The purpose of this study was to experimentally test the influence of computer-mediated word-of-mouth communication (WOM) on student perceptions of instructors (attractiveness and credibility) and on student attitudes toward learning course content (affective learning and state motivation). It was hypothesized that students who receive positive…

Applying theories of cultural dimensions, teacher credibility, and nonverbal immediacy, this chapter explores classroom management techniques used by Asian female teachers to establish credibility. (Contains 1 note.)

There has been considerable research regarding the extent to which psychometric sound assessments sometimes yield individual score estimates that are inconsistent with the response patterns of the individual. It has been suggested that individual response patterns may differ from expectations for a number of reasons, including subject motivation,…

Frequent use of credibility phrases such as "to be perfectly honest" and "frankly speaking" may lend credence to the description of this era as being the Age of Disbelief. It is not enough that truth is implied in a discussion, it must be made explicit verbally. What do students think when they see headlines that decry fraud,…

A study investigated how the attribution of a problem solution to an individual or group affects the consumer's perception of the solution's quality. Based on the tendency to support group decision-making (Hydra phenomenon) it was predicted that decisions attributed to groups would be perceived as higher in quality than those made by individuals,…

The present study raises serious questions regarding the interpretation of earlier research that has generally indicated that "favorable" personality descriptions are accepted more highly than "unfavorable" personality descriptions. The higher acceptance evidently resulted from the greater base-rate truthfulness existing in the favorable…

Relates a study designed to measure the extent to which trust-destroying communication affects verbal fluency of members in small group discussions. (MH)

A new scale of interpersonal trust for adolescents was constructed using a representative sample of 70 students from a community high school. The hypothesis was tested that disaffected youth compared to the more conventional would show less interpersonal trust. (Author/RC)

Raymond Yeager, director of forensics and professor of speech at Bowling Green State University, has made a major contribution to the field of speech communication. He has been much appreciated as professor, mentor, and friend. Yeager, the personification of the "good man skilled in speaking," is a well-spoken gentleman of principle who…

Responsible editors avoid printing falsehoods, but the public sometimes demands that rumors be covered in the press. One example of such rumors and the way editors deal with them is the "Mutilated Boy." The "Mutilated Boy" rumor has been circulating for decades and involves a brutal attack upon a small boy in a public rest…

This paper focuses on issues of data trustworthiness in praxis-oriented empirical work, research openly committed to the building of a world in which we can all flourish. The central argument is that those exploring the possibilities for a change-enhancing advocacy paradigm for doing empirical research in the human sciences must begin to be more…

Photography editors from three major newspapers and three former presidents of the National Press Photographers Association were surveyed to establish a framework for discussion of ethical questions concerning digital retouching of photographs and its impact on the credibility of photojournalism. Although photographs have been repaired, spliced or…

Continuing an inquiry into what variables explain audience trust in media, a study drew upon two theoretical areas in attitude research to propose a curvilinear relationship between attitude extremity and trust in media--namely that individuals who feel fairly neutral toward an issue and those who report strongly held attitudes see the media as…

A study examined whether public perceptions of media institutions and products are multidimensional and whether the public's image of media matters. Subjects, 512 randomly selected adult residents of Dane County, Wisconsin, were surveyed by telephone. Results revealed that public perceptions of the media are complex, multifaceted, and include more…