Week 8: Building & Maintaining Relationships
Relationship Mapping Exercise
Session Agenda
| Duration | Activity |
|---|---|
| 10 min | Relationship stage warm-up In pairs, describe a relationship (fictional OK) at each Knapp stage; identify the communication markers |
| 15 min | Self-disclosure spectrum activity Students arrange topics from surface to intimate; discuss how context affects appropriate disclosure |
| 20 min | Maintenance behavior role-play Groups role-play scenarios requiring different maintenance behaviors; class identifies which behaviors are being used |
| 10 min | Dialectical tensions case studies Small groups analyze case studies of tension management; propose strategies for each scenario |
| 15 min | Relationship action plan Students create a personal plan for strengthening one relationship using concepts from the week |
Materials Needed
- Knapp's stages reference cards
- Self-disclosure topic cards
- Role-play scenario cards
- Case study handouts
- Personal action plan worksheet