Sara LaBelle

The Role of Direct-to-Consumer Pharmaceutical Advertisements and Individual Differences in Getting People to Talk to Physicians

In this study, 384 respondents provided quantitative and descriptive information about direct-to-consumer (DTC) pharmaceutical advertisements and factors related to message reception and drug adoption. The authors applied M. Booth-Butterfields (2008) Standard Model to explain how DTC advertising is used in getting individuals to talk to their doctors about pharmaceutical drugs. The researchers predicted that individuals who talked with their physicians about a pharmaceutical drug (referred to as talkers) would differ from those who did not talk with their physicians (referred to as nontalkers) in a number of meaningful ways. Findings from this data set indicate that individuals who talked with their physician about a specific medication were more likely to be female, older, higher in need for cognition, and reported higher physician satisfaction. Total number of channels (TV, radio, newspaper, magazines, and the Internet) was negatively associated with talking to a physician about a specific medication, as was exposure to DTC advertisement on television. The authors offer explanations for these findings along with descriptive accounts of how talkers and nontalkers differed in their recall of DTC advertisement information.

Attribution Theory in the College Classroom: Examining the Relationship of Student Attributions and Instructional Dissent

This study sought to expand knowledge on instructional dissent by establishing the relationship between student attributions of instructor behavior (attribution theory) and their own communicative behavior following a difference of opinion with an instructor. Student participants (N = 244) completed survey questionnaires regarding their perceptions of instructors internality for a perceived disagreement and their own communicative behavior following the incident (i.e., expressive, rhetorical, or vengeful dissent). Results indicate that students’ attributions of internality are positively related to all three forms of dissent.

Attitudes toward Profoundly Hearing Impaired and Deaf Individuals: Links with Intergroup Anxiety, Social Dominance Orientation, and Contact

For the 54 million Americans living with disabilities, negative attitudes foster biased communication and barriers to social, political, and economic integration. Using self-reports of hearing-abled individuals (N = 234), this study takes an intergroup approach to explore factors surrounding attitudes toward communicative interactions with profoundly hearing impaired and deaf individuals (PHIDIs). Findings confirm the intergroup contact hypothesis (Allport, 1954) in this particular context while introducing social dominance as a construct of great utility to intergroup theorizing. Attitudes were less negative for hearing individuals with less intergroup anxiety, lower social dominance orientation, and more communication contact with profoundly hearing impaired/deaf individuals. Finally, differences among communication, cognition, and attitudes were assessed in terms of biological sex and the decision to enroll in a Manual Communication course. The results of these analyses indicate that males are higher in social dominance orientation, and that females and individuals enrolled in Manual Communication courses have more positive attitudes toward PHIDIs.

What do college students want? A prioritization of instructional behaviors and characteristics

ABSTRACT Guided by Rhetorical and Relational Goals Theory, this study examined college students’ preferences for effective teaching behaviors and characteristics. Students (n = 209) articulated qualities in their ideal instructor by prioritizing 10 instructional behaviors and characteristics from the rhetorical and relational traditions (assertive, responsive, clear, relevant, competent, trustworthy, caring, immediate, humorous, disclosure). When forced to prioritize, students preferred teacher clarity, competence, and relevance from their instructors, while self-disclosure and immediacy were considered to be luxury behaviors rather than necessities. Lastly, academic entitlement significantly influenced students’ prioritization of effective instructional behaviors.

Student-to-Student Confirmation in the College Classroom: An Initial Investigation of the Dimensions and Outcomes of Students' Confirming Messages.

The current study sought to determine dimensions of student-to-student confirmation. Results of open-ended surveys revealed that students confirm one another in unique ways based on the setting of their relationship (the classroom). Findings revealed three dimensions of student-to-student confirmation (acknowledgment, assistance, and individual attention) each of which has two subdimensions. Factors determining the use of confirmation and the self-reported outcomes were also examined. Notably, traditional instructional communication outcomes (affective learning, cognitive learning, motivation) emerged from the data regarding the perceived effect confirmation has on the student experience.

An examination of teacher authenticity in the college classroom

ABSTRACT This study sought to generate a more robust understanding of teacher (in)authenticity. In other contexts, authenticity is regarded as a display of true self and has been positively linked to beneficial psychological (e.g., increased self-esteem) and social outcomes (e.g., higher relational satisfaction). However, what it means to be authentic in relational contexts may be very different from what it means to be authentic in teaching. Indeed, the concept of authentic teaching has been discussed by many, but has yet to be examined from a social science perspective. Using a grounded theory approach, this study sought to determine student perceptions of both authentic and inauthentic teacher behavior and communication. Open-ended data from 297 college students indicate that there are distinct behaviors employed by (in)authentic teachers. Results indicated that authentic teaching is perceived when teachers are viewed as approachable, passionate, attentive, capable, and knowledgeable. Alternatively inauthentic teaching is observed when teachers are perceived as unapproachable, lacking passion, inattentive, incapable, and disrespectful. Notably, these behaviors are often demonstrated through distinct actions taken by teachers that are often examined within the larger instructional communication literature (e.g., self-disclosure). Practically, these results allude to the notion that (in)authentic teaching can have a meaningful impact on students.

Attachment, Identity Gaps, and Communication and Relational Outcomes in Marital Couples’ Public Performances

Marital couples’ public performances require the joint communication of two individuals to present a unique entity—the relationship, while remaining true to each partner’s identity. As such, couples are at a greater risk of experiencing identity gaps and their adverse effects. In this study, 153 married couples completed measures about their attachment, personal-enacted and couple-enacted identity gaps, their degrees of communication satisfaction, feelings of being understood, relational satisfaction, and commitment. Results revealed several actor and partner effects for husbands and wives’ attachment with identity gap experiences. Partner effects were also found for identity gaps with communication satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and commitment supporting the communicative nature of identity gaps. Ultimately, identity gaps appear to affect husbands and wives’ sense of “we-ness” surrounding public performances.

“Who Am I to Say Something?”: College Students’ Perceptions of Peer Interventions in the Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants

The purpose of this study was to examine college students’ perceptions of a peer intervention to prevent or reduce the nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NPS) on college campuses. A semi-structured moderator guide was used to discuss college students’ perceptions of their barriers and efficacy in intervening on behalf of their friends, as well as the expected outcomes of such an intervention. Rich discussions of both the hesitations and motivations for engaging in this behavior were had with the 46 participants in the study across five one-hour focus group sessions. Participant narratives surrounding this phenomenon revealed that they perceive a number of barriers to intervening as well as a series of conditions for intervening, accompanied by a low sense of efficacy for such an intervention. The results of these discussions are discussed in terms of their theoretical and practical implications.

Humorous Communication and Its Effectiveness in Coping With Interpersonal Transgressions

Interpersonal transgressions can have a profoundly negative impact on individuals in relationships, as well as on the relationship itself. The transactional model of emotion and coping was used to investigate the intra- and interpersonal benefits of humor enactment on relationship satisfaction following an interpersonal transgression. One hundred twenty-seven participants (44.1% were men) completed measures assessing the relationship of humor orientation (HO), 2 indicators of coping effectiveness, relationship satisfaction, and degree of emotional hurt caused by the transgression. Although results do not provide full support for the mediation of coping effectiveness, there is support for the influence of trait HO on coping with interpersonal transgressions and subsequent relational satisfaction in that HO was positively related to general coping efficacy and perceived situation-specific humor coping effectiveness.

College Students’ Intent to Intervene when a Peer is Engaging in Nonmedical Use of Prescription Stimulants: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior

ABSTRACT Background: This study examined college students’ communication surrounding nonmedical use of prescription stimulants (NPS). Objective: Using a hypothetical scenario, the researchers employed the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to investigate the relationship of students’ attitudes, perceived subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control with their intent to intervene on behalf of a friend who is engaging in NPS. Methods: College students (N = 163) at a small, Southwestern university in the United States completed anonymous web- based surveys, reporting on their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention in the Spring of 2015. Self-reports of perceived knowledge of prescription stimulants were also collected as a control variable. Results: Results of structural equation modeling support the utility of TPB in this context; participants’ attitudes and subjective norms were significant predictors of behavioral intent. Perceived behavioral control was not a significant predictor. Conclusions and Importance: Based on these findings, several recommendations are offered for both researchers and practitioners who might consider a bystander intervention to address the growing NPS epidemic on college campuses.