Amount of communication as a symptom of distressed marriages based on reports of divorced individuals

Recent research on married couples has indicated that dramatically reduced communication between married partners may be an indication of a marriage under stress and may indicate an increased likelihood of divorce. The present study compared amount of communication in marriage reported by divorced individuals with that reported by married individuals who reported low to moderate levels of marital satisfaction. The results indicate these reports are highly similar. It is recommended that reduced communication be considered as a marker variable for marriages under stress and future research seek to identify the cause(s) of the observed relationships.     

A critical examination of sex differences in marital communication

Despite the persistence of sex‐typed images of the expressivity of wife and husband, past observational studies have given little indication of sex‐linked differences in marital communication. Thus, we proposed that inter personally negotiated role expectations would be a better predictor of communication about marital conflict than sex. However, we also proposed that there might be sex differences within particular clusters of couples who endorse sex‐differentiated role expectations. Couples were classified into groups using Fitzpatrick's (1983) typology. The results of two studies indicated that couple type was significantly related to communication about marital conflict; however, there were neither any clear overall sex differences in communication nor sex differences within couple types. Rather, the results indicated that conflict styles are so strongly reciprocal that mutual influence within conversations tends to remove individual speaker differences. The research suggests that mutual influence processes and mutually established beliefs and expectations account for conflict styles more adequately than biological sex.     

Student Perceptions of the Instructor's Relational Characteristics,the Classroom Communication Experience,and the Interaction Involvement in Face-to-Face versus Video Conference Instruction

The present study examined student perceptions of the instructor's relational characteristics, classroom communication experience, and interaction involvement in courses taken face-to-face and in a video conference context. MANCOVA results showed significant differences between these contexts, with more negative student ratings of instructor immediacy and receptivity; classroom communication connectedness/mutuality, satisfaction, and quality; and interaction involvement occurring in the video conference classroom context than in the face-to-face context. A path analysis modeled the relationships among these perceptions of instructor characteristics, classroom communication experience, and interaction involvement. Based on this model, suggestions for improving student perceptions of the instructor, classroom communication, and interaction involvement in video conference courses are offered.     

Yes means yes and no means no,but both these mantras need to go: communication myths in consent education and anti-rape activism*

For decades, feminists have intervened in a sexually violent culture. Many public health professionals, educators, and activists who design these interventions have called for complex conceptualizations of communication, yet communication studies scholars have not written extensively on consent. Moreover, researchers outside the field rarely rely on insights from the discipline. Accordingly, I offer a critical review of consent activism and research, and I highlight disciplinary assumptions that could enhance existing knowledge. I argue that many feminist academic/activist interventions use false ideas about communication, what I call communication myths: discourse merely reflects reality, and local discourse is disconnected from larger social Discourse. I show how these communication myths resonate with rape-supportive arguments. By suggesting communication should be unambiguous during consent, anti-violence educators/activists lower the standard for communicative competence, disconnect it from historical-cultural context, and miss opportunities to politicize consent. I argue feminists can challenge communication myths to build on existing interventions while more fully dismantling rape culture.     

The impact of television news film on perceived media credibility

This article outlines a conceptual framework and measurement model of the social cognitive processes underlying marital communication. Based on husbands’ and wives’ tendencies to perceive their spouses as unique individuals rather than undifferentiated role occupants, the measurement model specified a two dimensional configuration consisting of marriage‐specific and general social cognitive processes. Two studies were conducted to develop and validate a measure of conjugal understanding. Results confirmed the proposed measurement model. The implications, uses, and shortcomings of the instrument are discussed.     

Perceived instructor argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness and student outcomes

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between instructor argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness, and student affective learning and satisfaction. Participants were 169 undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of communication courses at a small Midwestern university. Results indicate that perceived instructor argumentativeness is positively correlated with student affect toward the course, student affect toward the instructor, and student satisfaction whereas perceived instructor verbal aggressiveness is negatively correlated with student affect toward the course, student affect toward the instructor, and student satisfaction. Future researchers may examine the reasons behind instructor argumentative and verbally aggressive behaviors as well as the composition of the various messages used to exemplify these behaviors.     

The relationship between student communication motives and perceived instructor communicator style

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student communication motives (i.e., relational, functional, participatory, excuse‐making, sycophantic) and perceived instructor communicator style (i.e., friendly, impression leaving, relaxed, contentious, attentive, precise, animated, dramatic, open, dominant). Participants were 228 undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of communication courses at a small Midwestern university. Results indicate that (a) the perceived instructor communicator style attributes of impression leaving, friendly, and contentious predict student use of the relational motive, (b) the attribute of friendly predicts student use of the functional motive, (c) the attributes of animated, contentious, and friendly predict student use of the participatory motive, (d) the attributes of attentive and contentious predict student use of the excuse‐making motive, and (e) the attributes of contentious and friendly predict student use of the sycophantic motive.     

Nonverbal immediacy communication behaviors and liking in marital relationships

This study examined the relationship between nonverbal immediacy behaviors and liking in marriages. Findings revealed that a spouse's perception of their partner's use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors strongly correlated with how much they liked their partner (r = .67), and was reciprocal within marital dyads. Individuals married one year or less and those married more than 24 years scored highest in perceived spouse nonverbal immediacy and liking for their partners. The relationship between nonverbal immediacy and liking was consistent regardless of marriage duration. Findings support and expand on previous research in relational maintenance, nonverbal immediacy, and affinity seeking communication behaviors.     

The Relationships Between Teacher Nonverbal Immediacy and Student Course Workload and Teacher Availability Expectations

The purpose of this study is to identify student expectations for course workload and teacher availability and to assess whether teacher nonverbal immediacy influences these student expectations. Based on a sample of 198 students at a large public university enrolled in a required general education hybrid communication course, students were willing to complete more work than the current course requires, which is comparable to other general education hybrid communication courses in the USA. Additionally, students have moderate to high expectations for teacher availability. Student perceptions of teacher nonverbal immediacy were positively correlated with students’ willingness to engage in their learning (reading, writing, speaking), teacher availability expectations, and tolerance for teacher unavailability.     

Argumentative skill deficiency and its relationship to quality of marriage

This study investigates the relationship between verbal aggression, argumentativeness, and marital quality in a sample of non‐distressed couples. The traits of verbal aggression and argumentativeness are predicted to have different effects on marital quality; specifically, verbal aggression is hypothesized to have an inverse relation to marital quality while argumentativeness is posited to have a positive relationship. Results show support for the first hypothesis and partial support for the second hypothesis. Implications of these results for conflict resolution in marriage are discussed.     

Self-Help Books About Communication and the Communication Course: An Exercise in Assessing Popular Notions of Communication Using Theory

Objective: The objective of this activity is to help students evaluate practical advice about communication with theories of communication

Applicable courses: This activity can be adopted by a variety of different communication courses including: persuasion, interpersonal (family, gender, and/or intercultural), organizational or small-group communication, and other communication courses     

把青少年读书活动融入学校课堂促进学校阅读教育

以汕头市图书馆青少年读书活动融入到学校课堂中的具体实例，从快乐阅读、课题实验、活动选题等方面，论述了与学校教育相接轨，把图书馆办成学校的第二课堂。     

基于知识视角的专业信息素质培养模式研究

信息素质对于知识转化与创新具有重要作用,在知识创造模式中体现着不同形式的信息交流活动。本文从知识视角探讨了与专业教师合作,将信息素质教育镶嵌在相关专业课程中,培养大学生专业信息素质的尝试。     

A critical examination of communication textbooks

ABSTRACT

Courses: This single-class teaching activity was designed for courses on critical communication pedagogy (CCP), gender and race, communication education, research methods, and visual communication.

Objectives: By completing this activity, students should be able to (1) describe the principles of CCP, (2) examine critically how race and gender are represented in communication textbooks, and (3) identify how textbooks reproduce and reflect dominant assumptions about the study of communication, race, and gender.     

Advancing Critical Thinking and Information Literacy Skills in First Year College Students

ABSTRACT

This article provides a case study of recent curriculum development in a freshman skills program which integrates critical thinking and English composition as linked courses at Gonzaga University. Known as “thought and expression” courses, this block of courses, which also includes speech communication, can be taken by students separately or in a linked cohort with the same twenty students in each class. In linked courses, faculty are generally aware of each others' course topics and assignments, and they meet to discuss student progress and look for opportunities for curriculum integration. In this case study, library faculty were included in the instructional team, and information literacy skills that relate to critical thinking were integrated into the goals of the critical thinking and English composition courses. Faculty involved in the courses believe that integrating library skills into course goals adds coherence to the curriculum; it also helps students to achieve the developmental goals of the learning community created by this course model.     

Relational power,marital schema,and decisions to withhold complaints: An investigation of the chilling effect on confrontation in marriage

Previous research on dating relationships suggests that perceptions of a partner's power exert a chilling effect on the expression of relational grievances. This paper extends the chilling effect perspective by examining two issues: (a) whether a partner's power corresponds with decisions to withhold complaints within marriage, and (b) whether the manifestation of the chilling effect varies as a Junction of individual differences in marital schema. Married individuals (N = 215) completed questionnaire measures of a partner's power, marital schema, and decisions to withhold complaints from spouses. Findings underscore the importance of both power and marital schema within spouses’ decisions to express complaints.     

The relationship between college student feedback orientation and classroom engagement

ABSTRACT

This study explored the relationship between the four dimensions of students’ feedback orientation (i.e., utility, retention, confidentiality, and sensitivity) and the four dimensions of students’ classroom engagement (i.e., silent in-class, oral in-class, thinking about course content, and out-of-class) using the tenets of Feedback Intervention Theory (FIT) as a guide. Participants were 208 undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of introductory communication courses at a large mid-Atlantic university. It was found that varying combinations of students’ feedback orientation influence students’ engagement, providing further support for FIT. Specifically, feedback utility was positively related to all four dimensions of student engagement. Furthermore, feedback confidentiality was negatively related to oral in-class behaviors. Future research should continue to examine the influence of instructional feedback on students’ classroom engagement.     

The Influence of Expectations for Health-Related Talk on Reports of Marital Satisfaction A version of this paper was presented at the 2002 annual meeting of the National Communication Association in New Orleans,LA.

The present study empirically operationalizes the health-related talk of married individuals (N?=?349) and reports on the factor structure of these health-related talk expectations and the reliability and convergent validity of the two-factor solution. Both factors were significantly correlated with participants’ self reports of marital satisfaction. Implications for the relationships between health-related talk and marriage are discussed.     

Amount of communication in marital dyads as a function of dyad and individual marital satisfaction

Research is reported which examines the relationship between marital satisfaction and amount of communication in a marital dyad. Consideration is given to various topics of communication which are commonly addressed by marital dyads and to the impact of biological sex on these relationships. Results indicate that highly satisfied couples engage in significantly m ore communication, particularly on certain topics, than do less satisfied couples. Couples with low satisfaction levels engage in a low level of communication on most of the topics which are commonly addressed by married couples. Speculation concerning causation is addressed.     

Using Students to Make Instructional Videos: Report of an Initial Experiment

Librarians employed student assistants and tasked them with the mission of creating library instruction video tutorials for their fellow digital natives. This article describes the benefits of peer instruction and learning within a participatory culture, a culture in which students are not only consumers of content but also creators. It also covers how a university library used these tutorials to teach first-year common experience courses and surveyed 200 students from these courses about their knowledge and comfort levels with specific library services after viewing the videos.