The effects of language intensity modification on perceived verbal aggressiveness

This study examined the effects of variation in language intensity on the perceived aggressiveness of sentences representing five empirically established levels of verbal aggression. Subjects read and rated the aggressiveness of replicated sentences in which the level of verbal aggression and language intensity had been systematically varied. Tests of the hypothesized relationship between language intensity, verbal aggression and perceived aggressiveness gave evidence that frequency adverbs do affect the perceived aggressiveness of sentences at most levels of verbal aggression. Increasing language intensity increases perceived verbal aggression only at low levels of verbal aggression; decreasing language intensity is most effective at higher levels of verbal aggression.     

How China-based foreign reporters' aggressiveness changed: The honeymoon effect of the Chinese government's media relations strategies

This study analyzes how the aggressiveness of China-based foreign reporters when questioning Chinese officials changed as a function of the macrolevel international media relations strategies of the Chinese government. Over the past decade, the Chinese government has increasingly relaxed regulatory policies for foreign reporters and gained knowledge of modern public relations, particularly media relations. This study found that the level of foreign reporters' aggressiveness did not decrease in a linear fashion but rather displayed a ‘V’ shape. Implications for future initiatives by the Chinese government regarding foreign reporters are also discussed.     

Validity of the verbal immediacy scale

The development and use of the verbal immediacy scale (Gorham, 1988) are outlined and discussed. Data are presented which bring into question the validity of the measure. It is concluded that the scale may not be a valid operationalization of the immediacy construct as outlined by Mehrabian (1971) and, even if it is, it generates a response set such that the meaning of the responses obtained is unknown. The scale is not recommended for continued use in communication research prior to its reformulation and additional testing for validity.     

The Desirability of Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis on Published Scales

This paper advances an argument in favor of conducting and reporting confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) on existing and previously validated scales and reporting the findings of those analyses in published research. Previous evidence of scale validity does not necessarily ensure validity in subsequent uses. Instead, scale invariance is best viewed as an empirical question. The case is made that CFA facilitates rather than hinders cross-studies comparisons, and that replication is good scientific practice. Reporting the outcomes of CFA on existing scales provides useful information that facilities knowledge generation and can minimize costly scientific dead-ends.     

The relationship between perceived instructor communicator style,argumentativeness, and verbal aggressiveness

The purpose of this study was to examine the interrelationships among perceived instructor communicator style, perceived instructor trait argumentativeness, and perceived instructor trait verbal aggressiveness in the college classroom. Participants were 236 undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of communication courses at a large Eastern university. Results indicated that (a) perceived instructor trait argumentativeness was positively related to the perceived instructor communicator style attributes of impression leaving, contentious, open, dramatic, dominant, precise, relaxed, attentive, and animated; (b) perceived instructor trait verbal aggressiveness was positively related to the perceived instructor communicator style attributes of contentious and precise, and negatively related to the perceived communicator style attributes of impression leaving, relaxed, friendly, attentive, and animated; and (c) perceived instructor use of verbally aggressive messages was related in some way to the perceived instructor communicator style attributes of contentious, impression leaving, friendly, attentive, animated, relaxed, dramatic, and precise.     

Effect of verbal aggressiveness on the perceived importance of secondary goals in messages

In face‐to‐face interaction, speakers often pursue secondary goals such as not hurting the other's feelings. Two studies investigated the effect of trait verbal aggressiveness (VA) on the importance of such goals. In both studies, persons higher in VA were relatively less likely to judge messages unacceptable for the reason that the message would offend or hurt the hearer. Study 1 also found that high VAs are less likely to consider messages unacceptable because the message conflicts with their principles and less likely to report chronic secondary goals to be supportive or maintain a positive relationship. In Study 2, the effect of VA on the situated importance of a goal to not offend or hurt the other depended on the situation. The implications for the manner in which high VAs anticipate the outcomes of message are considered.     

Argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness as a function of locus of control

This study examined argumentativeness, verbal aggressiveness, and general control expectancies. Two hundred ten (N=210) participants completed the Argumentativeness Scale, the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale, and a modified version of the Three‐Factor Locus of Control Scale. Results indicate that individuals who reportan internal control orientation were found toreport lower levels of argument avoidance than externals. Externals reported higher levels of verbal aggressiveness than internals. Further, an external locus of control orientation was positively related to verbal aggressiveness. Internal locus of control orientation was negatively related to tendency to avoid arguments. The findings provide further evidence into the relationship between control expectancies and aggressive communication traits.     

The relationships of trait verbal aggressiveness and frequency of viewing and enjoyment of television sitcoms

Verbal aggressiveness is the tendency to attack the self‐concept of another person with the intent to inflict psychological pain (Infante & Wigley, 1986). This study focused on how low and high verbally aggressives differ in the television sitcoms they watch and how enjoyable they find those shows. Participants (N = 555) first completed the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale. Then they were asked how often they watch particular television sitcoms and if they watched a given sitcom, how entertaining they found that show to be. The sitcoms included in this study were those that were televised in April 1996. Of the 33 shows included in the analyses, low verbal aggressives differed from high verbal aggressives on 8 shows for frequency of watching and on 11 shows for entertainment value.     

Motives as predictors of argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness of black and white adolescents

Motives of inclusion, affection, control, pleasure, escape, and relaxation (Rubin, Perse & Barbato, 1988) were investigated as predictors of adolescents' argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness. White and black girls and boys (N = 198) completed the Adolescent Argumentativeness Scale and Adolescent Verbal Aggressiveness Scale (Roberto & Finucane, 1997). One Multiple Regression (stepwise) analysis found that control, inclusion, and affection predicted argumentativeness. A second analysis found that control predicted verbal aggressiveness. Race and sex were not significant in either model. Significantly, a positive relationship was found for argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness for whites and blacks, girls and boys. Suggestions for future research include re‐examination of the verbal aggression scale for adolescent samples.     

Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Scale Validation in Communication Research

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is an under-used and often misunderstood statistical tool. CFA provides useful information about scale dimensionality and validity. This paper offers a brief and accessible introduction to the role of CFA in communication research. Some common issues with CFA including dimensionality and model fit are addressed. More frequent and informed use of CFA would likely improve the quality of measurement in quantitative communication research.     

Instructor Clarity,Humor, Immediacy,and Student Learning: Replication and Extension

This study replicates and extends three widely cited instructional communication research studies regarding instructor clarity, humor, immediacy, and students’ learning: Richmond, Gorham, and McCroskey (1987), Wanzer and Frymier (1999), and Chesebro and McCroskey (2001). Students across four diverse institutions of higher education (N = 1,109) completed survey measures. Replication results suggest that findings from the original studies (clarity, humor, immediacy, and student learning) persist, and extension results, exploring verbal immediacy and perceived immediacy, reveal statistically significant correlations with the original studies’ variables. However, results of the replication and extension reveal measurement validity uncertainties that require further investigation.     

e-GovQual: A multiple-item scale for assessing e-government service quality

A critical element in the evolution of governmental services through the internet is the development of sites that better serve the citizens' needs. To deliver superior service quality, we must first understand how citizens perceive and evaluate online. Citizen assessment is built on defining quality, identifying underlying dimensions, and conceptualizing measurements of these e-government services. In this article an e-gov service quality model (e-GovQual) is conceptualized and then a multiple-item scale for measuring e-gov service quality of governmental sites where citizens seek either information or service, is developed, refined, validated confirmed and tested.     

Reported Argumentativeness and Verbal Aggressiveness Levels: The Influence of Type of Argument

Arguments in interpersonal relationships can be divided into two types: public issue arguments and personal issue arguments. This study examines the ability of type of argument, trait argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness, and gender to predict reported argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness levels related to a particular argument episode. Reported argumentativeness levels were higher in the public argument condition, and reported verbal aggressiveness levels were higher in the personal argument condition. Trait argumentativeness predicted reported argumentativeness levels better in the public argument condition than the personal argument condition, suggesting that type of argument may serve as a moderator for the relationship between trait argumentativeness levels and argument-specific argumentativeness levels. Implications for using these two scales to examine interpersonal argument are discussed.     

The epidemiology and prophylaxis of infectious verbal pomposity

There are two kinds of scientific writing: that which is intended to be read, and that which is intended merely to be cited. The latter tends to be infected with infectious verbal pomposity (IVP). The disease is ubiquitous, but often undiagnozed, with the result that infection spreads to writing of the first type. This paper summarizes our knowledge of the condition, presents a few clinical cases, and offers a new approach to its control.     

Indexing the continuum of verbal texts

Differentiates items on a continuum of verbal texts as: books (single-author, small-team, multiple-author, encyclopedias); periodicals (journals, bulletins, bibliographic volume indexes, cumulations); databases. The requirements of their indexing, with varying problems of policy, language, depth, authors' names, and titles, in both printed and electronic form, are discussed.     

Television realism measures: The influence of program salience on global judgments

Five versions (four experimental and one control) of a questionnaire were randomly distributed to 190 participants as part of an experiment investigating whether judgments of global television realism are influence by the salience of program genre. Questionnaires contained items asking respondents how often they watch either 1) news programs, 2) reality‐based crime programs, 3) crime drama programs, or 4) day and evening soap operas, followed by perceived realism and demographic items.

Global measures of television realism were influenced by the viewing questions that preceded them, such that questions about more realistic programming prompted judgments that television programming in general is more realistic. Except for one condition, questions measuring the perceived realism of a specific genre, rather than television in general, were not influenced by the salience manipulation. These results call into question the utility of global television realism items.     

Examining the association of job tenure,employment history,and organizational status with employee dissent

The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between temporal and structural components of organizational life (i.e., job tenure, employment history, and organizational history) and employee dissent. This was accomplished by comparing respondents’ reports about their tendencies to use varying strategies for dissent to their reports about present job tenure, number of full‐time employers, total years work experience, and organizational status. Structural equation models were used to examine the association between temporal measures (job tenure, number of full‐time employers, total years work experience), structural measures (organizational status) and dissent constructs. Findings indicated that articulated dissent use was associated with management status, whereas latent dissent use was associated with nonmanagement status, increases in present job tenure and decreases in number of full‐time employers and total years work experience.     

Sex Differences in the Perceived Appropriateness of Receiving Verbal Aggression

This study predicted that (a) male recipients evaluate aggressive messages as more appropriate than female recipients, and (b) the magnitude of this difference varies as a function of contextual parameters. A total of 249 college-aged students responded to hypothetical scenarios to evaluate the influence of sex of the message recipient, sex of the message source, relationship type, and privacy level of the communication setting on recipients’ evaluations of appropriateness of aggressive communication. Results indicated that male recipients evaluate aggressive messages as more appropriate than female recipients, and this main effect was moderated by sex of the message source, relationship type, and privacy level. The discussion highlights the subjective experience of aggression for male and female recipients.     

The Consequences of Verbal Aggression in the Workplace: An Application of the Investment Model

The purpose of the current study was to improve our theoretical and practical understanding by examining the influence of a supervisor's verbal aggression on his or her employees’ job satisfaction and commitment, accounting for investment size and the quality of alternatives. And to account for reasons why organizations fail to fully realize the benefits associated with employee retention. A structural equation model was developed to emulate the investment model to determine the veracity of the model in the work setting and to answer the question as to why employees remained in communicatively hostile work environments. The findings shed light on the dynamics that take place within a work environment in which employees are targets of verbal aggression by their supervisors. The findings also indicated that the data fit the structural equation model and confirmed the applicability of the investment model in the workplace.     

权变评估法在媒介价值量化研究中的应用——以BBC为例

起源于环境经济学的权变评估法(Contingent Valuation,CV)是一种基于问卷调查的量化研究方法。本文以CV方法对BBC的价值评估为例,在阐释CV方法相关理论的基础上,分析了采用CV方法对媒介进行价值评估的可行性和存在的问题,并指出了这一方法对构建我国媒介价值评估体系的启示。