Perceived instructor argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness in the college classroom: Effects on student perceptions of climate, apprehension, and state motivation

Abstract

Because argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness are associated with positive and negative relational outcomes, respectively (Infante & Rancer, 1996), we were interested in whether perceived instructor argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness are related to college student perceptions of classroom climate, classroom apprehension, and state motivation. Participants were 236 undergraduate students enrolled in a variety of communication courses at a mid‐Atlantic university. Results indicate that (a) perceived instructor argumentativeness was not related to perceived classroom climate whereas perceived instructor verbal aggressiveness was negatively related to perceived classroom climate, (b) neither perceived instructor argumentativeness nor verbal aggressiveness was related to perceived student classroom apprehension, and (c) perceived instructor argumentativeness was positively related to perceived student state motivation whereas perceived instructor verbal aggressiveness was negatively related to perceived student state motivation.