COM200 Week 3 Discussion 2 Attraction in Interpersonal Relationships

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Chapter 7 addresses various elements that attract us to other people when we first enter a relationship. It might be just one thing that we like about another person or it could be several things.

Prepare: As you prepare to write this discussion post, take a few moments to do the following:

• Read the writing prompt below in its entirety. Notice that there are two tasks:
  1. Identify what attracts you to others, based on one of the attraction theories covered by Bevan & Sole.
  2. Share an example of friendship you had that did not start off on solid ground, and explain what happened.
• Review Chapter 7 in the course text. Focus especially on the section on attraction theory and identify what attracts you to others.
• Begin with a solid explanation of attraction theory as described in our text. Then, use that theory to think through what attracts you to others. Do not forget to share an example from your own experience.
• Review the grading rubric.

Reflect: Take time to reflect on how we are attracted to others and what role communication plays in this process. Think about the role of first impressions and how they influence final friendship outcomes.

Write: Based on attraction theory (outlined in our text), address the following:

• What do you look for in other people when you first meet them? This could be a potential romantic partner or even a platonic friend. List as many qualities as you can think of and how they are related to what you’ve learned in this class about communication.
• Relate your personal experience to attraction theory (Section 7.3), as described in our text.
• Share an example of a time when you developed a friendship/relationship with someone whom you did not get along with at first. What initially attracted you to the person?  What changed for you?

Thoroughly address all three elements of this prompt by writing at least two to three sentences on each element. Use the course readings at least once to help you make your points. Consider copying and pasting these tasks into a word file and addressing each of them separately.

Your initial response should be 200-300 words in length and is due by Thursday, Day 3.