The Effects of Politeness-Related Instruction on Medical Tutoring

Abstract

Tutors often fail to address learners' misconceptions. Although this may indicate a failure to grasp these misconceptions, it may simply be due to a wish to be polite and save the learner's face. In this study we examined whether instructing tutors about the pitfalls of politeness could increase the clarity and precision of their tutorial communication. Advanced medical students answered a hypothetical layperson's e-mail request for information that contained several misconceptions. In the experimental condition, the medical tutors received instructions about the problematic nature of excessive or evasive politeness in instructional communication and the benefits of detailed, straightforward information. In the control condition, instructions did not mention politeness issues. Results showed that the politeness instruction led medical tutors to disregard nonproductive politeness in favor of more straightforward replies. Implications for instructional communication are discussed.

Keywords:

• Instruction
• Tutoring
• Politeness Theory
• Computer-Mediated Communication
• Expert–Layperson Communication

Acknowledgments

The authors also thank Margit Schürmann, Johanna Schmid, and Lena Beck for their support in data collection and analysis, and Jonathan Harrow for language editing

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Rainer Bromme

Rainer Bromme (Ph. D., University of Oldenburg, Germany, 1979) is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Muenster, Germany

Benjamin Brummernhenrich

Benjamin Brummernhenrich (Diploma in Psychology, University of Muenster, 2009) is a research assistant and doctoral student in the work group of the fourth author

Bettina-Maria Becker

Bettina-Maria Becker (Ph.D., University of Muenster, 2008) is now a school psychologist at the Schulpsychologische Beratungsstelle in Singen, Germany

Regina Jucks

Regina Jucks (Ph.D., University of Muenster, 2001) is Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Muenster. The research reported in this manuscript was part of the third author's dissertation. Research for this article was supported by a grant from the German Research Foundation (DFG). The authors are grateful to the editor and three anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on an earlier draft of this article