Final Paper: Relationship Analysis Overview No matter what type of relationship we are inwhether in terms of coworkers, friendship, romance, or family members, all relationships impact who we are. This paper requires you to analyze an interpersonal relationship using communication concepts/theories and principles from the text. Purpose The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate knowledge that you have gain throughout the quarter and mastery of course objectives. The relationship you choose to write about can be one that you are currently engaged in, or one that has already ended. It should, however, be a fairly recent one, not a relationship you had in grade school. You don't need to disclose any information you are not comfortable with disclosing. Content This paper involves more than just simply summarizing the development of a relationship. While you will want to offer some description of the relationship; the main emphasis should be on how it has developed in communication between two people. You should organize your paper into the following three parts: 1. Introduction: Start by grabbing my attention. Then describe the relationship. Who are the participants? What is the history of the relationship? What is the current status of the relationship? This information should be relatively brief. Next, preview the body of the paper by indicating the terms/concepts you will use to analyze the relationship. 2. Body: In this section of the paper you will analyze the relationship using interpersonal communication concepts, terms, topics, etc. This is by far the longest section of the paper. First organize the body of the paper around the stages of friendship or romantic relationship development (see your textbook). These stages can provide an excellent outline for the paper. You do not have to talk about every stage but use it as an organizational tool. The key here is to talk about the communication interaction that creates that stage and what communication moves the relationship to the next stage. You can also talk about the communication interaction that will help you to improve your relationship or maintenance the relationship.

Select at least four concepts that we've discussed in class and apply them to your relationship. You may discuss these concepts and how they affected the communication in your relationship as you take us through the stages, or you may want to discuss them apart from the stages in terms of how they have played out in your relationship while you were in that stage of the relationship. Use evidence to support your claims and use it in each stage---using direct quotes from the text (definitions), and specific examples from your relationship. If you fail to give evidence, it will significantly lower your grade. Some concept areas you should consider using are: nonverbal communication, verbal communication, relational messages, perceptions, listening, self-fulfilling prophecies, social roles, gender communication, influence of culture, self-concept, self-esteem, self-disclosure, relational dialectics, confirming/disconfirming messages, interpersonal attraction, expressing emotions, trust, rituals, commitment, investment, managing conflict. You must use course terminology rather than everyday language - i.e. instead of body movement use kinesics. 3. Conclusion: This section includes a brief summary of the body of the paper. End the paper with some reflections on your relationship, and what you learned as a result of writing this paper. Requirements The paper must be typed, Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 12 font, and one-inch margins all around. Acceptable college-level of grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and spelling is to be utilized. Be sure to edit your paper carefully before turning it in. Length should be 5-6 pages double spaced. Evaluation Papers will be based on 3 criteria. First, papers must demonstrate an understanding of interpersonal communication topics. Second, papers must analyze how these interpersonal communication topics apply to your particular relationship. Third, papers must be well organized and demonstrate effective writing mechanics and style. Also, cite sources/quotes, and use a reference page if needed