This research investigated the relationship between proximity to a crisis event and the desire for information to reduce uncertainty. The dataset was collected between two and five days after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It included 1329 responses from three different cities in the USA. Results indicate that as proximity to a crisis event increases, individuals report significantly higher levels of emotional response. Differences were also found among geographic region as to types of information desired.
Much research has informed the development of a valuable series of sender-focused best practices for effective crisis communication. Relatively little crisis communication research, however, focuses on receiver-focused best practices as related to eliciting appropriate actions before, during and after crisis events. Because effective instructional communication is measured by learner (i.e., receiver) outcome achievement of affective (perceived value), cognitive (comprehension) and behavioural (performance) variables, this study examined perceived message effectiveness and behavioural intention using the IDEA model of instructional risk and crisis communication. Results of this comparative quasi-experimental study revealed that messages integrating all elements of the IDEA model were more effective than status quo messages and point to the need for continued research on effective instructional crisis communication message design.
Computer-mediated communication pervades society today. Higher education is no exception. Recently in the USA, a debate has emerged regarding online administration of student ratings of instruction (SROIs). Since these end-ofsemester messages offered by students are used to influence merit, promotion and tenure decisions, the utility of administering them online ought to be examined. This comparative analysis of messages communicated by students via online and paper-and-pencil SROIs revealed several conclusions. First, the means by which online data were collected positively influenced overall student response rate, as well as internal question-by-question response rate. Second, no significant differences were revealed in (1) student responses to the Likert-type scale assessments, (2) number of comments provided to the open-ended questions, (3) number of positively and negatively charged comments offered in the open-ended responses or (4) major content themes addressed in the open-ended comments.Finally, students provided more descriptive detail in the online than the paper-andpencil responses. When administered effectively, collecting student rating messages online may be better than doing so in the traditional paper-and-pencil format.
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