Student perceptions of instructor verbal aggressiveness: The influence of student verbal aggressiveness and self‐esteem

Abstract

This study explored the effects of student levels of trait verbal aggressiveness (VA) and self‐esteem on student perceptions of instructor verbal aggressiveness in the college classroom. Participants included 228 undergraduate students who completed a series of instruments measuring self‐reported levels of VA and self‐esteem, as well as instructor levels of VA in the classroom. Results indicated that students who reported moderate to high levels of trait VA rated their instructors as being more verbally aggressive than those students who reported low levels of trait VA. Likewise, students who reported low to moderate levels of self‐esteem rated their instructors as being more verbally aggressive than those students who reported high levels of self‐esteem. When combined, student VA and self‐esteem accounted for 7% of the shared variance in student perceptions of instructor VA.