Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

Similarity/Dissimilarity Of Couples Communication Competence In Relationship To Their Marital Satisfaction, Thomas Kenne Worthen

Masters Theses

Research has shown that similar communicator styles leads to effective communication, and effective communication leads to relationship satisfaction. Using an extension of balance theory, this study analyzed the relationship between spouses similar/dissimilar communication competence ratings and their marital satisfaction.

Subjects consisted of 44 married couples from a midwestern university and the surrounding area. The Communication Adaptability Scale was used to measure communication competence. The Marital Adjustment Test was used to measure marital satisfaction. Using a t-test no significance was found.

The overall competence score of each spouse was broken down into six separate factors (appropriate disclosure, articulation, social experience, social …

Satisfaction And Quality : Patient Perspectives In Medical Care, Marguerite L. Foeller

Dissertations and Theses

Patient dissatisfaction with the physician/patient relationship and medical care is well documented in both the lay press and the medical literature. This problem appears to stem from communication between physician and patient and is drawing increased attention from the communication discipline. Research conducted in interpersonal communication satisfaction theory provides a basis for this study of patient satisfaction with physician/patient communication and its relationship to the perceived quality of medical care.

This paper reports two sets of interviews with a total of 108 respondents on the topic of physician/patient communication which resulted in the identification of nine salient issues which appeared …

Sex Differences, Intimacy, And Attractiveness In Reported Self-Disclosure: Same-Sex Dyads Vs Opposite-Sex Dyads, Edmund Forst Jr.

Masters Theses

This study empirically examined the effects of sex (gender), intimacy, and attractiveness on reported self-disclosure. The results were supportive of the attractiveness, intimacy, and gender of the self-disclosee variables in their relationship to self-disclosure. Results failed to support hypotheses involving the gender of the self-discloser variable.

The independent variables used in the study were: (1) Gender¹ of the self-discloser (male-female), (2) Intimacy (intimate friend, acquaintance, and stranger), (3) Gender² of the self-disclosee (male-female), and physical attractiveness (Attractive or Unattractive). The dependent variable used was the amount of perceived self-disclosure. A 2x3x2x2 analysis of variance used to test each …

Pragmatic Conversational Skills Of Young Adults In Normal, Emr, And Tmr Classrooms, Jane Nicholson

Dissertations and Theses

Current language theory focuses on how a person communicates within a context (Bates, 1976a). A person's communicative competence depends on how effectively she translates her cognitive and social knowledge into linguistic forms to interact in the specific situation, following pragmatic rules (Prutting, 1982b). Thus, in order to assess a person's language ability accurately, the clinician needs to assess pragmatic skills as well as cognitive, social, and linguistic skills. A person's pragmatic development culminates in the ability to participate in a conversation (Rees, 1978).

Toward A Behavioral Analysis Of Attentiveness As A Style Of Communication, Ray Alan Coker

Dissertations and Theses

Attentiveness, a variable of communication, primarily serves a stylistic function in the communicative process by providing behavioral evidence that an individual is actively involved in message reception. Past research suggests that while both verbal and nonverbal behaviors signal attentiveness, nonverbal cues are more closely associated with this construct. Among the many nonverbal behaviors of individuals in interactions, postural positions have been deemed highly indicative of attentiveness. At present however, most of the empirical evidence attesting to this notion has been established through the use of self-report measures. As a result of the felt need by this author to improve upon …

Toward A Phenomenological-Based Perspective Of Acculturation With Application To Scottish Immigrants, Dorothy M. Sermol

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis is an attempt to construct a perspective of the acculturation of immigrants drawing on certain communication- based phenomenological assumptions. From these phenomenological assumptions a Framework of Acculturation is constructed as a guide through which to examine the acculturation process. The Framework of Acculturation is then applied to the particular group of Scottish immigrants who live in the Northwest of the United States.

The Effects Of Formal Human Leadership And Computer-Generated Decision Aids On Problem Solving Via Computer : A Controlled Experiment, Computerized Conferencing & Communications Center, Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Kenneth Johnson, Murray Turoff

Computerized Conferencing and Communications Center Reports

Twenty-four groups of five professionals and managers within a variety of organizations were given the task of using a computer conference to reach agreement on the best solution to a ranking problem.

The independent variable is the structure of the conferencing capability used. Two alternative means of structuring the conferences were employed, in a two-by-two factorial design. Groups with "Human Leadership" elected one of their members to lead the group in its decision making discussion. Groups with "Computer Feedback" were given periodic tables which displayed the current "group decision" in terms of the mean rankings of items, and the degree …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Self-Disclosing Communication On Attraction-To-Group In The Small Group Setting, Pamela Walker Vredevelt

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the literature on self-disclosure and small group communication showed that few investigations dealt with the effects of disclosing communication on small group process. The present study was conducted in order to assess the effects of the frequency of self-disclosure within small groups on the members' overall attraction to the group. 120 subjects were selected from the East Hill Church senior high youth department in Gresham, Oregon. Subjects were placed at random into ten small groups with twelve members each which met for one-half hour per week for six consecutive weeks. All group communications were audio tape recorded. …

Pragmatics: The Verbal Expression Of Feelings, Ann Paula Zimmerman

Dissertations and Theses

The purpose of this investigation was to determine at which age levels, between four and eight years, children express Praise, Apology, Commiseration, Blame, Challenge, Endearment, and both a Positive and Negative State.

Subjects were thirty children, six from each age level between four and eight years, selected from an elementary and preschool within the Portland area. Sixteen picture cards and stories were designed to elicit the eight different feelings. Each subject responded to questions at the end of the story and was given two chances to express the appropriate feeling. Each response was judged as appropriate or inappropriate and scored …

Toward A Measure Of Correspondence In Relational Perceptions In Marital Dyads, Deborah Anne Coker

Dissertations and Theses

In order to assess a component of communication in interpersonal relationships, an instrument was developed to determine the correspondence in relational perceptions between partners in a marital dyad. The current study focuses on the levels of awareness spouses exhibit regarding phenomenological perceptions of themselves, their partners and the status of their dyadic system.

Empathy, Communication Skills, And Group Cohesiveness: A Systematic Approach, Michael Hass

Education Faculty Articles and Research

"This article presents an approach to the teaching of interpersonal communication skills to children from 7-11 years of age, and should be of great interest to professionals in the fields of psychology, social work, education and people involved in training such persons."

Face-To-Face Vs. Computerized Conferences : A Controlled Experiment, Volume Ii: Methodological Appendices, Computerized Conferencing & Communications Center, Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Kenneth Johnson, Charles Aronovitch, Murray Turroff

Computerized Conferencing and Communications Center Reports

This is volume II of research report 12. It is comprised of the methodoligical appendices that support volume I.

World View & Correlates Of Communication Behaviors, Cecile Garmon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This study examined the relationship of world view to selected communication, demographic, and social variables. Using a newly developed scale for world view, the researcher tested one hundred forty-nine high school and college level subjects to determine significant interactions between world view and communication apprehension, use of mass media, trust, life satisfaction, social participation, age, grade level, sex, income, and race. Data analyses included factor analyses, analyses of variance, and correlation and regression analyses.

Results of the simple correlation indicated that the age-grade combination was the strongest single factor followed by income, religious participation, television watching, sex, newspaper reading, radio …

Communication Apprehension As A Predictor Of Proxemic Establishment, Self-Esteem, & Dogmatism, Joseph Cardot Iii

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Based upon limited findings dealing with nonverbal behavior and personality traits as they relate to communication apprehension, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of communication apprehension with proxemic establishment, self-esteem, and dogmatism. The study analyzed these variables utilizing subjects who were statistically either high or low communication apprehensives. Interesting results were attained. An inverse relationship between apprehension and proxemic establishment was revealed, such that dyads containing low-low members established greater interpersonal distance than dyads containing high-low members who established greater interpersonal distance than dyads containing high-high members. Communication apprehension overrode the sex variable with relation to …

Nonverbal Communication & Racial Prejudice, Fred Tucker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of the first phase of the study was to determine whether Blacks perceive feelings of racial prejudice in Whites primarily from verbal or nonverbal communication cues, and to determine which specific nonverbal cues cause Blacks to perceive feelings of racial prejudice. Interesting results were obtained. Blacks do rely very heavily on nonverbal cues in determining racial prejudice. Black males appear to be more sensitive in perceiving feelings of racial discrimination than their female counterparts. Specific prejudicial White nonverbal behavior cues were identified, with proxemics and haptics appearing to be key indicators of White prejudice, as perceived by Blacks. …

The Effect Of Leadership Predictions On Actual Leadership Emergence In Small Task Groups, Robert Anderson Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Research has shown that prior expectations of on individual's performance can have a significant effect on others behavior and attitudes toward that individual. This phenomenon was tested on the emergent leadership process with zero history groups. Male students in various social fraternities at a regional university were given a leadership test designed to measure their leadership abilities. The leadership tests were never scored, but the subjects were told that they were, and, one of the group members was reported as scoring exceptionally nigh. The group was then given one of two tasks to perform, and the emergent leadership process was …

Labour Management, D Blesing

Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4

labour management is more than ensuring the tractor has a driver when the soil is right. It is more than a simple excersise of matching man to machine, more than the simple arithmetic of hiring and firing to suit a short-term budget. Labour management needs to be wise, sensitive, prsctical and system-orientated.

Factors Involved In The Utilization Of A Divorce Counseling Service, Jean G. Demaiffe, Richard H. Weiss

Dissertations and Theses

This report presents a descriptive study of characteristics of persons using a family court service. A comparison is made between persons using the service and a sample of the population whom the agency was designed to serve.

The purposes of the study were to determine if the agency was serving the client population it was designed to serve and to provide a socio-demographic data base for further research and planning at the agency.

The Effect Of Order Of Presentation In A Two-Sided Communication Relevance Of Topic, & Receiver's Sex, Self-Esteem, & Dogmatism Upon Attitude Change & Recall, Earl Dulaney Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Based on past findings in the area of order effects in persuasion, the purpose of this paper was to examine the effects of the receiver characteristics of sex, self-esteem, and dogmatism, message relevance, and order of presentation upon attitude change and recall. The study analyzed category differences and multivariate relationships. Interesting results were attained. Males high in esteem and dogmatism were not as easily persuaded as females high in esteem and dogmatiam. Females high in esteem responded with a significant primacy effect, while females low in esteem responded with a significant recency effect. Subjects low in dogmatism recalled more than …

The Motivation Of Self-Investment, Dan Nunley

Graduate Theses

A game of chance void of feedback was played by 36 adults to determine the motivational properties of various degrees of self-investment. The levels of self-investment were created by altering the extent to which subjects were involved in making one of the symbols used in the game. A practice trial was used to establish each subjects base score and a final trial to determine behavior changes induced by self-investment. The gains between trials yielded significant results (p<.01) due to subject participation in the experimental process.

Ozinga Lectures, Charles Veenstra

Pro Rege

No abstract provided.

Replicating Bales Problem Solving Experiments On A Computerized Conference: A Pilot Study, Computerized Conferencing & Communications Center, Starr Roxanne Hiltz, Kenneth Johnson, Gail Agle

Computerized Conferencing and Communications Center Reports

Computerized Conferencing is a new form of communication in which the participants type their comments into a computer terminal, and receive their instructions and the comments of others printed on their terminal. This is a report on the results of a pilot study which was aimed mainly at exploring and solving the methodological problems presented by the need to adapt the procedures for conducting and coding face-to-face discussions to studies of this new medium. It represents the first set of controlled experiments on group discussions via a computerized conference.

The independent variable in this pilot study was mode of communication …

Interpersonal Communication As A Function Of Subject Representational Mode, Joseph Adrian Williams

Masters Theses

The study investigated aspects of a communications model of psychotherapy advanced by Grinder and Bandler. Subjects were thirty male and female undergraduate introductory psychology students at Eastern Illinois University during the summer of 1977. The subjects ranked a set of tape recorded statements for "understandability". These statements were presented in visual, auditory, and kinesthetic representational modes. Subject ratings provided a measure of which representational modes communicated most effectively to them. Three independent judges rated transcripts of recorded samples of the subject's actual language usage to determine the representational modes utilized by the subjects. Analysis of the ratings resulted in a …

Communication Apprehension In Problem-Solving Dyads, James Harris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of communication apprehension and sex on task efficiency, satisfaction, liking, and trust following a dyadic problem-solving situation. The experimental design was a h x 3 analysis of variance determined by the level of communication apprehension (high-low) and by the sex of the dyads (male-male, male-female, female-female). The results indicated that the high communication apprehensive dyads had significantly less task efficiency, less satisfaction, less liking, and less trust than the low apprehensive dyads. Further, male-male dyads had significantly more satisfaction and significantly less trust than the female-female dyads.

An Exploratory Study Of Adolescent Perceptions Of Communication Behavior, Pat Adams, Marion Summers

Dissertations and Theses

The interaction between troubled adolescents and the adult world is generally characterized as laden with ambiguity and conflict, and is rarely seem as productive or mutually satisfying. This research project is an attempt to study the way in which this interaction is perceived by a group of female adolescents involved in the Bridge, a short-term residential program for girls in a state of early crisis as demonstrated by runaway behavior. This study specifically focuses on communication behaviors of parents and of adults other than parents as perceived by the adolescent upon her entry into The Bridge and at her release …

Effects Of Distance And Sex On Verbal Productivity And Anxiety, Peter Lindsay Rogers

Masters Theses

The present study was designed to determine whether physical distance between male and female interviewees and a female interviewer affected verbal productivity and anxiety level when interviewees discussed academic, social, and personal topics. The interview was conceptualized as an information-gathering interview. Crucial variables in such interviews are client participation and information flow. Client verbal productivity appears to be directly related to these variables, and was used as one dependent variable to measure the impact of distance on interviewee verbal behavior. A self-report measure of anxiety, the Fear Thermometer was used as a second dependent variable.

The experimental distances used in …

The Relationship Of Selected Communication Variables To Selection Interview Outcome, Marvin Posey Jr.

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The relationship of attitude change, eye contact time, and interview length to selection interview outcome was investigated by directly observing fifty-four selection interviews. Statistical analysis of the data revealed that although attitude change was the only independent variable significantly related to interview outcome, all three independent variables interacted in such a manner that applicant acceptance or rejection was correctly predicted 83 percent of the time. Attitude change was concluded to be the product of interview content. Furthermore, the predictive power of variable interaction was interpreted as meaning that given attitude change, eye contact time, and interview length, applicant acceptance or …

The Effects Of Self-Concept Instruction As Part Of The Basic Speech Course, Gayle Lynn Davenport

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Body Language Of Self-Disclosure, Duane Connett

Masters Theses

A study was conducted to investigate the relationship of the Jourard Self-disclosure Inventory (JSDI) to 1) nonverbal behavior and 2) actual disclosure (validation of the JSDI) as measured by the number of words and speaking time. Latency was also involved. From 120 students completing the inventory 30 students scoring in the upper 30% (high-disclosers) and 30 from the lower 30% (low-disclosers) were chosen to participate in an interview. The interview consisted of 30 topics of varying intimacy about which Ss disclosed. The high-discloser group and low-discloser group were compared by a rating scale for “open” behaviors “closed” behaviors during the …

0141: Elizabeth Meriwether Letter, Marshall University Special Collections

Guides to Manuscript Collections

This letter was found in George Edmonds’ [Elizabeth Meriwether] “Facts and falsehoods concerning the war on the South” published in Memphis in 1904. The letter is addressed to Lyon G. Tyler commenting on his purchase of six copies of her book “Facts and Falsehoods”; and asks him to read “The Master of Red Leaf.”