write this essay and don't forget to abstract

select a topic for your paper.

l base the topic on a theory that we study in this course, and will extend that theory as a way to examine a communication situation in everyday life. You will select your topic, based on a communication context, and use the theory to help explain the topic that has taken place in a communication context.

To refresh your memory on communication contexts, they include:

1. Intrapersonal context (the self)
2. Interpersonal context (between 2 or 3 people)
3. Group or organizational context
4. Public and/or mass communication context (public or media)
5. Cultural context (which is not actually separate but rather involved with all communication contexts)

Select a Theory

After selecting a topic, you will select a theory that you will research and write about in your Theoretical Review Paper.

With that theory, you should research how the theory applies to your topic (an aspect of communication of interest to you).

For example, here are some topics (theories, communication aspect) that other students have previously chosen:

Intrapersonal Context

• Symbolic Interactionism (theory), intrapersonal communication (communication context), and self-esteem among college students (situation or issue from everyday life).
• Symbolic Interactionism (theory), intrapersonal communication (communication context), and its relationship to body-shaming (situation or issue from everyday life).
• Coordinated Management of Meaning theory, intrapersonal communication (communication context), and its effects on the business environment (situation or issue from everyday life).
• Cognitive Dissonance Theory, intrapersonal communication (communication context), and the effects on romantic relationships (situation or issue from everyday life)
• Expectancy Violations Theory, intrapersonal communication, and employer/employee relationships (situation or issue from everyday life)

Interpersonal Context

• Uncertainty Reduction Theory, interpersonal communication (or intrapersonal communication), and dating
• Social Exchange Theory, interpersonal communication, and effects on sales and entrepreneurship

Group and/or Organizational Context

• Groupthink, group/organizational communication, and what happens when generating ideas in work groups
• Organizational Information Theory, and how group projects may evolve

Culture and Diversity

• Face-Negotiation Theory, interpersonal communication, and effects on sales or negotiations at work
• Communication Accommodation Theory, interpersonal communication, and in-group/out-group dynamics at the University or work

Public and Media/Mass Communication Context

• Rhetorical theory, visual communication and its relationship to performance (theater, spoken word poetry, rap)
• Agenda Setting Theory, mass communication, and the music industry
• Agenda Setting Theory, mass communication, and how the news station you watch shapes political beliefs
• Cultural Studies, mass communication, and how neighbors influence one another's public health beliefs

Research of the Topic

Research the theory in the FIU Library database"Communication and Mass Media Complete." You can use other databases as well.

Find peer-reviewed sources having to do with the theory you chose and other sources about the aspect of communication you chose. You may have to play with the key terms and you may also have to adjust the communication aspect. For example, search "symbolic interactionism" and intrapersonal communication, or just search "symbolic interactionism" and from the results, search for the topic that is interesting to you. Even if you do not find one article that talks about both your theory and your interest, you can still complete the assignment by finding sources about the theory and other sources about the issue you are interested in; then, you write about how you see these two (theory and issue) being related in your paper. It is your job to learn about the theory, the research, and how it can be used as a way to explain your topic.

It takes time to find articles about the theory and communication aspects. Start your research as early as possible, be patient, and be persistent.

Organization of the Theoretical Review Paper

The two main sections of the paper are the:

• Problem Statement
• Review of Literature/theoretical review

Here is what you should include in the problem statement and the review of literature:

Problem Statement (approximately 500 words or 3/4 page) with a research question.

Form a research question specific to the communication discipline (e.g., What is the relationship between culture, communication style, and preventative health practices? What are effects of the media on sports culture? What is the relationship between intrapersonal communication and motivation?).

Example of the Problem Statement

Here is an example of a problem statement, prepared by one of my previous students. This problem statement is an example of an A-/B+ problem statement: Sample Problem Statement SPC3210

Make sure the problem statement explains the topic/issue precisely, and that it explains the significance of the topic. Explain how much of an effect the topic/issue has on society and individuals. Help your reader to understand why it is a worthy topic.

As you write and edit your problem statement also include your ideas about:

• • • • Communication context/level(e.g. intrapersonal, interpersonal, group, organizational, public, mass or cultural communication)
      • The models of communication(linear, interactional, transactional)
      • The value of your topic(What significance does it have? Why do you care about it? Why should anyone care about it?)
      • Which of the seven traditions would be best to study your topic?(socio-cultural, socio-psychological, critical, semiotic, cybernetic, rhetorical, phenomenology)
      • Which research approaches to knowing are important for your topic?(positivistic/empirical, interpretive, critical)?

Respond to each of the above questions in relation to your preferred topic, and thenwrite a research question.

Here are some examples of research questions from previous Communication Theory students:

• • • • How are college students affected by the nonverbal communication of their romantic partners?
      • What is the relationship between negative intrapersonal communication and the performance of a college athlete while playing soccer (or any sport)?
      • What types of intrapersonal communication have the most influence on self-esteem?
      • How does communication in social media promote safer health practices in college students?
      • What effects of rhetoric promote the highest rates of voter registration among young adults in South Florida?

Review of Literature (approximately 4 pages). In the Review of Literature section of your paper, you will write about what your secondary sources explain about your selected theory (minimum of two sources). The articles must be peer reviewed articles, published in an academic journal which you find in the FIU Library data base. You may also use textbooks, not including the course textbook. If you use the textbook, you will still need two more sources (total of three). You'll write a thorough review and synthesis (not mere description) of the sources, with some discussion of how it connects with your problem statement. Altogether you paper should be approximately 5 pages long. Within the Review of Literature section, you will have many sub-sections with sub-headings.

As you research, organize, and write your review of literature, you should include:

• • • Theoretical approaches
    • Applicable traditions
    • Appropriate communication contexts
    • Implications of the theory/theories in understanding communication everyday life
    • What research questions were the authors of your sources attempting to answer?
    • What methods (could be experiment, survey, interview, naturalistic observation, focus group, or other quantitative/qualitative method) did they use?
    • What did they find?
    • What unique information is set forth?
    • What consistent information is set forth?
    • What arguments/reading portions connect with the theory you are researching and writing about?

Sample Paper

Here is an example of the Theoretical Review Paper. You may review this a very basic guide for the structure of the paper. This paper is an example of a A-/B+ paper: Sample Theoretical Review Paper

Examples of the Review of Literature

Here are examples of the Review of Literature: Literature Review Samples

Note that they are part of a much larger paper and not necessarily showing the conclusion or other paper parts.

Formatting the Theoretical Review Paper

Here is more information on writing a review of literature:

• Owl Purdue Writing a Literature Review Guide(Links to an external site.)
• Look at this link and you will find samples:Literature Review Samples

APA Style Paper

Each paper must be written and cited in APA style. A good source for learning APA style is: Owl Purdue APA Formatting and Style Guide

• Use a cover page, abstract, and references page. The cover, abstract, and references pages do not count toward the total page requirement (Links to an external site.)(Links to an external site.)