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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Argumentativeness among Selected Finnish and American College Students

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Summary.-Compared on the Infante/Rancer Argumentativeness scale, 247 Finnish university students had a significantly higher mean score on argumentativeness as a trait than 155 American university students. No significant difference was noted on the desire to approach arguments, but the American students were significantly more inclined to avoid arguments than the Finnish students. Conceptualized by Infante and Rancer (1982) as a personality trait, argumentativeness contains tendencies to approach and to avoid arguments. Persons with approach tendencies will advocate issues on controversial positions and attack conflicting positions. Those with avoidance tendencies try to stay out of arguments. If forced to argue, they will feel uncomfortable in doing so. The approach types (high argumentatives) perceive argument as an exciting intellectual challenge. The avoidance types (low argumentatives) feel relieved when they are able to avoid an argument. Using the InfanteIRancer Argumentativeness scale (1982), 247 Finnish students (94 men, 153 women) from the University of Jyvaskyla were compared to 155 American students (77 men, 78 women) from West Virginia University who were significantly different in age (Finns, M = 23.3 yr., SD = 4.34; Americans, M = 20.2 yr., SD = 1.72; t = 8.26, p< .0001). The scale measures the general argumentativeness trait and tendencies to approach and avoid arguments. Internal reliability coefficients are reported as .91 for the tendencies to approach arguments and .86 for the tendencies to avoid arguments (Infante & Rancer, 1982). Coefficient alpha (Cronbach, 1951) for the Finns was .88 for the approach and .83 for the avoidance tendencies; for the Americans, was .83 for the approach and .81 for avoidance tendencies. Using the t test, the Finns (M = 11.03, SD = 11.20) self-reported signifi