Tag: Hinson Wirth M

Scholar Lunch

Come to L203 at noon. If you’re one of the first to arrive, you can have free pizza. The meal’s entertainment consists of five minute talks by representatives from majors and minors across campus. Speakers will take a single idea they learned from their major or minor coursework, explain it, explain why it’s useful or beautiful, and explain why they personally love it. Scheduled speakers:

  • Angela Cusano, Spanish
  • Mitchell Davis, Bible & Ministry
  • Kristyn Dodge, History
  • Garrett Kraal, Exercise Science
  • Payton Martin, Mathematics
  • Kaleb Miles, Biology
  • Alaina Thomson, Psychology
  • McKenzie Wirth, Communication

L203

Noon – 1 PM

Return to schedule

McKenzie Wirth

Conflict Styles and Using Secret Tests

Conflict styles influence how a person solves problems in his or her relationships. There are five common Conflict Styles: Accommodation, avoidance, competitive/aggressive, compromise and collaborative (Thomas, 1976). When uncertainty over a romantic partner’s commitment to the relationship arises, this could be a potential problem area in which a person’s conflict style makes a difference as to how he or she reduces uncertainty and solves this issue. Often, individuals who have an avoidant conflict style don’t like discussing problems directly with their relational partners, because they experience communication apprehension (Thomas, 1976). Thus, it’s plausible that these individuals may employ Secret Tests to reduce the uncertainty they feel towards their partner’s commitment to the relationship. There are seven common strategies: asking-third-party tests; directness tests; triangle tests; separation tests; endurance tests; public presentation tests; and indirect suggestion tests. The present study seeks to determine the following: 1) If a person has a predominately non-confrontational (passive) approach to conflict, then he or she will use indirect secret tests; and 2) If a person has a predominately solution-oriented (assertive) or controlling (aggressive) approach to conflict, then he or she will not use indirect secret tests.

COMM 499, Capstone

Doyle Srader

P003

10:30 – 11 AM

Return to schedule

McKenzie Hinson

Talk Clean to Me: Removing the Taboo Surrounding Sex-Communication with Children

One particularly tricky communication situation occurs when people communicate with their children about the concept of sex. In communicating, parents have the opportunity to convey ideas, attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and expectations to their children, and consequently, parents play an important role in the formation of their children as they move into adolescence and adulthood. Despite an understanding of this, parents often feel uncomfortable when discussing sexual matters with their children, and research suggests that there are unique challenges and concerns in discussing things of a sexual nature with young children and with adolescents. In light of the research presently discussed, parents should strive to have open sex-communication with their children. While there are legitimate concerns and anxiety regarding sex-communication with children, general parent-child communication was found to be a significant predictor of adolescent sexual behavior. Though these conversations are not necessarily easy to have, it’s arguable that parent-child sex-communication is important at any age, and thus, should not be avoided.

COMM 413, Advanced Interpersonal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, poster #6

10 AM – Noon

Return to schedule

Colby Hanson & McKenzie Hinson

Nonverbals and Finding Success on The Voice

For the purpose of this study, we examined performers’ gestures, primarily illustrators and affect displays, in order to determine if there is a correlation between these nonverbal displays and the likelihood of winning the singing competition The Voice. We hypothesized that if a performer is able to use illustrators and affect displays more frequently and efficiently, then he or she will have a greater likelihood of wining the competition, because in so doing, he or she will elicit powerful, satisfying emotions in audience members. Thus, audience members will feel a greater connection to the performer, causing them to vote in favor of the performer.

COMM 430 Nonverbal Communication

Doyle Srader

Banquet Room, Poster #5

10:00 AM – Noon

Back to the schedule