Concept paper

Concept paper 2 approved topics:
1. Staircase model of relational development
2. Relational dialectics
3. Family communication patterns
4. Cultural and relational nonverbal display norms/rules

You can always read the assignment description for all of the concept papers here. I repeat it below. You need to follow these instructions for one of the approved concepts listed above.

Concept paper overview
We will discuss many communication concepts this quarter. Far more than we can explore in depth. These concept papers give you additional space to deeper your understanding of specific class concepts. In each paper, you will select a topic from a weekly list (posted to Canvas) of approved concepts and write a 400-600 word paper discussing it in greater depth. Your grade for this portion of the course will be based on your best five essays.

After writing a concept paper, students should be able to:

Define and explain a communication concept in their own words.
Provide an accurate example of the concept.
Appropriately link their concept discussion to relevant class materials.
Apply the concept to their experience.

Requirements and format
These concept papers are tightly focused on making sure you have an accurate understanding of the concept. These are not reflection papers that ask for your personal opinions about the concepts; they are papers reinforcing and testing accuracy. While the topics for the papers will change from week to week, the format will not.

Introduction. This is a paper and it should have an introduction that orients the reader to the topic.

Concept. You should spend a paragraph defining the concept. We’re looking for how well you understand the concept and can explain it in your own words. Do not use definitions and examples provided in lecture or the readings. I don’t need to reread what I said. This is about you generating accurate definitions and examples on your own.

Example. Next you should spend a paragraph applying the concept to an example. This can be a personal example or, preferably, an external one. A good paragraph here moves in two directions. The example clarifies the concept and the concept clarifies what’s happening in the example. Do not simply repeat the examples used in lecture.

Course link. With the conceptual work done, you can now spend a paragraph situating the concept in relationship to other course concepts and readings. How you do this is up to you. You can show how the concept is similar to another one discussed. You could point to some specific reading passages that reinforce and extend your example form the previous section.

Conclusion. Since this is an essay, you should include a few sentences winding down the essay and reinforcing the key themes.

References. If you cited any sources, please list them at the end. APA format is preferred. You can always look at Purdue’s reliable OWL site for guidance on citation practices (Links to an external site.).