The multivariate structure of communication avoidance

Abstract

Communication scholars have given much attention to individual differences in communication avoidance. This interest has led to the development of numerous constructs, e.g., communication apprehension, reticence, unwillingness‐to‐communicate, and interaction involvement. Comparative analyses of the various constructs have typically drawn conclusions about their conceptual relatedness on the basis of statistical associations among their respective measures. This approach is plagued by widespread incongruity between the theoretical domain of constructs and their operationalizations. This study attempted to clarify the nature of communication avoidance via a structural analysis grounded in facet theory. Evidence was found for a duplex model of avoidance in which theoretical distinctions among modalities of approach‐avoidance (cognitive, affective, behavioral) and context (dyadic, group, public) proved empirically relevant. Implications of these findings for the explication, treatment, and assessment of communication avoidance are discussed.

Notes

Robert A. Bell is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies, Northwestern University.