Response Paper #1 Overview and Instructions

Response Paper #1 Overview

Response Paper #1 provides an opportunity to complete the student learning objectives related to describing and assessing your self concept and self esteem, as well as use what you have learned about self-disclosure to assess a previous experience you were involved with that did not go as well as you wanted it too.

Also, to be clear, your response papers will only be read by me.  I do not or will not share what you write with anyone else.

Response Paper #1 Instructions

For this assignment, please do the following:

1. Read Chapter 3, Communication and Identity: Creating and Presenting the Self
2. Read and Review Module 1 and Module 2.
3. Complete the list of terms describing yourself using the list of prompts in the textbook and listed below.
4. After completing your list, select the three terms (not categories) that you feel describe who you are.
5. If you can, put the list away for at least 24 hours, and then come back and answer the prompts below.

Response Paper #1 Parts to Answer

There are two parts to response paper #1.

You may label the parts in your response, but please do not copy and paste the prompts below in your paper, just your response.

In part one, please provide a response to the following prompts:

1. Describe the meaning of each term for you as well as identify the roots of that part of your self concept.
2. Why do you think you arrived at those conclusions about yourself?
3. And how do you feel about these terms?

In part two, describe a time when you self-disclosed information about yourself and it did not go well, including the following:

1. What type of information were you trying to disclose?
2. Why do you think it was not successful? 
3. And in retrospect, what alternatives could you have used instead and why? 

Other Requirements for Response Paper #1

1. The paper should be between 4 and 6 pages (cover pages are not required, or a reference page unless you cite a source outside the textbook.  Your worksheet for the opening list does not count towards the page total).
2. Your response should include at least 2 paraphrased references to the Chapter (3) we have read regarding the Self and Identity.  Do not include long quotes.  You should paraphrase the material.  For example, you might write something like: In the textbook Looking Out Looking In, Adler and Proctor argue that one area we get our self-concept from is “XXX.”
3. Your papers should be closely proofread to eliminate any easy to catch errors. 
4. Papers submitted late will have an automatic late point deduction applied per the syllabus.

Who are you? Do this before Part 1 of Response Paper #1

Below are the categories you will use to generate your list of terms describing yourself:

1. Your moods or feelings (e.g. happy, angry)
2. Your appearances (e.g. attractive, short)
3. Your social traits (e.g. friendly, shy)
4. Talents you have or do not have (e.g. artistic, not athletic)
5. Your intellectual capacity (e.g. smart, slow learner)
6. Your strong beliefs (e.g. religious, environmentalist)
7. Your social roles (e.g. parent, girlfriend)
8. Your physical condition (e.g. healthy, overweight)

Please include at least three terms for each category.

After completing the list, select the 3 terms you think most accurately describes you and use those words for Part 1.

This list is on page 62 of our textbook.

You will include this list at the start or end of your response paper.

Reading material- Ronald B. Adler and Russell F. Proctor II, Looking Out Looking In. 15th edition.