College students' use of technology to communicate with romantic partners about sexual health issues

Objective: To examine college students' technology-assisted sexual communication perceptions and practices alongside their beliefs about the effectiveness of face-to-face (F-t-F) sexual communication. Participants: 144 college students at a private university in the Northeast, U.S., completed a survey in October 2016. Method: A cross-sectional online survey examined how college students use text messaging and private social media messaging to communicate with romantic partners about sexual health issues. Results: Students who have communicated with romantic partners via technology reported being likely to do so again in the future, to perceive the effectiveness of technology-assisted sexual communication to be comparable to F-t-F sexual communication, and to be confident in their ability to initiate sexual communication with romantic partners via F-t-F communication. Conclusions: College students may see text messaging and social media messaging as useful for sexual communication, which has important implications for college health professionals who wish to promote frequent, effective sexual communication.     

Examining cultural and gender similarities and differences in college students’ value of communication skills in romantic relationships

This study assessed and compared the communication skills that native Chinese and native American college students value in the context of romantic relationships. A total of 319 Chinese and 262 American college students responded to questionnaires that assessed the values they placed on six different communication skills. The results showed that the American students valued four of six communication skills more than the Chinese students (i.e. conversational, informative, listening, and narrative skills). The men and women in both cultural groups valued affective communication skills more than instrumental communication skills. In both cultural groups, women placed greater value on affective communication skills than men. The findings also showed a significant mediating effect of gender orientation (masculinity and femininity) on the value placed on communication skills and a significant effect of self-construal, which mediated between nationality and the value assigned to communication skills.     

Communication With Parents and Body Satisfaction in College Students

Abstract

Objective: This study examined how communication with parents is related to college students’ body satisfaction. Participants and Methods: Participants (N = 134; 58 males and 76 females) completed a survey in March 2011 assessing body satisfaction and perceptions of communication with mothers and fathers. Results: Daughters’ body satisfaction was negatively correlated with perceptions of problematic communication with mothers and fathers. Sons’ body satisfaction was positively correlated with open communication with their mothers and negatively correlated with problematic communication with their mothers. Conclusions: Findings indicated problematic communication with mothers was the most powerful predictor of daughters’ body satisfaction, whereas open communication with mothers was the best predictor of sons’ body satisfaction.     

Contributing Factors of Adult Adoptees’ Identity Work and Self-Esteem: Family Communication Patterns and Adoption-Specific Communication

Drawing from family communication patterns (FCP) theory and the communication-based conceptual model of adoptive identity work (Colaner & Soliz, 2015), we investigated the ways that families’ adoption-focused communication and general communication environment predict identity work and self-esteem in adult adoptees (n = 143). Specifically, we tested the assumption that FCP (i.e., conversation and conformity orientation) serve as a backdrop for adoption communication openness and adoptive identity work. Structural equation modeling revealed that conversation orientation—but not conformity orientation—significantly predicted adoptive parents’ communicated openness about adoption. Adoption communication openness negatively predicted adoptees’ preoccupation with adoption. Indirect paths between conversation orientation, adoption communication openness, and adoptive identity and self-esteem illuminated the importance of the general communication environment on adoption outcomes. Implications are explored for expanding understanding of adoptive family communication and advancing FCP theory by testing its nature as a context-specific and/or global assessment of family communication.     

Advocacy strategies for health communication

This article presents a new way of using advocacy communication strategies for health communication. The traditional perspective on advocacy, promoted in mainstream public relations and marketing circles, is being replaced by a more interactive and integrated view on the role of advocacy communication. Newer theoretical and applied contributions to the health communication field support the need to explore (a) a broader understanding of the role of communication to promote and sustain health behavior; (b) a broader social scientific approach to public health as a social construct and the social determinants of health with stronger emphasis on health policies and management such as governance, accountability and leadership; and (c) policy perspectives that deal with resource allocation, human resources and capacity building, enabling environments for health communication, and recognition of the value and contribution of health communication to public health.     

Predictors of father‐son communication about sexuality

Examining the factors that influence adolescents’ sexual behaviors is crucial for understanding why they often engage in risky sexual behaviors. Using social cognitive theory, we examined predictors of father‐son communication about sexuality. Fathers (N = 155) of adolescent sons completed a survey measuring 12 variables, including self‐efficacy and outcome expectations. We found that (a) son's pubertal development, father's sex‐based values, father's education, father's communication with his father, outcome expectations, and general communication accounted for 36% of the variance in information sharing communication and (b) son's pubertal development, outcome expectations, general communication, and father‐son contact accounted for 20% of the variance in values sharing communication. Study findings can aid professionals in designing guidelines and programs to promote father‐son general communication and sex‐based communication.     

A Simulation Game to Systematically Improve Relationship Communication*

The present study investigated a simulation game designed to improve relationship communication. Eight couples were treated for relationship difficulties by the use of the game. Before and after the game's use, the couples' communication behavior in the counseling sessions was sampled by audio recordings that were later rated by independent blind raters. The couples' out-of-session communication behavior was sampled by daily independent charting for a month before and after the game's use. A three-month follow-up of self-reported general relationship happiness and relationship communication satisfaction was included. Results indicated that in the counseling session sample, from pre- to post-game treatment, the couples' communication improved. The couples also recorded significant out-of-session communication improvements. Three-month follow-up indicated that the increases in general relationship happiness and relationship communication satisfaction were maintained.     

Cross‐Cultural Consistency of the Demand/Withdraw Interaction Pattern in Couples

In order to examine the cross‐cultural consistency of several patterns of couple communication, 363 participants from four different countries (Brazil, Italy, Taiwan, and the United States) completed self‐report measures about communication and satisfaction in their romantic relationships. Across countries, constructive communication was positively associated with relationship satisfaction, whereas demand/withdraw communication was negatively associated with relationship satisfaction. Woman demand/man withdraw communication was significantly more likely than man demand/woman withdraw communication. Also, some evidence suggested women wanted greater closeness versus independence in their relationships than did men. Differences between partners in desire for closeness versus independence were associated with greater demand/withdraw communication. The possible bases for the demand/withdraw pattern of communication and its gender linkage are discussed.     

Appropriateness and acceptability: Employee perspectives of internal communication

Internal communication underpins organisational effectiveness since it contributes to positive internal relationships by enabling communication between senior managers and employees. Paradoxically, internal communication can also pose a threat to organisational relationships, as poor communication can be counter-productive. The potential benefits of internal communication rely on appropriate messages reaching employees in formats useful and acceptable to them. Consequently, insight into employee preferences for mediated internal communication is required. The paper investigates employee views on the format of internal publications, contrasting acceptable attributes with elements which attract criticism. The single-case study contributes consideration of fresh data on an under-researched topic. It adopts a stakeholder approach with an employee-centric emphasis on employee preferences, in contrast to much previous research which focuses on manager perceptions of internal communication. Contributions include consideration of practical implications of the findings together with suggestions for avenues of further research.     

Crisis communication online: How medium,crisis type and emotions affected public reactions in the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster

Social media play in today's societies a fundamental role for the negotiation and dynamics of crises. However, classical crisis communication theories neglect the role of the medium and focus mainly on the interplay between crisis type and crisis communication strategy. Building on the recently developed “networked crisis communication model” we contrast effects of medium (Facebook vs. Twitter vs. online newspaper) and crisis type (intentional vs. victim) in an online experiment. Using the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster as crisis scenario, we show that medium effects are stronger than the effects of crisis type. Crisis communication via social media resulted in a higher reputation and less secondary crisis reactions such as boycotting the company than crisis communication in the newspaper. However, secondary crisis communication, e.g. talking about the crisis communication, was higher in the newspaper condition than in the social media conditions because people consider traditional media as more credible. We also found higher levels of anger in the intentional crisis condition than in the victim crisis condition. Anger in turn was related to reputation, secondary crisis communication and secondary crisis reaction. The results stress the need for more complex models of crisis communication.     

Parent-Adolescent Communication About Sexuality in Chinese Families

Given that young people in China are faced with increased sex-related risks, it is important to understand from a communication perspective, the role of parents as a prominent sexual socialization agent for Chinese adolescents. Semistructured, one-to-one interviews were conducted with Chinese adolescents (N = 37) about their parents’ communication about sex and sexuality. Using a constant comparative method, four categories were identified with respect to Chinese parents’ direct/explicit communication about sexuality and in addition, four categories of indirect/implication communication (RQ1). Further, four categories regarding Chinese adolescents’ attitudes towards such communication were apparent (RQ2). Overall, Chinese parents attempted to transmit values and expectations about dating and sexual activities indirectly, implicitly, and/or nonverbally. Adolescents in the present study also expressed tendencies to avoid sex-related communication with parents. Some even explicitly stated that avoiding such communication was beneficial. The findings’ implications for the role of culture in parent-adolescent communication about sexuality and communication openness are discussed.     

Gender Differences in Adolescent Perceptions of Parent-Adolescent Openness in Communication and Adolescent Empathy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how the relationship between adolescent perceptions of openness in parent-adolescent communication and adolescent empathy may differ by gender of the respondent. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to test the possibility of an interaction between adolescent gender and parent communication in predicting two other-oriented dimensions of empathy (empathic concern and perspective taking) in 236 adolescents ages 14 tol6. Gender of the adolescent, openness in mother-adolescent communication, and openness in father-adolescent communication were significant predictors of adolescent empathic concern. Gender also moderated the relationship between openness in mother-adolescent communication and empathic concern. Further, openness in mother-adolescent communication was a significant predictor of adolescent perspective taking.     

Is Strategic Communication too important to be left to Communication Professionals?: Managers’ and coworkers’ attitudes towards strategic communication and communication professionals

The article is based upon empirical data from a Swedish three-year research project entitled “Communicative Organizations”, investigating the value of communication for organizations. The project is involves eleven organizations. Based upon empirical data from a quantitative survey (n = 6486) the perceived value of strategic communication and communication professionals, mainly among managers and co-workers, is analyzed. Two conceptual models are used for analysis: the communicative organization and the four-by-four model of strategic public relations. The results shows that the self-identity of communication professionals and the normative model of strategic public relations partly mirror and partly collide with the perceptions of managers and coworkers. The study confirms that managers and coworkers find communication crucial for their organizations at a strategic level, but that the role of communication professionals is rather unclear. A majority of the respondents do not understand the core role or roles of communication professionals.     

Parent‐Adolescent Communication About Sex: Retrospective Reports by Latino College Students

Latina female (n= 97) and Latino male (n= 69) college students (M age = 21.4 years) completed self‐report surveys regarding family of origin experiences, including sexual communication with parents while growing up. Latino parents of this comparatively highly educated sample tended to use direct rather than indirect strategies for communicating about sexuality with their children. Young women reported higher levels of sexual communication with mothers while growing up than did young men, and respondents reported less communication with fathers than mothers. Among young women, sexual communication with mother was positively associated with non‐Mexican origin and negatively associated with having older brothers living at home. In contrast, maternal education was positively associated with mother‐son communication about sex. Paternal education and the absence of older brothers positively predicted communication with both sons and daughters. The analyses provide novel information regarding sexual communication in Latino families and suggest directions for future research.     

Meshworked reputation: Publicists’ views on the reputational impacts of online communication

This paper discusses the conceptual and empirical connections between an organization's reputation management and online communication. The paper develops a theory driven model of the structural dimensions of reputation and analyzes organizational communication professionals’ views on the potential that online communication has for reputation management. The survey data showed that online communication was perceived to have positive impacts on the structure and advantages of reputation, and that these two aspects would seem to be strongly dependent on each other. Thus, online communication can be used to influence the assessments made by stakeholders about an organization's products and services, corporate responsibility, success, its ability to change and develop, and its public image. In addition, online communication can generate reputational advantages by strengthening stakeholder relationships and building social capital for the organization.     

The Effects of Authentic Leadership on Strategic Internal Communication and Employee-Organization Relationships

This study examines how strategic leadership influences excellent internal public relations by establishing the linkage between authentic leadership, symmetrical and transparent communication, and employee–organization relationships. The results showed that authentic leadership as an antecedent factor plays a critical role in nurturing an organization's symmetrical and transparent communication system, which in turn, cultivates quality employee–organization relationships. An organization's symmetrical communication worldview greatly fosters its day-to-day transparent communication practice. Transparent communication, characterized by information substantiality, accountability, and employee participation, largely contributes to employee trust, control mutuality, commitment, and satisfaction. The impact of symmetrical communication on employees' relational outcomes is fully mediated via transparent communication. Significant theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

“In-awareness” approach to international public relations

The skill of cultural “in-awareness” developed within the field of intercultural communication is applied to international public relations to understand culture’s influence on the communication function of public relations. The goal of the in-awareness approach is to expose hidden cultural assumptions and expectations that plague international public relations and allow one to explore national and cultural differences between clients and practitioners in a systematic and nonthreatening manner. A three-tiered framework is presented based on a country profile, cultural profile, and communication profile. The country profile provides a broad outline of what may be feasible within a particular country, while the cultural profile speaks to what may be effective in that country. The communication profile further refines cultural generalities by delineating culturally-based communication behaviors that underlie common public relations practices. By examining the communication profiles of both the practitioner and client, one can see how cultural communication differences translate into culturally-defined expectations and assumptions about specific public relations activities.     

Cognitive communication competence within public relations practitioners: Examining gender differences between technicians and managers

This study examines gender differences within public relations practitioners. Of specific interest was the role that cognitive communication competence played within public relations managers and public relations technicians. Public relations practitioners completed a questionnaire that included the Duran and Spitzberg's [Duran, R. L., & Spitzberg, B. H. (1995). Toward the development and validation of a measure of cognitive communication competence. Communication Quarterly, 43(3), 259–275] Cognitive Communication Competence Scale. Participants self-identified whether they were a technician or a manager. Results showed that male public relations managers had significantly higher cognitive communication competence than male public relations technicians. However, the hypothesis that female public relations managers would have higher cognitive communication competence than female public relations technicians was not supported. Also, this study found no significant gender differences with levels of cognitive communication competence. However, female technicians have significantly higher cognitive communication competence than male technicians.     

Exploring the strategic potential of internal communication in international non-governmental organisations

The role and importance of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) has increased with globalization and the growth of global institutions. Despite this growth, academic research into INGO management remains limited and, due to their unique characteristics, management theories developed for for-profit organisations cannot be applied as is to INGOs. Internal communication is a critical area of management that has been proven to have a major impact on an organisation's effectiveness, particularly when managed strategically. Therefore this article explores the strategic management of internal communication within the INGO context. This study synthesised the current literature on this topic and included five case studies to understand the current state of internal communication within INGOs. It was determined that INGOs do not manage internal communication strategically. However, there is evidence that the implementation of strategic internal communication could help INGOs address several of their challenges and have an impact on their overall effectiveness. This study is exploratory and further research to identify the process for strategic internal communication in INGOs is needed.