As the current body of instructional communication research focuses primarily on the relationship between teacher and learner, three studies investigating the relationship between learners were completed in order to better understand how student motivation and learning are influenced by learner-to-learner immediacy behaviors within the college classroom environment. Study I resulted in an extensive list of both positive and negative verbal and nonverbal immediacy behaviors commonly used by learners. Study II required the comparison of the behaviors identified in study one to existing measures of teacher to learner immediacy behaviors, producing a new measure focusing on learner-to-learner immediacy. Following a pilot survey, the reliability of this new measure was determined through face validity and factor analysis, producing the Learner-to-Learner Immediacy Behavior Scale. In Study III, the Learner-to-Learner Immediacy Behavior Scale was combined with Christophel's 1990 Immediacy Behavior Scale, Cognitive Learning Scale, Affective Learning Scale, and Trait and State Motivation Scales and administered to 273 undergraduate students to test the affects of common learner-to-learner immediacy behaviors on student state motivation, affective learning, and perceptions of cognitive learning loss. Multiple regression analyses indicated learner-to-learner immediacy as functioning similarly to teacher-to-student immediacy when mediated through state motivation in its influence on student affective learning and perceptions of cognitive learning loss.

Instructional communication research clearly indicates that instructor immediacy contributes significantly to effective instruction. However, the majority of immediacy studies have been conducted in traditional (face-to-face) classroom environments. More recently, instructional communication research has focused on assessing the impact of immediacy in online classroom environments. Again, immediacy appears to significantly contribute to effective instruction. The challenge is that most recent immediacy studies use immediacy measurements developed to test immediacy behaviors in face-to-face settings. Considering the lack of nonverbal communication and limited or absent synchronous or verbal communication in online instructional settings, the behaviors contributing most significantly to perceived immediacy, researchers need to reassess the immediacy construct in online environments. The present research explores and identifies behaviors reported by instructors to establish psychological closeness (i.e., immediacy) in online learning environments and assesses to what extent these behaviors are similar to or different from face-to-face immediacy-producing behaviors.

Inledning: Den intersubjektiva relation som uppstår i terapirummet har beskrivits som en faktor för förändring. Terapeut och patient befinner sig i en relation där samspelet påverkar dem båda och skapar ny förståelse - för dem båda. Syftet var att undersöka psykodynamiska psykoterapeuters erfarenheter av att samtala med patienter om terapirelationen utifrån ett här-och-nu-perspektiv. Frågeställningar: Hur ser psykoterapeuters erfarenheter av samtal om relationen i terapirummet ut?  Vilka aspekter beskrivs som betydelsefulla för psykoterapeuter då patient - terapeutrelationen fokuseras? Metod: Semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem psykoterapeuter. Vid analysen användes tematisk metod. Resultat: Att vara i relation med patienter innebar erfarenheter av att visa sig, hitta sin stil samt klä relationen i ord. Samtalet om den ömsesidiga relationen beskrevs som en utmaning. Att hitta en rytm tillsammans med patienten och att växla mellan positionerna deltagande och observerande terapeut framhölls som viktigt. Det relationella samspelet gav upphov till unika möten och en förundran över både människans och samspelets komplexitet. Diskussion: Det fanns en vilja att dela med sig av sig själv, samtidigt som svårigheter uppstod. Möjligheterna med relationellt arbete övervägde riskerna, men det beskrevs som krävande. Professionell och relationell trovärdighet framkom som betydelsefulla aspekter för deltagarna då patient - terapeutrelationen fokuserades. / Introduction: The intersubjective relationship in the therapy room has been described as a factor for change. Therapist – patient interplay creates new understanding for both of them. The purpose was to explore psychodynamic psychotherapists' experiences of talking with patients about the therapeutic relationship from a here and now - perspective. Questions: What do psychotherapists´ experiences of relational work in therapy look like? What aspects are described as important for psychotherapists when focusing on the patient - therapist relationship? Method: Semistructured interviews with five psychotherapists. Thematic method was used when analyzing the material. Results: Relational work meant experiences of self-disclosure, discovering therapeutic style and describing the relationship in words. Conversation about the mutual relationship was described as challenging. Finding a mutual rythm with the patient and altering between participatory and observational therapist positions was emphasized as important. Relational work led to unique encounters and a chance to marvel at human and interplay complexity. Discussion: There was a willingness to share in relation with the patient, but difficulties arose. Possibilities of relational work outweighed risks, and it was described as demanding. Professional and relational credibility emerged as important aspects for the participants when focusing on the patient - therapist relationship.

Researchers have discovered that a low level of instructor motivation can have negative effects on instructors, such as low-quality teaching and low engagement for the students. The purpose of this study was to explore university instructors' experience with motivation and how it might be important to their graduate students' experiences and success. This qualitative case study followed the conceptual framework of two motivational theories: the self-determination theory and the achievement goal theory. The research question explored instructor motivation and how students perceived that motivation. Furthermore, the research question and subquestions were designed to reveal ways instructor motivation influences graduate students. The study included 8 graduate students and 6 instructors of graduate students. Data sources were 2 written assignments with instructor feedback and interview responses of graduate students and instructors of graduate students. Data analysis included reviewing responses to interview questions and instructor feedback on written assignments. Open coding and axial coding were used to help ensure that categorization of the data was accurate. The resulting themes were (a) [The belief in student abilities], (b) [Being physically and mentally present], (c) [Relatedness], (d) [Instructor/Student synergy], and (e) [Instructor immediacy]. When the graduate students felt the instructor possessed high levels of motivation, they too felt highly motivated. The findings of this study tie instructor motivation to students and students' motivation back to the instructors. The instructor's and student's levels of motivation also impacted their coworkers or peers' level of motivation. The findings of this study could lead to future studies confirming the tie between instructors' and students' motivation and how it is contagious to those who are exposed to it.

Among preschool-aged children, conduct problems (CP) are the number one reason for referral to mental health professionals. Research has consistently indicated that behavioral parent training (BPT) is the most effective technique for treating children’s disruptive behavior; however, there is a lack of research regarding BPT effects in children below the age of 3. Preventive behavioral parent training (PBPT) can be considered a preventive extension of BPT. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which PBPT might yield immediate effects in reducing rates of conduct problems (i.e., noncompliance and tantrums) displayed by typically developing young children. Overall, findings indicated that all four child participants displayed decreased rates of noncompliance and tantrums as predicted.

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Many years of communication research have shown that an increase in immediacy has been a major factor that affects students‘ perceptions of instructor credibility which in turn affects, both students‘ cognitive and affective learning, student state motivation and a variety of other positive outcomes. However, in order for immediacy to be effective, instructor and student must be in the same location at the same time. With the recent push toward on-line classes, what can we find to act like immediacy in a text based format? This research suggests that face threat mitigation can be used in a text-based environment, to achieve the pro-social goals of instructor credibility and student state motivation to the same extent as it does when coupled with immediacy. This study is a replication of a study done by Witt and Kerssen-Griep (2012). In the original study face threat mitigation (FTM) was coupled with instructor nonverbal immediacy (NVI) and they examined the impact these factors had on instructor credibility (i.e., competence, character, and caring) and student state motivation in a video simulated feedback situation. This study surveyed 218 undergraduate students in an introductory communication course. Students were randomly assigned to read hypothetical scenarios in which FTM was manipulated in a manner similar to Witt and Kerssen-Griep‘s study. They responded to three scales. The current study removed the instructor by using a simulated electronic feedback correspondence. Results of a MANCOVA and four separate ANOVAs were similar to those of the original findings. FTM was found to have a significant positive relationship with instructor credibility (i.e., competence, character, and caring) and student state motivation.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the level of student motivation and perceived online social presence in an online course. Better understanding of the relationship between online social presence and motivation would assist researchers to identify and develop effective instructional strategies for the success of students' online learning experience. This study was conducted during the Fall 2007 semester at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida. Data for this study were collected from participating students enrolled in three online sections of EME 2040, Introduction of Educational Technology. In this course, pre-service teachers learn how to use technology and, more importantly, how to integrate it into their courses and their future classrooms. Three instruments were used in this study to obtain students' demographic information and to measure students' online social presence feeling, students' motivation levels, and instructors' verbal immediacy behaviors. Data were analyzed using repeated measure and multiple linear regression analysis. Seventy-four students from three online sections of EME 2040 responded to the study. Results suggested that students' level of online social presence increased significantly from the beginning of the semester to midterm and then dropped back to the original level from midterm to the end of the semester. However, the level of student motivation significantly increased only from the beginning of the semester to midterm and remained at same level for the rest of the semester. There were significant correlations between online social presence and student motivation across the semester. The regression analysis indicated that verbal immediacy affected online social presence significantly. Further research should be conducted with a larger sample and with different types of online courses in different academic settings and course management systems. Causal relationship between online social presence and student motivation should be explored. Instructional strategies should be established to enhance students' online social presence.

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