Publication Date

5-1980

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Carley Dodd

Degree Program

Department of Communication

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

Based upon limited findings dealing with nonverbal behavior and personality traits as they relate to communication apprehension, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship of communication apprehension with proxemic establishment, self-esteem, and dogmatism. The study analyzed these variables utilizing subjects who were statistically either high or low communication apprehensives. Interesting results were attained. An inverse relationship between apprehension and proxemic establishment was revealed, such that dyads containing low-low members established greater interpersonal distance than dyads containing high-low members who established greater interpersonal distance than dyads containing high-high members. Communication apprehension overrode the sex variable with relation to spatial usage. Subjects high in self-esteem were low in communication apprehension, while subjects low in self-esteem were high in communication apprehension, thus indicating a negative or inverse relationship. Finally, subjects high in apprehension were high in dogmatism while those low in apprehension were low in dogmatism.

Implications of the study are of interest to both researchers and those instructors who teach communications. The need for further research with regard to these variables is most apparent.

Disciplines

Communication | Interpersonal and Small Group Communication | Psychology

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