Compulsive Communication in the Classroom: Is the Talkaholic Teacher a Misbehaving Instructor?

Abstract

From the frame of expectancy violations theory, we examined the associations between instructors' compulsive communication and three instructor misbehaviors: irresponsibility, derisiveness, and apathy. Results revealed that students who perceived their instructors as compulsive communicators also perceived them as misbehaving. Next, we determined if nonverbal immediacy mediates the associations between instructors' compulsive communication and instructor misbehaviors, as well as student affective learning. Results revealed that nonverbal immediacy partially mediated the relationships between compulsive communication and the misbehaviors of irresponsibility and apathy, and fully mediated the negative associations between compulsive communication and students' affect for instructor and course.