Assesses the construct and concurrent validity of the Reticence Scale, a 24-item self-report measure. Compares it to other established measures and to open-ended responses to a set of questions. Finds satisfactory support for its construct and concurrent validity. Finds high correlations between dimensions of the Reticence Scale and the open-ended…

Analyzes communication apprehension, as operationalized in the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, as an example that questions the boundaries of business communications and may constitute a banner for it. Examines the application of the report to a specific context. (HB)

A study examined whether students in synchronous distance education settings experience anxiety, reluctance, and frustration (i.e., communication apprehension) when using technologies to interact and, if so, what factors (e.g., prior experience with technology) might function to attenuate such negative reactions. Measures of traitlike- and…

The rise of distance education classrooms in colleges and universities call for attention to the difference in communicative strategies need from a regular classroom. This study examined the concept of classroom communication apprehension (CCA) and the distance classroom. Ninety-two students from three different classes participated in this study.…

Evidence suggests that individual difference measures of personality are limited in their ability to predict cross-situational behavior. This limitation has applied to measures of communication-bound anxiety that have generally been developed as unidimensional instruments. A study explored whether a measurement approach based on individual and…

An exploratory study sought to gain more information about the initial interactions of newly arrived international students on United States campuses--how new international students described their feelings of uncertainty before leaving their home countries and how these uncertainties impacted their interpretations of their initial interactions.…

Noting that many university speech students suffer from communication apprehension (CA) and must face the fear and anxiety of performance in front of the class, a study examined the effectiveness of group discussion, interpersonal communication, public speaking, and small group activities and interactions in reducing CA. Subjects, 57 students,…

A poetry unit was developed for a practicum project in a regular eighth-grade English class to improve student participation and to decrease speech anxiety for students. Methods employed within this unit included the use of clarity and structure, classroom environment, student-chosen seating, praise and success, small group activities, share time,…