Attribution Theory in the College Classroom: Examining the Relationship of Student Attributions and Instructional Dissent

This study sought to expand knowledge on instructional dissent by establishing the relationship between student attributions of instructor behavior (attribution theory) and their own communicative behavior following a difference of opinion with an instructor. Student participants (N = 244) completed survey questionnaires regarding their perceptions of instructor's internality for a perceived disagreement and their own communicative behavior following the incident (i.e., expressive, rhetorical, or vengeful dissent). Results indicate that students’ attributions of internality are positively related to all three forms of dissent.     

Conflict style differences between individualists and collectivists

This study investigated the fundamental beliefs regarding cross-cultural differences in conflict styles. The sample consisted of 188 graduate students from 31 different countries residing in the U.S. Findings indicated that assumptions regarding the relationship of culture to conflict style preferences may not be valid. Preference for using five conflict styles were measured: avoiding, obliging, integrating, compromising, and dominating. The integrating style is generally the most preferred; obliging and avoiding are next, followed by compromising and dominating. Avoiding is preferred by individualists rather than by collectivists. Individualists do not differ from collectivists in their preference for the dominating conflict style. We also found that collectivists prefer compromising and integrating more than individualists do, whereas individualism-collectivism had no significant linear effect on preference for the obliging style. Conflict styles are highly multidimensional for both individualists and collectivists. Even though the five conflict styles can be subsumed under four types, the items measuring the five styles cannot be generated from any two-dimensional typology. Finally, the meaning of four of the five styles is different for individualists and collectivists: Dominating is the only style interpreted similarly by both groups. Areas for future research are considered.     

Feeling Valued Matters: An Examination of Instructor Confirmation and Instructional Dissent

This study explored the relationship between effective instructor behavior—instructor confirmation—and a potentially negative student behavior—instructional dissent. Previous studies demonstrate that student characteristics provide a limited explanation for how students express dissent (e.g., Goodboy & Myers, 2012 Goodboy, A. K. & Myers, S. A. (2012). Brief report: Instructional dissent as an expression of students’ verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness traits. Communication Education, 61, 448–458. doi:10.1080/03634523.2012.699635[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). Thus, scholars have begun to investigate the influence of instructor behaviors along with student characteristics to understand why students express dissent (LaBelle, Martin, & Weber, 2013 LaBelle, S., Martin, M. M. & Weber, K. (2013). Instructional dissent in the college classroom: Using the instructional beliefs model as a framework. Communication Education, 62, 169–190. doi:10.1080/03634523.2012.759243[Taylor & Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). This study revealed that instructor confirmation negatively related to expressive and vengeful dissent, but not rhetorical dissent. Further, the three dimensions of instructor confirmation functioned differently in accounting for variance in expressive and vengeful dissent. Future research should build towards a model of instructional dissent model that reflects the unique characteristics of the instructional context and modifiable instructor behaviors.     

Responses to Organizational Mandates: How Voice Attenuates Psychological Reactance and Dissent

Organizations sometimes create policies that restrict the decision freedom of their members. When doing so, they might create psychological reactance and dissent. This study examines whether providing voice into a decision can reduce the likelihood that those affected by the decision perceive it as imposing on their rights, can have negative emotional reactions to its adoption, and can want to engage in organizational dissent. Undergraduate students were randomly assigned to read scenarios in which a university committee decided to recommend that a university-wide, mandatory, comprehensive exit examination requirement be adopted after a student group either supported the requirement or opposed it. The results confirmed an indirect path between voice and dissent that flowed through perceived imposition on students’ rights and negative emotional reactions to the adoption of the requirement. The limitations of the study and implications of the results for theory and research are discussed.     

Transformational Leadership and Communication Style of Finnish CEOs

This study focuses on the communication style of transformational leaders. Seven different communication styles were established and labeled: emotionally intelligent, impatient, controlled, insecure, avoiding, dominating, and transparent. Responses from 216 Finnish CEOs indicate that certain communication styles are connected with transformational leadership, including the emotionally intelligent, the transparent, and the controlled styles.     

Accuracy and Bias in Newlywed Couples’ Perceptions of Conflict Styles and the Association with Marital Satisfaction

Styles of handling conflict are highly consequential to marital success. The behavioral model predicts that spouses’ accuracy in perceptions of each other will be associated with marital quality, whereas the benevolent perception model predicts that benevolent perceptions, even when objectively inaccurate, will be associated with marital quality. To investigate the role of perceptions of marital conflict styles, 194 couples married for less than five years completed self- and partner-reports of conflict styles and marital satisfaction. Results indicated that spouses were both accurate (i.e., seeing the self the same as one's partner sees the self) and biased (i.e., seeing the partner the same as one sees the self) in their perceptions of each others’ conflict styles. Little support existed for the accuracy model of perception and marital satisfaction, but more consistent support was obtained for the benevolent perception model in which more positively toned perceptions, regardless of their consistency with partners’ self-perceptions, were associated with higher marital satisfaction. Results of actor–partner interdependence analyses revealed numerous actor effects for conflict styles and satisfaction, and partner effects for the styles of conflict engagement and withdrawal and partners’ marital satisfaction.     

Relational messages in conflict situations among siblings

The purpose of this study was to explore the association of sibling conflict style (i.e., integrative, distributive, avoidant) with perceived relational communication themes (i.e., immediacy, similarity, receptivity, composure, formality, dominance, equality, task orientation). Participants were 186 undergraduate students who reported on a recent conflict episode with a sibling. Results indicate that (a) siblings who used the relational communication themes of immediacy, similarity, receptivity, composure, and equality reported using the integrative conflict strategy, but not the distributive conflict strategy, and (b) siblings who used the relational communication theme of immediacy and to a lesser extent the theme of task orientation, but not the relational communication themes of similarity and equality, reported not using the avoidant conflict strategy.     

Affirming communicator style of supervisor and subordinate use of upward influence tactics: An analysis of nonmanagerial and managerial employees

This investigation focuses on how subordinates perceive their supervisor's affirming communicator style (i.e., friendly, attentive, and relaxed) and the upward influence tactics they select. Results demonstrated that: 1) both managerial and nonmanagerial employees are less likely to use hard influence tactics (i.e., assertiveness) when communicating with supervisors with an affirming style, 2) managerial employees are more likely than nonmanagerial employees to use hard upward influence tactics (i.e., coalition, upward appeal, and assertiveness), 3) nonmanagerial employees perceive supervisors who communicate with an affirming style as being more participative decision makers, and 4) both managerial and nonmanagerial employees are more satisfied with supervisors who communicate with an affirming style.     

Assessing instructional outcomes in Canadian academic libraries

This article reports on a three-year study of information literacy instruction in Canadian academic libraries, focusing on the outcomes of instruction in terms of tests of information literacy skills and interviews with students that explored their experiences of information literacy instruction. Particular emphasis is given to investigating instructional effectiveness and assessing learning outcomes with respect to identifying those institutional and pedagogical factors that promote successful outcomes. Outcomes of instruction include positive cognitive, behavioral, and affective results. Further discussion explores how instruction contributed to students' overall educational success and which factors characterize “success” in achieving those outcomes from the viewpoints of instructional librarians and from the perspectives of clients (i.e., students). These data provide a basis on which to advance instruction toward identifiable, positive outcomes for students in postsecondary institutions. An emphasis on such outcomes is essential if librarians are to justify devoting institutional resources to instructional activities.     

Speaking Up Competently: A Comparison of Perceived Competence in Upward Dissent Strategies

Recent dissent research indicates that employees report using several different strategies for expressing their dissent to management and supervisors (i.e., upward dissent). The purpose of this study was to compare previously recognized upward dissent strategies in terms of perceived competence. Employees completed a survey instrument that asked them to assess the competence of different upward dissent strategies. Results indicate that employees perceived solution presentation to be the most competent upward dissent strategy, followed by direct-factual appeal, repetition, and circumvention. Threatening resignation was perceived as the least competent upward dissent strategy.     

Trust in interpersonal communication

The present study investigated communication patterns and subsequent relational outcomes following romantic partners' deception for people with different attachment styles. Information on attachment styles, information importance of the lie, emotional intensity following discovery of the lie, communication patterns following the discovery of the lie, and relational termination outcomes of the 213 participants who reported being deceived by a relational partner were gathered. Analyses revealed that respondents with a secure attachment style were more likely to report talking about the issue, whereas anxious/ambivalents were more likely to report talking around and avoiding the issue. These two attachment groups reported being apt to continue their relationships. Conversely, respondents with an avoidant attachment style reported being more likely to avoid the person after discovery of the lie, and they tended to report terminating their romantic relationships more than the other two attachment style groups. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that communication patterns following discovery of the partner's deception are related to attachment styles, but information importance and avoiding the person were directly related to relational termination.     

Dimensions of Instructor Disclosure: Implications for Rhetorical and Relational Goals of Instruction

There are an array of reasons why instructors view personal disclosures as beneficial for the classroom, including to demonstrate caring and to make content relevant. Using the rhetorical and relational goals of instruction theory as the theoretical model, this study tested the potential for the three dimensions of disclosure (i.e., amount, negativity, relevance) to account for variance in instructor rhetorical goals (i.e., relevance) and relational goals (i.e., caring). The results highlight the importance of relevant instructor disclosures to perceiving an instructor as achieving rhetorical and relational goals within the classroom.     

Media criticism group speech

Objective: To integrate speaking practice with rhetorical theory Type of speech: Persuasive Point value: 100 points (i.e., 30 points based on peer evaluations, 30 points based on individual performance, 40 points based on the group presentation), which is 25% of course grade Requirements: (a) References: 7–10; (b) Length: 20–30 minutes; (c) Visual aid: Yes; (d) Outline: Yes; (e) Prerequisite reading: The appropriate chapter (e.g., generic, feminist, metaphoric, fantasy theme, pentadic criticism, neo-Aristotelian) in Foss (1996); (f) Additional requirements: Each group member should be given an equal amount of time to speak and an equal amount of work in preparing the final presentation This assignment gives students a chance to engage in the study of popular culture as public address, giving them insight into their own worlds and the ways popular culture may help shape/instruct that world. This assignment also allows students to engage in critical analysis, which not only means that students can learn about rhetorical theory, but they also get to engage in the types of analysis used by their instructor during the course.     

Creating a Research Literacy Course for Education Doctoral Students

Abstract

Education students are often not very information literate, and doctoral students are no exception to this “rule of thumb.” The challenge of preparing doctoral students in education to use online resources as they begin the literature review process becomes even more complicated when these students are also distance students who happen to meet at various sites throughout the United States. This presentation will discuss the pros and cons of designing and delivering online and face-to-face versions of a one-credit elective course for students in Programs for Higher Education at Nova Southeastern University. The advantages and disadvantages of delivering content in synchronous and asynchronous formats are examined. Issues addressed include: (1) the relative merits of using WebCT versus using ordinary Web pages and WebBoard discussions, (2) how to incorporate active learning into both modalities for delivering the course, (3) how to pace and structure the delivery of both versions of the course to meet the needs of distance learners, (4) how to meet the needs of students with different learning styles, (5) how to assess learning outcomes, (6) how effective group work was in synchronous and asynchronous environments, (7) how much sequential and developmental learning is necessary in the instructional process for doctoral students, and (8) how the dynamics of collaboration with an academic program can impact the political realities of the design process.     

Effect of timing of communicator identification and level of source credibility on attitude

This study investigated whether roommates who were similar in their communication traits would express more satisfaction with and affinity for their roommates. Specifically, the communication traits of willingness to communicate, interpersonal communication competence, and verbal aggressiveness were considered. Participants (college students and their roommates) completed measures of their own communication traits and their feelings about their roommates. Results showed that roommates who were prosocially similar (when both roommates were high in willingness to communicate, when both roommates were high in interpersonal communication competence, and when both roommates were low in verbal aggressiveness) reported the highest roommate satisfaction and liking.     

Why Are You Saying That? Increases in Gaze Duration as Responses to Group Member Dissent

The present study investigated students’ eye gaze while reacting to dissenting peers in groups. We measured the duration of gaze toward a confederate who disagreed with either a prevailing idea around which the group was coalescing or the process by which the group was solving a problem. Results indicated that participants gazed at dissenting confederates longer than at confederates in control groups. Qualitative analysis suggested that participants seemed to use eye gaze to understand the confederate, to prompt the confederate to contribute to discussions, to ease tensions, and to process information relative to the group’s task. Results provide an expanded look at how group members respond to dissenters, how conflict operates in some student groups, and how group members may differentiate acceptable and unacceptable disagreement.     

Social support and perceived understanding in the brother relationship

Social support is an important factor in peoples' physical and psychological well‐being. Pierce, Sarason, & Sarason (1991) identified three social support styles: relationship support, relationship conflict, and interpersonal depth. This study was interested in the relationship between these three styles with perceived understanding in the brother‐brother relationship. Ninety‐six sets of brothers completed a questionnaire reporting on the styles they use with their brothers and their feelings of being understood. Results showed overall positive relationships between the styles of relationship support and interpersonal depth with perceived understanding. The style of relationship conflict was negatively related to perceived understanding. Additionally, brothers reported using similar support styles with one another.     

Matching Up Learning Styles with Learning Objects: What's Effective?

ABSTRACT

Online instruction is quite prevalent on campuses and within libraries. Librarians are engaged in the creation of learning objects that can either be linked to or embedded within course-management systems. But are those instructional tools designed to best accommodate diverse learners or are they constructed to reflect the teaching and learning style of the designer? Results from a study (a survey of librarians, student usability studies, and interviews) document both considerations made in the creation of learning objects, and the effectiveness of learning objects from students’ perspectives. The findings may be useful for future modifications of these tools (e.g., tutorials, videos, podcasts, and PowerPoints).     

Face and facework in conflict: a cross-cultural comparison of China,Germany, Japan,and the United States

The purpose of the current study was to investigate face and facework during conflicts across four national cultures: China, Germany, Japan, and the United States. A questionnaire was administered to 768 participants in the 4 national cultures, in their respective languages, to measure 3 face concerns and 11 facework behaviors. The major findings of the current study are as follows: (a) self-construals had the strongest effects on face concerns and facework with independence positively associated with self-face and dominating facework and interdependence positively associated with other- and mutual-face and integrating and avoiding facework; (b) power distance had small, positive effects on all three face concerns and avoiding and dominating facework; (c) individualistic, small-power distance cultures had less other-face concern and avoiding facework, and more dominating facework than collectivistic, large-power distance cultures; (d) Germans had more self- and mutual-face concerns and used defending more than U.S. Americans; (e) Chinese had more self-face concern and involved a third party more than Japanese; and (f) relational closeness and status only had small effects on face concerns and facework behavior.