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Title Page

Basic Communication Course Annual

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Editorial Board

Basic Communication Course Annual

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Editor's Page, Stephen K. Hunt, Joseph P. Mazer

Basic Communication Course Annual

Without question, the popularity of the basic course in communication continues to grow, further entrenching it as a staple of the communication discipline. As several basic course scholars have persuasively noted, in the last 20 years, more and more colleges and universities in the United States have been charged with the daunting task of establishing an introductory course in communication as a central feature of general education curriculum.

Given the popularity of the course and increasing pressures on basic course instructors/directors to document the effectiveness of the course, basic communication course scholarship is more important now than ever. For more …

Contents And Abstracts

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Students’ Attributions Of Instructor Credibility As A Function Of Instructors’ Out-Of-Class Support, Adam C. Jones, Paul Schrodt

Basic Communication Course Annual

This investigation examined the impact that instructor out-of-class support (OCS) and sex differences have on students’ perceptions of instructor credibility. Participants (N = 634) were randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions manipulating the degree to which an instructor responds with a highly supportive, moderately supportive, or non-supportive message following a hypothetically stressful situation. Multivariate analyses revealed a two-way interaction effect of instructor OCS by student sex on perceptions of instructor credibility. Significant and meaningful main effects for instructor OCS on all three dimensions of credibility (i.e., competence, trustworthiness, and caring) were also obtained, with students attributing more credibility …

Trends In Communicative Self-Efficacy: A Comparative Analysis, Georgeta M. Hodis, Flaviu A. Hodis

Basic Communication Course Annual

This study integrates findings from the motivation-achievement and communication literature to underline the salient role that (communicative) self-efficacy beliefs play in academic settings. Additionally, this research shows that communicative self-efficacy beliefs can be accurately assessed by using a measure of self-perceived communication competence (SPCC). Using longitudinal data from 705 undergraduate students, the study shows that participants’ communicative self-efficacy beliefs increased linearly during the semester in which they were enrolled in a basic communication course. Finally, findings from this research indicate that the magnitude of change in self-efficacy was linked to the context of communication as well as attuned to the …

Developing Student-To-Student Connectedness: An Examination Of Instructors’ Humor, Nonverbal Immediacy, And Self-Disclosure In Public Speaking Courses, Robert J. Sidelinger, Brandi N. Frisby, Audra L. Mcmullen, Jennifer Heisler

Basic Communication Course Annual

Students often do not look forward to enrolling in public speaking courses, and therefore, it is warranted to examine opportunities to develop a supportive peer communication climate in what is typically seen as an anxiety inducing course. The present study collected data at three points in a semester (first day, mid-semester, and end-semester) to determine if initial perceptions of student-to-student connectedness and instructors’ communication behaviors (humor, nonverbal immediacy, and self-disclosure) lead to positive increases in student-to-student connectedness over the course of a semester in public speaking classes. Changes in perceptions of student-to-student connectedness at mid- and end-semester were predicted by …

I Need Help: Help Seeking Behaviors, Communication Anxiety And Communication Center Usage, C. Leigh Nelson, Toni S. Whitfield, Michelle Moreau

Basic Communication Course Annual

A web-based survey of 357 respondents enrolled in basic communication courses was conducted to examine communication center usage, communication apprehension, and help seeking behaviors. There was no significant difference between students who attended the communication center and those who did not in their communication apprehension and help seeking behaviors. There were significant correlations between help seeking behaviors and communication apprehension. Demographics, communication apprehension, and communication center usage and awareness predicted multiple types of help seeking behaviors.

Conflicting Advice On Oral Citations In Top Public Speaking Texts, Katherine N. Kinnick, Emily Holler

Basic Communication Course Annual

Learning to develop and deliver effective oral citations is an important speechmaking skill that helps to enhance the credibility of the speaker, the persuasiveness of the source, and reduce unintentional plagiarism. A content analysis of oral citation guidelines in the most widely-used public speaking textbooks reveals that they take different approaches to the topic of oral citations. The texts differ on the bibliographic elements that should be included in an oral citation, when an oral citation is necessary, and how oral citations should be introduced. In some cases, examples of citations in student speeches and chapter text do not follow …

Driveway Moments: Developing Syllabi According To Kenneth Burke, Kristen Lynn Majocha

Basic Communication Course Annual

Have you ever remained parked in your car in order to hear the end of a song or a news story? This is called a driveway moment (Pine, 2007). Kenneth Burke refers to this fulfilling of our desires, the desire for the conclusion, as an “appetite” that humans have for form (Burke, 1931). Songs have form, movies have form, literature has form. As teachers of the Basic Communication Course, we should recognize this appetite for form and incorporate form into our syllabi. Form in the way Kenneth Burke describes—form that has one part leading to the anticipation of another part—is …

Author Biographies

Basic Communication Course Annual

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Submission Guidelines

Basic Communication Course Annual

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Index Of Titles And Authors, Volumes 1-23

Basic Communication Course Annual

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Back Cover

Basic Communication Course Annual

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Basic Communication Course Annual Vol. 24

Basic Communication Course Annual

Full issue (298 pages, 12.1 MB)

Keeping Church Goers Motivated: Church Worship Communication Study, Anne Trelstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At a time when mainline Protestant churches in America are concerned with stagnant or declining worship attendance (Duin, 2008) a better understanding of worshippers' motivations could help church leaders plan and create positive worship experiences (Katt & Trelstad, 2009). This study extends the scope of the previous research of Katt and Trelstad by employing a larger sample of purposively selected churches. It attempts to more clearly answer the following question more clearly: What types of incidents serve as motivator and de-motivator factors in the church worship service setting? A sample of 105 church members from thirty-eight churches participated in a …

From The Top: Impression Management Strategies And Organizational Identity In Executive-Authored Weblogs, Teryl A. Mclane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines impression management strategies high-ranking organizational executives employ to create an identity for themselves and their companies via executive authored Weblogs (blogs). This study attempts to identify specific patterns of impression management strategies through a deductive content analysis applying Jones’ (1990) taxonomy of self-presentation strategies to this particular type of computer mediated communication. Sampling for this study (n=227) was limited to blogs solely and regularly authored by the highest-ranking leaders of Fortune 500 companies. The study revealed that executive bloggers frequently employed impression management strategies aimed at currying competency attributes (self-promotion), likeability (ingratiation), and moral worthiness (exemplification) to …

Risks And Benefits Of Seeking And Receiving Emotional Support During The Divorce Process: An Examination Of Divorcee Individual Adjustment, Closeness, And Relational Satisfaction With Multiple Partners From A Social Network, Sarah E. Wilder

Department of Communication Studies: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Divorce is one of the most difficult life events an individual may face. Divorce impacts not only the individual who has to adjust to new physical and psychological conditions following divorce, but also extends to the many relationships in the divorcee’s social network. Central to divorce processes and relational outcomes is communication. One aspect that may influence the quality of divorcees’ post-divorce relationships and ability to adjust following the divorce is the provision of emotional support. In the current study, I examine a social network model of adjustment to divorce by examining the role of risk in seeking, and effectiveness …

Reducing Risk And Injury To Transit Officers, Christine Teague

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis examines whether an understanding of the communication and safety culture of transit officers, who form part of a security section of a large state Rail Transport Organisation (RTO), can lead to strategies to reduce their risk of injury. The core functions of the transit officer position are passenger safety and customer service. This puts the officers in the front line of defence against the antisocial behaviour from some patrons that occurs regularly on the railway system. Like urban railways the world over, this anti-social behaviour can range from bad language to severe violence. Whilst these officers are not …

Exploring The Relationship Between Facebook, Face-To-Face And Intercultural Communication, Rebecca Schaefer

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

My Capstone Experience/Thesis project seeks to explore and examine the effects of Facebook on communication between American and international students. The use of social media as a means to communicate with others is increasing at an amazing rate. Facebook has become my generation’s favorite way to communicate with friends and family and “to Facebook” has unofficially become a verb that many college students will use. While social media, such as Facebook and Linked-In, may encourage American college students to communicate with international students beyond the classroom and campus, it seems that Facebook is on the way to becoming a substitute …