apply and evaluate the effectiveness of two theories to a real life communication conflict of your choice. This conflict (i.e. dispute, fight, quarrel, etc.) must be something you have experienced personally; it cannot be a hypothetical situation. You then need to discuss the strengths and limitations of each theory in helping you understand this dispute.
1) Include a brief description of the communication dispute and the interpersonal relationship. A dispute here means a specific fight or source of tension in the relationship; an interpersonal relationship is one with a family member, romantic partner, friend, or co-worker in which you are interdependent and your actions affect and matter to each other. A dispute should be a one-time occurrence, not a series of occurrences. This description should include the people, their relationship to each other, the scene of the dispute, and enough information about what happened to present a clear picture. Include only the most significant details of your dispute. This will help you apply your chosen theories to analyze the situation more carefully and clearly.

2) For the first theory you choose, include a brief description of the theory and justification for why you chose it. Here you should summarize the theory in your own words.

3) Analyze your dispute using this chosen theory. Be specific about what parts of the theory helped you understand the fight (or parts of it). Remember: a theory is like a lens that helps you focus on particular aspects of a phenomenon and see them in a new light.

4) Finally, discuss the limitations of the theory in helping to analyze the situation. Here, you should reflect on your own experience rather than simply copying the limitations from the textbook. Identify at least one limitation for the theory in relation to your situation, and more if appropriate.

5) 6) 7) Repeat parts 2-4 for the second theory of your choosing.

8) Conclude with some thoughts on which theory gave you better insight into this conflict. What was the most useful thing you learned from analyzing the dispute this way?