Interpersonal Communication
COM -1090
FINAL EXAM
Relationship Analysis (Observation)
Worth 150 Points
Requirements:
A.You will do BOTH
1) Conduct general RESEARCH about Interpersonal Relationships AND
2) OBSERVE, ANALYZE AND WRITE about a relationship that you are currently having
B.This observation begins
a.Feel free to begin your research anytime and you can write about that
b.Please do NOT begin writing about your observation before that date.
- You will write a complete research paper on both what you have found in your research as well as in your observations and analysis.
- All the rules of writing/submitting a college-level paper apply.
- Please refer to your syllabus as well as the rules discussed in class.
- Feel free to use this link as a guidance:https://writingcenter.fas.harvard.edu/pages/strategies-essay-writing
- If you just write a story about your relationship you have NOT done this assignment.
Relationship
The relationship that you will analyze (observe) can be with anyONEof 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.Research:
oThis assignment will take you through the concepts covered in Chapters 1 – 11
oAdditional research outside of your textbook
b.Observation and Analysis
Be careful who you select to analyze this relationship with. The relationship that is mostconvenientmight 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 todisplay all of the knowledge that you have gained over the semesterabout 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 integrate the research and apply the concepts to your analysis very detailed in your analysis.Detailed meansthat you will:
Define:
a.
Each concept must be defined before use it
b.
Integrate the research
Analyze:
a.
Provide the theoretical framework (integrate the research) of the concept (what is the theory undergirding the concept?)
b.
Extend the data / integrate the research beyond the definition
c.
What other information is available about the concept? Integrate the research
Relate/Apply:
a.
Integrate / Apply/Relate the experience(s) that you have chosen to use from the observation during the week under review (experiential learning)
E.
Page Limit
- Minimum: 8 pages
- Maximum: None
F.
Grammatical Errors
- Please 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.
- 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:
- Essay Format
K. How will you submit your paper?
a.Online
L.
What will you write?
ONE PAPER COMBINING TWO PIECES OF WORK
- Based on your research, you will write what you found in the data about relationships
- Based on your analysis (observation) you will answer the questions below in an ESSAY FORMAT
Discuss the followingin detail, citing specific examples that you will be using to show how you are applying the concepts.
Description/Background
- Provide adescription/backgroundof the relationship. Please 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 yourself-conceptduring the weekunder review?
- What were some of the ways in which you both displayed or communicated youremotionsto one another during the weekunder review?
- What were some of the ways in whichperceptionimpacted the relationship during the weekunder review?
- What were some of the ways in whichnon-verbal behaviorsimpacted your relationship during the weekunder review?
- What were thelistening stylesdisplayed during various conversations and interactions during the weekunder review?
- What is thestage of your relationshipwith 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 thedisclosure styles(and reasons for disclosures styles) used during 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 thecommunication climatesobserved/experienced during various interactionsduring the weekunder review?
- What were some of theconfirming and disconfirming messagesexchanged during various interactions during the weekunder review?
- Discuss aconflict eventthat occurred over the past week.
- Discuss theconflict stylesdisplayed during any conflict over the last week
- Discuss thestagesthat the conflict went through
- Whattypes of resolutionwereconsidered?
- Whattypes of resolution(if applicable) did you ultimately reach in managing the conflict?
Important Note regarding Conflict:
a.If there was no conflict over the week under review, feel free to discuss a conflict that happened any time prior to the week under review.
b.Please provide the historical data on the conflict so that the reader may have a better understanding of your discussion.
c.The previous conflict that you choose to write about must be withTHIS SAME PERSON.
Evaluation Format:
Using the definition of detailed (provided above):
- Provide adescription/backgroundof the relationship………worth 10pts
- Provide a detailed explanation of how this person affected yourself-conceptduring the week under review……worth10-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of the ways in which the two of you displayed youremotionsduring the week under review …worth10-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of thelistening stylesthat were used byBOTHpersons during interactions over the week under review…worth10-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of yourrelationship stageduring the week under review.Remember, both parties may not necessarily agree that the relationship is at the same stage……worth10-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of yourdisclosure styles
(both parties)used during the week under review…..worth10-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of thecommunication climatesthat existed during exchanges over week..…worth10-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of anyconfirming and/or disconfirming messagesthat were exchanged during various interactions over the week under review……worth10-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of theconflict event…….. worth20-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of yourconflict style(s) during any conflict(s) over the week under review……worth30-points.
- Provide a detailed explanation of any resolution(s) reached after the conflict over the week under review…..…worth20-points.
REMINDERS:
a.
If a conflict did not occur during the week under examination, please feel free to write about a previous conflict (that occurred sometime before) with THIS SAME PERSON.
b.
If no resolution to this conflict was reached, please state so, and explain why you believe one was not reached.
Additional Information
Extra Credit Points:
You may earn a few extra credit points.
- These points are assigned at the discretion of the teacher.
- These points will be assigned upon completion of the questions below:
- In your own words, how would you characterize this relationship that you have just evaluated?Do you believe that your partner would share your perspectives on this?
oWhat other communication theories, if any, apply to the relationship that may not have been covered in this paper?
oWhat communication insights or lessons were revealed to you, and that were not already covered in the paper?
I.Please note that this is a culminating experiential paper! It demonstrates what you have learned in this class as all the concepts are covered.
II.You may begin to createa draftof your paper (define / analyze). You must wait for the specific week of observation toapply.
III.You are responsible for knowing the information in your textbook
1)Every question in this paper, can answered with the textbook.
IV.The biggest things I want to point out to youare:
1)This exam is worth150-points.
2)Please be reminded that after the5th grammatical error, your paper will be returned to you, ungraded. Make sure that you take your papers to the Writing Center or get other writing assistance.
3)It is quite challenging to write less than 8 pages (not including your cover page) and earn your best grade. Here are the reasons why:
4)You mustwrite an introductionof the paper as well asof the person you will be analyzing this relationship with.
5)You mustprovide the reader with all the informationthat will be necessary for the reader to understand this relationship, in your absence. For example, who is the person? What is the nature of your relationship with the person? Why have you chosen this relationship to analyze? Does the person know that you are doing this? (The person does not have to know, but it is okay if he/she knows that you are doing this analysis). If the person knows, what is the person's explicit contribution to the analysis? If the person does not know, how do you think the person would feel if he/she finds out? And any other information that you think will be useful to this analysis.
V.You will answer the questions based on your analysisover the week under review. In this analysis you must:
b.Define / Integrate Research:Each concept before you use it (definition of word(s)
c.Analyze / Integrate Research:Provide the theoretical framework of the concept. Extend the data beyond the definition. What other information is available about the concept?
d.Relate/Integrate/Apply:Apply/Relate the experience(s) that you have chosen to use from the observation during the week under review (experiential learning)
Please Note:
- If you just write a story about your relationship you have NOT done this assignment
- Every concept that is used in this analysis is also achapter in your textbook.You can feel free to incorporate materials from other sources as well.
- You must cite ALL sources that you use. This means if you use any resource, other than your textbook, you MUST have a Bibliography. While it is not mandatory, you are encouraged to use other sources, other than your textbook.
- YouDO NOThave to answer the questions in the order they were asked. You should answer them based on how they occurred during the week under review.
- I have created for this assignment.