Date of Award

12-18-2014

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. John Caputo

Second Advisor

Dr. David B. Givens

Abstract

This thesis examines the causes and implications of a phenomenon that emerges in interpersonal communication settings dealing with the disclosure of a chronic illness diagnosis. Specifically, this study explores why a person learning about an acquaintance’s chronic illness diagnosis chooses to respond by sharing irrelevant and unsettling details about someone else who has the same condition. The concept of communication apprehension, a noted hindrance to effective interpersonal communication, is considered as a possible motivation. To explore the causes and implications of this response, data were gathered using two separate but related methodologies: a survey questionnaire to assess an individual’s potential response to a diagnosis disclosure and an online discussion forum to elicit feedback from chronically ill individuals who have experienced the scenario in question. The data are evaluated within the context of communication apprehension and the coordinated management of meaning theory, which provides a descriptive framework for interpersonal communication scenarios like this. The findings suggest communication apprehension is a key motivation for the unsupportive response examined by this study.

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