The concepts of credibility, attraction, power, and "homophily" (degree to which source and receiver are similar in certain attributes) have been investigated as independent and unrelated variables in the communication process. The authors seek to establish the relationship of these variables as subdivisions of the overriding concept…

Discusses decisions that researchers must make in their application of factor analysis to data related to communication phenomena. Offers several suggestions to aid researchers in reaching appropriate decisions. (JMF)

A study by Malcolm R. Parks reported in "Communication Monographs" called into question the cross-situational validity of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension (PRCA). Park's study, however, is flawed in many ways. He does not provide an adequate definition of "situation." Both the type of factor analysis he chose…

Communication competence has been approached primarily from three perspectives in the communication literature: (1) as cognitive understanding of communication, (2) as a capability of performing certain communication skills, and (3) as achieving effective communication. Most scholars who write about communication competence view competence either…

Current conceptualizations of the construct of "communication competence" are examined in this paper and are found to be problematic. The paper argues that "communication competence" must be distinguished from "communication performance" and sees neither as a reliable predictor of the other. The paper suggests that both research and pedagogy must…

Finds that compulsive communication has low positive relationships with assertiveness, willingness to communicate, self-perceived communication competence, and neuroticism; low negative relationships with introversion and communication apprehension; and moderately high negative correlation with self-reports of behavioral shyness. Suggests that…

Delineates a metatheoretic rationale for a biologically based theory of verbal aggressiveness. Integrates neurobiological principles into the concept of verbal aggressiveness. Presents a working model, and addresses the implications of this theoretical position. (SR)

Discusses the development of several self-report measures of communication apprehension; included are lists of the test items employed. (SW)

Finds that self-reported satisfaction as a member of a marital dyad was (1) positively related to the spouse's use of a more co-active style of communication and decision-making, and to the spouse's communication of referent power; and (2) negatively related to the spouse's communication of coercive power and use of reward power. (SR)

Examines the means of and correlations between perceptions of willingness to communicate, communication apprehension, communication competence, and introversion of college students in the United States and Sweden. Results indicate that the monocultural research on this topic in the United States has limited generalizability. (SR)

Develops two scales based on the conceptualization of intercultural communication apprehension as the fear or anxiety associated with either real or anticipated interaction with people of different groups. States scales consisted of 16 items administered to 396 undergraduate student participants. Reveals a unidimensional factor structure and high…

Results of this preliminary study of college students indicate that (1) the dropout pattern for high communication apprehensives is more severe than that for low communication apprehensives and (2) high communication apprehensives achieve lower grade point averages than do low communication apprehensives. (PD)

Reviews research involving the definition and measurement of the source credibility construct and reports on a new study. Argues that future factor analytic studies of source credibility would serve no useful purpose, that the historical definitions of the construct should be retained, and that satisfactory measures already exist. (PD)

Two studies were conducted to determine the degree to which various types of power were employed in the classroom and the effects of each type on both cognitive and affective learning. The primary focus of the first study was to determine the degree to which teachers and students shared perceptions of the use of power in the classroom. Power was…

Examines the relationship between H. Eysenck's personality dimensions (extraversion, neuroticsm, and psychoticism) and communication variables, in three separate studies encompassing more than a dozen communication variables. Finds consistent patterns across the three studies. (SR)