John A. Courtright

Domineeringness and dominance: Replication and expansion

This paper continues the effort to define a dyadic systems relational structure on the basis of communicative behaviors. Domineeringness, an individual measure based on one‐up messages, and dominance, a joint measure based on the dyads transactional patterns, are the central variables of concern. The findings offer additional support for the conceptual distinction between domineeringness and dominance. Further, these major variables are associated with differential levels of dyadic satisfaction, degree of interspousal understanding, and interaction styles.

A laboratory investigation of groupthink

A recent addition to the collection of theory on group communication is the concept of “groupthink,” formulated by Irving Janis. The purpose of this study was to examine the groupthink phenomenon under controlled, laboratory conditions. Because the original formulation was based on historical case studies of foreign‐policy decisions, a laboratory analogue which recreated the important elements of the theory was constructed. The results of this study indicated that (1) the groupthink phenomenon is amenable to study in the laboratory, and (2) the theory as postulated by Janis is essentially correct. It was also suggested that even though Janis argues that several variables indicate the occurrence of groupthink, the results of this study indicated that the presence or absence of disagreement (conflict, hostility) among group members may be the best discriminator between groupthink and non‐groupthink groups.

Message control intensity: Rationale and preliminary findings

This paper expands on the Rogers and Farace relational communication coding system by offering a definition and measure of message control intensity. The measure is based on the implicit intensity continuum which underlies the coding scheme. As a construct, message control intensity meets the face validity criterion for the “experienced” perspective on communication behavior as described by Poole and Folger. Results from exploratory correlational analyses between message intensity and (1) pronoun usage, (2) transactional structures, (3) control maneuvers, and (4) rigidity and stability measures support the measures utility and thus provide evidence of its construct validity.

Television drama as a facilitator of prosocial behavior: “The Waltons”

(1979). Television drama as a facilitator of prosocial behavior: “The Waltons”. Journal of Broadcasting: Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 277-284.

The Role of Prior Message Context in Evaluative Judgments of High- and Low-Diversity Messages

Two studies are reported. The first explored the possibility of contrast effects in judgments of messages exhibiting high or low lexical and syntactic diversity. Listeners heard an initial message and then a subsequent message which differed in diversity level. Results indicated that contrast effects were obtained, though these effects were facilitated or inhibited by other aspects of message quality. In light of a previous negative result, the second study examined the effects of nearly immediate comparisons of messages exhibiting high or low syntactic diversity, with lexical diversity held constant. No significant main effects or interractions were obtained. This led to the inference that listeners are sensitive to variations in lexical, as opposed to syntactic, diversity.

Effects of Intensity, Immediacy and Diversity Upon Receiver Attitudes Toward a Belief-Discrepant Message and Its Source

ABSTRACT During the last fifteen years, over fifty studies have been done on the attitudinal consequences of three language variables: language intensity, verbal immediacy and lexical diversity. We recently constructed a comprehensive theory integrating previous research on these variables which comprises 26 axioms, 66 novel theorems and a causal model. The research reported here is an initial test of a part of the causal model and selected theorems; 183 persons participated. Each read one of eight versions of a message pretested for belief discrepancy. The versions represented orthogonal combinations of two levels (high versus low) of each of the three language variables. Subjects responded to 24 seven-interval scales which measured their judgments of the communicator and her message. Results indicate that diversity is directly related to judgments of competence, trustworthiness, predictability, similarity and receiver favourableness toward the belief-discrepant message. Immediacy is inversely related to judgments of competence at low diversity and of trustworthiness at high diversity. Immediacy is inversely related to liking when intensity is high. Intensity is directly related to predictability when immediacy is low. The results partially confirm our predictions. They indicate also that diversity is a more powerful determinant of receiver judgments and attitudes than are immediacy or intensity.

Methods of integrating observational and traditional data analysis

This essay argues that there is an insufficient correspondence between the epistemological assumptions which guide interaction analysis and the statistical assumptions which characterize the procedures most often used to analyze interaction data. The paper demonstrates that by combining Markov chain or lag sequential analysis with more traditional, parametric approaches (multiple regression, ANOVA, etc.), a much closer correspondence is achieved between the substantive questions posed by interaction analysts and the answers provided by existing approaches to data analysis.

Perceived empathy: Its relationship to selected interpersonal variables and student's interpersonal laboratory performance

This study investigated the relationship between selected interpersonal variables and the perceived empathic ability of peer facilitators by students in a basic interpersonal communication course. Previous research found that the perceived empathy of the facilitators related positively to student performance in the experiential learning portion of the course. The present study was designed to determine which interpersonal variables might be important in predicting perceived empathy. Attraction and teaching effectiveness were found to be the major predictors of perceived empathy, and perceived empathy was again found to be the best predictor of a students success at experiential learning.