For this assignment, you will interview someone you trust about a close relationship this person had with someone of the opposite sex. This relationship must be a past relationship and must be one that did not end as a result of death. Past girlfriends/boyfriends or friendships are good relationships to assess. You will use the Relationship Interview Form attached to conduct your interview and formulate appropriate questions to ask. Keep in mind that many of the questions and points on the form refer to the textbook, but remember that the person you interviewed has not read the textbook. Therefore, use your research from your readings to re-formulate the questions so that they are appropriate for interviewing your chosen individual. You will need to be caught up in reading and viewing all Reading and Viewing assignments that have been assigned so far in this course to complete this assignment well.

After the interview, use the responses to the questions you asked during the interview to write a 3-4 page paper. Your paper should address all the points on the Relationship Interview Form, include a 2-3 paragraph summary of your experience during the interview, as well as your thoughts and anything learned through this activity.

Write your paper in Microsoft Word and format it according to APA standards. Please review the Guidelines for APA Style.

Relationship Interview Form

1. Describe a past, close relationship with someone of the opposite sex that has since ended.

2. Chapter one of the Looking Out, Looking In textbook provides information about the characteristics of interpersonal relationships: uniqueness, irreplaceability, interdependence, disclosure, intrinsic rewards and scarcity. Talk about how those characteristics were present or absent in this relationship. Give examples.

3. Would you rate the self-concept of the other person in this relationship as high or low? Did that have an impact on this relationship?

4. Did you know much about your partner’s family of origin? Did his/her experiences with them influence your relationship negatively or positively? Give examples.

5. In what way did this person’s values differ from yours? In what ways were they the same? Did this affect the relationship negatively?

6. Chapter three in Parrott’s book addresses gender issues in relationships. Review these with your interviewee, talk about how gender differences, both good, and bad, were apparent in this relationship.

7. Have your interviewee talk about any cultural/social/spiritual differences in his/her relationship that were apparent and/or caused any difficulties in the relationship.

8. In Chapter six of Parrott’s book, they talk about six ways to be smart in our love relationship decisions. Go over these six ways with your interviewee and discuss how these played out in this past relationship.

9. Chapter eight of Parrott’s book talks about breaking up and ways to cope effectively with the break up. Talk to your interviewee about the end of his/her relationship—how the decision was made and how he or she coped with the loss afterwards.