Interpersonal Communication Experiment Papers:
During the course of the semester we will be reading about and discussing various
communication skills. These will include but not be limited to:
Paraphrasing
Self disclosure
Positiveness
Listening
Assertive problem solving
Open questions
Perception checks
Regulators
Equality
Empathy
Proxemics
Defusing defensiveness
Supportiveness
Paralanguage
Conflict management
Openness
Nonverbal communication
Emotion management
As we discuss these and other skills, I will want to ensure that you have an opportunity
to try the skills as you interact with others. Five interpersonal communication
experiments will provide that opportunity.
Following selected readings and lecture/discussions, I will be asking you to experiment
with a skill in your day- to- day life and write a one page paper, which reports your
experiment.
Each paper should:
1. Identify the communication skill with which you experiment.
2. Define the skill with a connotative (personal) or a denotative (lecture or textbook)
definition.
3. Describe the circumstance in which the skill is used (who, what, where, when).
4. Provide an example of the way in which the skill was used employing at least one
direct quotation, which shows how you expressed it.
5. Describe the perceived effect of your use of the skill (what happened as a result).
6. Analyze the reason(s) you believe this skill resulted in the effect you noticed.
During the semester there will be five opportunities to do these communication
experiments.
Each report must be typed on white paper, double spaced, with one-inch margins and
must adhere to the principles of college writing.
Each Experiment Journal paper is to be NO longer than ONE page and carefully
edited for spelling and grammar. Good Writing and Pet Peeves
Here are two examples of the same Interpersonal Communication Experiment Report
Paper written in different but acceptable formats:
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Comm. Experiment Paper sample #1
Comm. Experiment Paper sample #2