Showing papers on "Interpersonal communication published in 2009"

Beyond Baron and Kenny: Statistical Mediation Analysis in the New Millennium

Abstract: Understanding communication processes is the goal of most communication researchers. Rarely are we satisfied merely ascertaining whether messages have an effect on some outcome of focus in a specif...

On the mediation of everything: ICA presidential address 2008

Abstract: As our field moves beyond the traditional dualism of mass and interpersonal forms of communication to encompass new, interactive, networked forms of communication whose influence may be traced across multiple spheres of modern life, it is commonly claimed that ‘everything is mediated’ and that this represents a historically significant change. This article inquires into these rhetorically grand claims, first noting the parallels with other processes of mediation (e.g. language, money, myths), second raising questions of value since, unlike for other forms of mediation, the media’s role is typically construed as negative than positive and, third observing that the difficulties of translating ‘mediation’ into a range of languages reveals some conceptual confusions. As a step towards clarification, I contrast the terms ‘mediation’ and ‘mediatization’, these roughly, mapping onto situational and historical influences, conceived primarily at micro and macro levels of analysis respectively. I then argue for a broad conception of mediation that encompasses those processes variously referred to as mediatization, mediazation or medialization. The analysis is illustrated by unpacking the claim that ‘childhood is mediated’, before concluding that distinct aspects of the concept of mediation invite communication scholars to attend to the specific empirical, historical and political implications of the claim that ‘everything is mediated’.

Parent—Child Relationships During Adolescence

Abstract: Theories of Parent–Adolescent Relationships and Their Influence Interpersonal Processes And Relationship Perceptions The Role of Parent–Child Relationships in Adolescent Adjustment The Interplay of Context and Relationship Processes and Outcomes Conclusion Keywords: parenting; support; conflict; influence; family

Encyclopedia of Communication Theory

Abstract: "The Encyclopedia of Communication Theory" provides students and researchers with a comprehensive two-volume overview of contemporary communication theory. Reference librarians report that students frequently approach them seeking a source that will provide them with a quick overview of a particular theory or theorist - just enough to help them grasp the general concept or theory and its relation to the discipline as a whole. Communication scholars and teachers also occasionally need a quick reference for theories. Edited by the co-authors of the best-selling textbook on communication theory and drawing on the expertise of an advisory board of 10 international scholars and nearly 200 contributors from 10 countries, this work finally provides such a resource. More than 300 entries address topics related not only to paradigms, traditions, and schools, but also metatheory, methodology, inquiry, and applications and contexts. Entries of this book cover several orientations, including psycho-cognitive; social-interactional; cybernetic and systems; cultural; critical; feminist; philosophical; rhetorical; semiotic, linguistic, and discursive; and, non-Western. Concepts relate to interpersonal communication, groups and organizations, and media and mass communication. In sum, this encyclopedia offers the student of communication a sense of the history, development, and current status of the discipline, with an emphasis on the theories that comprise it.

The Repair of Trust: A Dynamic Bilateral Perspective and Multilevel Conceptualization

Abstract: We investigate the repair of trust by examining the cognitive and interpersonal processes through which people resolve differences in their interpersonal beliefs. We begin by discussing the phenomenon of trust, the ease with which trust can be violated, and the challenge of trust repair. We then draw from an array of literature to develop a multilevel conceptualization of how trust repair may be pursued. Finally, we integrate these insights to identify three overarching implications for research.

Campaigns, Reflection, and Deliberation: Advancing an O-S-R-O-R Model of Communication Effects

Abstract: Recent communication research concerning participatory politics has found that the effects of media, especially campaign ads, conventional news, and online political resources, are largely mediated through interpersonal discussion about politics. This article extends this line of theorizing about the role of political conversation in citizen competence by testing an O-S-R-O-R model of campaign communication mediation, a modification and extension of the longstanding O-S-O-R model of communication effects. This model combines insights from iterations of the communication mediation model (McLeod et al., 2001; Shah et al., 2007) and cognitive mediation model (Eveland, 2001; Eveland, Shah, & Kwak, 2003) to theorize a set of the interrelated reasoning (R) processes that channel the influences of campaign exposure and news consumption on political engagement. Three key mediators of campaign and news influence are postulated: face-to-face political conversation, online political messaging, and cognitive reflection. We provide empirical evidence to test this model by merging two datasets: (1) tracking of the content and placement of campaign messages in the 2000 and 2004 election cycles, and (2) surveys of traditional and digital media consumption and levels of campaign participation during these same elections. Findings reveal that political conversation, political messaging, and cognitive reflection mediate the effects of campaign advertising exposure and news consumption on political participation and knowledge, providing considerable support for our theory. This O-S-R-O-R model helps organize a large body of theorizing and research on campaigns and conversation in the communication sciences.

Employee Voice Behavior: Interactive Effects of LMX and Power Distance in the United States and Colombia

Abstract: In contemporary organizations, competitive advantage can come from ideas employees communicate to supervisors for improving processes, products, and services. One approach to studying employee communications with supervisors is voice behavior. In this research, the authors consider leader— member exchange (LMX) and the individual cultural value orientation of power distance (PD) as predictors of voice. Two studies, conducted in different countries, demonstrate the unique and combined effects of these predictors. In Study 1, conducted in the United States, LMX was positively related to voice, PD was negatively related to voice, and PD made more of a difference in voice when LMX was high. In Study 2, conducted in Colombia, LMX and PD were both related to voice but did not interact. The authors discuss the implications for theory and practice.

A classification of controlled interpersonal affect regulation strategies.

Abstract: Controlled interpersonal affect regulation refers to the deliberate regulation of someone else's affect. Building on existing research concerning this everyday process, the authors describe the development of a theoretical classification scheme that distinguishes between the types of strategy used to achieve interpersonal affect regulation. To test the theoretical classification, the authors generated a corpus of 378 distinct strategies using self-report questionnaires and diaries completed by student and working samples. Twenty participants then performed a card-sort of the strategies. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to determine how well the theoretical classification represented spontaneous understandings of controlled interpersonal affect regulation. The final classification primarily distinguished between strategies used to improve versus those used to worsen others' affect, and between strategies that engaged the target in a situation or affective state versus relationship-oriented strategies. The classification provides a meaningful basis for organizing existing research and making future conceptual and empirical distinctions.

To Share or Not to Share: When Do Toddlers Respond to Another's Needs?

Abstract: The developmental origins of sharing remain little understood. Using procedures adapted from research on prosocial behavior in chimpanzees, we presented 18- and 25-month-old children with a sharing task in which they could choose to deliver food to themselves only, or to both themselves and another person, thereby making it possible for them to share without personal sacrifice. The potential recipient, a friendly adult, was either silent about her needs and wants or made them explicit. Both younger and older toddlers chose randomly when the recipient was silent. However, when the recipient vocalized her desires 25-month-olds shared, whereas younger children did not. Thus, we demonstrate that children voluntarily share valued resources with others by the end of the second year of life, but that this depends on explicit communicative cues about another's need or desire.

Nurse-patient interaction and communication: A systematic literature review

Abstract: The purpose of this review is to describe the use and definitions of the concepts of nurse-patient interaction and nurse-patient communication in nursing literature. Furthermore, empirical findings of nurse-patient communication research will be presented, and applied theories will be shown. An integrative literature search was executed. The total number of relevant citations found was 97. The search results were reviewed, and key points were extracted in a standardized form. Extracts were then qualitatively summarized according to relevant aspects and categories for the review. The relation of interaction and communication is not clearly defined in nursing literature. Often the terms are used interchangeably or synonymously, and a clear theoretical definition is avoided or rather implicit. Symbolic interactionism and classic sender-receiver models were by far the most referred to models. Compared to the use of theories of adjacent sciences, the use of original nursing theories related to communication is rather infrequent. The articles that try to clarify the relation of both concepts see communication as a special or subtype of interaction. The main intention of communication and interaction in the health setting is to influence the patient’s health status or state of well-being. Identified important structural factors of communication were: role allocation, different use of language and registers, and the nursing setting. The process of communication is often described with a phase model; communication often happens during other interventions and tasks. In general, influencing factors can be organized into the categories of provider variables, patient variables, environmental and situational variables. The included citations all conclude that communication skills can be learned to a certain degree. Involvement of patients and their role in communication often is neglected by authors. Considering the mutual nature of communication, patients’ share in conversation should be taken more into consideration than it has been until now. Nursing science has to integrate its own theories of nursing care with theories of communication and interaction from other scientific disciplines like sociology.

Interpersonal effects of suffering in older adult caregiving relationships.

Abstract: Examining the interpersonal effects of suffering in the context of family caregiving is an important step to a broader understanding of how exposure to suffering affects humans. In this review article, the authors first describe existing evidence that being exposed to the suffering of a care recipient (conceptualized as psychological distress, physical symptoms, and existential/spiritual distress) directly influences caregivers' emotional experiences. Drawing from past theory and research, the authors propose that caregivers experience similar, complementary, and/or defensive emotions in response to care recipient suffering through mechanisms such as cognitive empathy, mimicry, and conditioned learning, placing caregivers at risk for psychological and physical morbidity. The authors then describe how gender, relationship closeness, caregiving efficacy, and individual differences in emotion regulation moderate these processes. Finally, the authors provide directions for future research to deepen understanding of interpersonal phenomena among older adults, and they discuss implications for clinical interventions to alleviate the suffering of both caregivers and care recipients.

Social Communication Competence and Functional Adaptation in a General Population of Children: Preliminary Evidence for Sex-by-Verbal IQ Differential Risk

Abstract: Objective The proportion of schoolchildren with mild social communicative deficits far exceeds the number diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) We aimed to ascertain both the population distribution of such deficits and their association with functional adaptation and cognitive ability in middle childhood Method The parent-report Social and Communication Disorders Checklist was administered to participants ( n = 8,094) in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children We correlated impairment severity with independent clinical diagnoses of ASD, cognitive abilities, and teacher-rated maladaptive behavior Results Social and Communication Disorders Checklist scores were continuously distributed in the general population; boys had mean scores 30% higher than girls Social communicative deficits were associated with functional impairment at school, especially in domains of hyperactivity and conduct disorders A sex-by-verbal IQ interaction effect occurred: verbal IQ was protective against social communication impairments across the range of abilities in female subjects only In male subjects, this protective effect did not exist for those with above-average verbal IQ Conclusions Social communicative deficits are of prognostic significance, in terms of behavioral adjustment at school, for boys and girls Their high general population prevalence emphasizes the importance of measuring such traits among clinically referred children who do not meet diagnostic ASD criteria Above-average verbal IQ seems to confer protection against social communication impairments in female subjects but not in male subjects

Participatory Communication: A Practical Guide

Abstract: Many communication practitioners and development workers face obstacles and challenges in their practical work. A participatory communication strategy offers a very specific perspective on how to articulate social processes, decision-making processes, and any change process for that matter. Participatory approaches are nothing new. However, what is new is the proliferation of institutions, especially governmental but also nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that seek participatory approaches in their development initiative. This guide concerns to provide perspectives, tools and experiences regarding how to go about it with participatory communication strategies. It is conceived as a guide to be of relevance and utility for development workers in the field. It is targeted at both at government and their officials, the World Bank staff, and at civil society. The particular relevance of this guide is three-fold: 1) placing the practitioner debate about participatory communication within a conceptual framework, allowing the practitioner who reads this to position him or herself conceptually, understanding some of the possible implications of opting for one or another strategic approach in their use of communication; 2) providing an introduction to the use of a participatory communication approach to specific development projects as well as illustrating the use of participatory communication in broader social change processes; and 3) drawing generic lessons learned from the experiences with participatory communication.

Exploring Personality with the Interpersonal Circumplex

Abstract: The interpersonal circumplex can serve as both companion and guide for those interested in exploring the interpersonal domain of personality This article offers a relatively nontechnical overview of the model and its various applications in the study of personality I begin by defining the interpersonal circumplex, its structure and in what sense it is 'interpersonal' As part of that, I will briefly consider how circumplex measures of personality, such as the Interpersonal Adjective Scales, are typically evaluated for fit to the model I will next describe applications of the model for exploring both the idiographic (person-centered) and nomothetic (variable-centered) realms of personality In person-centered research, the circumplex leads to useful ways of summarizing the basic interpersonal features of a given individual In variable-centered research, the circumplex can help elucidate the essential interpersonal meaning of personality constructs such as traits, problems, and motives To explain how the circumplex can help us explore personality - idiographically and nomothetically - I will draw on a variety of studies, including several recent studies that extend the model in new ways

Engagement with language: interrogating a construct

Abstract: In ‘Language awareness and language learning’ (Svalberg, 2007) I concluded that the otherwise diverse and multidisciplinary field of language awareness (LA) is given coherence by its focus on engagement with language I argued that LA is seen as active and not merely as a state of conscious awareness or sensitivity This paper goes one step further by developing and testing the construct It discusses what engagement with language might consist of and contrasts with and how it can be identified Cognitive, social, and affective aspects of engagement, including notions such as attention, autonomy, and agency, are posited Having arrived at first at a working definition and then an expanded and refined definition, the construct is applied to some classroom and student interview data Some tentative conclusions about English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students' engagement with language, what motivates, facilitates, and hinders it, are drawn The main purpose of the paper is, however, to try and d

Beyond a Joke: Types of Conversational Humour

Abstract: The main objective of this article is to list and briefly characterise several semantic and pragmatic types of verbal humour, primarily those which cannot be reduced to (canned) jokes. First of all, a distinction is drawn between jokes and conversational humour, an umbrella term covering a variety of semantic and pragmatic types of humour, which recur in interpersonal communication, whether real-life (everyday conversations or TV programmes) or fictional (film and book dialogues). On a different axis representing formal structure, stylistic figures are distinguished, such as irony, puns and allusions.

Text Messaging and Connectedness Within Close Interpersonal Relationships

Abstract: Research shows that text messages, short type-written messages sent via mobile telephones, are primarily being used to commence, advance, maintain, or otherwise impact interpersonal relationships. This study describes how respondents perceive and use text messages within close interpersonal dyads. Interviews with dyads resulted in three main themes. Users found texting to be more constant and private than mobile voice interaction. Respondents used texting both to assert autonomy and to maintain connectedness with relational partners. Romantic pairs vis-a-vis nonromantic dyads perceived the benefits of text messages differently.

A Longitudinal Perspective on Differentiation of Self, Interpersonal and Psychological Well-Being in Young Adulthood

Abstract: The over-time relationship between differentiation of self and interpersonal and psychological well-being was examined in a sample of young adults in order to test the hypothesis that greater differentiation of self—that is, lower emotional reactivity, better capacity to take an “I” position in relationships, less emotional cutoff, and lower fusion with others—predicted greater interpersonal and psychological health. Results of hierarchical regression analyses confirmed that greater Time 1 differentiation of self predicted lower Time 2 psychological and interpersonal distress after controlling for Time 1 distress levels. Further, canonical correlation analyses revealed several significant patterned associations between aspects of differentiation of self and specific interpersonal problems. Implications for family interventions are discussed.

The role of social presence in learner-centered communicative language learning using synchronous computer-mediated communication: Experimental study

Abstract: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between media, learners' perception of social presence, and output in communicative learning using synchronous computer-mediated communication (SCMC). In this study, we developed four types of SCMC: videoconferencing (image and voice), audioconferencing (voice but no image), text chat with image (image but no voice), and plain text chat (no image and no voice). Each system allows learners to be conscious of and utter a target formulaic expression. I investigated the effect of each system on psychological perception and productive output as well as the relationship between perception and output. The results show that image and voice promote consciousness of natural communication and relief, while a text-mediated system enhances confidence in grammatical accuracy. In order to clarify the relationship between media, affective side, and output, path analysis was conducted using SPSS Amos 7.0. The results indicated that voice communication strongly affects both learners' affective side and output. The existence of a partner's image enhances the consciousness of natural communication, which leads to a number of self-corrections, an aspect of learning performance. However, voice communication has a negative effect on confidence in grammatical accuracy.

Understanding the influence of demographic and psychological variables on retirement planning.

Abstract: The authors examined the degree to which workers were engaging in financial, health, interpersonal/ leisure, and work planning for retirement, exploring whether demographic and psychological variables inhibited or promoted planning in each of these domains. Planning in each domain was influenced by a unique set of variables. Goals emerged as a consistent and positive predictor of planning. Gender accounted for health and interpersonal/leisure planning, while work planning behavior was negatively predicted by income. Time perspective also helped to clarify the amount of retirement planning undertaken in the financial and interpersonal/leisure domains. Practical implications for designing retirement interventions are discussed.

The Michelangelo Phenomenon

Abstract: This paper reviews theory and research regarding the “Michelangelo phenomenon.” The Michelangelo model suggests that close partners sculpt one another's selves, shaping one another's skills and traits and promoting versus inhibiting one another's goal pursuits. As a result of the manner in which partners perceive and behave toward one another, each person enjoys greater or lesser success at attaining his or her ideal-self goals. Affirmation of one another's ideal-self goals yields diverse benefits, both personal and relational. The Michelangelo model and supportive empirical evidence are reviewed, the phenomenon is distinguished from related interpersonal processes, and directions for future work are outlined.

Achieving polio eradication: a review of health communication evidence and lessons learned in India and Pakistan

Abstract: Since 1988, the world has come very close to eradicating polio through the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, in which communication interventions have played a consistently central role. Mass media and information dissemination approaches used in immunization efforts worldwide have contributed to this success. However, reaching the hardest-to-reach, the poorest, the most marginalized and those without access to health services has been challenging. In the last push to eradicate polio, Polio Eradication Initiative communication strategies have become increasingly research-driven and innovative, particularly through the introduction of sustained interpersonal communication and social mobilization approaches to reach unreached populations. This review examines polio communication efforts in India and Pakistan between the years 2000 and 2007. It shows how epidemiological, social and behavioural data guide communication strategies that have contributed to increased levels of polio immunity, particularly among underserved and hard-to-reach populations. It illustrates how evidence-based and planned communication strategies - such as sustained media campaigns, intensive community and social mobilization, interpersonal communication and political and national advocacy combined - have contributed to reducing polio incidence in these countries. Findings show that communication strategies have contributed on several levels by: mobilizing social networks and leaders; creating political will; increasing knowledge; ensuring individual and community-level demand; overcoming gender barriers and resistance to vaccination; and reaching out to the poorest and marginalized populations. The review concludes with observations about the added value of communication strategies in polio eradication efforts and implications for global and local public health communication interventions.

Interpersonal trust and inter‐firm trust in construction projects

Abstract: Working relationships are important in effecting project performance and cooperation is believed to be a behavioural consequence of trust. Trust, being a quality of relationships, involves people interacting at interpersonal and inter‐firm levels. This is investigated through 10 partnering and non‐partnering projects, using a validated trust scale. A case study approach is used to collect qualitative data through a quantitative approach to help understand the concept of trust. Data were collected from clients, contractors, consultants and subcontractors. Clients and contractors have a tendency to trust individuals whereas contractors and subcontractors have a tendency to trust firms. Inter‐firm trust is better understood than interpersonal trust; but both are associated with keeping commitments and demonstrating cooperation, even though interpersonal trust is considered more important. Partnering does not necessarily exhibit more trust than non‐partnering projects whereas clients and contractors have diff...

The social context of interpersonal communication and health.

Abstract: Recent years have seen an increased interest in the social context of interpersonal communication. This focus informs major public health topics including health disparities, social networks, social capital, and the penetration of new communication technologies. We use data from the 2003 and 2005 Health Information National Trends Surveys (HINTS) to illustrate the role of social context in interpersonal communication. Finally, we argue that addressing the social context may be an important tool for eliminating communication inequalities.

The popularity contest at work: who wins, why, and what do they receive?

Abstract: In 2 studies, the authors investigated the popularity of employees at work. They tested a model that positioned personality in the form of core self-evaluations and situational position in the form of communication network centrality as antecedents of popularity and interpersonal citizenship and counterproductive work behaviors received from coworkers as outcomes of popularity. Data from 116 employees and 383 coworkers in Study 1 and 139 employees, their significant others, and 808 coworkers in Study 2 generally supported the model. Core self-evaluations and communication network centrality were positively related to popularity, and popular employees reported receiving more citizenship behaviors and fewer counterproductive work behaviors from their coworkers than less popular employees, even controlling for interpersonal liking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

Electronic messaging tailored to user interest

Abstract: Providing for electronic messaging tailored to contexts or interests of one or more participants of electronic communication is described herein. By way of example, a message can be analyzed during or after compilation to determine a context of the message. Message participants can be identified and a context for such participants determined. Based on the message context or participant context, the message can be modified to be consistent with interests, preferences or other context of one or more participants. In some aspects, the message can be modified upon receipt by a recipient's communication device or messaging application. According to other aspects, the message can be modified at compilation, or transmission. In accordance with still other aspects, message modifications can be output as suggested feedback to improve receptivity or utility of a message.