Assignment: Interpersonal Communication

Relationship Analysis

Relationship

The relationship that you will analyze can be with any ONE of the following persons:

a. Parent/Sibling
b. Close friend
c. Boyfriend/girlfriend
d. Significant other
e. Spouse
f. Older child
g. Classmate
h. Teacher
i. Co-worker/colleague
j. Sibling /Sibling

Important Information:

What will this paper cover?

a. This assignment will take you through the concepts covered in Chapters 1 - 11.

b. Be careful who you select to analyze this relationship with. The relationship that is most convenient might not necessarily be the relationship that is the best one to analyze for this project.

How to do well in this written assignment?

A. Follow the instructions.

Very often students do not get enough points because they do not follow the instructions. Please follow the instructions on how to earn maximum points.

B. Show what you know.

The concepts in the textbook are all covered in this paper and you have a great opportunity to display all of the knowledge that you have gained over the semester about interpersonal communication / interpersonal relationships.

C. Provide Context.

You must provide a context for the reader to understand your paper.

Your discussion must have an introduction and background information so that the reader may be able to understand the relationship under review. Highlight any background information that you think may be necessary/helpful.

D. Provide Details

You must be very detailed in your analysis.Detailed means that you will:

Define:

a. Each conceptmust be defined before use it

Analyze:

a. Provide the theoretical framework of the concept (what is the theory undergirding the concept?)

b. Extend the data beyond the definition

c. What other information is available about the concept?

Relate/Apply:

a. Apply/Relate the experience(s) that you have chosento use from the observation during the week under review (experiential learning)

E. Page Limit

a. Minimum: 8 pages
b. Maximum: None

F. Grammatical Errors

a. Note that it is difficult to read a paper of this magnitude loaded with grammatical mistakes. Consequently, after the fifth (5th) grammatical error, I will return the paper to you ungraded.

b. No resubmits:

Get help with editing your papers because you will not be able to resubmit.

G. Name on Paper

a. YOUR PAPER MUST HAVE A COVER PAGE WITH YOUR NAME ON IT!

H. Paper Requirements:

a. Must be typed
b. Font size: 12
c. Font type: Times Roman
d. Double-spaced

I. Paper Format:

a. You may choose any of the formats below.
b. You must choose ONE and use that ONE throughout the paper

1. Journal Format
2. Paragraph Format
3. Essay Format

J. How will you submit your Paper?

a. This Paper is due in CLASS.
b. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.

K. What will you write?

You will answer the questions below in the form of an essay.

Discuss the following in detail, citing specific examples that you will be using to show how you are applying the concepts.

Description/Background

• Provide a description/background of the relationship. Note that unless you provide the reader with a description/background of the relationship, it will be difficult to have an accurate picture of the parties in this analysis.

• What were some of the ways in which this individual affected your self-conceptduring the weekunder review?

• What were some of the ways in which you both displayed or communicated your emotions to one another during the weekunder review?

• What were some of the ways in which perception impacted the relationship during the weekunder review?

• What were some of the ways in which non-verbal behaviors impacted your relationship during the weekunder review?

• What were the listening stylesdisplayed during various conversations and interactions during the weekunder review?

• What is the stage of your relationship with this person? Are you both in agreement that the relationship is at this stage? Describe all the stages that this relationship has gone through and indicate some of the characteristics that make you know you did enter those stages.

• Discuss some of the disclosure styles (and reasons for disclosures styles) usedduring various interactions during the weekunder review? Did you experience any need to access any of the alternatives to disclosure, for example, silence, equivocating etc?

• Discuss the communication climates observed/experienced during various interactions during the weekunder review?

• What were some of the confirming and disconfirming messages exchanged during various interactionsduring the weekunder review?

• Discuss a conflict eventthat occurred over the past week.

o Discuss the conflict stylesdisplayed during any conflict over the last week
o Discuss the stages that the conflict went through
o What types of resolution were considered?
o What types of resolution(if applicable) did you ultimately reach in managing the conflict?