Communication Commons^™

The Concepts Of Capitalism And Democracy In Implied Power Relations: Fractionation Philosophy And Theory, Randy Baker

Dissertations and Theses

This research proposes that it is possible to meaningfully examine the differences between subjects' perceptions of concepts at two different levels of analysis. The central theory, called "fractionation", is derived from structuration theory. The theory suggests that there is an important and particular difference between subjects' perceptions of key concepts at the value (abstract) level, as differentiated from the policy (action) level. The key concepts provided here are capitalism and democracy. Three major stages of data gathering and analysis were conducted. The first stage, carried out in several phases, surveyed 337 college students to gather words commonly associated with two …

Sentence Discrimination In Noise And Self-Assessed Hearing Difficulty, Dianna W. Brainerd

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the sensitivity of the CID Everyday sentences, with competing cafeteria noise, as a measure of the real life receptive communication difficulty experienced by subjects with hearing loss limited to frequencies above 2000 Hz. In order to establish normative data the speech discrimination test w~s given to 38 normal hearing subjects (aged 19-46). Second, the discrimination test was given to 12 hearing impaired subjects (29-64), who also completed a self-assessment questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults (HHIA). The results were analyzed to determine: (a) if there was a significant difference between the …

A Survey Of Aural Rehabilitation Services Provided To Hearing Impaired Clients In The Private Sector, Alison Metcalf

Dissertations and Theses

While the approaches for providing aural rehabilitation to the hearing impaired are well documented, no research and only a few articles addressed the comprehensive application of these approaches in the private sector. Therefore, a survey of audiologists was conducted to determine how extensively the approaches are being utilized in this setting and what, if any, unmet client needs may exist. Sixty certified, dispensing audiologists who work in the private sector and reside in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming participated in the study. Participants were identified from membership lists provided by the five states' Speech-Language and Hearing Associations. A questionnaire …

An Intercultural Analysis Of Differences In Appropriateness Ratings Of Facial Expressions Between Japanese And American Subjects, Patricia Jean Peschka-Daskalos

Dissertations and Theses

In 1971 Paul Ekman posited his Neuro-Cultural Theory of Emotion which stated that expressions of emotion are universal but controlled by cultural display rules. This thesis tests the Neuro-Cultural Theory by having subjects from two cultures, Japan and the United States, judge the perceived appropriateness facial expressions in social situations. Preliminary procedures resulted in a set of scenarios in which socially appropriate responses were deemed to be either "Happy", "Angry" or "Surprised". Data in the experimental phase of the study were collected using a questionnaire format. Through the use of a 5-point Likert scale, each subject rated the appropriateness of …

Cross-Cultural Training Of Chinese Managers And Workers By U.S. Companies: A Comparative Cultural Analysis Of The Problems Reported By U.S. Trainers, Linda Vick

Dissertations and Theses

As Western business increases in China and China acquires more technology from the West, the need to effectively train the Chinese workforce becomes more important. Identifying and understanding the perceived problems that Western corporate trainers encounter when they train Chinese may lead to more effective and efficient training programs. This study examines the experiences of trainers, working for American companies, who have designed and implemented training programs for Chinese from the People's Republic of China. The purpose of the study is to identify perceived problems the trainers encounter and to determine whether differences between Chinese and American cultures may account …

Communication And Gender: Interviews With Blue-Collar Women, Jeri Lynn Sofka

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the interactions between women and men who work in highly-skilled blue-collar trades. The aim of this research is to describe women's perceptions and responses to their on-the-job communicative interactions with male co-workers, supervisors and union officials.

Small focus groups were conducted to produce rich narrative data that was audio recorded for later use by the researcher. The researcher met with the four subjects for three sessions. The interviews lasted three hours each. The researcher also conducted follow-up interviews by phone to clarify subjects' responses. The subjects were provided with an interview schedule of questions prior to the …

From The Middle East To The United States: Stressors And Coping Strategies Of Members Of A Sacred Culture Living In A Secular Culture, Angela Taha

Dissertations and Theses

The values and beliefs involved in Islam maintain that religion is embedded in everyday life. Students from countries which subscribe to the tenets of Islam may have a difficult time adjusting to the secular society of the U.S. This study is concerned with the interrelationships among events perceived as stressful, the ways of coping with stress that are reported as most often used, and the reported level of satisfaction with living in the U.S. for the Muslim Arab international students in this study.

A four page survey questionnaire was used as the instrument. The questionnaire was filled out by 102 …

Occurrence Of Phonological Processes Within Two Pragmatic Categories In Normal And Speech-Delayed Children, Betsy Ann Bergman

Dissertations and Theses

Research into the eventual suppression of phonological processes among children has centered on the influence of phonetic context and semantic-syntactic factors. Researchers have described various factors that would account for the variability found in normal and speech-delayed children's use of phonological processes. Researchers have found associations between phonological process use and language form and content, although there is a paucity of information pertaining the effect of language use on phonological performances. This study examined the phonological process use within two pragmatic functions-assertiveand responsive utterances-used by 15 normally developing and 15 speech-delayed 3-year-olds. These groups were matched for age, sex, and …

Certain Phonological Skills In Late Talkers, Catherine Marie Ryan-Laszlo

Dissertations and Theses

While there is general agreement among researchers in the field of language and learning disabilities upon the language hypothesis for reading failure, little research has been explored concerning the relationship between the phonological production skills of preschool children and the same children's prereading abilities in kindergarten.

This study examined two aspects of phonological skill (a) the relationship of early phonological production errors and later success on phonological awareness and general prereading skill, and (b) determining if prereading deficits in a group of children with a history of language delay reside specifically in the phonological awareness items or the prereading score …

An Analysis Of Conceptual Metaphor In Marital Conflict, Anne Elizabeth Burgermeister-Seger

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis investigates metaphoric structure revealed during discussions about conflict, and poses the general question: What conceptual metaphors do married individuals use to structure their marital conflict? Theoretical issues of metaphor analysis and general issues of conflict management are reviewed, providing a background for the study's approach to data collection and analysis. Eight married individuals were interviewed. Interviews were tape recorded. The interview schedule was structured around issues of topic, setting, process, response, and communication of typical, as well as a most recent, marital conflict. More specific probing followed respondents' comments. Using techniques of interpretive analysis, transcripts from the interviews …

Language And Memory Development In The Three And Four Year Old, Caroline Prater Moffatt

Dissertations and Theses

Although there is agreement in the literature that memory is required for language, there is disagreement as to whether certain memory abilities are prerequisite for language. There has been a significant amount of research in the field of memory development as it relates to language; however, little research has been done in the area of memory and language development in the preschool aged child.

This study examined two aspects of auditory memory and language development in the preschool child: (a) the auditory memory abilities of delayed language children versus normal language children, and (b) determining if there is a relationship …

I.A. Richards' Triangle Of Meaning Compared And Contrasted With The Rhetoric Of The Holy Bible, Gregory L. Swango

Masters Theses

It is the Bible's claim to be the inspired word of God. The message from the Scriptures has persuaded millions: from the shepherd of the first century to the business person of our present age. The words chosen, the genres used, and the forms of verbal support employed are prodigious in every way. The rhetorician and linguist, I. A. Richards, has written and spoken on how words come to have meaning, how they are used in context, and how they are used metaphorically. He has developed his ideas through a model called the triangle of meaning. There is justification for …

The Rhetoric Of Heteroglossia In Clinton's 1993 Inaugural Address, Kevin Jones

Faculty Publications - Department of Communication and Cinematic Arts

No abstract provided.

The Impact Of Perceived Research And Teaching Competence On The Credibility Of A Basic Course Director: A Case Study, Pamela L. Gray, Martin G. Murray, Nancy L. Buerkel-Rothfuss

Basic Communication Course Annual

1992 Award Winning Paper in Basic Course Research

This case study provides an initial inquiry into graduate teaching assistants' (GTA) perceived credibility of a basic course director (BCD), specifically isolating their perception of the teaching and research competence of the BCD. The results indicate that the perceived credibility may be tied to both teaching and research competence, appears to be extremely important to the GTAs, and implies that low credibility would have many unpleasant effects on the staff, their teaching and the graduate program as a whole. This case study points to the need for more research to identify variables …

Adopting A Transformational Approach To Basic Course Leadership, Dawn R. Weber, Nancy L. Buerkel-Rothfuss, Pamela L. Gray

Basic Communication Course Annual

Transformational leadership focuses on communication aspects of leadership and vision, two concepts fundamental to the study of leadership in organizations. Basic courses function as subsystems within institutional organizations, making them appropriate contexts for application of organizational leadership theory. This paper presents strategies for using organizational theory to improve basic course leadership.

The Status Of The Introductory And Advanced Interpersonal Communication Courses At U.S. Colleges And Universities: A National Survey, Rod Troester, Drew Mcgukin

Basic Communication Course Annual

Interpersonal communication has become a significant area of instruction and research. This national survey clarifies the status of the introductory and advanced courses a U.S. colleges and universities by examining materials employed, and course texts and contents. Results are presented for each course and are compared to an earlier study of interpersonal communication courses by Berryman and Weaver (1970).

Picture Storybooks For Speech Communications Curriculum And Extracurricular Activities: An Annotated Bibliography, Del Brink

Graduate Research Papers

High school speech instructors frequently use picture storybooks in their curriculum. Picture storybooks differ from illustrated storybooks and picture books because they are the only type of the three that includes a balanced union between text and illustrations. An observation made at a high school speech contest in Iowa was the impetus for the formation of a bibliography of picture storybooks suitable for speech contest work. The researcher located, read, annotated, and categorized books reviewed in The Horn Book Magazine between 1989 and 1992. Of the 497 books read, 363 formed a bibliography of picture storybooks divided among these categories: …

Title Page

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Editor's Page, Lawrence W. Hugenberg

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Contents

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Computer-Generated Instructional Feedback And Videotape On The Speaking Performance Of College Students In Basic Speech Course, Bruce W. Russell

Basic Communication Course Annual

1992 Award Winning Paper in Basic Course Pedagogy

This study examines the effect of computer-generated feedback and videotapes speech performances on the speech skill improvement of college students. Subjects are evaluated on "total" speech performance and on: (1) organization; (2) development; (3) style; (4) vocal quality; and (5) gestural quality.

Results indicate: (1) computer-generated feedback appear to be as effective as handwritten feedback; (2) providing instructor feedback before self-analysis of videotaped performances; and (3) providing computer-generated feedback appears to improve subjects' delivery speech skill performance.

Are You A Real Teacher? Student Perceptions Of The Graduate Student As Instructor Of The Basic Communication Course, Lynda R. Willer

Basic Communication Course Annual

This essay explores students perceptions of grad of the basic communication course. The primary purpose of this research was to identify and examine items of teacher effectiveness applied to graduate student instructors. Results suggest graduate student instructors are positively perceived on items evaluating teacher effectiveness of the graduate student instructors. A factor analysis suggests the emergence of two factors which relate to the task and interpersonal dimensions of teacher effectiveness. An alpha level of .88 established the reliability of the eight items which addressed these two dimensions as a measure of the perceived effectiveness of the graduate student as instructor. …

Student Perceptions Of Teaching Assistants (Tas), Nancy L. Buerkel-Rothfuss, Donn S. Fink

Basic Communication Course Annual

TAs perform a variety of teaching tasks in basic communication courses, but little empirical data exists to document the effectiveness of TA teaching ability or provide insight into how basic course directors and others involved in TA training might enhance their ability. The two studies presented herein provide descriptions of undergraduate students' perceptions of TAs as instructors. Results suggest that professionalism and communication skills are perceptions. Suggestions are provided for how to focus TA training on those critical variables.

Teaching Ethics In Introductory Public Speaking: Review And Proposal, Jon A. Hess

Basic Communication Course Annual

Ethics are not heavily emphasized in either public speaking textbooks or classroom lectures. This de-emphasis of public speaking ethics is unfortunate. Educators should take responsibility for making sure that students are familiar with ethical issues and that they know that unethical public communication is not acceptable. Since public speaking textbooks do not provide much explicit guidance for ethical decision making, supplementary material is provided in this article. Four ethical principles are provided to help students understand the nature of communication ethics, a sample class lecture is outlined, and teaching ideas are included.

Teaching Thinking In The Basic Course, Melissa L. Beall

Basic Communication Course Annual

More "critical thinking" and "greater transfer" seem to be the rallying cries of educational reformers. Few in the field of communication would dispute the need for critical thinking. The argument, instead, maybe whether we concentrate on logic and/or argumentation as the basis for teaching critical thinking, or choose to look at higher order thinking skills and practical application. This paper provides practical application for teaching thinking in the basic course.

An Esl Oral Communication Lesson: One Teacher's Techniques And Principles, John M. Murphy

Basic Communication Course Annual

This article presents a set of techniques and principles for teaching English as a second language (ESL) oral communication that is designed to prepare ESL students as successful participants in the introductory courses in communication. The discussion is divided into two major sections: a detailed description of an authentic classroom lesson and a concise listing of thirty techniques and principles derived from the lesson.

It is widely acknowledged that ESL speakers sometimes experience debilitating degrees of anxiety/apprehension during oral communication lessons which may results in resistance to traditional methods of instruction. Aiming to address this concern, the article presents a …

Experiential Learning As An Adjunct To The Basic Course: Student Responses To A Pedagogical Model, Judith A. Rolls

Basic Communication Course Annual

An experiential learning model requiring regular weekly attendance at a communication lab, videotaped classroom presentations, and journal submissions as adjunctive course requirements is described as assessed. A content analysis of lab evaluation forms and journal entries clearly shows that the model works. Students report they enjoy the experience, improve their interpersonal skills, become more sensitive communicators, experience personal growth, and feel they are more successful in classroom presentations as a results of the lab experience.

Communication Competence: A Commentary, Lawrence W. Hugenberg, Donald D. Yoder

Basic Communication Course Annual

There have been many attempts to identify "communication competence" by communication scholars. Many attempts in determining definitions have focused on action definitions (speaker-defined competence) and reaction definitions (listener defined competence). In agreeing that communication is transactional, communication competence should be held to the same standard. Communication competence must be viewed as a joint effort by all participants in a situation; not as solely dependent on the communicator or the listener).

Public speaking evaluation forms attempt to measure communication competence of the speaker only. A recent attempt is The Competent Speaker Speech Evaluation Form (1992). This form identifies 8 competencies for …

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Basic Communication Course Annual

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