Social perceptual processes are reexamined in order to develop better insight into interpersonal communication selectivity when several stimuli are present. It is argued that stimuli are selected differentially because of the perceiver's experiential codification sophistication: a preference for using some codes rather than others exists in relation to previously learned verbal and nonverbal language development. Interpersonal perceptual selection of transmissions occurs in relation to the receiver's coding expertise in symbolic, sign, action, and object languages. The dominant language processing ability for a particular situation is hypothesized to be instrumental in producing individual differences in perceptual selection of interpersonal messages. (Author)