An observer measure of compulsive communication

This research reports a study designed to assess the reliability and validity of an instrument measuring observers' reports of compulsive communication. The development of an observer report of compulsive communication is important for three reasons: to assess possible differences between self‐perceived and observer reports of the construct, to gain insight into the positive and negative reactions of others to talkaholics and to provide a method for giving feedback to talkaholics regarding their communication behavior. The observer measure, the TS — Observer Report, was found to be a reliable instrument. Correlations between the TS ‐ Observer Report and Talkaholic Scale (TS) and communication apprehension scores were significant; however, the correlation between the TS‐ Observer Report and Willingness to Communicate (WTC) was not significant.