OBSERVATION PAPER – This assignment is DUE by Tuesday 10/22.
This assignment is about observing how others communicate, such as patterns of communication, styles of communication, etc. We are surrounded everywhere we turn with people engaged in conversation. It could be the grocery store, the mall, restaurant, coffee shops, at your home; as the list is endless. You can choose to conduct your observation at home or in public, depending on COVID-19/variants and the region’s guidelines and/or mandates. You should choose a place in which you are comfortable. Do not put yourself in a situation in which you will not feel comfortable or safe. You will need to choose a conversation that you will be able to observe at some length (more than two people walking by while you sit on a bench in Baker Park) so you can collect enough impressions to write the paper.
You will pay attention to the nonverbal and verbal messages you hear while considering what has been highlighted in my lectures, and in your readings. You can even choose to include textbook material that we have not yet covered in class.
Things to pay attention to while observing and to include in your paper:
Nonverbal communication: what are they communicating without words? Do you see nonverbals that contradict the verbal communication?
Emotions: what do you think the two people are feeling during your observation? What leads you to that conclusion?
Culture/Subculture: do you notice any language usage or nonverbals that might be specific to the people’s age, gender, culture?
Listening: are they active listeners? Do you observe interruptions or other poor listening traits? If so, do they impact the interaction?
Competence: How well would you rate these two people as communicators? On what do you base this?
Perception: What do you think the relationship between the two people is? How good, healthy, stable do you think the relationship is?
You are NOT to interject your opinion or interrupt while observing. Your role is to sit/stand quietly by. And if asked for an opinion or someone attempts to get you involved, you are to stay out of it. If you get involved, it will influence the observation.
You MUST incorporate class material especially Adler & Proctor, but also, Forni, lectures, any videos and additional materials for this paper. Failing to do so will be detrimental to your score. Be certain to include terms, concepts, and topics, and that they are defined and discussed and incorporated appropriately to your observation on communication.
Your paper should be between 1600 and 2000 words. Writing at a college level is important so take the time and effort necessary for the assignment. Turning in work that is short of the word count/page requirement will result in a nine point deduction.
In addition, you MUST cite throughout the paper using ONLY APA formatting (APA = American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual – 7th edition). The publication manual is available to you on Blackboard for our class. It can be found under APA Pub Manual tab. References for either Forni or Adler & Proctor are not necessary for this assignment. However, if you decide to use a quote from either of those sources or me (from lecture) it must be cited properly. Citations that involve quotes are more complicated and require page numbers included within the citation. Using page numbers in the citation is only necessary when quoting. Otherwise, page numbers are not included. You will find the correct way of citing when you go to the tab for APA’s Publication Manual (7th edition).
If you have any questions about it please let me know. I do NOT recommend waiting until the last minute to complete this assignment This is worth 80 pts and there is an expectation that you will turn in quality college level writing. As I’ve mentioned before, if you need help with writing, please take advantage of the Learning Commons. You can communicate with them via email. They are available to you. There is no shame in asking for assistance.