JasonSWrench.com

Coming Spring 2010

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Finding reliable and valid research measures is an extremely important part of the communication research process. To help fill this void, the Directory of Communication Related Mental Measures is a list of current measures in existence within the field. The directory is broken down in a variety of categories designed to be similar to the interest group structure that exists within the National Communication Association:

Communication Behaviors
Verbal Communication
Nonverbal Communication
Listening
Receiver Perceptions
Persuasion & Compliance Gaining


Communication Traits
Adaptation Traits
Interaction Traits
Personality Traits
Aggression Traits
Apprehension & Avoidance Traits


Communication Contexts
Communication & Aging
Communication & Religion
Computer-Mediated Communication
Conflict Communication
Family Communication
Gender & Communication
Group & Team Communication
Health Communication
Instructional Communication
Intercultural Communication
Interpersonal Communication
Mass Communication
Organizational Communication
Political Communication
Public Communication, Forensics, & Theater
Public Relations
Sexuality and Communication
Other


For a mental measure to be included within the Directory of Communication Related Mental Measures, the measure had to be available in full-text within a peer-reviewed academic journal. We did not include professionally published mental measures because these generally require payment to the publisher or author for use in academic research, which is a practice the authors of this book find reprehensible. To aid academics in their search for useful mental measures, Wrench, Jowi, and Goodboy have provided the following information for each mental measure in the Directory of Communication Related Mental Measures: test name, purpose, number of items, format, original sample, reliability, validity, brief critique, source, related research, and categories.

 

This new publication is a must have for all students and researchers investigating quantitative aspects of human communication.


 

Jason S. Wrench, Ed.D.

Jason S. Wrench (Ed.D., West Virginia University) is an assistant professor in the Communication and Media department at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Dr. Wrench specializes in workplace learning and performance, or the intersection of instructional communication and organizational communication. His varied research interests include communibiology, computer-mediated communication, empirical research methods, humor, risk/crisis communication, and supervisor-subordinate interactions. Dr. Wrench regularly consults with individuals and organizations on organizational communication and as a professional speech coach for senior executives.

Dr. Wrench has published five previous books (Intercultural Communication: Power in Context, Communication, Affect, and Learning in the Classroom, Principles of Public Speaking, Human Communication in Everyday Life: Explanations and Applications, Quantitative Research Methods for Communication: A Hands-On Approach, and The Directory of Communication Related Mental Measures). Furthermore, Dr. Wrench has published over 20 research articles that have appeared in various journals: Communication Quarterly, Communication Research Reports, Education, Human Communication, Journal of Homosexuality, Journal of Intercultural Communication, Southern Communication Journal, The Source: A Journal of Education, and The NACADA Journal (National Association of Campus Advising).