Showing papers in "Human Communication Research in 1994"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report an experiment assessing the relative effects of anticipated future interaction and different communication media (computer-mediated versus face-to-face communication) on the communication of relational intimacy and composure.
Abstract: Previous research on the interpersonal tone of computer-mediated communication shows different effects using longitudinal computer-mediated groups than are found in research using one-shot groups, even before the developmental aspects associated with time can accrue One factor distinguishing these approaches is the anticipation of future interaction experienced by longitudinal groups This research reports an experiment assessing the relative effects of anticipated future interaction and different communication media (computer-mediated versus face-to-face communication) on the communication of relational intimacy and composure Asynchronous and synchronous computer conferencing and face-to-face groups were examined Results show that the assignment of long-term versus short-term partnerships has a larger impact on anticipated future interaction reported by computer-mediated, rather than face-to-face, partners Evidence also shows that anticipation is a more potent predictor of several relational communication dimensions than is communication condition Implications for theory and practice are identified
466 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that families who share the same family communication schemata appear to agree on a number of other dimensions of family life, such as conformity and conversation, and a new scale, Family Communication Environment, is presented.
Abstract: Analyses from a random sample of 169 families established a dear relationship between schemata for marital and parent-child communication. Hypotheses were derived by theoretically relating the Relational Dimensions Inventory and the Revised Family Communication Patterns instrument. In families headed by Traditional, Separate, and Separate/Traditional couples, all three family members saw the family interaction as high on conformity orientation. In families headed by Independent and Traditional couples, all three family members saw the family interaction as high on conversational orientation. In general, couple types dovetail with the various family types. For example, Traditional couples have Consensual family interaction patterns in that they value conformity and conversation. Families who share the same family communication schemata appear to agree on a number of other dimensions of family life. A new scale, Family Communication Environment, which may be used to tap into family communication schemata, is presented.
283 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the characteristics of worker identification with two targets at the same time: the workers' self-managing team and the larger organization that created the teams.
Abstract: This study examines the characteristics of worker identification with two targets at the same time: the workers' self-managing team and the larger organization that created the teams. We administered the Organizational Identification Questionnaire in such a way as to tap levels of identification with each target and used the results of an ethnographic study of the subjects to enhance our analysis. Our data suggest that workers identified more strongly with their team than with their company, particularly in terms of loyalty. In addition, long-term workers reported more identification with both their team and company than did short-term workers. The results support the assertion that a concertive (or team-based) system of control is more powerful, even if less obtrusive, than its bureaucratic predecessor.
189 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated how cultural groups may differ in their perceptions about preferred communication behavior, focusing on the importance attached to "conversational constraints" in conversation, and formulated hypotheses regarding the relationships between individualistic-collectivistic orientation (an important dimension of culture) and these five conversational constraints.
Abstract: This study investigates how cultural groups may differ in their perceptions about preferred communication behavior. It focuses on the importance attached to “conversational constraints” in conversation. For the primary goal of requesting, the following five conversational constraints are identified: (a) concern for clarity, (b) concern for avoiding hurting the hearer's feelings, (c) concern for nonimposition, (d) concern for avoiding negative evaluation by the hearer, and (e) concern for effectiveness. Five hypotheses are formulated regarding the relationships between individualistic-collectivistic orientation (an important dimension of“culture”) and these five conversational constraints. Data were collected from 892 participants (undergraduates studying in Korea, Hawaii, and the mainland United States). After being presented at random with one of the six request situations, participants rated the perceived importance of each conversational constraint in that situation. The results indicate that the perceived importance of clarity was higher in the more individualistic cultures. On the other hand, the perceived importance of avoiding hurting the hearer's feelings and of minimizing imposition were higher in the more collectivistic cultures. The perceived importance of effectiveness and of avoiding negative evaluation by the hearer, on the other hand, did not significantly differ across the three cultural groups. Theoretical as well as practical implications are discussed.
157 citations
TL;DR: This article examined effects of message and program sensation value, sensation seeking, and drug use on visual attention to televised anti-drug public service announcements (PSAs) among 318 18-22-year-olds, who were placed individually in a simulated home environment with the opportunity to read from print media selections and/or watch a half-hour TV program including two presentations of the test PSA.
Abstract: This study examined effects of message and program sensation value, sensation seeking, and drug use on visual attention to televised anti-drug public service announcements (PSAs) among 318 18–22-year-olds, who were placed individually in a simulated home environment with the opportunity to read from print media selections and/or watch a half-hour TV program including two presentations of the test PSA. The TV program was high or low in sensation value. High sensation seekers paid greater attention to high sensation value programming and to PSA embedded in such programming, whereas low sensation seekers paid greater attention to PSA embedded in low sensation value programs. Ongoing attention to a program may help to sustain attention to a subsequent PSA. The findings relate to an activation model of information exposure and indicate that program sensation value and sensation seeking are important factors to be considered in the placement oftelevised drug abuse prevention messages.
114 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that the viewers learned a great deal about candidates' issue positions that were discussed in the debate, but no learning took place of issues that were not debated, and that the debate did not affect the viewers' perception of the two well-known candidates'personalities but did improve the perception of Ross Perot on several debate-related personality traits.
Abstract: Do televised presidential debates affect audiences’perception of candidates’images more than their knowledge of candidates’issue positions? Existing communication theories offer two competing predictions, with one in favor of the effects on image perception and the other in favor of the effects on issue knowledge. Empirical studies have provided mixed evidence for both predictions. This article reports results of a new study of the effects of the first presidential debate in the 1992 election. Based on a review of various methodological weaknesses in previous studies, the current study used a between-subjects design involving repeated measures of issue knowledge and image perception. Results show that the viewers learned a great deal about candidates’issue positions that were discussed in the debate, but no learning took place of issues that were not debated. The debate did not affect the viewers’perception of the two well-known candidates'personalities but did improve the perception of the least well-known candidate, Ross Perot, on several debate-related personality traits.
82 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reported the results of an investigation into the potential of inoculation to promote resistance to smoking onset in young adolescents in a midwestern city and found that inoculation was effective in adolescents of low self-esteem.
Abstract: The authors previously reported the results of an investigation into the potential of inoculation to promote resistance to smoking onset in young adolescents. Inoculation videos were administered to 1,047 adolescents in a midwestern city. Results for the first year indicated that inoculation promotes resistance to smoking initiation but only among adolescents of low self-esteem. This report follows up the first-year results in an effort to assess the permanence of the initial effects. The results during the second year revealed main effects for inoculation on attitudes, suggesting modest persistence for the initial pretreatments, and a weak interaction effect in the fall, which dissipated by spring. In addition, the pattern of results suggests that if resistance approaches are to have a chance of success in smoking prevention they must target young adolescents at the point of transition from primary (elementary) to secondary (middle or junior high) school. Beyond this pivotal juncture, adolescents’attitudes opposing smoking quickly deteriorate, therefore rendering the resistance paradigm inappropriate.
79 citations
TL;DR: Results show that the content and network of communication among health-care professionals using the computer conference were significantly related to occupational roles, and physicians and hospital administrators were afforded higher status in computer conferences than nurses.
Abstract: One feature of electronic communication media is its potential to remove the effects of occupational role identity. For better or for worse, electronic communication technologies may reduce occupational status differentials and allow individuals to communicate as equals. This article reports results from a study of health-care professionals engaged in an educational program using computer conferences over a five-month period. Results show that the content and network of communication among health-care professionals using the computer conference were significantly related to occupational roles. Specifically, physicians and hospital administrators were afforded higher status in computer conferences than nurses. The effects of occupational status differentials were manifest and became more established with greater use of the computer conferencing system. Status characteristics derived from the educational task also appeared to affect communication patterns. The importance of considering multiple social contexts when implementing information technology is discussed.
71 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined various explanations for college students' risky behavior, and proposed and tested a model of factors influencing college student's sexual behavior, finding that sensation-seeking predispositions and the sexual motive for a pleasurable relationship are indirectly or directly related to all measures of sexual behavior.
Abstract: College students' risky sexual behavior places them at relatively higher than average risk for HIV infection. This study examines various explanations for college students' risky behavior, and proposes and tests a model of factors influencing college students' sexual behavior. A LISREL estimation of the model shows that the model fits the data. The results also show that (1) sensation-seeking predispositions and the sexual motive for a pleasurable relationship are indirectly or directly related to all measures of sexual behavior (i.e., number of partners, incidence of unprotected sex, and percentage of condom use); (2) sexual motives driven by concern for health have only an indirect effect on percentage of condom use; and (3) optimistic bias, personal relevance, perceptions about partners, and images of condoms are related to sensation seeking, sexual motives, and sexual behavior. In addition, interpersonal influence from sexual partners appears to both facilitate and inhibit safer sexual behavior. Suggestions are provided regarding campaigns designed for AIDS prevention among college students.
65 citations
TL;DR: This paper examined three cognition-based theoretical explanations for variations in verbal disagreement tactics and found that the individual difference measure (i.e., the Role Category Questionnaire) was strongly associated with the quality of plans.
Abstract: This study examines three cognition-based theoretical explanations for variations in verbal disagreement tactics. The cognitive requirements of competent message production in conflict situations are examined first. Then the relative success of (a) an individual difference explanation (based on constructivist logic), (b) a situated cognition explanation (based on planning theory), and (c) a hybrid explanation in accounting for the use of competent verbal disagreement tactics is assessed. Results based on analysis of 40 dyadic interactions indicated that planning measures are strongly correlated with use of integrative conflict tactics. In addition, the individual difference measure (i.e., the Role Category Questionnaire) was strongly associated with the quality of plans. Results are interpreted as evidence of the need for integrative models that link individual differences in social cognition, conversational plans, and message behavior.
61 citations
TL;DR: This article developed a typology of verbal aggression and then examined its association to distress and found that aggressive messages can be characterized along three dimensions (disposition, target, and force) that define the nature of an attack.
Abstract: Threats elicit distress in the form of negative affect. To examine how communication functions as a threat, this study developed a typology of verbal aggression and then examined its association to distress. To develop the typology, similarity data for 100 written aggressive messages were submitted to a hierarchical cluster analysis. The results revealed messages clustered into three broad domains of attack: group membership, personal failings, and relational failings. The typology demonstrated reliability, predictive validity, and content validity. In addition, a multidimensional scaling was conducted on an audiotaped subset of the 100 messages. The results revealed aggressive messages can be characterized along three dimensions (disposition, target, and force) that define the nature of an attack. These three dimensions elicited different emotional reactions in recipients and suggest nonverbals allow recipients to discriminate aggressive messages in terms of the tone and the force of an attack.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of violations of expectations on arousal, reciprocity, and compensation in the medical practitioner-patient relationship were compared with expectancy violations (EV) and discrepancy arousal (DA) theories.
Abstract: Among the theories that address the impact of variations in immediacy behaviors during ongoing interactions are expectancy violations (EV) and discrepancy arousal (DA) theories. This study of the effects of violations of expectations on arousal, reciprocity, and compensation in the medical practitioner-patient relationship contrasts EV predictions with DA predictions. EV theory predicts that given a communicator with high reward valence, high and very high involvement (including touch and close proximity) should be met with reciprocation (increased involvement), and low and very low involvement should be met with compensation (increased involvement). DA theory predicts compensating very high involvement with decreased involvement, reciprocating high involvement with increased involvement, compensating low involvement with increased involvement, and reciprocating very low involvement, with decreased involvement. Results supported neither theory as all involvement changes were met with reciprocity. Additionally, although all violations/discrepancies were followed by changes in arousal, size of arousal change was not monotonically related to size of involvement change, as predicted by DA theory. Finally, although positive versus negative emotional experiences were not related to physiological indicators of arousal change, size of involvement change was directly related to the experience of positive and negative emotions. Thus, it appears that involvement change size directly predicts emotional experience and is not mediated by arousal change.
TL;DR: In this article, a rational model of the elaboration of themes found in rejection messages was proposed to test a situation in which a candidate for membership in an organization must be rejected by an agent of the organization.
Abstract: This experiment was conducted to test a rational model of the elaboration of themes found in rejection messages. The experiment involved a situation in which a candidate for membership in an organization must be rejected by an agent of the organization. The model proposed that five themes would be found in the rejection messages, elaborated selectively as a function of the relationship between organizational agent and candidate (friend vs. stranger) and the basis for the rejection (qualified vs. unqualified candidate). The experiment was replicated with American and Japanese participants in the role of organizational agent; no differences due to nationality were anticipated. Results showed partial support for the initial rational model, but the findings also pointed toward two key revisions of the hypothesized model: First, two new themes in rejection messages were identified; and second, there were substantial differences in the way Americans and Japanese elaborated themes to serve their goals.
TL;DR: In this paper, an examination of management and employee values as influential for organizational rule formation is provided, showing that management values are directly related to employee values but indirectly influence the evolution of organizational rules.
Abstract: This research provides an examination of management and employee values as influential for organizational rule formation, that is, cultural theme formation. Specifically, the research demonstrates that management and employee values and management and employee perceptions of organizational rules are related over time and that the direction of that relationship can be specified. The findings indicate that management values are directly related to employee values but indirectly influence the evolution of organizational rules. Additionally, the findings support the interactional nature of management/employee relationships. Finally, this research provides evidence of rule emergence based on management and employee values and underscores the importance of communication-receiving activities for knowledge of rule emergence and a variety of organizational and work satisfactions.
TL;DR: This paper examined the relationship between verbal recall and listening, using measures of listening behavior as a criterion and found that although related, listening and the ability to recall verbal stimuli are not isomorphic.
Abstract: This study examines the relationship between verbal recall and listening, using measures of listening behavior as a criterion. Three possible models of the verbal recall-listening relationship are examined: isomorphic, confounding, and recall ability as antecedent to listening. Seventy-three participants were videotaped while interviewing a confederate, and the videotapes were coded for observable listening behaviors. Participants also completed a conversation-based listening test and a verbal recall test. The results indicated that, although related, listening and the ability to recall verbal stimuli are not isomorphic. The data were also inconsistent with a model specifying verbal recall ability as a confound of listening. A model stipulating verbal recall ability as antecedent to listening provided the best fit to the data. Implications of this model for past and future research are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, several versions of McPhee, Poole, and Seibold's (1982) valence distribution model were derived and examined in 42 decision-making groups.
Abstract: As a vehicle for comparing the group valence model's description of the group problem-solving process with more individually oriented models, several versions of McPhee, Poole, and Seibold's (1982) valence distribution model were derived and examined in 42 decision-making groups. Although the methods of the valence distribution model had predictive power, they appeared to be generally inferior to the group valence model. The latter consistently accounted for more of the decision-making phenomena. Implications for the nature of the group decision-making process are discussed.
TL;DR: For example, this article found that homosexual tolerance is more predictive of nonverbal involvement with persons with AIDS (PWAs) than it is of non-verbal involvement of gays, and that fear of AIDS contraction is just as predictive of greater nonverbal interaction with gays and PWAs as is homosexual tolerance.
Abstract: AIDS, the disease, has become highly associated with gays in our society. In fact, so much so that homosexual tolerance is more predictive of nonverbal involvement with persons with AIDS (PWAs) than it is of nonverbal involvement with gays. Additionally, fear of AIDS contraction is just as predictive of greater nonverbal involvement with gays and PWAs as is homosexual tolerance. This adds evidence to the claim that symbolic (anti-gay) and instrumental (fear of contraction) factors both must be considered when predicting attitudes and behaviors toward PWAs. Finally, these findings add further evidence to the claim that one's true attitudes are not always discernible from one's actions. This three-part investigation examines Stigmatization toward gays and persons with AIDS as more a symbolic than instrumental process, through the expression of attraction (task, social, and physical) and desire for future interaction, and through nonverbal expressions of involvement.
TL;DR: This article examined the linkages between two important features of influence messages, explicitness and dominance, and emotional response and concluded that judgments of the politeness of the message would mediate the effects of message form on emotional response.
Abstract: In this study, we examined the linkages between two important features of influence messages, explicitness and dominance, and emotional response. Two positions were considered. From politeness theory, we deduced that judgments of the politeness of the message would mediate the effects of message form on emotional response. Consideration of cognitive appraisal theories suggested judgments of goal blockage and legitimacy would assume the role of mediators. Participants took part in two role-plays in which they adopted the role of the influence target and listened to an audiotape of a request to change their behavior. Self-report and physiological data were gathered as indicators of their emotional responses to the influence messages. The findings indicated some support for both politeness and appraisal theories, but also suggested that neither one constituted a thorough explanation of the effects of influence messages on emotions.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report three phases of study that attempt to determine whether the variance in group decision making is best accounted for by noninteraction or interaction sources, and conclude that open channels of communication and high quality task-oriented discussion that focused on issue evaluation and task accomplishment facilitated group performance in light of the effects of group potential.
Abstract: The present investigation sought to obtain empirical data that either directly supports or refutes the popular assumption that communication is an essential element of effective decision making. Specifically, it reports three phases of study that attempt to determine whether the variance in group decision making is best accounted for by noninteraction or interaction sources. Phase 1 examines the relationship among group member ability, communication opportunity, and decision performance. Phase 2 examines the relationship among group member ability, qualities of group communication, and decision performance. Phase 3 examines the relationship among fulfillment of communication functions requisite to decision-making efficacy, group member ability, and decision performance. In Phase 1, a strong independent main effect for communication opportunity was found; whereas in Phase 2 we discovered classification and explanatory effects for three facets of interaction quality—“evaluation of task-relevant issues,”“goal-directed communication,” and “idea development”—and in Phase 3 no classification or explanatory effects for either of the communication functions examined was found. Open channels of communication and high quality task-oriented discussion that focused on issue evaluation and task accomplishment facilitated group performance in light of the effects of group potential.
TL;DR: A survey of 354 women found that 16% had received at least one obscene phone call (OPC) within the 6 months preceding the survey as discussed by the authors, and women less than 65 years of age and those who were neither married nor widowed were more likely to receive an OPC.
Abstract: A survey of 354 women (apparently the first representative national sample) found that 16% had received at least one obscene phone call (OPC) within the 6 months preceding the survey. The majority of calls appear to be targeted in some way. Women less than 65 years of age and those who were neither married nor widowed were more likely to receive an OPC. Five theoretical propositions were examined. Two were not supported: namely, that OPCs are pure random incidents or are attacks on socioeconomically powerful women. Two others were reasonably well-supported: that OPC receipt is explained by displaced aggression against a vulnerable population or by perceived availability (a modification of criminal opportunity theory). There was also strong empirical support for the final proposition that sees OPCs occurring in a pattern statistically similar to that of rape.
TL;DR: In this paper, the replication factor is treated as a random variable rather than a fixed variable, and replications are considered to be samples of possible treatment implementations, which is more appropriate than treating it as fixed.
Abstract: Increasingly, communication experiments are incorporating replication factors for the purpose of controlling confounds and increasing generalizability. If replications are considered to be samples of possible treatment implementations, treating the replication factor as random is more appropriate than treating it as fixed.