ERIC ED379694: An Investigation of Trait, Context and State Communication Apprehension between Freshmen and Sophomore College Students in England.

19 Pages·1994·0.33 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CS 508 811
ED 379 694
McDowell, Earl E.; McEwan, Tom
AUTHOR
An Investigation of Trait, Context and State
TITLE
Communication Apprehension between Freshmen and
Sophomore College Students in England.
PUB DATE
[94]
NOTE
19p.
Research/Technical (143)
PUB TYPE
Reports
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*College Freshmen; *College Sophomores;
DESCRIPTORS
*Communication (Thought Transfer); *Communication
Apprehension; Communication Research; Comparative
Analysis; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Speech
Communication
England; University of Portsmouth Poly Inst
IDENTIFIERS
(England)
ABSTRACT
A, study involving 108 freshmen and 109 sophomores
enrolled in business communication classes at Portsmouth Polytechnic
(1) Will there
Institute in England examined the following questions:
be significant differences between the means of freshmen and
sophomores from England in rating trait-CA (communication
apprehension), context-CA, and state-CA variables? (2) Will there be
significant differences between the mean of biological gender groups
and among the means of psychological gender groups, or interaction
effects between the independent variables in rating context-CA
variables, trait-CA variables, and state-CA variables?; and (3) What
state-CA
are the relationships among trait-CA, context-CA and
variables for freshman students and sophomore students? Results
indicated that significant differences occurred between freshman and
sophomore groups for two context variables--dyadic and small group.
Significant differences also occurred for the trait-CA variables. An
examination of the means revealed that sophomores experience dyadic,
small group, and trait-CA significantly more frequently than
freshmen. No significant differences occurred between year groups on
indicate
Form State scores. An interpretation of the results seems to
the
that sophomore students are significantly more apprehensive on
variables. (Contains six tables of data and 10 references.)
(TB)
***********************************************************************
*
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
*
from the original document.
***********************************************************************
AN INVESTIGATION OF TRAIT, CONTEXT AND STATE
COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION BETWEEN
FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORE COLLEGE
STUDENTS IN ENGLAND
BY
Earl E. McDowell
University of Minnesota
Department of Rhetoric
325 Haecker Hall
St. Paul, MN
55108
and
Torn McEwan
University of Portsmouth
Portsmouth Business School
Milton Sthsea, Hants.
PO48JF
United Kingdom
con'
BM
1AVAII ARE
US DEPAR1MENTOFEDUCATION
r4,-
,
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS
CENTER IERICI
MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY
document has been reproduced as
)k This
received from the person or organization
originatIng it
Minor rhangos have been made to
improve reprodiir Iron quality
Points of wow or opinions staled in this
1
documont do not necest,atily represent
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
ollir 1,11 OF RI position or poll( y
INFORMATION CENTER (ERR"):
ABSTRACT
The results of this study indicate that significant differences occurred
between freshman and sophomore groups on two context variables-
dyadic and small group communication. Sophomores experience
dyadic, small group and trait-CA significantly more frequently than
freshmen. The correlational results indicate that significant
relationships exist among context variables, between context
The magnitude of the relationships,as well as
variables and Trait-CA.
other results will be discussed in this paper.
J
1
published
(1983) found 876
Research by Payne and Richmond
communication
topics related to
articles and convention papers on
hundred studies
During the past decade several
apprehension (CA).
students at
determine differences among
have been completed to
professions,
levels, among adults of various
different educational
Most studies
and among cultural groups.
between gender groups,
while other deal
of apprehension state anxiety,
focus on the level
with context-CA.
indicated that the latest
Booth-Butterfield and Gould (1986)
conceptual and
created a rich, new source of
evolution of CA has
have increased
addition, the conceptual tools
In
empirical analysis.
based anxiety
(1970) original definition, "broadly
from McCroskey's
trait, contexts,
include state,
related' to oral communication", to
and Gould's
situational factors. Booth-Butterfield
person-group and
of trait-CA,
with the conceptual aspects
primary concern was
context-CA are seen as
state-CA. That is trait-CA and
context-CA, and
predisposition to
personality orientations or
relatively enduring,
setting.
specific communication
communication in general, or a
context-CA explains a
concluded that the
Booth-Butterfield and Gould
of
and that the level
of the state-CA variance
minimum of 50 percent
Booth-Butterfield (1988)
closely with context,
fear of anxiety varies
anxiety and avoidance
strongly influences
also indicated that context
low and high CA
reduced reported anxiety for
and that motivation
focuses on the
situations. In contrast, state-CA
students in specific
communication
of a person to any
"here-and-now" anxiety responses
situation.
4
2
completed. For
have been
international studies
Several
States
that United
(1979) concluded
and Cambra
example, Klopf
than Australian
the PRCA
significantly higher on
students scored
Lindbergs (1981)
McDowell, Pullman and
students. McDowell,
college
existed between
significant differences
concluded that no
and that
United States
Australia and the
students from
fall into
from each country
of the students
approximately 20 percent
apprehensive category.
the high
and
used Booth-Butterfield
Mc Ewan (1992)
McDowell and
the
instruments because
communication anxiety
Gould (1986)
situation
communication
frequency and specific
instruments focus on
with a
agreement
than level of
experienced rather
participants have
students from
differences among
to determine
series of statements
indicate
States. The results
and the United
England, Australia,
context-CA,
trait-CA,
males on
apprehensive than
females are more
for each
of the. data
data snooping
variables. Within
and state-CA
that they
Australia report
females from
re.feals that
country
speaking
and public
trait, small group
frequently
experience more
anxiety (p <
.01)
and
from England
that females
results also reveal
The gender
The differences,
than males.
higher CA scores
States have
the United
.05).
smaller (p <
are much
statistically significant,
although
sophomores from
freshmen and
this study is on
The focus of
Specifically the
Institute.
Portsmouth Polytechic
University of
they are
in which
longitudinal study
involved in a
authors are
Although the
level to another.
from one grade
tracking changes
the attrition rate
panel study,
conduct a
plan was to
original research
5
3
1991
in this study, the researchers compare
was too high. Thus,
sophomores.
freshmen with 1991
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
of
differences between the means
1. Will there be significant
in rating trait-CA,
freshmen and sophomores from England
context-CA, and State-CA variables?
of
differences between the mean
2. Will there be significant
the means of psychological
biological gender groups and among
effects between the independent
gender groups, or interaction
trait-CA variable, and
variables in rating context-CA variables,
state-CA variable?
trait-CA, context-CA, and
3. What are the relationships among
and sophomore
state-CA variables for freshmen students
students?
PROCEDURES
This
participated in the study.
Two samples of students
and 109
males and 51 females)
included 108 freshman (57
business
42 females) enrolled in
sophomores (67 males and
Institute in
at Portsmouth Polytechnic
communication classes
England.
Instruments
Inventory were
State and Bern's Sex-Role
Form Trait and Form
freshmen and sophomores.
administered to samples of
6
4
a. Form Trait
measure
Form Trait is composed 21 self-report items that
speaking). Trait-CA
trait-CA, context -CA (dyadic, small group, public
public speaking.
consists of 7 items each for dyadic, small group, and
Each items has a 4-point response scale (1=almost never,
range from
2=sometimes, 3=often, and 4=almost always) Scores can
from 7 to 28.
21 low (CA) to 84 high (CA). Context scores range
indicated the
Research by Booth-Butterfield and Gould (1986)
half=.919, and lambda ranges
following: Cronbach's alpha=.989, split
The reliability estimates for the three context
from .856 to .919.
variables ranger from .654 to .887.
B. Form State
which measure the
In contrast, Form State consists of 20 items
It also consists of a
situation.
anxiety response in any combination
2=somewhat, 3=moderately so,
4-point response scale (1=not at all,
from 20 ( low state anxiety)
and 4=very much so). Scores can range
.912,
reliability estimate revealed: alpha
to 80 (high state
anxiety).
927.
from .865 top
split half=.921, end lambda ranges
.
Bern's Sex-Role Inventory
developed by Bern in
The BemSex-Role Inventory (BSRI) was
items: 20 masculines, 20
1974. The instrument consists of 60
items. Factor analytic
feminine items, and 20 social desirability
each
determine unidimensional items for
techniques were used to
selected for each
this procedure, 20 items were
category. Through
category.
5
me") to
of one ("never true of
The response categories consist
were used
of me"). In this study median scores
seven ("always true
classify a subject as androgynous,
to determine whether to
operational
undifferentiated. The following
masculine, feminine, or
determine psychological gender groups.
definitions were used to
the.
feminine scores above
Androgynous-- both masculine. and
median
median
Masculine--masculine scores above the
median
Feminine--feminine scores above the
feminine scores below
Undifferentiated-- both masculine and
the median.
of the
items were not used as part
The social desii ability
analysis.
Statistical Analysis
of variance,
variance, one-way analysis
Two-way analysis of
the data.
coefficients were completed on
and Pearson correlation
RESULTS
1 through 4, indicated
Tables
The results, reported in
and sophomore
occurred between freshman
significant differences
(p
<
variables--dyadic and small group
groups for two context
trait-CA variables
also occurred for the
.001). Significant differences
revealed that sophomores
An examination of the means
< .001).
(p
more
and trait-CA significantly
experience dyadic, small group,
occurred
No significant differences
frequently that freshmen.
5).
Form State scores (see Table
between year groups on
r
Other results indicate that no significant differences occurred
between freshmen biological and psychological gender groups and no
significant differences occurred between sophomore gender
biological and psychological gender groups
on context-CA variables,
trait-CA variable, and State-CA variable.
The correlation results, reported in Tables 6 and 7, indicate
that significant relationship exist between dyadic-CA and small
groups-CA, dyadic-CA and public speaking-CA, dyadic-CA and trait-
CA. Likewise, significant relationships also exist Small group-CA and
public speaking-CA and between small group-CA and trait-CA, as
well as public speaking-CA and trait-CA ( p
The magnitude
.001).
<
of the relationships between freshmen students and sophomore
students.
DISCUSSION
The primary purpose of this study was to determine the
differences between years in college groups, biological gender
groups, and psychological gender groups on context-CA variables,
trait-CA variable and state-CA variable. An interpretation of the
results seems to indicate that sophomore students are significantly
more apprehensive on the variables. Data snooping reveals that
when members of the sophomore groups were freshmen they were
less apprehensive than when they were sophomores.
Previous
research does not support these findings. In fact, there does not
appear to be any logical reasoning for these findings. Perhaps
interviewing a sample of the sophomore sample would provide
insight into the reasoning for these findings.
7
Post hoc analyses were completed to determine
the
would be classified as
percentages of freshmen and sophomores that
When using one
high apprehensives for the dependent variables.
into the high
standard deviation above the mean to classify subjects
apprehensive group for each variable, the results indicate
apprehensives on the
36 percent of sophomores are classified as high
freshmen are classified as
trait -CA variable, while only 22 percent of
state-CA
high apprehensives. Similar results occurred for the
for freshmen).
variable (34 percent for sophomores and 21 percent
significant
The results for gender groups reveals that no
and
differences occurred between biolOgical gender groups
variances seem
psychological gender groups. The high within group
and psychological gender are not good
to indicate that biological
Theses findings, however, are somewhat
discriminating variables.
Andersen, and Garrison
surprising as previous research by Andersen,
show more
(1978) concluded that females have been found to
McDowell, McDowell,
communication anxiety, than males. Likewise,
determined that
Hyerdahl, and Steil (1978) and McDowell (1988)
found to be more
highly feminine subjects of either sex have
subjects.
apprehensive than either androgynous or masculine
results reported by
The correlational results are similar to the
and McDowell and Mc Ewan
Booth-Butterfield and Gould (1986)
of the variance,
(1992). Trait-CA account for more than 50 percent
state-CA accounts for less than 5 percent
Unlike previous research
of the variance.
significant
Overall the results of the this study indicate that a
students frequently experience apprehension.
percentage of college