A COMPARISON OF SKILLS TRAINING PLUS COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING, SKILLS TRAINING ONLY, COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING ONLY, AND NO SYSTEMATIC TREATMENT IN THE REDUCTION OF "TRAIT-LIKE" COMMUNICATION APPREHENSION IN THE CLASSROOM SETTING

Abstract

The purpose of this experiment was to determine which of the communication apprehension reduction methods currently available was most effective in classroom application. This contextual concern was a critical factor. Communication apprehension reduction methods not readily applicable to classroom environments were eliminated as viable treatment methods. Treatment methods (independent variables) tested in this experiment were: skills training plus cognitive restructuring, skills training only, cognitive restructuring only, and a no systematic treatment (control) group. Each of these treatments was reviewed. Nonapplicable treatment methods for classroom environments were also reviewed. Subjects were randomly chosen and assigned to one of the four experimental conditions. Three introspective self-report instruments measuring communication apprehension were employed as dependent measures. Level of communication apprehension was the dependent variable. Attempts to control a number of extraneous variables in this quasi-experimental design were made. Composite scores were made for each subject on pre-test and post-test measures, and "Difference" (D) scores were computed from these composite scores. These D scores were submitted to three sets of statistical analyses: a one-way analysis of variance, an analysis of co-variance, and an analysis of co-variance using only those subjects with pre-test composite scores falling above the marginal mean score. In addition, homogeneity of variance tests were run on experimental group variances, and correlation coefficients were computed for each of the six dependent measures (three instruments with one of these instruments having four sub-scales). Also, three sets of Dunnett's tests for comparisons of treatment groups to a control group were made. The results indicated that no significant differences occurred between any of the four experimental conditions tested. Results of the Dunnett's tests indicated that skills training plus cognitive restructuring was the most effective treatment method of those methods tested. Specifically, significant changes in level of communication apprehension occurred from pre-test to post-test trials when only those subjects above the marginal mean score were used. Based on the findings reported, instructors were recommended to use skills training plus cognitive restructuring as a communication apprehension reduction technique in classroom environments. The author also recommended that skills training plus cognitive restructuring be employed only with those students experiencing a moderate or high level of communication apprehension.