Final answer:
The reflexive relationship between communication behavior and self-identity implies a mutual influence, where individual communication expresses and shapes self-identity, and in turn, social feedback informs and alters that self-perception.
Step-by-step explanation:
When authors discuss that the relationship between communication behavior and self-identity is reflexive, they are referring to the idea that there is a mutual influence between how we communicate and how we perceive ourselves.
Our self-identity is shaped through interactions with others, which in turn is reflected in our communication behaviors. Through a process of reflexive communication, we use language to express our identity and our understanding of ourselves. This expression can then affect how others see us and respond to us, which can further shape our self-concept. In this intertwining process, George Herbert Mead's concept highlights how we develop self-identity through seeing ourselves from the perspective of others during social interactions. Our language and speech not only describe who we are to ourselves but are deeply rooted in our neurological function as humans, dictated by our species' unique dependence on language for self-awareness.
This reflexive relationship signifies that each individual's communication is a signal of their identity, and at the same time, the way people react to our communication affects our perception of our identity, building either congruence or dissonance between the two. Thus, our self-identity is not only a product of our inner thoughts and beliefs but also of our communicative interactions and the feedback we receive from our social environment.