The association between immediacy and socio‐communicative style

The very strong association of immediacy with positive instructional outcomes has led some to question whether teacher immediacy amounts to anything more than being responsive with students. The present study demonstrates that a measure of teacher immediacy is strongly associated with the Socio‐Communicative Style of the teacher—both the assertiveness and the responsiveness components. It is concluded that it is theoretically justified to teach pre‐service or in‐service teachers to engage in immediate behaviors as means of increasing their communication competence and probably teaching effectiveness. The impact of immediacy observed in the classroom environment is seen as likely to be generalizable to other communication contexts.     

The association of socio‐communicative style and relational type on perceptions of nonverbal immediacy

This study examined how an individual's perceived use of nonverbal immediacy is related to his or her perceived socio‐communicative style, and whether the use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors differs across relational types. Reflecting on a recent interaction, participants (N = 309) completed the Assertiveness‐Responsiveness measure (Richmond & McCroskey, 1990) and a modified version of the Nonverbal Immediacy Behaviors instrument (Richmond, Gorham, & McCroskey, 1987). Results indicate that (a) competent communicators differ from noncompetent, submissive, and aggressive communicators across ten nonverbal immediacy behaviors and (b) the use of nonverbal immediacy behaviors differs across relational types.     

A re‐examination of relational repair and reconciliation: Impact of socio‐communicative style on strategy selection

This study examines some of the reconciliation and repair/maintenance strategies in the relational communication literature. These strategies were compared with Bell and Daly's (1984) affinity‐seeking strategies. It was concluded that Bell and Daly's strategies could identify many of the same relational strategies with less contextual confusion. It is argued that affiliation strategies represent a true multiphasic relational communication typology that applies to the range of repair/reconciliation contexts. The study then looks at the degree to which assertiveness, and responsiveness predicts the use/non‐use of affinity seeking strategies in the context of relational repair. The study indicates that self perceived assertiveness and responsive play a role in strategy selection as well. Finally, how others are perceived in terms of assertiveness and responsiveness was found to predict the types of strategies used and not used in relational repair contexts.     

Students’ perceptions of instructors’ socio‐communicative style and the influence on instructor credibility and situational motivation

This study investigated whether instructors with different socio‐communicative styles differed in their students’ perceptions of their credibility and their students’ Situationen motivation. Students (N = 260) completed a questionnaire on the class/instructor they had immediately before their current class. The questionnaire consisted of measures of assertiveness, responsiveness, credibility, and situational motivation. Instructors with the socio‐communicative style of competent were perceived highest in all three dimensions of credibility (expertise, character, and caring) and in students’ situational motivation. Instructors classified as noncompetent were perceived as lowest in caring and expertise, while instructors classified as aggressive were perceived as lowest in character. Additionally, situational motivation was positively correlated to all three dimensions of credibility. The results support the importance of instructors being able to display assertive and responsive communication behaviors.     

Self‐handicapping orientation and tendencies toward verbal aggressiveness

This study explored tendencies toward verbal aggressiveness by individuals who differ in the extent to which they engage in face saving strategies. Two‐hundred ten participants completed the Self‐Handicapping and Verbal Aggressiveness Scales. Results indicated that differences exist between high and moderate, and law self‐handicappers on their tendencies toward verbal aggressiveness. Participants who reported using more self‐handicapping behaviors (highs and moderates) reported higher levels of verbal aggressiveness than low self‐handicappers. The results suggest that verbal aggressiveness may be considered as a self‐handicapping strategy for those higher in self‐handicapping orientation.     

Ego‐involvement,self‐monitoring,and conformity in small groups: A communicative analysis

This investigation compared social judgment theory and the construct self‐monitoring as explanations of conformity behavior in small groups. Highly ego‐involved discussants communicated with greater emotionality and dominance and with less reasonableness than their low ego‐involved counterparts; but, the impact of ego‐involvement was partially mediated by self‐monitoring.     

Toward a socio‐psychological definition of transitional persons

In this innovative study, state legislators' dependence on various mass media and interpersonal sources for information about their constituents is examined revealing a relatively stable use of mass communication sources and a somewhat surprising role for radio.     

Hong Kong media system in transition: A socio‐cultural analysis

This paper examines the media system of Hong Kong from a socio‐cultural perspective. It proposes to analyse five major factors that determine a media system, namely, political structure, economic structure, media proprietors’ culture, media practitioners’ culture, and audience's culture. Interactions of these five factors result in four ideal‐type media systems. They are: Type I, Free System; Type II, Relatively Free System; Type III, Relatively Repressive System; and Type IV, Repressive System. Analysed in this context, the present media situation in Hong Kong can be considered to be a relatively free system. However, it is also observed that the media system in Hong Kong is likely to become a relatively repressive system after 1997. The paper further suggests that the socio‐cultural model developed here can be used for cross‐cultural comparison.     

The effects of gender‐role expectations upon perceptions of communicative competence

Several researchers have proposed that power, rather than gender, accounts for women using more powerless language than men. The present study examined the specific interaction context of bargaining and compared power with gender as potential predictors of the use of threats, one particular form of powerful language. Grounded in an interactional/social exchange view of power as dependence in social transactions, this study represented a marked departure from past studies of gender‐based language. The results largely supported power rather than gender as the best predictor of the use of powerful language in an interactional context involving bargaining.     

The relationship between physicians’ use of power stategies and type a orientation in physician‐patient communication

Employing a two sample design, this study examined the relationship between physicians’ use of Behavior Alteration Techniques (BATs) and physicians’ type‐A orientation. Patient and physician respondents reported selection of antisocial BATs was a significant predictor of type‐A physicians.     

The declaration of war in World War I: An instrument for socio‐political enactment

The declaration marking the transition from peace to war gives individuals new roles by redefining correct behavior during a period of hostilities. Five specific naming strategies identified in the declarations of war in World War I are investigated in this essay     

Shyness and self‐reported competence

This investigation examined levels of shyness on competence. Results indicated that shy individuals, as compared to not‐shy individuals, were less competent. Perceptual differences were found on articulation, social composure, social confirmation, social experience, wit, overall conversational performance, expressiveness, and interaction management. Based on findings, conclusions were drawn and future research suggestions were discussed.     

On‐line relational maintenance strategies and perceptions of partners within exclusively internet‐based and primarily internet‐based relationships

While relational maintenance has been found to be an important aspect of interpersonal relationships within the face‐to‐face world, the nature of relational maintenance among partners within computer‐mediated relationships is a relatively unexplored area. This study examined the use of maintenance strategies and perceptions of relational partners among (N = 178) undergraduate students within exclusively Internet‐based and primarily Internet‐based relationships. The findings indicated that positivity and openness were the most frequently used maintenance strategies. People who used positivity and on‐line activities had higher perceptions of attitude similarity than people using avoidance strategies, and people who used positivity and openness perceived their partner's quality of communication to be higher than those who used other strategies. People maintaining primarily Internet‐based relationships had higher relational communication and background similarity scores than people maintaining exclusively Internet‐based relationships. Finally, people maintaining exclusively Internet‐based relationships had different perceptions of on‐line friends and acquaintances based upon their frequency of on‐line interaction.     

A comparison of award‐winning radio commercials and their day‐to‐day counterparts

Children's programming

Children and the Faces of Television: Teaching, Violence. Selling, Edited by Edward L. Palmer and Aimée Dorr (New York: Academic Press, 1980).

Teaching Television: How to Use TV to Your Children's Advantage, Dorothy G. Singer, Jerome L. Singer and Diana M. Zuckerman (New York: The Dial Press, 1981).

Audio In Media, Stanley R. Alten (Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1981).

Thirty Seconds, Michael Arlen (New York: Farrar, Straus &; Giroux, 1980).

To Serve the Public Interest: Educational Broadcasting in the United States, Robert J. Blakely (Syracuse, New York: Syracuse University Press, 1979).     

John Morley and the Irish question: Chart‐prayer‐dream

Attempts to circumscribe “the Burkean method” of rhetorical criticism can be frustrating. Critics more profitably might use Burke as an example and a prod, appropriating—as was done in this study—whichever of Burke's concepts, methods, and metaphors seem applicable to a given rhetorical event. Burke's “chart‐prayer‐dream” trilogy, together with his understanding of “strategies,” was employed to examine Morley's “Home Rule” speech before the Oxford Union in 1888. Morley's reply to Randolph Churchill abandoned propositional argument in favor of reviv‐alistic‐exhortation early in the speech; his strategies of form, argument, labelling, style, and mimesis are best understood as those of the High Priest seeking a confessional and an act of expiation from his auditors.     

The experience and expression of romantic jealousy in same‐sex and opposite‐sex romantic relationships

This study examines and compares how males and females in same‐sex and opposite‐sex romantic relationships experience and express romantic jealousy. Undergraduates at a large, southern university and visitors at a metropolitan Pride Celebration (N = 149) completed measures assessing cognitive and emotional jealousy experience, jealousy expression, and demographic information. The reported usage of two of Guerrero, Andersen, Jorgensen, Spitzberg, and Eloy's (1995) communicative responses to jealousy typology significantly varied by sexual orientation and sex. Specifically, gay males were significantly more likely to use violent communication/ threats than were heterosexual males. Further, lesbians reported using manipulation attempts to a significantly lesser degree than did heterosexual participants and gay males. In contrast, levels of cognitive and emotional jealousy experience did not significantly differ by sexual orientation or sex. Implications for these findings are presented in light of the broader study of close opposite‐sex and same‐sex romantic relationships.     

Organizational newcomers: Temporary and regular employees,same‐sex and mixed‐sex superior‐subordinate dyads,supervisor influence techniques,subordinates communication satisfaction,and leader‐member exchange

This study examined the relationship between newly hired employees’ characteristics (i.e., temporary vs. regular employee, superior‐subordinate gender‐dyad combinations), supervisors initial tactics of influence, subordinate communication satisfaction, and quality of leader‐member exchange. Results from 148 (71 temporary) new hires indicated (a) employee characteristics were not significantly related to the leader‐member exchange, (b) supervisors initial use of prosocial influence tactics were significantly and positively related to the quality of leader‐member exchange, and (c) subordinates’ satisfaction with communication was significantly and positively related to the quality of leader‐member exchange.     

Third‐person perception and school violence

The study is the first of its kind to study third‐person perception within the context of school violence. Linkages to the health psychology literature (optimistic bias) provide the basis for further understanding of adolescents’ perceptions of school violence and the influence of media violence in their lives. Results from a survey of 1,500 middle school and high school students suggest third‐person perception regarding media violence decreases with age, and is influenced by perceived reality of media violence, optimistic bias, and knowledge of real world youth violence.     

VCR‐use and patterns of time shifting and selectivity

This article elaborates on research suggesting that the VCR is a time shifting device leading to more selectivity. It argues that time shifting can lead to time reduction or time filling and that selectivity can entail diversification or concentration of the TV diet. In both cases, however, no significant difference in TV viewing may occur as well. Data from a representative sample of 909 Flemish respondents showed no evidence of time‐reduction. The VCR is mainly used as a time‐filling device. VCR‐use does not seem to lead to concentration, but rather to diversification of the TV diet. Authors have claimed that the VCR is a device which allows better management of the viewing experience and which liberates viewers of the constraints of viewer or program availability. This article suggests instead that it may be more productive to look at the VCR as another channel (albeit it with peculiar characteristics). It influences the viewers’ TV consumption only to the extent that it is part of the viewers’ “channel repertoire” for selecting programs.     

Male/female language differences and effects in same‐sex and mixed‐sex dyads: The gender‐linked language effect

Ninety‐six university students (48 males, 48 females) were randomly assigned a partner (whom they did not know well), forming two dyad conditions: (a) same‐sex, and (b) mixed‐sex. The 48 dyads were audiotape‐recorded in 20‐minute problem solving interactions, from which 300‐word language samples were transcribed for analysis. In Study 1, 9 trained observers coded 12 language variables previously shown to distinguish male from female language use. Discriminant analysis results demonstrated that a weighted combination of 8 variables could differentiate male from female interactants: male indicators—interruptions, directives, and conjunctions/ fillers begin sentence; female indicators—questions, justifiers, intensive adverbs, personal pronouns, and adverbials begin sentence. An analysis of variance of individuals’ gender discriminant function scores showed greater differences in gender‐linked language behavior in same‐sex than in mixed‐sex dyads. In Study 2, 231 naive observers rated the 96 interactants, using the Speech Dialect Attitudinal Scale. MANOVA results showed that in same‐sex dyads, female interactants were rated higher on Socio‐Intellectual Status and Aesthetic Quality, but no gender difference was found on Dynamism. However, in mixed‐sex dyads, men were rated higher on Aesthetic Quality, whereas women were rated higher on Dynamism. Taken together, the analyses of the objective language data and the subjective attributional data provide partial support for the Gender‐Linked Language Effect in same‐sex dyads and for the attenuation of that effect in mixed‐sex dyads.