| dc.description.abstract | This study was conducted to determine the relationships among critical thinking, the composite of critical thinking disposition and skill; argumentativeness, the tendency to approach or avoid controversial communication; and verbal aggression, focusing the locus of verbal attack on the self-esteem of others in contrast to on the issue (Infante and Rancer, 1982, 1986, 1996). According to Infante, Riddle, Horvath & Tumlin (1992), verbally aggressive communication causes a loss of self-esteem in the recipient of such messages and verbal aggression often precedes violence (p. 116). One of the causes of verbal aggression is argumentative skill deficiency (Infante, 1992, p. 118--119). It was expected within this study to identify a positive relationship between critical thinking (which contains a skill component) and argumentativeness and a negative one between critical thinking and verbal aggression. Ten hypotheses were advanced: five in conjunction with argumentativeness and five in conjunction with verbal aggression. The results revealed a positive relationship between critical thinking disposition and skill and argumentativeness, and a negative relationship between critical thinking disposition and skill and verbal aggression. This result supports Infante's (1992) assertion that "one of the causes of verbal aggression is argumentative skill deficiency (pp. 118--9)." That is, critical thinking disposition and skills, espoused by the Faciones, Paul, King and Kitchener, are positively correlated with argumentativeness, and produced significant results in regard to negatively affecting verbal aggression. Implications for future research were noted. | en_US |
