Perceived sibling use of functional communication skills

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the perceived sibling use of functional communication skills (Burleson & Samter, 1990). Participants were 138 undergraduate students enrolled at a small southern university. Three significant findings were uncovered. First, with the exception of referential skill, no significant differences in perceived use of functional communication skills emerged across age groups of siblings. Second, affectively‐oriented functional communication skills were perceived to be used more frequently than nonaffectively‐oriented skills by siblings. Third, female siblings were perceived to use comforting, ego support, and conflict management skills more so than male siblings.     

The relationship between student communication motives and information seeking

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between college students’ communication motives (i.e., relational, functional, participatory, excuse making, sycophantic) and their use of information‐seeking strategies (i.e., overt, indirect, third party, testing, observing). Participants were 149 students enrolled in an introductory communication course at a Mid‐Atlantic university. Results indicated that (a) students who communicate for the sycophantic, relational, and participatory motives use the indirect and observing information‐seeking strategies and (b) students who communicate for the functional communication motive use the overt information‐seeking strategy, but do not use the testing information‐seeking strategy. Future research should examine whether college students use information‐seeking strategies with their classmates and the impact of the use of these strategies on their learning experience.     

The relationship between student pre‐performance concerns and evaluation apprehension

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student pre‐performance concerns, student evaluation apprehension, and receiving a grade for a speech. It was hypothesized that in the public speaking course, (a) a positive relationship would exist between student pre‐performance concerns and student evaluation and (b) students who believed their speech was being evaluated for a grade would report a greater amount of pre‐performance concerns than students who believed their speech was not being evaluated for a grade. Both hypotheses were supported. Results are discussed in light of what instructors might do in the classroom to reduce students' pre‐performance concerns.     

Emerging Adults' Use of Relational Maintenance Behaviors with Their Parents

This study represents a preliminary investigation into emerging adults' (i.e., ages 18–25 years) use of relational maintenance behaviors with their parents and whether these behaviors are related to perceived commitment, trust, and control mutuality. Participants were 273 undergraduate students who completed a series of instruments in reference to their general interactions with one parent. Results indicated that emerging adults use the networks, assurances, positivity, tasks, conflict management, and advice relational maintenance behaviors with their parents, and their use of relational maintenance behaviors is related directly to perceived commitment, trust, and control mutuality.     

The availability and helpfulness of graduate teaching assistant socialization activities

Sixty‐four (N=64) graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) enrolled at a large midwestern university were asked to rate the availability and helpfulness of GTA socialization activities. Daily interactions with other GTAs while working, other new GTAs, and the department secretary were among the most frequently available and helpful activities. Conversely, campus‐wide training programs, department orientation sessions, and trips with others from the department were rated as the least available and the least helpful activities. No significant relationship was found between gender of GTA or length of assistants hip for either the availability or the helpfulness of each socialization activity.     

A Theoretical Framework for Teaching Statistics

This article explores a theoretical framework to consider when teaching statistics. It is discussed and illustrated using one innovative approach to teaching using computer simulation methods. This framework can be considered across many different disciplines and age levels.     

Do you like dogs or writing? Identity performance in childen's digital message exchange

Over a number of years we have been investigating ways in which e‐communication can contribute to children's writing development and how new technology re‐frames our understandings of writing in the classroom (Merchant, 2003; Burnett et al, 2004; Burnett et al, 2005; Merchant, 2005). Here we analyse the digital writing of pupils from two linked primary school classes (Year 3–5) in the North of England. Part of the project involved the pupils in communicating about themselves and their interests to email partners of the same age. In this article, we track children's identity performance in informal message exchange and show how this contributed to a final knowledge product. We explore how work that had its origins in representing children's lives and identities reflected their position in wider cultural worlds. This perspective causes us to question whether there are there sufficient opportunities for pupils to explore and express ‘who they are’ in the current content‐driven curriculum where public genres are central and personal voice is peripheral.