Jealousy is considered a source of negative experiences within romantic relationships. However, r... more Jealousy is considered a source of negative experiences within romantic relationships. However, recent research has identified jealousy evocation as a maintenance strategy. Although past research describes how jealousy is communicated, scholars have yet to determine factors that motivate partners to intentionally evoke jealousy. The present study investigates how uncertainty, commitment, and satisfaction predict jealousy-evoking behaviors. Participants included 375 individuals in romantic relationships. Results indicated perceived partner commitment and jealousy-evoking behaviors are inversely related with commitment as the key predictor of jealousy evocation. Framed by Rusbult's investment model, results further advance the notion of jealousy evocation for relational maintenance.
This study investigates how graduate teaching assistants' (GTA) use of behavior alteration te... more This study investigates how graduate teaching assistants' (GTA) use of behavior alteration techniques (BATs) in class influences students' perceptions of their power and credibility. GTAs employ BATs through specific, strategic messages in their classes (Roach, 1991); what is not known is how these messages impact students' perceptions of credibility and power. Results indicate GTAs should be more concerned with establishing credibility via BATs, rather than focusing on power. Recommended BATs are those that communicate trustworthiness and caring. Utilizing a relational power and instructional influence theoretical lens (Mottet, Frymier, & Beebe, 2006), results further demonstrate the damaging effects of gaining compliance via antisocial BATs.
The current study utilizes the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen Organizational Behavior and Huma... more The current study utilizes the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211 Ajzen 1991) to examine an instructor confirmation-interaction model in the instructional communication context to discover a means by which instructors might cultivate positive student attitudes and increase beliefs that interactions with instructors would be beneficial in the future. Specifically, the model examines how teacher confirmation (Ellis 2000) influences students' behavioral intention to communicate with instructors. Surveys were distributed to 343 college students (41.7% male and 58.1% female) in a basic communication course. Results were primarily consistent with the proposed model; teacher confirmation was significantly related to attitudes toward communicating with an instructor, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were also positively related to students' behavioral intention to communicate with the instructor. However, results reveal attitudes toward communicating do not predict students' behavioral intention to communicate with instructors. It is recommended that future models examine a more contemporary, hi-tech representation of attitude toward student-instructor interactions as it may produce a significant association with students' behavioral intent to communicate with them. The study concludes with theoretical and practical implications to examine student classroom communication via the confirmation-interaction model and the theory of planned behavior.
The first encounter between an instructor and his/her student influences the development of their... more The first encounter between an instructor and his/her student influences the development of their mutual relationship. This phenomenon has received little attention in the literature within the context of nursing education. This study explores and describes qualitatively the subjective experience and perceptions of nursing students related to their first encounter with instructors in both classroom and clinical settings. A purposeful sampling method was utilized to select 15 nursing students from a nursing school in Iran to participate in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Data analysis identified three main themes: (a) preexisting expectations, with the four subthemes of socially shared expectations, personal expectations, profession-related expectations, and reputation-directed expectations; (b) student's judgment, with the three subthemes of assessing the instructor, assessing criteria, and good or bad beginning; and (c) future interactions, with the two subthemes of constructive decisions and destructive decisions. The results show that the initial student-instructor encounter is a process in which students rely heavily on preexisting expectations to assess and judge the initial interaction with their instructor. The findings of this study may help nursing instructors in various national and cultural settings increase their awareness of the factors that influence their first encounters with students. Greater awareness may help positively shape student perspectives of the instructor's role and encourage students to collaborate with the instructor in the teaching and learning process in order to create a better outcome for both.
We investigated college students' perceptions of instructor unfairness and their emotional and be... more We investigated college students' perceptions of instructor unfairness and their emotional and behavioral reactions to perceived injustice. Results obtained from 397 undergraduates from three universities in the United States indicate that anger and dissent were the strongest emotional and behavioral responses to injustice. Furthermore, disgust mediated the influence of injustice on student behaviors most damaging to professors-taking action, expressing verbal aggression, and dissenting to authority. Stress mediated the effect of injustice on the most constructive student behaviors-changing their approach and engaging in the class. We discuss the implications of the results of our study for the student-instructor relationship and learning in the contemporary higher education environment.
Effective student-instructor interactions impact the quality of nursing clinical education. There... more Effective student-instructor interactions impact the quality of nursing clinical education. There are a myriad of different factors related to clinical settings that affect these interactions and they have received less attention in nursing studies. Identifying clinical constraints that impact the nursing student-instructor relationships will help nursing instructors to manage clinical learning situations in a more effective manner. The goal of this study was to identify the primary factors that influence the student-instructor interactions within clinical settings. A purposeful sampling strategy was applied to recruit 18 nursing students and instructors to participate in qualitative, semi-structured interviews. In order to identify relevant themes of transcribed interviews, qualitative content analysis was utilized. Data analysis resulted in the development of five main themes that represent essential interaction constraints in clinical contexts. These themes include: outsiders' eyes, dominance of act, close contact, clinical workplaces' disputes, and instability and uncertainty. The results of this study can serve to improve the understanding and practice of international clinical nursing instructors within the clinical education context. The behaviors that emerged were based on clinical constrains and an awareness each can serve to enhance the instructor-student relationship.
Jealousy is considered a source of negative experiences within romantic relationships. However, r... more Jealousy is considered a source of negative experiences within romantic relationships. However, recent research has identified jealousy evocation as a maintenance strategy. Although past research describes how jealousy is communicated, scholars have yet to determine factors that motivate partners to intentionally evoke jealousy. The present study investigates how uncertainty, commitment, and satisfaction predict jealousy-evoking behaviors. Participants included 375 individuals in romantic relationships. Results indicated perceived partner commitment and jealousy-evoking behaviors are inversely related with commitment as the key predictor of jealousy evocation. Framed by Rusbult's investment model, results further advance the notion of jealousy evocation for relational maintenance.
This study investigates how graduate teaching assistants' (GTA) use of behavior alteration te... more This study investigates how graduate teaching assistants' (GTA) use of behavior alteration techniques (BATs) in class influences students' perceptions of their power and credibility. GTAs employ BATs through specific, strategic messages in their classes (Roach, 1991); what is not known is how these messages impact students' perceptions of credibility and power. Results indicate GTAs should be more concerned with establishing credibility via BATs, rather than focusing on power. Recommended BATs are those that communicate trustworthiness and caring. Utilizing a relational power and instructional influence theoretical lens (Mottet, Frymier, & Beebe, 2006), results further demonstrate the damaging effects of gaining compliance via antisocial BATs.
The current study utilizes the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen Organizational Behavior and Huma... more The current study utilizes the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211 Ajzen 1991) to examine an instructor confirmation-interaction model in the instructional communication context to discover a means by which instructors might cultivate positive student attitudes and increase beliefs that interactions with instructors would be beneficial in the future. Specifically, the model examines how teacher confirmation (Ellis 2000) influences students' behavioral intention to communicate with instructors. Surveys were distributed to 343 college students (41.7% male and 58.1% female) in a basic communication course. Results were primarily consistent with the proposed model; teacher confirmation was significantly related to attitudes toward communicating with an instructor, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Subjective norms and perceived behavioral control were also positively related to students' behavioral intention to communicate with the instructor. However, results reveal attitudes toward communicating do not predict students' behavioral intention to communicate with instructors. It is recommended that future models examine a more contemporary, hi-tech representation of attitude toward student-instructor interactions as it may produce a significant association with students' behavioral intent to communicate with them. The study concludes with theoretical and practical implications to examine student classroom communication via the confirmation-interaction model and the theory of planned behavior.
The first encounter between an instructor and his/her student influences the development of their... more The first encounter between an instructor and his/her student influences the development of their mutual relationship. This phenomenon has received little attention in the literature within the context of nursing education. This study explores and describes qualitatively the subjective experience and perceptions of nursing students related to their first encounter with instructors in both classroom and clinical settings. A purposeful sampling method was utilized to select 15 nursing students from a nursing school in Iran to participate in semistructured interviews. Data were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis approach. Data analysis identified three main themes: (a) preexisting expectations, with the four subthemes of socially shared expectations, personal expectations, profession-related expectations, and reputation-directed expectations; (b) student's judgment, with the three subthemes of assessing the instructor, assessing criteria, and good or bad beginning; and (c) future interactions, with the two subthemes of constructive decisions and destructive decisions. The results show that the initial student-instructor encounter is a process in which students rely heavily on preexisting expectations to assess and judge the initial interaction with their instructor. The findings of this study may help nursing instructors in various national and cultural settings increase their awareness of the factors that influence their first encounters with students. Greater awareness may help positively shape student perspectives of the instructor's role and encourage students to collaborate with the instructor in the teaching and learning process in order to create a better outcome for both.
We investigated college students' perceptions of instructor unfairness and their emotional and be... more We investigated college students' perceptions of instructor unfairness and their emotional and behavioral reactions to perceived injustice. Results obtained from 397 undergraduates from three universities in the United States indicate that anger and dissent were the strongest emotional and behavioral responses to injustice. Furthermore, disgust mediated the influence of injustice on student behaviors most damaging to professors-taking action, expressing verbal aggression, and dissenting to authority. Stress mediated the effect of injustice on the most constructive student behaviors-changing their approach and engaging in the class. We discuss the implications of the results of our study for the student-instructor relationship and learning in the contemporary higher education environment.
Effective student-instructor interactions impact the quality of nursing clinical education. There... more Effective student-instructor interactions impact the quality of nursing clinical education. There are a myriad of different factors related to clinical settings that affect these interactions and they have received less attention in nursing studies. Identifying clinical constraints that impact the nursing student-instructor relationships will help nursing instructors to manage clinical learning situations in a more effective manner. The goal of this study was to identify the primary factors that influence the student-instructor interactions within clinical settings. A purposeful sampling strategy was applied to recruit 18 nursing students and instructors to participate in qualitative, semi-structured interviews. In order to identify relevant themes of transcribed interviews, qualitative content analysis was utilized. Data analysis resulted in the development of five main themes that represent essential interaction constraints in clinical contexts. These themes include: outsiders' eyes, dominance of act, close contact, clinical workplaces' disputes, and instability and uncertainty. The results of this study can serve to improve the understanding and practice of international clinical nursing instructors within the clinical education context. The behaviors that emerged were based on clinical constrains and an awareness each can serve to enhance the instructor-student relationship.
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