“As good as your word”: face-threat mitigation and the use of instructor nonverbal cues on students’ perceptions of digital feedback

ABSTRACT

Research has established that students often consider the delivery of instructor feedback to be a face-threatening event. To minimize the potential negative effects of feedback, verbal and nonverbal face-threat mitigation (FTM) strategies are utilized by instructors. Advances in digital feedback systems, like online documents and learning management platforms, allow instructors to add nonverbal elements, such as profile pictures or emojis, to this feedback. Two mixed-method studies were employed to investigate the role of these nonverbal cues in digital feedback. Study 1 (N = 236) employed a 2 by 2 experiment (presence or absence of FTM tactics by presence or absence of instructor picture), showing that FTM strategies have substantial positive impact on feedback and instructor perceptions, and that the inclusion of instructor pictures with this feedback has no effect. Study 2 (N = 218) utilized a 2 by 2 experimental design (presence or absence of FTM tactics by presence or absence of matched-valence emojis). Results confirm main effects of FTM techniques (mitigation strategies lead to positive effects), but the addition of emojis had no perceptible influence. Implications for technology-driven instructional feedback are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital feedback
• face-threat mitigation
• feedback intervention
• media richness

Notes on contributors

Cathlin V. Clark-Gordon (M.A., Clemson University) is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication Studies at West Virginia University, where she researches at the intersection of computer-mediated and instructional communication.

Nicholas D. Bowman (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies at West Virginia University, where he researches the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social demands of interactive technologies.

Evan R. Watts (M.A., Florida State University) is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication Studies at West Virginia University, where he researches entertainment media and communication technologies.

Jaime Banks (Ph.D., Colorado State University) is an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at West Virginia University, where she researches human-technology relationships.

Jennifer M. Knight (M.A., West Virginia University) is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication Studies at West Virginia University, where she researches mediated and health communication.

ORCID

Cathlin V. Clark-Gordon https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9203-0239

Nicholas D. Bowman https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5594-9713

Jaime Banks http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7598-4337