.
They are leading in regulating all kinds of relations, including interpersonal ones. Interpersonal relations are objectively experienced, to varying degrees realized interrelations between people. They are based on a variety of emotional states of interacting people.
Unlike business (instrumental) relations, which can be both formalized and unfixed, interpersonal relations are sometimes called expressive, emphasizing their emotional content.
The relationship between business and interpersonal relationships is scientifically underdeveloped. Interpersonal relationships include three elements :
cognitive (Gnostic, informational),
affective
behavioral (practical, regulatory).
The cognitive element implies an awareness of what is or is not liked in interpersonal relationships. The affective aspect is expressed in the various emotional experiences of people about their relationships. The emotional component is usually the leading one. "These are, first of all, positive and negative emotional states, conflicts between states (intrapersonal, interpersonal), emotional sensitivity, self-satisfaction, partner's satisfaction, work, etc.
The emotional content of interpersonal relations (sometimes called valence) changes in two opposite directions: from conjunctive (positive, converging) to indifferent (neutral) and disjunctive (negative, dividing) and vice versa.
Variants of interpersonal relations are huge. Conjunctive feelings are manifested in various forms of positive emotions and states, the demonstration of which testifies to the readiness for rapprochement and joint activity. Indifferent feelings imply the manifestation of a neutral attitude to the partner. This may include indifference, indifference, indifference, etc. Disjunctive feelings are expressed in the manifestation of various forms of negative emotions and condition, which is regarded by the partner as a lack of readiness for further rapprochement and communication. In some cases, the emotional content of interpersonal relations can be ambivalent (contradictory). Conventional manifestations of emotions and feelings in the forms and methods typical of those groups, whose representatives come into interpersonal contacts, can, on the one hand, promote mutual understanding of communicators, and, on the other hand, hinder interaction (for example, if communicators belong to different ethnic, professional, social and other groups and use different non-verbal means of communication). The behavioural component of interpersonal relationships is implemented in concrete actions. If one of the partners likes the other, the behaviour will be benevolent, supportive and productive. If the object is not sympathetic, the interactive side of communication will be difficult. Between these behavioral poles there is a large number of forms of interaction, the implementation of which is conditioned by the socio-cultural norms of the groups to which the communicators belong. Interpersonal relations are built on a "vertical" (between a manager and a subordinate and vice versa) and a "horizontal" (between persons with the same status). Emotional manifestations of interpersonal relations are conditioned by sociocultural norms of the groups to which the communicators belong, and by individual differences, varying within the limits of the mentioned norms. Interpersonal relations can be formed from the positions of domination - equality - subordination and dependence - independence.
Social distance presupposes such a combination of official and interpersonal relations, which determines the closeness of communicating, corresponding to the socio-cultural norms of the communities to which they belong. Social distance makes it possible to maintain an adequate level of breadth and depth of interrelationships when establishing interpersonal relations. Its violation leads initially to disjunctive interpersonal relations (up to 52% in power relations and up to 33% in equity-status relations), and then to conflicts.
Psychological distance characterizes the degree of closeness of interpersonal relations between communication partners (friendly, friendly, friendly, trustworthy). In our opinion, this concept emphasizes a certain stage in the dynamics of interpersonal relations development.