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Academic achievement at the cost of ambition: The mixed results of a supportive, interactive environment on socially anxious teenagers
Abstract
Social anxiety impacts functional impairment in several life domains; in children, the most notable effect is a decline in academic performance. Socially anxious children report that communicating with peers and teachers, as well as public speaking are their biggest fears in academic settings. Prior research has shown that these children attribute a lack of academic achievement to difficulties communicating interpersonally or publicly. For apprehensive children, many resources are devoted to interventions at the individual level, with little consideration given to their environment - the classroom. The current study examined the association between communication apprehension, social features of the classroom environment, and academic outcomes - current achievement and future ambitions. Three out of four classroom environmental factors (promoting interaction, promoting respect, and teacher support) buffered the negative effects of communication apprehension on current academic achievement. Interestingly, these same factors increased the negative effects of communication apprehension on future academic ambition (intentions to attend college). Implications for the mixed results of a classroom environment that encourages communication are discussed.
... Communication between student-teacher and student-student in any educational atmosphere is vital and must not be neglected. The capability to communicate confidently and effectively is one of the driving forces of academic and occupational success (Machell et al., 2016). ...
... Communication apprehension has several harmful impacts on students' education (Frymier, 2005;Machell et al., 2016;Morreale et al., 2000). The students are less likely to seek help from tutors or clarify their doubts (Amara, 2018;Shad et al., 2020). ...
... While these impacts not only affect the academic performance of such students (Comadena & Prusank, 1988), their learning and classroom experiences have crippling impacts on their self-esteem, self-concept, and social relationships (Hopf & Colby, 1992;Mahmud, 2014). Not being able to communicate appropriately in class may lead to an experience of not enjoying school and other issues (Machell et al., 2016). It leads them to more stress and anxiety, affecting their mental health and psychological well-being (Agrawal & Krishna, 2021). ...
Classroom communication, especially interpersonal communication skills, is an integral aspect of a successful classroom teaching-learning process. Students with high levels of communication apprehension in classes face serious negative outcomes on intra- and inter-personal relationships and academic performance, leading to an unpleasant schooling experience. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) checklist, we present a systematic review of the characteristics and effectiveness of communication apprehension reduction interventions used for k-12 students in the past 30 years. Five electronic databases were searched for literature from 1992 to January 2022 that returned six studies for the final analyses. Self-modelling, communication mentoring, and speech training were found to be successful interventions in reducing communication apprehension among school students. The majority of interventions focus on public speaking anxiety, and there is a paucity of research in the interventions on CA reduction based on small groups and interpersonal communication among school students. The public speaking interventions were majorly implemented in separate courses, which cannot be incorporated into regular classes by teachers. Findings suggest that there is a need for more intervention studies on communication apprehension at the school level, especially communication at interpersonal and informal levels in regular classrooms, preferably implemented by teachers.
... We study the political ambitions -the political ambitions of students [12], the gender aspect of political ambition [13]. The factors influencing future academic ambition [14], the relationship between ambitions and future social status and earnings [15] and etc. are studied. ...
The article presents the results of a comparative analysis of self-fulfillment strategies in ambitious and unambitious young people. Ambition is understood by us as the desire of a person to become a significant person and to be recognized by other people for their achievements. Self- fulfillment is a person’s empowerment of himself, his personality, his value, this desire for high appreciation and self-esteem, and the behavior corresponding to this desire. Self- fulfillment can be implemented in one of three strategies – constructive, aggressive, or in the rejection of self- fulfillment. We assumed that there would be differences in the representation of self-fulfillment on strategies among ambitious and unambitious young people. The study involved 94 young people aged 18-22 years. The majority of young people consider themselves ambitious or rather ambitious people (70.21%). Less than a third of young people consider themselves to be unambitious or rather unambitious people (29.79%). In ambitious young people, two strategies of self- fulfillment were identified – constructive self-affirmation (60.60%) and rejection of self-affirmation (39.39%). Three strategies were identified among ambitious young people – refusal of self- fulfillment (42.86%), constructive self- fulfillment (42.86%) and aggressive self- fulfillment (14.28%). There were no statistically significant differences in the representation of constructive self- fulfillment and rejection of self- fulfillment in ambitious and unambitious young people. The only difference is that aggressive self- fulfillment is presented unambitious in unholy young people and is not present in ambitious young people.
... Furthermore, they suggest that adolescent initiation of substance use may reflect a consequence of normal variability in the psychological mechanisms through which adolescents pursue desired states. Higgins and others have noted that promotion and prevention each involve tradeoffs and have costs and benefits that are defined in part by the social context in which the individual seeks to attain a personal goal (Higgins et al., 2001;Machell et al., 2016). To appreciate the costs and benefits of individual differences in regulatory focus, it is worth noting that although a strong prevention orientation may contribute to decreased risk for substance use initiation, such an orientation also is associated with vulnerability to anxiety . ...
Background
Substance use is a major risk factor for negative health and functioning outcomes among middle schoolers. The purpose of this study was to assess whether individual differences in the adolescents’ goal orientation are associated with elevated or attenuated risk for substance use. Regulatory focus theory stipulates that individuals vary in their strength of orientation toward promotion goals (“making good things happen”) and prevention goals (“keeping bad things from happening”). Objectives: We sought to examine the association between individual differences in regulatory focus and adolescents’ reports of their own and their friends’ substance use. Methods: Participants were 241 seventh grade students who completed measures of regulatory focus (promotion and prevention orientation), self-reported substance use, perceived substance use habits of peers, and demographics. Logistic regression models were used to examine adjusted odds of lifetime tobacco use, alcohol use, and marijuana use for both participants’ own use and their reports of friends’ use. Results: Prevention orientation was associated with lower odds of all self-reported lifetime substance use outcomes (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana). Prevention orientation was also associated with lower odds of reporting all types of substance use among friends. Promotion orientation was not associated with any self-reported substance use outcome, and was only associated with higher odds of reporting lifetime alcohol use among friends. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of regulatory focus as it relates to adolescent substance use. Future research may seek to incorporate regulatory focus within interventions intended to prevent or delay initiation of substance use in adolescents.
... The ability to imagine how they will handle stressful events in the future is error-prone, resulting in an overestimation of how negative events will be handled, and underestimation of the pleasures of successful coping (Wilson and Gilbert 2003). Such affective forecasts can be expected to fuel pessimism and avoidance of future stressors (Machell et al. 2016). Contrary to the belief of many individuals with SAD, grappling with stressors are often the source of desirable outcomes including, (1) discovering hidden abilities and strengths, and feeling greater confidence to face new challenges, (2) a greater appreciation of life, and (3) an alteration in priorities and philosophies concerning how life should be lived (e.g., Joseph and Linley 2005). ...
Emotion regulation strategies vary widely in use and effectiveness across psychological diagnostic categories. However, little data exists on (1) the use of these strategies in social anxiety disorder (SAD), and (2) how trait measures compare with actual daily use of emotion regulation strategies. We collected trait and daily assessments of emotion suppression, cognitive reappraisal, and positive and negative emotions from 40 adults with SAD and 39 matched healthy controls. Participants with SAD reported greater trait suppression and less cognitive reappraisal than healthy controls, and exhibited this same pattern of emotion regulation in daily life. Participants overall reported worse emotional experiences when suppressing positive (vs. negative) emotions, and better emotional experiences when reappraising to feel more positive (vs. less negative) emotions. However, SAD participants exhibited greater benefits (specifically increased positive emotions) from reappraising to feel less negative than healthy controls. These findings highlight the importance of positive emotion regulation strategies, particularly for individuals with SAD.
The Omani socio-cultural context, the mono-gender educational system in schools, and the learning environment at the higher educational institutions significantly affect learners' self-efficacy and academic achievement in the mixed-gender EFL classroom. Different studies have revealed both positive and negative implications of mixed-gender classrooms, especially for those who came from a mono-gender learning environment. The adjustment phase for the tertiary learners from school to the university is not only crucial but also significant for the continuation of higher education. The effects of socio-cultural factors on self-efficacy and academic achievement have not been studied in depth, particularly in eastern countries. So, the current study aimed at investigating the role of gender, learning background, socio-cultural circumstances, and the effect of the learning environment on EFL learners' self-efficacy and their academic achievement within the scenario of the prevailing culture and traditions in the Dhofar Region. To conduct this study, mixed research methods (qualitative and quantitative) have been adopted to investigate the perceptions of both teachers and learners. The sample of the study consists of 117 EFL learners ranging between 18–22 years of age and 25 EFL teachers ranging between 35–60 years of age. We used separate surveys for students and the teachers and interviewed students and teachers on a random basis. The results demonstrate that both genders were comfortable in segregated classes. The results also reveal that female learners were active learners and better performers than male learners in the school learning environment. The students reported that social restrictions discouraged them from mixing with the opposite gender in classroom activities and oral discussions. Most teachers believe that, compared to male learners, female learners performed better and were more engaged and responsive to different learning situations. The study found that there were statistically significant differences between both genders in terms of the effects of socio-cultural environment, self-efficacy, and the learning environment. Female learners were better than male learners in mono-gender schools, and they have higher self-efficacy than male students at the university. In conclusion, EFL teachers should consider the socio-cultural context, learners' learning background, and other challenges of learners to bring out positive outcomes in a mixed-gender classroom.
The growth and development of any society are affected by the educated force of that society and identifying the factors affecting academic satisfaction and providing them is a step towards sustainable development. The aim of this study was to discover and investigate the factors affecting the academic satisfaction of gifted students. The method of the present study was qualitative using a data-based method and data collection was done through semi-structured interviews. The statistical population of the present study included male and female students of the first high school of talented schools in Tehran in the academic year of 2019-2020. The research sample was selected by cluster sampling and after interviewing 20 students, the effective factors were identified in academic satisfaction. It should be noted that data analysis was performed using three steps of open, axial, and selective coding. Based on the results of the research, open codes around 168 concepts, core codes including 21 concepts, and selective codes in 5 concepts under the headings of school factors, individual factors, family
Different factors such as motivation and self-esteem can affect the students learning activity. Therefore, educational research has shown that motivation is one of the essential factors for the improvement of student performances. Using a person-oriented approach, the present study aimed to determine the motivational profiles (clusters) of students and to compare their academic achievement and academic satisfaction considering these profiles. This study was conducted with a comparative-descriptive method. The participants were 237 middle school students eighth and ninth grade who completed the Achievement Goal Questionnaire and Academic Satisfaction Questionnaire. The criterion for academic achievement was students’ total average in the Last year. The methods of cluster analysis and MANOVA were used for data analysis using SPSS software. Cluster analysis revealed four motivational profiles for the students: 12/7% of the subjects were placed in the without motivation cluster, 35/2% were placed in the triple motivation cluster, 19/6% were placed in the mastery goal orientation- performance goal orientation, and 38% were placed in multiple motivation cluster. The academic achievement and academic satisfaction of without motivation cluster was lower than the other clusters (p<0.001). The findings of this study will help those involved in the field of education make effective attempts by planning helpful educational program, so promote the students’ learning motivations, during the academic years.
Three studies examined the link between adult attachment styles, self-efficacy, and causal attributions for achievement-related failures. Study 1 examined participants' attachment dimensions, global academic self-efficacy, and causal attributional style toward academic failure scripts. Study 2, a longitudinal field-study, measured attachment dimensions, course-specific self-efficacy, and causal attributions for course grades. Study 3 investigated the effects of attachment dimensions on students' causal attributions as a function of the elapsed time since receiving a disappointing grade. The studies demonstrate the relevance of attachment styles to achievement-related self-efficacy and causal attributions. Attachment anxiety was related to low academic self-efficacy and to maladaptive attributions for failure. Attachment avoidance was linked to negative perceptions of lecturer and course and to adaptive causal attributions under failure.
Objective:
The purposes of this study were to examine the effects of school-age children’s ego strength, failure tolerance, and performance anxiety on their school class adjustment, and to model the relation structure of the variables.
Method:
For these purposes, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 562 6th graders.
Results and Conclusion:
The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, ego strength, failure tolerance, and performance anxiety were significantly different according to gender. Second, in male students, ego strength, failure tolerance, and performance anxiety had a significant direct effect on school class adjustment. In addition, ego strength and failure tolerance had a significant indirect effect on school class adjustment. Third, female students’ paths to school class adjustment were similar to male students’ but the effect of failure tolerance on performance anxiety and the effect of performance anxiety on school class adjustment were not significant. Fourth, in the results of multi-group analysis, the effect path from ego strength to school class adjustment was different between male and female students, and the effect was higher in female students than in male students.
Objective:
The purposes of this study were to examine the effects of school-age children’s ego strength, failure tolerance, and performance anxiety on their school class adjustment, and to model the relation structure of the variables.
Method:
For these purposes, a questionnaire survey was conducted with 562 6th graders.
Results and Conclusion:
The results of this study are summarized as follows. First, ego strength, failure tolerance, and performance anxiety were significantly different according to gender. Second, in male students, ego strength, failure tolerance, and performance anxiety had a significant direct effect on school class adjustment. In addition, ego strength and failure tolerance had a significant indirect effect on school class adjustment. Third, female students’ paths to school class adjustment were similar to male students’ but the effect of failure tolerance on performance anxiety and the effect of performance anxiety on school class adjustment were not significant. Fourth, in the results of multi-group analysis, the effect path from ego strength to school class adjustment was different between male and female students, and the effect was higher in female students than in male students.
The authors investigated how students’ (N = 233) perceptions of the social environment of their eighth-grade classroom related to changes in motivation and engagement when they moved from seventh to eighth grade. In general, prior motivation and engagement were strong predictors of subsequent motivation and engagement, whereas gender, race, and prior achievement were not related to changes in motivation or engagement. A higher-order classroom social environment factor accounted for significant changes in all motivation and engagement outcomes. Four distinct dimensions of the social environment were differentially important in explaining changes in various indices of motivation and engagement. In general, however, students’ perceptions of teacher support, and the teacher as promoting interaction and mutual respect were related to positive changes in their motivation and engagement. Students’ perceptions of the teacher as promoting performance goals were related to negative changes in student motivation and engagement. Implications for recent educational reform initiatives were also discussed.
Despite the increased attention that researchers have paid to social anxiety disorder (SAD), compared with other anxiety and mood disorders, relatively little is known about the emotional and social factors that distinguish individuals who meet diagnostic criteria from those who do not. In this study, participants with and without a diagnosis of SAD (generalized subtype) described their daily face-to-face social interactions for 2 weeks using handheld computers. We hypothesized that, compared with healthy controls, individuals diagnosed with SAD would experience fewer positive emotions, rely more on experiential avoidance (of anxiety), and have greater self-control depletion (feeling mentally and physically exhausted after socializing), after accounting for social anxiety, negative emotions, and feelings of belonging during social interactions. We found that compared with healthy controls, individuals with SAD experienced weaker positive emotions and greater experiential avoidance, but there were no differences in self-control depletion between groups. Moreover, the differences we found could not be attributed to comorbid anxiety or depressive disorders. Our results suggest that negative emotions alone do not fully distinguish normal from pathological social anxiety, and that assessing social anxiety disorder should include impairments in positive emotional experiences and dysfunctional emotion regulation (in the form of experiential avoidance) in social situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).
Research reported by Porter (1981) and Parks (1980) has raised significant reservations concerning the content validity of the items on the early versions of the PRCA. The present study investigated the content validity of the most recent version of the instrument, PRCA‐24. The results of this research indicate that the scores generated by the new instrument are relatively independent of the context‐based content of the items employed and are capable of substantially predicting apprehension in a context not represented directly in the items on the new form.
Self-reported grades are heavily used in research and applied settings because of the importance of grades and the convenience of obtaining self-reports. This study reviews and meta-analytically summarizes the literature on the accuracy of self-reported grades, class ranks, and test scores. Results based on a pairwise sample of 60,926 subjects indicate that self-reported grades are less construct valid than many scholars believe. Furthermore, self-reported grade validity was strongly moderated by actual levels of school performance and cognitive ability. These findings suggest that self-reported grades should be used with caution. Situations in which self-reported grades can be employed more safely are identified, and suggestions for their use in research are discussed.
A meta-analytic approach was used to investigate the associations between
affective qualities of teacher–student relationships (TSRs) and students’
school engagement and achievement. Results were based on 99 studies,
including students from preschool to high school. Separate analyses were
conducted for positive relationships and engagement (k = 61 studies, N = 88,417
students), negative relationships and engagement (k = 18, N = 5,847), positive
relationships and achievement (k = 61, N = 52,718), and negative relationships
and achievement (k = 28, N = 18,944). Overall, associations of
both positive and negative relationships with engagement were medium to
large, whereas associations with achievement were small to medium. Some
of these associations were weaker, but still statistically significant, after correction
for methodological biases. Overall, stronger effects were found in the
higher grades. Nevertheless, the effects of negative relationships were stronger
in primary than in secondary school.
The presence of Axis I and Axis II disorders in 71 social phobic patients was examined. Generalized anxiety disorder was the common secondary Axis I disorder, followed by simple phobia. Avoidant personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder were the most common Axis II diagnoses, and 88% of the sample exhibited features of these 2 personality styles. Ss with additional Axis I diagnoses were more anxious and depressed than those with no additional Axis I disorder. Social phobics with additional Axis II disorders were more depressed but not more anxious than those with no Axis II diagnosis. Furthermore, those with an additional Axis I disorder had higher scores on measures of neuroticism, interpersonal sensitivity, and agoraphobia. The prevalence and impact of additional Axis I and II disorders on the etiology, maintenance, and treatment outcome for persons with social phobia are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This research examined whether 5th-grade students' (N = 602) perceptions of the classroom social environment (teacher support, promotion of mutual respect, promotion of task-related interaction, student support) were related to their engagement in the classroom (self-regulation and task-related interaction) and whether those relations were mediated by personal motivational beliefs (mastery goals, academic and social efficacy). Teacher support, promotion of interaction, and student support were related to both types of engagement, and those relations were fully or partially mediated by motivational beliefs. Relations with promoting mutual respect were not significant.
Despite its popularity in the USA, the most common communication apprehension (CA) measurement scale, the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension scale (PRCA-24), has been used in just three studies in Japan. Further, validity analyses have not been reported for Japanese samples. This article attempts to analyze the content validity of the PRCA-24 on Japanese college students. Results indicate that the PRCA-24 may be of use in determining some, but not all, types of CA among Japanese students. Suggestions for future CA research in Japan are offered.
Multilevel modeling is a technique that has numerous potential applications for social and personality psychology. To help realize this potential, this article provides an introduction to multilevel modeling with an emphasis on some of its applications in social and personality psychology. This introduction includes a description of multilevel modeling, a rationale for this technique, and a discussion of applications of multilevel modeling in social and personality psychological research. Some of the subtleties of setting up multilevel analyses and interpreting results are presented, and software options are discussed.
This article presents findings from a meta-analysis of 213 school-based, universal social and emotional learning (SEL) programs involving 270,034 kindergarten through high school students. Compared to controls, SEL participants demonstrated significantly improved social and emotional skills, attitudes, behavior, and academic performance that reflected an 11-percentile-point gain in achievement. School teaching staff successfully conducted SEL programs. The use of 4 recommended practices for developing skills and the presence of implementation problems moderated program outcomes. The findings add to the growing empirical evidence regarding the positive impact of SEL programs. Policy makers, educators, and the public can contribute to healthy development of children by supporting the incorporation of evidence-based SEL programming into standard educational practice.
General self-efficacy is the belief in one's competence to cope with a broad range of stressful or challenging demands, whereas specific self-efficacy is constrained to a particular task at hand. Relations between general self-efficacy and social cognitive variables (intention, implementation intentions, outcome expectancies, and self-regulation), behavior-specific self-efficacy, health behaviors, well-being, and coping strategies were examined among 1,933 respondents in 3 countries: Germany (n = 633), Poland (n = 359), and South Korea (n = 941). Participants were between 16 and 86 years old, and some were dealing with stressful situations such as recovery from myocardial events or tumor surgery. Perceived self-efficacy was measured by means of the General Self-Efficacy Scale (R. Schwarzer & M. Jerusalem, 1995). Meta-analysis was used to determine population effect sizes for four sets of variables. Across countries and samples, there is consistent evidence for associations between perceived self-efficacy and the variables under study confirming the validity of the psychometric scale. General self-efficacy appears to be a universal construct that yields meaningful relations with other psychological constructs.
The association between circadian preference and academic achievement has been assessed through a systematic review and meta-analysis. The literature searches retrieved 1647 studies; 31 studies, with a total sample size of 27 309 participants, fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. With reference to all these 31 studies, before running the meta-analysis, the sign of the correlation between the investigated variables was set in a way that a positive correlation showed that eveningness was related to worse academic performance. The meta-analysis yielded a small overall effect size of 0.143 (CI [0,129; 0,156]) under a fixed effects model (Z = 20.584, p < 0.001, I2 = 72.656; Q = 109.715) and of 0.145 (CI [0.117; 0.172]) under a random effects model (Z = 10.077, p < 0.001). A random effects model with a grouping variable (participants) revealed 15 studies based on school pupils and 16 on university students. The random model showed a higher effect size in school pupils (0.166, CI from 0.127 to 0.206) compared to university students (0.121, CI from 0.080 to 0.163). Self-report measures of grades revealed a stronger effect size (0.171; CI: 0.137 to 0.206; N = 20) compared to objective measures (0.093; CI: 0.047 to 0.140; N = 19). Overall, the present results suggest that evening orientation is associated with a worse academic performance, both in school pupils and university students; for the first time, it has been shown that such relationship changes over time, being weaker in university students.
This short-term longitudinal research examined the relationships among middle school students’ perceptions of school environment, school engagement, and academic achievement. Participants were from a representative, ethnically diverse, urban sample of 1,046 students. The findings supported the theoretical conceptualization of three different, but related, dimensions of school engagement: school participation, sense of identification with school, and use of self-regulation strategies. The results also indicated that students’ perceptions of the distinct dimensions of school environment in seventh grade contribute differentially to the three types of school engagement in eighth grade. Finally, the authors found that students’ perceptions of school environment influenced their academic achievement directly and indirectly through the three types of school engagement. Specifically, students’ perceptions of school characteristics in seventh grade influenced their school participation, identification with school, and use of self-regulation strategies in eighth grade that occur therein and, in turn, influenced students’ academic achievement in eighth grade.
The prevailing conventional wisdom is that it is advisable to mix positively and negatively worded items in psychological measures to counteract acquiescence response bias. However, there has been virtually no unambiguous empirical evidence to support this recommendation. Thus, an experiment was conducted to evaluate the ability of subjects to respond accurately to both positive and reversed (negative) items on a questionnaire. Items from the LBDQ—XII Initiating Structure and Consideration subscales were used to create a written description of a fictitious manager. One hundred-fifty subjects, all upper-division business undergraduates, were given the written managerial description and then asked to complete a questionnaire containing the twenty Initiating Structure and Consideration items. The managerial descriptions were in two forms (to portray high and low Initiating Structure), and the questionnaires contained items in three forms (all positively worded, all negatively worded, and mixed). The data were evaluated using a one-way analysis of variance and post hoc t-tests. Significant differences in response accuracy were found between the item wording conditions. It was concluded that it may not be advisable to employ reversed (negatively-worded) items to control acquiescence response bias, as such changes may actually impair response accuracy.
This paper reviews the research which has employed the PRCA to measure the construct of oral communication apprehension. It is concluded that the PRCA is a reliable and valid measure of that construct.
Simple slopes, regions of significance, and confidence bands are commonly used to evaluate interactions in multiple linear regression (MLR) models, and the use of these techniques has recently been extended to multilevel or hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) and latent curve analysis (LCA). However, conducting these tests and plotting the conditional relations is often a tedious and error-prone task. This article provides an overview of methods used to probe interaction effects and describes a unified collection of freely available online resources that researchers can use to obtain significance tests for simple slopes, compute regions of significance, and obtain confidence bands for simple slopes across the range of the moderator in the MLR, HLM, and LCA contexts. Plotting capabilities are also provided.
This study investigated whether cross‐cultural differences in communication apprehension (CA) can be explained with regard to cultural orientations, personality traits and component theory. To this end, a total of 618 undergraduates, studying in Taiwan (n = 298) and the United States (n = 320), participated in this study. Participants filled out the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension along with Self‐Construal Scale, the Revised NEO Personality Inventory, Fear of Negative Evaluation, and Self‐Perceived Communication Competence scale. The results indicated that Chinese in Taiwan scored significantly higher in communication apprehension than Americans. The influence of culture on CA was mediated by independence self‐construal, neuroticism, extroversion, fear of negative evaluation, and communication competence. The strongest mediating effect was found for self‐perception of communication competence. The implications of these findings were further discussed.
Editors Note: With this issue we inaugurate a new section of HCR devoted to summaries of research and theory in specialised areas within the field of human communication. Papers in this section will he designed to bring research and theory in a given area together so that both specialists and nonspecialists can determine the “state of the art” in that area up to the time the paper is published. Scholars who wish to prepare papers for this section are requested to contact the editor and make their interests known. Generally, papers for this section will be commissioned. However, unsolicited papers will be given full consideration.
The present study tested whether the perceived academic values of a school moderate whether highly curious students thrive
academically. We investigated the interactive effects of curiosity and school quality on academic success for 484 Hong Kong
high school students. Chinese versions of the Curiosity and Exploration Inventory, Subjective Happiness Scale, and Rosenberg
Self-Esteem scales were administered and shown to have acceptable measurement properties. We obtained Hong Kong Certificate
of Education Examination (HKCEE) scores (national achievement tests) from participating schools. Results yielded Trait Curiosity×Perceived
School Quality interactions in predicting HKCEE scores and school grades. Adolescents with greater trait curiosity in more
challenging schools had the greatest academic success; adolescents with greater trait curiosity in less challenging schools
had the least academic success. Findings were not attributable to subjective happiness or self-esteem and alternative models
involving these positive attributes were not supported. Results suggest that the benefits of curiosity are activated by student
beliefs that the school environment supports their values about growth and learning; these benefits can be disabled by perceived
person-environment mismatches.
To investigate the prospective relationships between individuals’ success expectation and task-avoidance, and their academic achievement and satisfaction, 231 students were examined yearly throughout their university careers in Study 1. It was found that students’ success expectation predicted academic achievement and satisfaction; which, in turn, increased their subsequent success expectation. Moreover, task-avoidance predicted low academic achievement and dissatisfaction, which again was predictive of subsequent task-avoidance. In Study 2, the task-avoidant behavior, and pre-examination anxiety, of 198 students who had participated in Study 1 were examined, and compared with their subsequent grades. Students’ dispositional task-avoidance predicted their grades only to the extent to which it was reflected in their task-avoidant behavior. In Study 3, 249 students were investigated to determine their achievement beliefs and strategies, causal attributions, and academic achievement. Students who reported a high level of task-avoidance frequently also referred to a lack of effort after failure, whereas students who reported success expectation often mentioned their abilities as a reason for their success.
To present estimates of the lifetime prevalence of DSM-IV mental disorders with and without severe impairment, their comorbidity across broad classes of disorder, and their sociodemographic correlates.
The National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement NCS-A is a nationally representative face-to-face survey of 10,123 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years in the continental United States. DSM-IV mental disorders were assessed using a modified version of the fully structured World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview.
Anxiety disorders were the most common condition (31.9%), followed by behavior disorders (19.1%), mood disorders (14.3%), and substance use disorders (11.4%), with approximately 40% of participants with one class of disorder also meeting criteria for another class of lifetime disorder. The overall prevalence of disorders with severe impairment and/or distress was 22.2% (11.2% with mood disorders, 8.3% with anxiety disorders, and 9.6% behavior disorders). The median age of onset for disorder classes was earliest for anxiety (6 years), followed by 11 years for behavior, 13 years for mood, and 15 years for substance use disorders.
These findings provide the first prevalence data on a broad range of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents. Approximately one in every four to five youth in the U.S. meets criteria for a mental disorder with severe impairment across their lifetime. The likelihood that common mental disorders in adults first emerge in childhood and adolescence highlights the need for a transition from the common focus on treatment of U.S. youth to that of prevention and early intervention.
A translated version of the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension was administered to 688 students at four Chinese colleges and universities. The data were compared with American norms established by McCroskey in 1982 and with the responses of 177 students at a large state university in Florida. The Chinese sample reported a significantly higher mean score on apprehension about communication than the Americans. The findings were discussed with reference to cultural differences.
Anxiety disorders typically have an age of onset in childhood and adolescence, resulting in significant disability in social and occupational functioning. Epidemiological evidence suggests that persons with psychiatric disorders and perhaps especially social phobia are at increased risk for premature withdrawal from school [Am. J. Psychiatry 157 (2000) 1606]. In order to further determine the impact of anxiety disorders on school functioning and/or premature withdrawal from school, 201 patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for a primary anxiety disorder completed a school leaving questionnaire as well as self-report measures of anxiety, depression, and social adjustment. About 49% (n = 98) reported leaving school prematurely and 24% of those indicated that anxiety was the primary reason for this decision. Patients who had left school prematurely were significantly more likely to have a lifetime diagnosis of generalized social phobia, a past history of alcohol abuse/dependence and a greater number of lifetime diagnoses than those who completed their desired level of education. This study suggests that anxiety disorders, and perhaps especially generalized social phobia, are associated with premature withdrawal from school. Further studies are required to determine methods for early identification and treatment of anxiety disorders in school aged children to enable these students to reach their full potential.
Social phobia is a condition in which anxiety impairs the person's ability to relate to others. Here, we draw on concepts from interpersonal theory to examine the literature on the role of interpersonal processes in creating and maintaining this disorder. Studies that examine interpersonal interactions with significant others and strangers are reviewed. We next consider topics of particular relevance to relationship impairment, such as the effect of anxiety on cognitive processing of social information, and the social developmental pathways to social phobia. The impact of interpersonal factors on the process and outcome of cognitive-behavioral treatment is also discussed. Finally, we identify emerging themes in the research literature and consider directions for future work. Throughout the paper we highlight topics central to the interpersonal perspective, such as the self-perpetuating interpersonal cycle, interpersonal variability in social phobia, and the relational nature of self-related information.
Although well-used and empirically supported, the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) has a questionable factor structure and includes reverse-scored items with questionable utility. Here, using samples of undergraduates and a sample of clients with social anxiety disorder, we extend previous work that opened the question of whether the reverse-scored items belong on the scale. First, we successfully confirmed the factor structure obtained in previous samples. Second, we found the reverse-scored items to show consistently weaker relationships with a variety of comparison measures. Third, we demonstrated that removing the reverse-scored questions generally helps rather than hinders the psychometric performance of the SIAS total score. Fourth, we found that the reverse-scored items show a strong relationship with the normal personality characteristic of extraversion, suggesting that the reverse-scored items may primarily assess extraversion. Given the above results, we suggest investigators consider performing data analyses using only the straightforwardly worded items of the SIAS.
Communication: Apprehension, avoidance, and effectiveness
- V Richmond
- J Mccroskey
Richmond, V., & McCroskey, J. (1985). Communication: Apprehension, avoidance, and
effectiveness. Scottsdale, AZ: Grousch Scazisbrick.
HLM 6: Hierarchical linear and nonlinear modeling
- S W Raudenbush
- A S Bryk
- Y F Cheong
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