Daniel H. Mansson

Relational Maintenance Behaviors in the Grandchild–Grandparent Relationship

This study examined grandchildrens use of relational maintenance behaviors when interacting with their grandparents and how these behaviors are associated with grandchildrens perceived communication satisfaction with their grandparents and grandparent provision of communication-based emotional support. Undergraduate students (N = 238) reported on their relationships with the grandparent with whom they had the most recent interaction. Results indicate that grandchildren use (in descending order) the positivity, conflict management, tasks, assurances, networks, advice, and openness relational maintenance behaviors. Perceived grandparent provision of communication-based emotional support and grandchildren communication satisfaction with grandparents were directly and positively related to grandchildrens use of relational maintenance behaviors.

A Reexamination of Swedish and American College Students’ Communicative Attributes

This study examines the extent to which Swedish (n = 103) and American (n = 113) college students’ cultural background influences their communicative attributes. Students’ communication apprehension, self-perceived communication competence, willingness to communicate, out-of-class communication with instructors, in-class participation, and motives for communicating with their instructors were examined. Results of MANOVA tests indicate that American college students are more willing to communicate, perceive themselves as more communicatively competent, participate more in class, and are more motivated to communicate with their instructors for relational, functional, excuse-making, participatory, and sycophantic reasons. However, students’ communication apprehension and out-of-class communication with their instructors did not differ between the two cultures.

American and South Korean Engineering Students’ Communication Motives and Their Student–Instructor Communication Satisfaction

The purpose of this study was twofold. The first purpose was to compare American and South Korean engineering students’ motives (i.e., relational, functional, excuse-making, participatory, and sycophantic) for communicating with their instructors and their student–instructor communication satisfaction. The second purpose was to examine the extent to which both American and South Korean engineering students’ motives for communicating with their instructors are related to their student–instructor communication satisfaction. Undergraduate students (N = 168) recruited from public universities in the United States and South Korea participated in this study. The results of a multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), an independent sample t-tests, a series of zero-order Pearson correlational analyses, and Fisher z-tests revealed significant cultural differences and that the relationship between students’ communication motives and their student–instructor communication satisfaction largely are consistent between the two cultures.