Immediacy%20in%20the%20Classroom:

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Immediacy in the Classroom

• Research and Practical Implications
• Kelly A. Rocca
• Presentation at the Student Motivations and
  Attitudes The Role of the Affective Domain in
  Geoscience Learning conference, Northfield, MN
• February 12, 2007

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Immediacy in the Classroom Research and
Practical Implications

• What is Immediacy?
• The perception of physical and psychological
  closeness between communicators (specifically,
  between students and their professors)
• Social psychologist Albert Mehrabian coined the
  term in 1971 as a principle of immediacy
• Principle People are drawn toward persons and
  things they like, evaluate highly, and prefer
  and they avoid or move away from things they
  dislike, evaluate negatively, or do not prefer.

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Immediacy in the Classroom Research and
Practical Implications

• Nonverbal Immediacy Behaviors
• Gestures
• Vocal Variety
• Smiling at students
• Relaxed body posture
• Moving around classroom
• Speaking with outline only
• Removal of barriers
• Appropriate touch
• Professional casual dress

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Immediacy in the Classroom Research and
Practical Implications

• Verbal Immediacy Behaviors
• Calling students by name
• Use of Inclusive pronouns
• Unrelated small talk
• Feedback to students
• Asking for student feedback
• Use of own first name

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Immediacy in the Classroom Research and
Practical Implications

• Research Findings on Immediacy - Positive
  Relationships
• Affect toward professor and affective learning
• Cognitive learning
• Competence, caring, trustworthiness perceptions
• Higher student evaluations
• State motivation
• Homophily attitude and background
• Interpersonal attraction social, task,
  physical
• Assertiveness and responsiveness
• Attendance and participation
• Out-of-class communication

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Immediacy in the Classroom Research and
Practical Implications

• Research Findings on Immediacy - Negative
  Relationships
• Verbal aggression
• Student resistance
• Distance education (decrease in immediacy)

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Immediacy in the Classroom Research and
Practical Implications

• Advice on Integrating Immediacy into YOUR
  Classroom
• Add one behavior at a time
• Increase the frequency of each behavior
  gradually
• May need to decrease at times for credibility
• Only use what youre comfortable with
• Remember all of the positive relationships with
  affect-related variables