Margarete Imhof

Computer use and the gender gap: The issue of access, use, motivation, and performance

Since the beginning of computerization, it has been of interest whether there are differential effects on computer behavior, in particular in terms of computer access, computer use, and motivational variables, such as computer self-efficacy. The current research addresses the questions if the gender-related differences in this respect persist to the present day and if there is also a difference in actual performance characteristics. A sample of 48 university students (23 male) was administered a technology self-efficacy questionnaire, a survey on computer access, recorded a user diary, and turned in a computer task. Results show that the gender gap is closing as far as computer access and self-efficacy are concerned. Also, female and male students report comparable amounts of computer usage for their studies. User behavior appears to be gender-specific as males spend more time at the computer for personal purposes. There is also some evidence that male students outperform female students at a computer task (remastering of Power-Point slides). Conclusions for creating computer-based learning environments are discussed.

What Would a Unified Field of Listening Look Like? A Proposal Linking Past Perspectives and Future Endeavors

Most reviews of “listening research” are narrow in scope, focusing only on research published by listening and communication scholars. Given that unique contributions to listening have been provided by scholars from disciplines as varied as psychology, anthropology, management, and linguistics, this review explores connections and divergences that span the academic landscape. After briefly introducing and reviewing listening related research from three primary areas—information processing, competent behavior, and individual differences—we offer a heuristic framework that ties these lines of study together and provides a structure for assessing and generating new listening research. A concluding section suggests lines of future investigation.

Development and Validation of the Imhof-Janusik Listening Concepts Inventory to Measure Listening Conceptualization Differences between Cultures

Listening is a cognitive process that is perceived behaviorally, and past listening research has focused on perceptions of listening behaviors. This study shifts the focus to the perceptions of listening cognitions. In a cognitive model of listening, listening concepts are assumed to determine listening behavior, the process, and the outcome. In this context, it is of interest to develop a diagnostic instrument to describe the composition of the listening concept. This factor-analytic study seeks to identify the underlying dimensions of listening concepts using a sample of N = 358 students. Results suggest that four factors need to be taken into account as listening concepts are mapped and analyzed. In a subsequent study comparing a US and a German student sample, it could be shown that listening conceptualization is culture-driven. Implications for research and practice of intercultural oral communication are discussed.

What Makes a Good Listener? Listening Behavior in Instructional Settings

Abstract Listening as a language skill is widely required in instructional settings at any level. It is proposed to view listening as an active process, involving patterns of behavior which can be categorized as content-, self-, and speaker-related activities. A questionnaire (N = 554) and a qualitative survey (N = 32) were conducted to investigate the knowledge about listening strategies among university students. Results show that the scope of listening skills is rather limited even among experienced listeners and that there is considerable room for modifying listening behavior. Consequences for conceptualizing listening expertise are discussed and areas for further reaearch, both empirical and theoretical, are addressed.

Effects of color stimulation on handwriting performance of children with ADHD without and with additional learning disabilities

Abstract.Active behavior problems in children with ADHD are often aggravated in situations which require sustained attention. Building on the ‘optimal stimulation’ hypothesis [43], this study explored the effects of color stimulation on graphomotor control in children with ADHD. A sample of 66 children with ADHD (n = 19 from primary education, n = 28 children with additional speech disorders, n = 19 children with additional learning disabilities) and matched controls participated in the investigation. Subjects performed a copying task on standard white and on colored paper in balanced order across classes. Positive effects of the color stimulation on graphomotor behavior control and, consequently, on qualitative aspects of the handwritings were expected. Results broadly confirm the predictions. Effects are explained as added external stimulation facilitating behavioral inhibition and regulation of selective attention and graphomotor coordination. Reduction of visual stress as an alternative explanation is considered.

Who are We as We Listen? Individual Listening Profiles in Varying Contexts

Abstract Using the Barker & Watson Listening Styles Profile (2000), this study investigates the adaptability of individual listening profiles to varying listening contexts (study, family, friends, work) and listening goals. A sample of 50 students completed the Listening Styles Profile for three different situations of their choice. Stability and variability of the profiles were explored. Results suggest considerable intraindividual variability in listening orientation. This may have ramifications both for further research and for listening training, since aspects of the situation and the setting need to be taken into account more systematically.

Listening to Voices and Judging People

The impact of vocal cues on personality judgments is investigated in an experimental study that used technically manipulated levels of pitch (low and high frequency), sex of the speaker, and content area (e.g., fixing a bike, baking, reading directory information) as independent and the entailing personality judgments as dependent variables. Subjects (48 male and 48 female) were presented with voice probes and ratings of physical (age, sex, height, stature), and psychological characteristics (bipolar adjectives representing the “Big Five” dimensions of personality) were collected. Results confirm that voice characteristics have an impact on interpersonal perception and that vocal cues are processed separately by the listener. Results are discussed with reference to processing demands and cognitive load on the working memory of a listener.

How to Listen More Efficiently: Self-monitoring Strategies in Listening

Abstract The efficiency of cognitive strategies in information processing has been established by a considerable body of research on text comprehension. Caution needs to be used, however, when it comes to generalizing the results to listening. It is argued that, in order to decide if cognitive strategies meet the processing demands of listening, and if so, which strategies, the specifics of the listening situation must be taken into consideration. An empirical basis is needed to investigate the facilitative and possibly interfering effects of using metacognitive strategies during listening. Using qualitative methodology, listening logs collected from 35 undergraduate students were evaluated for the effects - as perceived by listeners - of three types of cognitive strategies, namely, interest management, asking pre-questions, and elaboration techniques. The results support the hypothesis that these strategies, when appropriately adapted to the listening context, facilitate information processing from aural input.

Are There Gender Differences in Computer Performance? If So, Can Motivation Explain Them?

Abstract. Building on previous research which suggests that females are at a disadvantage when working with computers, the current paper investigates possible explanations. We used the cognitive-motivational process model (Vollmeyer & Rheinberg, 1999, 2000) to explore if motivation can account for the performance differences between male and female students. The model assumes that initial motivation affects strategies and motivation during learning which then influence performance. Male and female students from an introductory statistics class (N = 40), had to solve four statistics tasks with SPSS in 30 minutes. Measurements included initial motivation, functional state (i.e., flow) during task performance, navigation style, and task performance. Results show that males outperform females in terms of time needed for task completion and performance level. Male students displayed more solution-oriented navigation traces than female students. In a tentative exploratory path model, flow-experience and navigat...

What Have You Listened to in School Today

Listening is the one language activity which is used most during the day. The empirical basis for this statement has some problems, as some of it dates back a long time or is based on self-report data which may not be accurate as far as the objective proportion of time, in which listening is expected, is concerned. The current study uses classroom observation to collect data on how much listening is required in primary education and in the transition to secondary education. A sample of 48 class periods from grades 1–4 and of 18 class periods from grade 5 was taken to specify listening tasks. Results confirm earlier studies that reported listening is required in about two-thirds of instructional time. As to the source of oral information, it is still true today that the teacher out-talks the students at a considerable rate. Results are discussed with reference to listening education, and it is assumed that much needs to be done to raise awareness for the teaching of listening skills and the arrangement of an appropriate learning environment which provides for a sufficient and challenging variety of listening situations.