You are to research and write a 5-8 page paper (excluding title page and reference pages) on one of the topics listed below. The paper should incorporate references to the course material and a minimum of 6 scholarly sources. The paper should be typed, double spaced using APA formatting, and attached as a file. Your writing should display knowledge, analysis, evaluation, and application of the material you have studied in the course. See the document called “Final Paper Expectations” for a breakdown of the structure and expectations.
As you consider the topic you want to write about, ask yourself what supporting materials from the course, from your personal experiences, and from your researched resources you could bring together to bring the topic to life.
Topics to select from are:
Consider how Martin Buber’s theory of communication plays out in the world. Take into consideration each of the three types of relationships (I-It, I-You, I-Thou).
Abraham Maslow developed his theory of the “Hierarchy of Needs.” How do people use social media to meet their needs?
Discuss your thoughts and the thoughts of the experts about the four types of attachment styles.
Discuss the impact of the media on the development of gender identity.
What are the impacts of long-distance relationships on interpersonal communication?
Martin Luther King, Jr. (Quotable Quote) is quoted as saying, “It really boils down to this: that all life is interrelated. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.” What aspects of interpersonal communication apply to this sentiment?
According to Anthony Robbins (Quotable Quote), “The quality of your life is the quality of your communication.” How so?
Module 2 told us that “the self arises in communication with others.” Discuss.
Before writing this paper, observe yourself for several days, and whenever you use “you” language, try to rephrase what you said or thought into “I” language. How does that change how you think and feel about what’s happening? How does it affect your interactions with others? Does it make a positive or negative impact? Describe your experiences and then relate your personal findings to what you find in your research.
What labels that you dislike have been applied to you or to groups to which you belong? Explain how the labels affect you. Describe how your experiences relate to what you find in your research.
Who is your prototype, or model, of a listener? Describe what the person does that makes her or him effective? Relate your description to research on listening.
Discuss the differences between differential, assertive, and aggressive communication.
Define and describe what makes a good friend. Describe the investments that are made, how trust, acceptance, and closeness are communicated. How does that compare to what experts say about friends and friendship?
What makes for a successful romantic relationship? Compare your personal experiences to your research.
Talk with three parents. Ask the following questions of each parent: 1) What change was the least expected after your first baby was born? How did communication with your partner and others change after the baby was born? 3) How did having a child affect your marriage or relationship (if the parent was in a committed relationship at the time that the baby arrived)? Discuss their responses in relation the research on the effects of children on the parents.
Intercultural communication and cultural stereotypes http://geert-hofstede.com/
Interpersonal Communication in the workplace
Attribution theory and successful relationships
Vulnerability: How, when, and why?
Conflict: The growth or death of relationships?
Gender styles of interpersonal communication: Can we all jus
