Testing the Neutralizing Effect of Instructor Immediacy on Student Course Workload Expectancy Violations and Tolerance for Instructor Unavailability

This study investigates how an instructor's use of relational messages, specifically nonverbal immediacy behaviors, may neutralize how students interpret instructor course workload demands and student expectations for instructor availability. It was hypothesized that instructor immediacy would temper instructor course workload demands that violated student expectations in a way that preserved student affect for the instructor (H1), student compliance with instructor course workload demands (H2), and student tolerance for instructor unavailability (H3). The first hypothesis was supported; however, the second and third hypotheses were not supported. The data suggest that instructor course workload demands negatively impacted student compliance (H2) and neither instructor immediacy nor workload demands impacted student tolerance for instructor unavailability in a meaningful manner (H3). Implication and directions for future research are discussed.

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