Lawrence R. Frey

What a Difference More Difference-Making Communication Scholarship Might Make: Making a Difference From and Through Communication Research

I started studying communication back in the early 1970s because I thought it would make a difference, albeit a personal difference.1 I went to college to study political science, but soon became d...

Applied communication research: Scholarship that can make a difference

Abstract Applied research is an important form of scientific inquiry that has been widely misunderstood and unappreciated within the field of communication. This article first debunks five common misconceptions about the nature of applied communication research. Four criteria for conducting effective applied communication then are posed. The article concludes by examining three ways in which effective applied communication research promotes the disciplinary growth of communication knowledge.

Effects of reactions to arguments on group outcome: The case of group polarization

One leading explanation for the phenomenon of group polarization posits that such decisional shifts are the result of effective argumentation by group members. Rather than considering arguments as static phenomena, however, the present study investigated the way in which majority and minority arguments are positively or negatively responded to by group members and the effects of such responses on the polarization process. Results using a typical group polarization research format demonstrated that reactions to minority arguments, and not the forwarding of minority arguments per se, were significantly correlated with the degree of group polarization.

Willingness to Communicate about Health as an Underlying Trait of Patient Self-Advocacy: The Development of the Willingness to Communicate about Health (WTCH) Measure

The purpose of this study was to develop a measurement instrument to assess peoples willingness to communicate about their health and to see how this communication predisposition might be related to health information-seeking behaviors and patient assertiveness. The researchers discuss the development of the Willingness to Communicate about Health (WTCH) scale, and they report findings from a study that assessed the WTCH scale using two distinct samples. The results of the study found similarities for the WTCH scale item factor solutions across samples, a relationship between the WTCH and the larger willingness to communication predisposition, and the scale was found to be related to both information-seeking behaviors and patient assertiveness. Finally, the researchers discuss validity and reliability issues surrounding the WTCH measure and potential applications of the scale in health communication contexts.

The Status of Instruction in Qualitative Communication Research Methods.

While qualitative methods show a respected presence within communication scholarship, questions remain about whether these methods have infused communication education. This national survey assesses whether and how qualitative methods are being taught in graduate and undergraduate communication curricula. Results demonstrate general agreement about the units, specific topics, and activities that should be covered in the course. However, while instruction at the graduate level is fairly healthy, instruction at the undergraduate level receives less attention than instruction in either quantitative methods or rhetorical criticism. Moreover, respondents do not expect overall instruction in qualitative methods to increase. The essay concludes by challenging educators to respect and promote all three methodologies in communication pedagogy.

Do workers trust labor unions and their messages

This study investigated differences between workers’ attributions of trustworthiness toward their labor union and its messages, as influenced by affiliation behavior and several demographic variables of interest. A complete metropolitan postal district open shop, numbering 4,225, was surveyed. Results demonstrated significant differences between workers’ trust of their labor union and their labor unions messages, favoring the union over its messages. In addition, results demonstrate that affiliation behavior, race, age, and seniority significantly affect perceived trustworthiness of the labor union and its messages. Finally, regression analyses found differences between union and non‐union members on several demographic variables as predictors of trust. The implications of these results for organizational communication research in general, and research on labor unions specifically, are discussed.