Graduate theses: An index of graduate work in speech,XXXII

ABSTRACT

Feeling right or wrong about a message frame can be used as a heuristic to infer one’s motivational state and determine the depth of information processing. Two experiments examined how individuals’ regulatory fit/nonfit response to news headlines interact with their motivation to influence information elaboration and information seeking. Under high motivations, regulatory fit confirmed their state and increased time spent on the news, elaboration, and information seeking. However, under low motivation, regulatory fit decreased elaboration and information seeking. Instead, under low motivational states, nonfit headlines increased elaboration and information seeking. The study fills a gap in the cognitive mechanisms of framing effect by demonstrating that there exists a fast and intuitive framing effect through affective responses such as regulatory fit-ness.     

Graduate theses: An index of graduate work in speech,XXX

This study investigated why conversational participants view their partner more positively than do observers of the conversation. Two factors were hypothesized to account for the positivity bias of participants: self‐presentation concerns and cognitive load. Thirty dyads engaged in a brief conversation and participants subsequently evaluated each other. Observers, assigned to 1 of 4 conditions in a balanced 2x2 (high/low cognitive load by present/absent self‐presentation concerns) design, watched a videotape of one conversation and evaluated one of the conversational participants. Results indicate that cognitive load influenced social competence evaluations yet had minimal influence on affective evaluations. Self‐presentation concerns influenced all evaluations to be more positive; however, its strongest influence was on affective evaluations. Post‐interaction evaluations made by participants and observers were also compared to first impressions of a target (impressions formed after 2—4 seconds of exposure). Evaluations made by participants were significantly more positive than first impressions across all evaluations. Evaluations by observers in the no self‐presentation concerns/low cognitive load condition were more negative than first impressions, although this difference was significant only for the social competence judgments. Implications for theories of person perception and affect are discussed.     

Graduate theses: An index of graduate work in speech,XXXIII

Six themes of physicians' relational communication were hypothesized to predict patients' satisfaction and compliance, to relate to strategies used by physicians to gain compliance, and to relate to frequency of physician‐patient contact. Telephone interviews with 234 adults who had seen a primary care physician within the previous six months confirmed that perceived relational communication was strongly related to affective, cognitive, and behavioral satisfaction. More expressions of receptivity, immediacy, composure, similarity, and formality and less dominance by the physician were associated with greater patient satisfaction. Only perceived similarity related to patient‐reported compliance. Several relational message themes were associated with physicians’ use of 17 verbal compliance‐gaining strategies. More prior contact also was associated with more perceived use of immediacy and receptivity messages by the physician and with more satisfaction. Finally, satisfaction was modestly correlated with compliance.     

Graduate theses an index of graduate work in speech,XXIV

A much speculated about, but not fully validated, role of communication in acculturation was tested in this study. The relationships between three sociological variables—occupational status, ethnic network, and family—and acculturation level are explained in a communication framework. The validity of the theoretical framework was tested in the form of a path model. The results generally indicated that significant portions of the effects of the three exogenous variables on an immigrant's acculturation level are mediated by intercultural and ethnic communication activities. Facilitating effect of intercultural communication and damaging effect of ethnic communication were more noticeable in the advanced stage of immigration. The study also tested a procedure for assessing acculturation level based on the cultural distance between an immigrant's original culture and the culture being assimilated. The procedure uses two cultural criterion groups and discriminant analysis.     

Graduate theses an index of graduate work in speech,XXV

This study contends that conclusions regarding persuasive effects derived from much contemporary research are based upon questionable assumptions concerning the nature of attitude. It is proposed that attitudinal content cannot be adequately measured by a single score expressing a most acceptable position but must also include latitudes of acceptance, rejection, and noncommitment. Using Sherif's notions of ego‐involvement as a theoretic base, predictions were derived concerning persuasive effects exhibited by highly involved subjects on their latitudes of acceptance, rejection, and noncommitment relative to changes on their most acceptable position. Results supported the proposed reconceptualization of an expanded notion of persuasive effect. Implications for a theory of persuasion are discussed.     

Abstracts of theses in the field of speech and drama,VII 1

Psychological reactance theory suggests that a persuasive message which is perceived as a threat to a receiver's attitudinal freedom will produce attitude change away from the recommended position. Prior research has demonstrated that the boomerang effect is prominent particularly among receivers in extreme disagreement with a persuasive message. This experiment focused on the extreme opponent and explored a method of attenuating the boomerang effect. Some subjects were given the opportunity to argue in support of their initial opinions prior to exposure to a threatening message, while others were not afforded this opportunity. It was assumed that prior bolstering would amount to an exercise of the opinion freedom to be threatened by the forthcoming message, and thereby eliminate the otherwise expected negative effects. Results strongly supported this assumption. The threat variable reduced persuasivness only among subjects who did not bolster their initial opinions. In contrast, no boomerang effect was observed among subjects given the chance to exercise their attitudinal freedom prior to exposure to a threatening message.     

Research in radio,television, and film by graduate students in speech

Speech graduate students perform varied types of research in the radio‐television‐film field. An analysis of the nature of this research suggests some important conclusions.