BCCA Contents & Abstracts, Volume 24, 2012
Stephen K. Hunt, Editor
Joseph P. Mazer, Associate Editor
Kirby Q. Radomski, Graduate Assistant
ISBN 978-0-89641-508-9E-mail americanpress@flash.net to order PDFs of any article.
Jones, Adam C., Paul Schrodt — Students' Attributions of Instructor Credibility as a Function of Instructors' Out-of-Class Support — This investigation examined the impact that instructor out-of-class support (OCS) and sex differences have on students’ perceptions of instructor credibility. Participants (N = 634) were randomly assigned to one of six experimental conditions manipulating the degree to which an instructor responds with a highly supportive, moderately supportive, or non-supportive message following a hypothetically stressful situation. (1-39)
Hodis, Georgeta M., Flaviu A. Hodis — Trends in Communicative Self-Efficacy: A Comparative Analysis— This study integrates findings from the motivation-achievement and communication literature to underline the salient role that (communicative) self-efficacy beliefs play in academic settings. (40-80)
Sidelinger, Robert J., Brandi N. Frisby, Audra L. McMullen, Jennifer Heisler—Developing Student-to-Student Connectedness: An Examination of Instructors' Humor, Nonverbal Immediacy, and Self-Disclosure in Public Speaking Courses — Students often do not look forward to enrolling in public speaking courses, and therefore, it is warranted to examine opportunities to develop a supportive peer communication climate in what is typically seen as an anxiety-inducing course. The present study collected data at three points in a semester (first day, mid-semester, and end-semester) to determine if initial perceptions of student-to-student connectedness and instructors’ communication behaviors (humor, nonverbal immediacy, and self-disclosure) lead to positive increases in student-to-student connectedness over the course of a semester in public speaking classes. (81-121)
Dwyer, Karen Kangas, Marlina M. Davidson — Speech Center Support Services, the Basic Course, and Oral Communication Assessment — This study examines the role a speech center plays in supporting university-wide oral communication assessment. Specifically, this study queries student usage of speech center support services and perceived changes in public speaking anxiety, public speaking confidence, and public speaking skills. (122-150)
Nelson, C. Leigh, Toni S. Whitfield, Michelle Moreau — I Need Help: Help Seeking Behaviors, Communication Anxiety, and Communication Center Usage — A web-based survey of 357 respondents enrolled in basic communication courses was conducted to examine communication center usage, communication apprehension, and help seeking behaviors. (151-188)
Kinnick, Katherine N., Emily Holler — Conflicting Advice on Oral Citations in Top Public Speaking Texts — Learning to develop and deliver effective oral citations is an important speechmaking skill that helps to enhance the credibility of the speaker, the persuasiveness of the source, and reduce unintentional plagiarism. A content analysis of oral citation guidelines in the most widely-used public speaking textbooks reveals that they take different approaches to the topic of oral citations. (189-223)
Majocha, Kristen Lynn—Driveway Moments: Developing Syllabi According to Kenneth Burke — Kenneth Burke refers to the fulfilling of our desires, the desire for the conclusion, as an “appetite” that humans have for form (Burke, 1931). Songs have form, movies have form, literature has form. As teachers of the Basic Communication Course, we should recognize this appetite for form and incorporate form into our syllabi. (224-253)