Immediacy, humor, power distance and classroom communication apprehension in Chinese college classrooms

This study investigates classroom communication apprehension in Chinese college classrooms in reference to perceived instructor verbal and nonverbal immediacy and humor orientation, and student individual-level power distance. Results of Pearson correlation indicate that both student individual-level power distance and student perceptions of instructor humor orientation are correlated positively and significantly with classroom communication apprehension, but multiple regression analyses suggest that student individual-level power distance is the only effective predictor of classroom communication apprehension. Perceived instructor verbal and nonverbal immediacy are not associated significantly with classroom communication apprehension. Limitations, implications, and suggestions for future research are addressed.