Explores a new concept, listening fidelity, and a procedure for measurement. Defines listening fidelity as the degree of congruence between the cognitions of a listener and the cognitions of a source following a communication event. Finds sufficient support for the concept of listening fidelity to be considered a meaningful variable that merits…

Contends that communication apprehension represents individuals' expression of inborn, biological functioning, antecedent to social experience and therefore independent of social learning processes. Presents a temperament-based conceptualization of communication apprehension; integrates neurologically-based temperament functions into three…

Discusses four studies investigating how affective orientation (AO) relates to other communication constructs and behavior: (1) the development of the AO measure; (2) assessment of construct validity; (3) association with communication production; and (4) ways high versus low affectively oriented communicators differ in their recall and…

Tested public speaking anxiety of university students at the beginning and end of the semester. Treated one group with skills training, visualization, and Communication-Orientation therapy; another received skills training and visualization; another received only skills training; fourth group served as control. Found that the 2 groups receiving…

Tests whether trainers using the book "Coping with Speech Anxiety" as a resource would be able to construct workshops as effective in reducing public speaking anxiety as people trained to conduct systematic desensitization workshops. Indicates that both workshops were more effective in reducing public speaking apprehension than control conditions…

Investigates the effect of reticence on college students' use of electronic mail to communication with faculty. Notes the difference in the frequency of using electronic mail by reticent and non-reticent students. Considers how reticent students prefer to use electronic mail over speaking to faculty at their offices. (SG)

A study tested a delivery skills method of instruction for reducing public speaking anxiety. Subjects were 59 male and 71 female undergraduates (ranging in age from 17-49) enrolled in a basic public speaking course at a midwestern university during the 1986-87 academic year. The Personal Report of Public Speaking Apprehension (PRPSA) which…

Presents a brief theoretical and methodological statement of developmental communication. Reviews developmental work in the general discipline of communication. Reviews several of the major research traditions within instructional communication and proposes how these traditions can be positively influenced by the developmental point of view. (SR)

Communication apprehension (CA) refers to a family of related terms: (a) reticence, (b) shyness, (c) unwillingness to communicate; and (d) stage fright. One pervasive but not totally substantiated assumption in current literature is the relationship between the level of communication apprehension and the level of communication skill demonstrated…

This paper focuses on the use of emotional memory skills to reduce communication apprehension, pioneered as a new cognitive intervention treatment called "The Imaging System for Public Speaking" (Keaten et al, 1994). The paper briefly explains other cognitive intervention strategies commonly used, including rational-emotive therapy,…

A study examined intervention activities for students identified as having high communication anxiety (CA). The study utilized 2 group interventions. Of 61 students in an introductory speech class invited to participate, the 8 who accepted were divided into 2 groups of 4. The groups met for 5 weeks. Group 1, facilitated by a female counseling…