KNAPP’S RELATIONSHIP MODE
To give you an opportunity to apply the KNAPP’S RELATIONSHIP MODEL
Type of Relationship
Write about a relationship that is important to you.
Write about a close friendship; one that you may currently be in or one that has ended.
The key to producing a strong paper is describing as expressively as you can the reasons you value this relationship. When you make a statement about your friend or your relationship, support your claim with evidence (examples of behavior).
If your relationship is a long-standing one, you will have a lot of examples. If the relationship is starting to deteriorate, you should be able to focus on what may be causing the deterioration as well as potential ways to repair it (whether you intend to restore it or not). If you have chosen to write about a relationship that has ended, you should have a lot of experiences to analyze.
Describe the communication behaviors that occur between you and your relationship partner and clearly relate it to the terminology used in Knapp’s Stages. UNDERLINE EACH STAGE IN YOUR PAPER.
Paper Format
The paper must be at least THREE pages, to include a clear introduction and conclusion.
Use a chronological structure for your paper (i.e., organize your paper around the history of your relationship), paying particular attention to the stages of relational development (Knapp’s Staircase model). You must clearly identify the stages (underline the stages), with examples to support the stages.
As you tell your reader (me) the story of this relationship, refer to the ideas about relationships and communication that you have read in the textbook, such as: listening, stages of a relationship, conflict, self-disclosure, etc.
In your writing, be as specific and vivid as possible. Help me, as your reader, to understand the meaningfulness of the relationship in the terms we have used in our study of communication. Describe actual communication behavior, including actual dialogue if necessary, rather than making general statements of feelings. Be only as candid as you feel comfortable in being; you do not have to reveal your deepest secrets to do well on this assignment.
Grading Criteria
Your ability to describe your relationship using the language discussed in the textbook (use of “communication terms”). Don’t just sprinkle in the jargon; make sure I can tell you know what you are talking about and are using the appropriate word.
Your ability to adequately discuss your relationship using the relational development model, Knapp’s Staircase model.
Your use of examples to support your points (to help demonstrate your understanding of the model). You don’t have to go into extensive detail, but you need to give examples to support your points (e.g., if you say you were self-disclosing significant information, give me an example of what was disclosed so that I can tell it was significant and, thus, was an indicator of which relationship stage you were in).
The quality of your writing, to include length (get someone to proofread this for style, grammar, punctuation, etc.). The writing style is important, too! Make me want to read your paper. USE APA
