Shawn T. Wahl

The Relationship Between Perceived Instructor Aggressive Communication and College Student Involvement

This study investigated the link between college students’ perceptions of instructors’ aggressive communication and students’ involvement in and out of the classroom. Participants were 218 students enrolled in introductory communication courses. Results indicated that students’ reports of instructor argumentativeness were not positively associated with their motives to communicate, question asking, overt information seeking, interaction involvement, or out-of-class communication. Students’ reports of instructor verbal aggressiveness were negatively associated with their use of the relational, participatory, and functional motives to communicate as well as question asking, overt information seeking, interaction involvement, and out-of-class communication. Future research should consider the role students’ aggressive communication plays in their perceptions of their instructors, learning outcomes, and perceptions of the learning environment.

The Influence of Computer-Mediated Word-of-Mouth Communication on Student Perceptions of Instructors and Attitudes Toward Learning Course Content

The purpose of this study was to experimentally test the influence of computer-mediated word-of-mouth communication (WOM) on student perceptions of instructors (attractiveness and credibility) and on student attitudes toward learning course content (affective learning and state motivation). It was hypothesized that students who receive positive computer-mediated WOM about an instructor would perceive the instructor as more credible and attractive than students who receive no information or negative information. It was further hypothesized that students who receive positive computer-mediated WOM about an instructor would report greater levels of affective learning and state motivation to learn than students who receive no information or negative information. All hypotheses were supported. Results are discussed in light of the heuristic–systematic processing model, and the implications for instructional communication are addressed.