comm observation paper 3 5 pages

Assignment Description

Studying communication and the various theories that apply to human interaction can be

a valuable asset in your personal and professional lives. If used properly you can improve your

relationships, your ability to persuade others, your chances at career advancement, and a host of

other benefits that becoming a better communicator provides. In order for you to gain a deeper

understanding of these concepts, it will be important for you to begin

applying

them. Theory

without application will not allow you to use what you’ve learned and thus, you are less likely to

benefit from it. Therefore, this assignment is designed to give you a hands-on experience with

going out into a natural setting and using some of what you have learned in class.

To aid you in this process you will be required to choose a setting in which others are

communicating with one another. The form of communication you choose to observe depends on

your own preference. You can observe people interacting directly through conversation, playing

sports, working together, etc. or you can observe examples of indirect communication such as

strangers in crowded places, intimate partners spending time with each other without actually

speaking to one another, or someone reacting to something they have witnessed.

You will observe the people interacting in this setting, and provide your analysis

regarding what you thought to be significant about the communication that took place, in the

form of a term paper. To aid you in your writing you will need to choose

three specific course

concepts

or theories

that relates to your observations. Examples include:

Selection

– what forms

of stimuli were present in the situation and how did the communicators respond or negotiate

those stimuli?

Social Roles

– what social roles did you pick up on and what was it about the

interaction that communicated those roles?

Nonverbal Communication

–

Repeating

: did you

notice any particular gestures that the communicators used to reinforce what they were saying

verbally?

Once you have selected the concepts to work with and explained how they functioned in

the situation you observed, you will then need to provide an analysis of what you learned from

this experience. For example: what are your thoughts about what you witnessed? Did it confirm

or disconfirm any of your assumptions about communication? Was there anything that surprised

you? If so, what was it and why did it surprise you?

Since you will be choosing a textbook concept for this assignment,

you will need to provide

a reference page including in-text citations in APA style

.

Your paper will be judged according

to the following criteria:

1. Your ability to support your analysis through the use of relevant examples

2. Your ability to connect classroom learning to your observations

3. The application of appropriate communication concepts and/or terminology from lecture

or the textbook

4. The demonstrated ability to think critically about what you observed (quality of your

writing/insights)

5. Proper grammar, spelling, and overall format

Learning Objectives

This assignment is designed to help you:

1. Apply interpersonal communication concepts to real-world scenarios and personal

observations

2. Organize information and facts into a cohesive, coherent essay

3. Improve your critical thinking and writing skills

Assignment Requirements

Page limit:

3-5 pages, double-spaced, typed, 12-point font, with APA-style references