ABSTRACT
Socio-communicative style (also referred to as “orientation”) is conceived as a teacher’s ability to respond to students, adapt to the situation, and initiate communication with students (Thomas et al., 1994). Lately, two dimensions-assertiveness and responsiveness-have become the main elements of the concept (Richmond & Martin, 1998). Bem’s (1974) work on assertiveness guided the development of the assertiveness dimension, which refers to an individual’s ability to initiate, maintain, and terminate conversations and to stand up for oneself when necessary. Responsiveness is based on McCroskey and Richmond’s (1996) concept specifying that responsive individuals are other-oriented, empathic, good listeners, and adaptive. Responsiveness is also a prominent dimension of interaction involvement (Cegala, 1981) and assertiveness is a prime component of interpersonal competence (Rubin & Martin, 1994). McCroskey, Richmond, and Stewart (1986) previously identified assertiveness and responsiveness as two of three components of interpersonal communication competence.
