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1. Who the person is you have chosen?

just the name goes here

2. Briefly describe your relationship with that person

You have two questions to answer here: How do you know them? What is your relationship like?

3. Describe (with examples) the communication problem you are having with that person.

4. Write out a sample dialogue, a typical conversation you have had with that person that illustrates the problem you are having.

it doesn’t have to be an actual word for word conversation. Just give an example of what a typical conversation that illustrates the problem would sound like

name statement

________: ______________________________________________________________

________: ______________________________________________________________

Etc.

5. Choose one communication topic from this class that relates to the problem you are having and list it here.

For example, it could be one of the following topics: (please choose only one).

distorted self concept

self fulfilling prophecy

perception checking

difference between hearing and listening

why humans are poor listeners

types of nonlistening

Self Disclosure

Knapp’s Stages of Relationship Development

Johari Window

Communication climate

Confirming and disconfirming communication

Defensiveness

Defense mechanisms

Conflict styles

6. Relate that topic (the same one listed in #5) to the communication problem you have described in #3.

in this section, you want to show me that you know that topic from class and what it means. You also need to show how it relates to your own experience

7. How could the problem be improved?

What can YOU do to help solve the problem, even if it is not you that is primarily at fault? It can be something you have learned in class, or an idea you have the might work. Don’t tell me what the other person should do, like “Bob needs to stop being a jerk.” This isn’t Bob’s paper. It is true that he is being a jerk, but what can you do to facilitate a better relationship? In an extreme case, the only thing you might be able to do is leave the relationship.

8. Write out a sample dialogue, how the conversation might go in its

improved form.