Aggressive communication and informational reception apprehension: The influence of listening anxiety and intellectual inflexibility on trait argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness

Recent training efforts designed to strengthen student argumentation skills and decrease verbally aggressive tendencies have yielded mixed results (Rancer et al., 1997, 2000). Inherent in these efforts is the belief that an individual's use of verbal aggression is implicitly related to law argumentative behavior and a weak system for generating arguments (Infante, 1988). As an extension of this research, we examined the relationships among trait‐like argumentativeness (Infante & Rancer, 1982), trait‐like verbal aggressiveness (Infante & Wigley, 1986) (VA), and Wheeless, Preiss, and Gayle's (1997) construct of informational reception apprehension (IRA). Results indicated that two IRA factors, listening anxiety and intellectual inflexibility, were significant predictors of both aggressive communication traits. Further, both IRA factors accounted for greater variance in trait‐like argumentativeness than in trait‐like VA. Implications of these findings as they relate to Infante's (1987) “argumentative skill deficiency model,” as well as suggestions for future research are discussed.     

Verbal aggression in sibling relationships

This study focused on verbal aggression in sibling relationships. The study examined the relationship between (a) verbal aggressiveness with satisfaction and interpersonal trust, (b) the relationship between teasing and verbal aggressiveness, (c) whether people more satisfied with their siblings report that receiving verbal aggression is more personally hurtful, and (d) whether sibling sex influenced verbal aggression in the relationship. Results support the destructiveness of verbal aggression in that verbal aggressiveness was negatively related to satisfaction and trust. Teasing was found to be positively related to being verbally aggressive. Sibling satisfaction was positively related to being hurt from receiving verbally aggressive messages. Results involving sex show that women are more satisfied and report using less verbal aggression and teasing than the other sibling dyads. Conclusions, future directions, and limitations are discussed.     

The association of perceived communication apprehension,shyness, and verbal aggression with perceptions of source credibility and affect in organizational and interpersonal contexts

This is a report of two studies that examined the association of receivers' perceptions of sources' levels of several communication traits (shyness, communication apprehension, verbal aggressiveness) with the receivers' reported levels of affect for the source (general affect and/or liking) and the receivers' perceptions of the sources' credibility (competence, trustworthiness, goodwill). Study 1 examined employees’ perceptions of their supervisor's communication trait behaviors in the organizational context, while Study 2 examined the students' perceptions of their roommate's communication trait behaviors in an interpersonal context. As predicted on the basis of previous theory and research, both perceived communication apprehension and perceived verbal aggressiveness of the source were found to be substantially negatively correlated with credibility and affect and/or liking reported by the receiver. Contrary to our hypothesis, perceived behavioral shyness was not meaningfully associated with either credibility or affect. It is concluded that these results provide important information for distinguishing between the theoretical constructs of shyness and communication apprehension and theory in this area in general.     

An examination of the relationship between verbal aggressiveness,conflict management strategies,and conflict interaction goals

The purpose of this investigation was to explore the relationship between respondents' trait verbal aggressiveness, conflict management strategies and conflict interaction goals. Data were collected from 105 undergraduate students at a small private affluent southeastern university. Participants were asked to recall a dispute that they had had with a close friend. They completed the OCCI, verbal aggressiveness, and conflict goals measures. Results indicated that verbal aggressiveness was associated in predictable ways with participants' conflict strategies. There also was a substantial and significant negative relationship between verbal aggressiveness and concerns about relational goals during conflicts. These results establish a foundation for future lines of research regarding conflict goals and extend previous investigations regarding verbal aggressiveness.     

网络中暴力刺激对青少年内隐攻击性的影响

以初中生为被试,采用组间实验设计,通过分离具体刺激种类的方法分别考察身体暴力及言语暴力因素对不同性别个体内隐性攻击性的影响,着重考察针对身体暴力因素的阈下刺激。结果表明:(1)青少年在接受身体和言语暴力材料的启动后,内隐攻击性均显著提高。(2)不同启动材料对内隐攻击性的影响表现出性别差异。身体暴力启动材料更容易启动男生的内隐攻击性,而言语类暴力启动材料则更容易启动女生的内隐攻击性。(3)青少年在接受不同阈值水平启动条件下的内隐攻击性受到性别影响。阈值上启动材料更容易启动男生的内隐攻击性;与男生相比,女生的内隐攻击性更容易受阈值下启动材料的影响。     

Coping with background anger in early childhood

Normative patterns, individual styles, and developmental changes in coping with background anger (anger between others) were examined in preschoolers. Live models expressed verbalized anger toward each other while pairs of same-sex friends played in an adjacent room. 85 4- and 5-year-olds participated, playing took place in the presence of mothers, and a 7-episode sequence of background conditions (no emotion, positive, no emotion, anger, no emotion, positive, no emotion) described the experimental situation. Children were also interviewed concerning their feelings during others' anger. Preschoolers evidenced heightened arousal, that is, greater distress, social sharing, preoccupation, and positive affect, concurrent with exposure to background anger. Increased verbal aggressiveness in play occurred in the period following exposure. Coping styles initially identified from behavioral emotional responses to the adults' quarrel were further delineated by contrasts on other aspects of functioning. Concerned emotional responders (46%) showed negative emotions concurrent with exposure, and later reported that they had felt sad during the fight and wanted to intervene. Unresponsive children (15%) showed no evidence of emotion, but later reported that they were angry. Ambivalent responders (35%) showed high emotional arousal during exposure, typified by both positive and negative emotions. Later they reported feeling happy but disregulated and were most likely to become physically and verbally aggressive in play with a friend. Analyses on a subsample (N = 43) also seen as toddlers showed that responses to background anger changed markedly, but precursors of preschoolers' coping styles were evident in toddlers' behavioral responses.     

More evidence that cognitive complexity is not loquacity: A reply to Beatty and Payne

Beatty and Payne (1984) recently presented data allegedly demonstrating that assessments of cognitive complexity based on Crockett's popular Role Category Questionnaire (RCQ) are severly confounded by “loquacity,” the simple amount of verbal response to stimuli. The present paper responds critically to the claims of Beatty and Payne, arguing that these researchers employed a flawed measure of loquacity and inappropriate data analytic procedures. In order to better clarify the influence of loquacity on sophisticated social‐cognitive and communicative functioning, two empirical studies are reported in which alternative measures of loquacity were employed. In neither of these studies was loquacity found significantly associated with social‐cognitive or communicative abilities.     

Efficacy of Cognitive‐Behavioral therapy in the treatment of children with adhd,with and without aggressiveness

The objectives of this study were twofold: to show the efficacy of a cognitive‐behavioral self‐control therapy on children with ADHD and to determine whether the combination of training in self‐control with training in anger management has better outcomes on two subgroups of hyperactive children, aggressive and nonaggressive. Thirty‐two children with ADHD, 16 aggressive and 16 nonaggressive, participated in the research. We applied a cognitive‐behavioral self‐control training, which included self‐instructional training via modeling and behavioral contingencies, to 16 of the 32 hyperactive children. The other 16 hyperactive children were taught the same program, but combined with anger management training. The interventions were carried out by two therapists each taking care of four groups, one of each in the following conditions: hyperactive with the cognitive‐behavioral self‐control therapy, hyperactive with the combined treatment, hyperactive‐aggressive with the cognitive‐behavioral self‐control therapy, and hyperactive‐aggressive with the combined treatment. The results indicated important improvements on several measures in all treated groups. Furthermore the improvements of children with aggressiveness were slightly better, according to the parents, with the combined treatment than without it. The data provide support for including anger management training in the cognitive‐behavioral interventions for hyperactive‐aggressive students. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

状态焦虑与特质焦虑的关系

笔者从Spielberger的激活模型和行为遗传学(Behavioural Genetic)的角度进一步探讨状态焦虑和特质焦虑的关系。在Spielberger的激活模型中,认知评估作为二者的中间变量,具有三种功能:意识功能、选择功能和评价功能;从行为遗传学的角度看,非共享环境(non-shared envi-ronment)对二者共变性有重要的影响,而遗传和共享环境(shared environmen)对二者的共变性有中等程度的影响。     

Relational Aggression, Gender, and Social-Psychological Adjustment

Prior studies of childhood aggression have demonstrated that, as a group, boys are more aggressive than girls. We hypothesized that this finding reflects a lack of research on forms of aggression that are relevant to young females rather than an actual gender difference in levels of overall aggressiveness. In the present study, a form of aggression hypothesized to be typical of girls, relational aggression, was assessed with a peer nomination instrument for a sample of 491 third- through sixth-grade children. Overt aggression (i.e., physical and verbal aggression as assessed in past research) and social-psychological adjustment were also assessed. Results provide evidence for the validity and distinctiveness of relational aggression. Further, they indicated that, as predicted, girls were significantly more relationally aggressive than were boys. Results also indicated that relationally aggressive children may be at risk for serious adjustment difficulties (e.g., they were significantly more rejected and reported significantly higher levels of loneliness, depression, and isolation relative to their nonrelationally aggressive peers).     

The self-concept and aggressive behavior among elementary school children from two socioeconomic areas and two grade levels

An investigation was conducted to examine the relationship between a child's self-concept and the tendency to behave aggressively. Boys and girls (N=229) in eight classrooms (two third grades and two sixth grades from two different socioeconomic areas within the Provo, Utah, School District) were administered the Piers-Harris Children's Self-concept Scale and the Children's Action Tendency Scale. Correlation coefficients were computed, and analysis of variance tests were used to determine the nature of variable relationships. No overall correlational pattern was found among self-concept and aggression scores. The analysis of variance results revealed a significantly larger mean aggressiveness score among children with low self-concepts when compared to children with medium and high self-concepts. Girls, while less aggressive than boys, became more aggressive with age, while boys' aggressiveness scores declined. Implications of the results were discussed in terms of methods of behavior change utilized by school personnel.     

Teacher consultation and cognitive-behavioral interventions with aggressive boys

This study compared the effects of two Anger Coping group interventions with aggressive boys to an untreated control condition. Both Anger Coping conditions used cognitive-behavioral and social problem-solving training, and one of the conditions included an adjunctive teacher consultation component designed to enhance teachers' behavioral management skills and facilitation of their students' problem-solving skills. In comparison to the untreated aggressive boys, treated aggressive boys displayed significant improvements in their disruptive-aggressive off-task classroom behavior and in their perceived social competence, and they tended to have reductions in their teachers' ratings of their aggressiveness. There were no significant differences between the two Anger Coping conditions, indicating that teacher consultation did not enhance treatment effects.     

Ethnocentrism and trait communication apprehension as predictors of interethnic communication apprehension and use of relational maintenance strategies in interethnic communication

The first of two studies investigated the differences between reported relational maintenance strategy usage by high and low interethnic communication apprehensives (IECAs). An instrument based on Canary and Stafford's (1992) relational maintenance strategies taxonomy and Neuliep and McCroskey's (1997a) Personal Report of Interethnic Communication Apprehension (PRECA) was employed. The results indicated that individuals who were law IECAs reported utilizing significantly more of the task, network, and positivity strategies. Differences in openness and assurance strategies followed the same pattern but were not significant. The participant's reported usage and IECA score were inversely related. The second study replicated the first and explored two theoretical explanations for the results. This study revealed significant differences on all of the dimensions and significant negative correlations. This study also examined whether trait communication apprehension (disregarding ethnicity) and/or ethnocentrism (the presumed foundational components of IECA) could account for the differences in reports of relational communication behavior. The results of the second study indicated that both trait CA and ethnocentrism contributed to the prediction of IECA and to overall reported strategy usage, and that ethnocentrism was the better predictor.     

An observational study of social exclusion under varied conditions: gender and developmental differences

To investigate social exclusion, 146 dyads of close friends (N = 292, ages 10, 12, and 14) were observed as they played a board game with a same-gender confederate actor, trained to be a difficult play partner. Verbalizations and gestures were coded for verbal and nonverbal social exclusion, verbal aggression, and verbal assertion. The results indicated few developmental differences. For verbal responses in the presence of the actor, boys were more socially exclusive and verbally aggressive than were girls. Girls engaged in more nonverbal social exclusion in the presence of the actor than did boys. Girls' socially exclusive behaviors were unrelated to other negative behaviors and more strongly related between friends in the actor's absence.     

Trait Understanding or Evaluative Reasoning? An Analysis of Children''s Behavioral Predictions

This study tested the hypothesis that in predicting the future behavior of an actor, older children rely on trait inferences, whereas younger children rely on global, evaluative inferences. Vignettes depicting actors engaging in trait-relevant behaviors were presented to 5- and 6-year-olds (N = 67) and 9- and 10-year-olds (N = 71). For each actor, children made predictions of future behavior, evaluated the goodness and badness of the actor, and rated each actor on a relevant trait. A mediational analysis found that the behavioral predictions of older children were mediated solely by trait ratings, whereas those of younger children were mediated by evaluative ratings. Furthermore, unlike older children, younger children made trait-like predictions only when they made an evaluation of the actor. These results suggest that young children utilize evaluative reasoning when making behavioral predictions, and therefore rely on an inferential process that is distinct from that of older children.     

Aggression between peers in early childhood: individual continuity and developmental change

43 children were observed in play with "best available friends" at 2 and again at 5 years of age. An arousing stimulus, an angry interaction between adults, was introduced during play sessions to increase the likelihood of elicitation of aggressive patterns. Dimensions of physical aggression at age 2 (e.g., object-related aggression, bodily aggression) predicted dimensions of children's physical aggression at age 5. However, substantial sex differences in the stability of aggression were found. Among boys, the disposition to engage in physical aggression was highly stable, with correlations ranging as high as r = .76. Certain dimensions of physical aggression at age 2 were also positively associated with verbal aggression at age 5. Fewer and more modest correlations were found among girls. The frequency of aggression, particularly bodily aggression (e.g., hitting, pushing), initiations of aggression, and the average length of aggression episodes, decreased between 2 and 5 years of age. These results indicate that relative aggressiveness tends to remain stable despite declines in the frequency of aggressive behavior between 2 and 5 years of age.     

ADHD and method variance: a latent variable approach applied to a nationally representative sample of college freshmen

This study employed a correlated trait-correlated method application of confirmatory factor analysis to disentangle trait and method variance from measures of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder obtained at the college level. The two trait factors were Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition (DSM-IV ) Inattention and DSM-IV Hyperactivity-Impulsivity. The two source factors were self-reports and parent-reports. Data were collected for an epidemiological sample (N = 1,079) of college freshmen stratified for race/ethnicity, gender, and ability level according to national targets for the U.S. college population. Results revealed (a) parents' ratings were better measures of internalizing behavioral dimensions and that students' ratings were better measures of externalizing dimensions of behavior, (b) informants have a greater impact on behavior ratings than the behavioral construct that is presumed to be the primary cause of the behavior as measured by the CARE, (c) relationships among the method factors revealed a substantial amount of unique variance among informants, and (d) relationships among trait factors were largely within expectation.     

An innovative intervention for treatment of child and adolescent aggression: An outcome study

The purpose of the study was to test the effectiveness of an intervention to reduce aggressive behavior among children and adolescents. The study encompassed 70 special education students with behavioral problems in 10 schools (grades 5‐9) in Israel. These students were identified by teachers as aggressive children, based on a 10‐item questionnaire that referred to verbal and physical aggression. The children were randomly divided into experimental and control conditions. A short‐term multidimensional program utilizing bibliotherapy and clarifying processes was introduced to the experimental students, while the control students remained in their homeroom groups. The Achenbach Self‐Report and Teacher Report scales were administered to the students before and after treatment. Results indicated significant gains on both measures: The intervention was effective in promoting adjusting behavior and particularly in reducing aggression. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The Internal/External Frame of Reference in Adolescents′ Math and Verbal Self-Concepts: A Generalization Study

This study examined the generalizability of the internal/external (I/E) frame of reference model which has been applied primarily to Australian and Canadian students. The external part of the model concerns the influence of social comparisions on the formation of math and verbal self-concepts. The internal part is when one infers one′s ability in an area (e.g., math) by comparing one′s performance in that area with one′s performance in another area (e.g., verbal). We examined whether this model was generalizable to American adolescents, across different measures of math and verbal self-concepts, and across gender. Subjects were 152 seventh and eighth graders. LISREL causal modeling and multi-sample analyses were employed. All but one of our findings were consistent with the I/E model. While higher verbal achievement made a significant contribution to lower math self-concept, higher math achievement did not make a significant contribution to lower verbal self-concept. Findings held across different self-concept instruments and across gender.     

How well do parents know their adolescent children? Parent inferences of student self-concepts reflect dimensional comparison processes

The internal/external frame of reference (I/E) model posits paradoxical relations between achievement and self-concept in mathematics and verbal domains. There is strong support for the I/E model based on student self-ratings, however, reviews of self-concept research claim that the I/E model does not apply to ratings by parents and significant others. We aimed to test these claims using parent inferred self-concepts. In contrast to widely cited claims, we found support for I/E model for both students (N = 486; aged 11–17; 57.2% female) and their parents (80.5% female). Math and verbal achievement had positive effects on self-concepts in the matching domain (e.g., math achievement predicting math self-concept) but negative effects for self-concepts in the non-matching domain (e.g., math achievement predicting verbal self-concept). Integrating conflicting claims, we found support for dimensional comparison processes for inferred self-concept ratings by parents, but not for parent perceptions of student abilities similar to the measures used that were the basis of previous claims.