Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Thesis

Keywords

Communication--Psychological aspects; Public speaking;

Abstract

Communication researchers have studied the effects of two-channel communication on perceptions of a source's affective state and a source's personality. These studies have produced inconsistent results. This study investigated the effects of two-channel communication and style on perceptions of a source's credibility and verbal content of a speech. Five hypotheses were tested. (1) A speaker using a dynamic style of delivery would be perceived as a more dynamic source than when using a conversational style. (2) A speaker using a dynamic style of delivery would be perceived as a more competent source than when using a conversational style. (3) A speaker using a conversational style of delivery would be more favorably evaluated than when using a dynamic style. (4) A speaker using a conversational style of delivery would be perceived as a more trustworthy source than when using a dynamic style. (5) Neither style of delivery nor two-channel communication conditions would have significant effects on evaluation of the verbal content of the speech. Stimulus materials were four audio-visual motion picture color films: (1) two unfiltered speech films (one presenting a dynamic style and the other a conversational style), and (2) the preceding two films with electronically filtered sound tracks. The four films consisted of the same speaker delivering a speech on the topic of states' rights. Independent variables were two-channel communication conditions and style. Two-channel conditions were varied using the following procedure: (1) nonverbal-verbal conditions - visual portion of the films and a typewritten text of the speech; (2) nonverbal-vocal conditions - visual and auditory portions of the filtered speech films, and (3) verbal-vocal conditions - the auditory portion of the unfiltered speech films. Style was varied by differences in the speaker's use of vocal and nonverbal cues. A stimuli validation test administered to speech professionals supported the contention that one style represented a "conversational" style while the other represented a "dynamic" style. Conversational delivery involved a relatively small range of inflection, a greater consistency of rate and pitch, less volume, generally lower pitch levels, reduced gesticulation, decreased facial activity, and less frequent eye contact than dynamic delivery. Dependent variables were source credibility and evaluation of verbal content. The dependent measure of source credibility consisted of twenty-one seven-point bipolar adjective scales which represented four credibility dimensions (Dynamism, Competence, Evaluation, and Trustworthiness). Evaluation of verbal content measures contained twenty-one seven-point bipolar adjective scales which represented on judgmental factor (Evaluation). Independent variables combined with dependent variables yielded two 3 x 2 factorial designs. Twelve treatments were constructed using one level of each variable. Subjects in the treatment groups were 266 students enrolled in Introduction to Theatre and Fundamentals of Speech sections at the University of Northern Iowa during the Fall and Spring semesters (1976- 1977). Subject responses were analyzed using factor analysis with Varimax rotation prior to one-way and two-way analysis of variance tests. The results supported four of the five hypotheses. The speaker using a dynamic style received higher Dynamism and Competence ratings while lower Evaluation ratings occurred. Contrary to prediction, the speaker using a dynamic style received higher Trustworthiness ratings. The significant differences in Competence, Evaluation, and Trustworthiness ratings between the two styles occurred in the verbal-vocal condition only. Dynamism appeared to have an "intensifier" and "additive" function on the Competence and Trustworthiness dimensions of credibility when only dynamic vocal cues were presented with persuasive verbal cues. Evaluation ratings decreased significantly for the dynamic style in the same two-channel conditions. Analysis of two-channel conditions supported. this interpretation. Since the verbal content was identical for both delivery styles, vocal cues influenced Competence ratings and verbal cues influenced Evaluation ratings, but only when both channels were presented simultaneously. Vocal cues did not influence Competence ratings and verbal cues did not effect Evaluation ratings when each was presented simultaneously with nonverbal cues. While the results supported the fifth hypothesis that style and two-channel conditions would have no significant effects on Evaluation ratings of the verbal content, a significant interaction occurred. When the speaker used a dynamic style, verbal content received higher Evaluation ratings in the nonverbal-verbal condition, while conversational style yielded higher verbal content Evaluation ratings in the nonverbal-vocal condition. Style of delivery influenced Evaluation ratings when either the verbal or vocal channel was not presented. Style of delivery and two-channel conditions had significant effects on perceptions of a source's credibility and evaluation of the verbal content of the speech. Further research on style and two-channel communication conditions is needed.

Year of Submission

1977

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Department

Department of Speech

First Advisor

Forrest Conklin

Second Advisor

Jon Hall

Third Advisor

Harley E. Erickson

Comments

If you are the rightful copyright holder of this thesis and wish to have it removed from the Open Access Collection, please submit a request to [email protected] and include clear identification of the work, preferably with URL.

Date Original

1977

Object Description

1 PDF file (118 leaves)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Download

Comments?

Included in

Communication Commons

Share

COinS