Pick a Theory and Pick it Apart

Task: Choose one of the theory options listed below to base your paper on:

• Standpoint Theory
• Uncertainty Reduction Theory
• The Uses and Gratifications Theory
• Social Exchange Theory
• Social Learning Theory
• Face Negotiation Theory
• Cultivation Theory
• Constructivism

Then, in your paper answer the following questions about the theory you’ve selected.

1. Identify the theory you’ve selected and the researchers that developed it.
2. Using 1-2 scholarly sources (the UNLV library database, Google Scholar) unpack the theory you’ve selected and give a brief background on the theory’s development.
3. Explain why your theory is a communication theory.”
4. Take your theory and choose 4 of the 6 constitutions (Testable; Falsifiable; Heuristic; Parsimonious; Logically consistent, and Pleasing to the Mind) and explain how each of those 4 constitutions are defined in your theory.

• Hint: Utilize pages 53-56 of the “Perspectives on Communication Theory” reading.

1. Identify which goal(s) your theory has and explain why you think your theory fits this goal.

• Hint: Utilize pages 58-60 of the “Perspectives on Communication Theory” reading.

1. Select which of the seven theoretical traditions your theory fits into and justify your answer. If you think your theory fits into more than one, explain why.

• A quick note, this will require you to dig a bit deeper into the readings about the 7 traditions in order to connect all of the dots.
• Hint: Utilize pages 61-66 of the “Perspectives on Communication Theory” reading

Criteria: In order to receive full credit for this analysis, you responses should do the following:

• Utilize the module readings, supplemental module materials, and UNLV library database to find 1-3 Communication journal articles to help you unpack the theory you select in 4.5-5 pages (if you go a bit over this, that’s alright, this is just a suggested page range that would typically suffice for this assignment)
• Your explanations should be thorough and examples should clearly demonstrate your grasp of the module materials, you also must respond to all parts of the questions in their entirety or you will lose points (see assignment rubric).
• Your responses must be complete grammatically correct sentences (no bullets or diagrams), written at a college level, and contain accurate information derived from the readings, module materials, the required outside academic sources, and cited accordingly.
• Please format your response in Times New Roman or Arial, 12-point font, and double-space it.
• Citations:
• The goal for academic writing is usually to paraphrase rather than throwing in a bunch of direct quotes with no added explanation. If you do incorporate direct quotes, youll need to include the page numbers in your in-text citation.
• This assignment and the majority of your writing assignments will be submitted through Turnitin, so proper citing is crucial in order to avoid plagiarism.