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older adult in a nursing home will almost assuredly have a negative stereotype activated
that would cause her/his communication strategy to be diverging and counterattuning.
The Stereotype Activation Model (SAM) in conjunction with the Communication
Accommodation Theory allows for a fuller examination of communication strategies in
relation to positive or negative stereotype activation. One trait that has been researched
extensively in communication literature and falls logically into one superordinate
category of SAM (namely shrew/curmudgeon) is verbal aggressiveness. An examination
of verbal aggressiveness in the Stereotype Activation Model might facilitate a more
thorough understanding of both the role of this trait in stereotype activation, but also the
role and importance of aggressive communication and communication overall in
stereotype activation. Fox (1999) concurs, “With psychological and contextual variables
accounted for, it is crucial that future research focus on the actual communication that is
occurring…” (p. 413). Therefore, it is important to turn to a review of literature on
aggressive communication.
Aggressive Communication
The communication research associated with aggressive communication has been
summarized in two recent journal articles (Blickle, Habasch & Senff, 1998; Infante &
Rancer, 1996). Communication is defined as aggressive “if it applies force
…symbolically in order, minimally, to dominate and perhaps damage, or maximally, to
defeat and perhaps destroy the locus of attack” (Infante, 1987, p. 156). The model of
aggressive communication developed by Infante (1987) consists of four communication
traits--argumentativeness, assertiveness, verbal aggressiveness, and hostility--that interact
with contextual or environmental elements in message creation.
Convention