Robert A. Stewart

Communication apprehension and motivation as predictors of public speaking duration

Communication apprehension (CA) has attracted considerable attention in the research literature over the past fifteen years. The present study attempted to predict the duration of informative speeches using an interactive model employing CA scores and estimates of situational motivation. Results indicated that CA alone accounted for a significant but small proportion of variance in speech duration. However, a full regression model accounted for 37.41% of the variance in the duration of the speeches. Overall, the results indicated that the amount of time speaking was, in part, a function of the CA x motivation interaction.

Argumentativeness, religious orientation, and reactions to argument situations involving religious versus nonreligious issues

Based on the interactionist perspective of argumentative communication, this study examined college students’ reactions to two separate argument situations varying as to whether or not the argument issue conveyed religious connotations. Situation was coupled with four types of religious orientation and three levels of argumentativeness to create a three‐way interaction model. Dependent variables were willingness to argue, value expectancy, and affective response associated with the argument situation. Results indicated a two‐way interaction between argumentative‐ness and religious orientation on willingness to argue, argumentativeness main effects on willingness to argue and value expectancy, and religious orientation main effects on all three dependent variables. A main effect for argument issue occurred only for affective response. Implications of these findings for the interactionist perspective to argumentativeness are discussed.

Effects of communication apprehension on perceptions of leadership and intragroup attraction in small task‐oriented groups

Communication apprehension (CA) affects interpersonal perceptions in small task‐oriented groups. Those who scored higher in CA were rated both by themselves and by others to be lower in emerged leadership, and lower in both social and task attraction than those with lower CA. Lower apprehensives received higher overall intragroup evaluations than did higher apprehensives. Trend analyses identified more stable perceptions over time for lower CAs and, increasingly positive perceptions of higher CAs.

Interaction effects of teacher enthusiasm and student notetaking on recall and recognition of lecture content

The purpose of this study was to determine whether teacher enthusiasm and student notetaking activity would interact to produce significant differences in students’ learning from lecture. Three modes of student learning activity (listen only, notes, notes plus review) were crossed with two levels of lecturer enthusiasm (less enthusiastic, more enthusiastic) in a 3X2 MANOVA design. Dependent variables were simple recall, complex recall, and recognition of lecture content. Results showed a significant interaction for simple recall. Also, a significant main effect was obtained for learning activity. Findings are discussed with respect to how learning activity and teacher behavior can function jointly in student processing of information. Suggestions for future research are given in light of limitations to the present study.

Argumentativeness and the theory of reasoned action

The Theory of Reasoned Action (TORA) suggests that intentions to argue will be a direct function of attitudes about arguing and beliefs about what important others think about arguing. This study applied TORA to the prediction of persons’ intentions to argue on the topic of free condom distribution. Trait argumentativeness was found to mediate normative influences on intentions. The subjective norm as a predictor of intentions differed across levels of argumentativeness. Ego‐involvement was found to be the overall most important determinant of argumentative intentions across argumentative levels. Finally, extrinsic religious orientation affected attitudes in normative beliefs about arguing the issue.

Jealousy and Self-Esteem:

Recent studies have been inconsistent in establishing a significant relationship between jealousy and low self-esteem. The present study provides more evidence about the nature of that relationship by testing differences between correlation coefficients computed separately for 102 women and 90 men. Analysis indicated a significant inverse relationship for the women, the men, and for the pooled sample.

Locus of control and personal constructs in students’ reactions to teacher compliance attempts: A reassessment

This study reassessed the conceptual basis, analysis, and interpretation of a recent study by Stewart, Kearney, and Plax (1985). Based on implicit personality theory, the personal constructs of internally and externally oriented students were thought to differ. These constructs were expected to engender different perceptions of teachers’ use of behavior alteration techniques (BATs) in the classroom. Students with an external locus of control perceived more frequent BAT use by teachers than did internally oriented students. Moreover, perceptions by externally oriented students deviated from the norm (moderates’ perceptions) more frequently than did the perceptions by internally oriented students.

Perceptions of a speaker's initial credibility as a function of religious involvement and religious disclosiveness

It is argued that religious attributes of a speaker should have bearing on audience reactions to the source. Analyses confirmed the assumption that religious involvement (defined as being a regular churchgoer) and religious disclosure (defined as being willing to openly express religious views in public) would enhance perceptions of a speakers character. Furthermore, religious disclosure, but not religious involvement, was found to be a significant contributor to perceived competence, but considerably less so than manipulated expertise. No interaction effects obtained. However, respondents’ involvement on the speakers topic also had significant effects on each measure of credibility, parallel to the other main effects. Results are discussed in terms of a “booster”; effect for religious attributes of a speaker, and implications are drawn to research on persuasion.

A model of instructional communication as a framework for analyzing and interpreting student ratings of instruction

This study applied the Instructional Communication Model (Richmond & Gorham, 1992) to an analysis of student ratings of instruction (SRIs). Based on the model and the available SRI instrument, analyses focused on the relationship between the teacher and content components of the model, reflected respectively by instructor effectiveness and course quality SRI items. Data were drawn from actual application of SRIs in a Department of Communication Studies. Inter‐item correlations showed global ratings in each factor were best predicted by specific rating items in the same factor. There was a slight tendency for some specific items in the instructor effectiveness set to be as well associated with global course ratings as were some of the specific course quality items. Multiple correlations revealed that the best combined set of items for estimating global instructor effectiveness contained global course quality as the primary contributor. Findings are discussed in terms of the model of instructional communica...

Temporal effects of leadership style on state communication anxiety in small task‐oriented groups

Little research has been directed toward the relationship between leadership style and communication apprehension. This study focused on the relationship between leadership style in task‐oriented small groups and state communication anxiety. Two research questions were posed. First, does state communication anxiety vary as a function of leadership style in task‐oriented small groups? Second, does this relationship vary over time? Results of the study indicated that leadership style does affect levels of state anxiety in task‐oriented small groups. In addition, levels of state anxiety were generally found to decrease over time. The relationship between leadership style and state anxiety did not appear to vary as a function of time.