Social Communicative Competence Research Articles

The cycle of shyness: A study of self‐perceptions of communication performance

Previous research has found shy and not‐shy individuals differ in their self‐perceptions of their social skills (Clark & Arkowitz, 1975) and their social communication competence (Kelly & Duran, 1984). These studies do not provide information as to the specific dimensions of communication performance on which shy and not‐shy groups’ self‐perceptions differ. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate specific differences in self‐reports of shy and not‐shy individuals regarding their communication behavior. Six dimensions of communicative performance, as measured by the Communicative Adaptability Scale (Duran, 1983), were examined: social composure, social confirmation, social experience, appropriate disclosure, articulation, and wit. Results indicate that shy and not‐shy participants differed significantly on social composure, articulation, and social experience. Shy participants reported being less socially relaxed, having more problems of articulation, and having fewer social experiences. Th...

Differences in communication competence among administrator social styles

This study examined the relationship between social style and communication competence. Results of a survey of 323 co‐workers of public school administrators revealed that administrators with highly responsive styles (expressive and amiable) were perceived as more competent than those low in responsiveness (driver and analytical) on versatility, social anxiety, self‐disclosure, empathy, and listening. No meaningful relationships were found between structural power and either style or communication competence. It was concluded that the claim of style “non‐evaluativeness” may be questionable, at least in terms of communication competence. Managers who exhibit non‐responsive social style may need to develop adaptive strategies to compensate for their lower competency ratings.

Communicative adaptability: A measure of social communicative competence

The purpose of this research was to reassess the validity and increase the variance accounted for by the Communicative Adaptability Scale (CAS). Previous research produced two factors, social confirmation and social experience, accounting for 28% of the variance. The present study tested the inclusion of four additional dimensions: social composure, articulation, wit, and appropriate disclosure. The Communicative Adaptability Scale was administered to adult and student populations. The relationships among the dimensions of the CAS, self‐esteem, and communication apprehension were investigated. This project indicated a stable factor structure and consistent results across samples.

The Relationship Between Conceptual Level and Communicative Competence in French

This study explored the relationship between conceptual level a social cognitive variable and second language communicative competence. Conceptual level indexes both cognitive complexity and interpersonal maturity which have been related to first language communicative abilities. The research hypotheses stated that conceptual level was related to the development of communicative competence while foreign language aptitude was related to linguistic competence (mastery of the structural components of a second language).Conceptual level was found to be related to both communicative and linguistic competence(r = .54, p < .001;r = .48, p < .001)as was foreign language aptitude(r = .40, p < .01; r = .41, p < .01). However, foreign language aptitude was not found to be related to linguistic competence when conceptual level was statistically controlled (r = .20, p < .135). Conceptual level, on the other hand, was found to be related to communicative competence when foreign language aptitude was statistically controlled (r = .42, p < .01). Thus, conceptual level appears to be an important individual variable in second language learning.