The purpose of this combined-method study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, was to examine the positive and negative attitudes of 188 typically developing adolescents in grades 9 through 12 toward augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modalities. I developed a survey, the Augmentative and Alternative Social Validity Survey, specifically for this study. I assessed three components of attitudes: affect, behavior, and cognition and the role of gender and grade level on attitudes toward three AAC methods: sign language, picture-symbols, and a voice output communication aid. The Social Validity Framework provided the conceptual basis used to assess the social significance of goals, methods, and outcomes. My results suggested that when typically developing adolescents have to turn their thoughts and feelings into actions that students, males more so than females, do not always interact with students with disabilities in a positive, accepting manner. Additionally, adolescent males were found to have a more negative attitude than adolescent females when participating in activities with peers who use AAC. Further evidence was obtained by analyzing open-ended written responses from the survey. The qualitative results were grouped and analyzed by overall themes related to each AAC. Discussion of these results and implications for future research were recommended.
","abstract_html":"<p>The purpose of this combined-method study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, was to examine the positive and negative attitudes of 188 typically developing adolescents in grades 9 through 12 toward augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modalities. I developed a survey, the Augmentative and Alternative Social Validity Survey, specifically for this study. I assessed three components of attitudes: affect, behavior, and cognition and the role of gender and grade level on attitudes toward three AAC methods: sign language, picture-symbols, and a voice output communication aid. The Social Validity Framework provided the conceptual basis used to assess the social significance of goals, methods, and outcomes. My results suggested that when typically developing adolescents have to turn their thoughts and feelings into actions that students, males more so than females, do not always interact with students with disabilities in a positive, accepting manner. Additionally, adolescent males were found to have a more negative attitude than adolescent females when participating in activities with peers who use AAC. Further evidence was obtained by analyzing open-ended written responses from the survey. The qualitative results were grouped and analyzed by overall themes related to each AAC. Discussion of these results and implications for future research were recommended.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Alexander, Sally Louise"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Campus Access Dissertation","degree_discipline":"Educational Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Mitchell Yell"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:34Z","subjects":["Education","Special Education and Teaching","Adolescents","Alternative","Attitudes","Augmentative","Communication"],"languages":[],"rights":["© 2011, Sally Louise Alexander"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1940","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Mitchell Yell"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Alexander, Sally Louise"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Educational Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Campus Access Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Education","Special Education and Teaching","Adolescents","Alternative","Attitudes","Augmentative","Communication"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© 2011, Sally Louise Alexander"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1940"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this combined-method study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, was to examine the positive and negative attitudes of 188 typically developing adolescents in grades 9 through 12 toward augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modalities. I developed a survey, the Augmentative and Alternative Social Validity Survey, specifically for this study. I assessed three components of attitudes: affect, behavior, and cognition and the role of gender and grade level on attitudes toward three AAC methods: sign language, picture-symbols, and a voice output communication aid. The Social Validity Framework provided the conceptual basis used to assess the social significance of goals, methods, and outcomes. My results suggested that when typically developing adolescents have to turn their thoughts and feelings into actions that students, males more so than females, do not always interact with students with disabilities in a positive, accepting manner. Additionally, adolescent males were found to have a more negative attitude than adolescent females when participating in activities with peers who use AAC. Further evidence was obtained by analyzing open-ended written responses from the survey. The qualitative results were grouped and analyzed by overall themes related to each AAC. Discussion of these results and implications for future research were recommended.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Social Validity of Communication Modalities: Assessing Attitudes of Typically Developing Adolescents toward Augmentative and Alternative Communication"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Mitchell Yell"],"dc:creator":["Alexander, Sally Louise"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this combined-method study, using both quantitative and qualitative methods, was to examine the positive and negative attitudes of 188 typically developing adolescents in grades 9 through 12 toward augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) modalities. I developed a survey, the Augmentative and Alternative Social Validity Survey, specifically for this study. I assessed three components of attitudes: affect, behavior, and cognition and the role of gender and grade level on attitudes toward three AAC methods: sign language, picture-symbols, and a voice output communication aid. The Social Validity Framework provided the conceptual basis used to assess the social significance of goals, methods, and outcomes. My results suggested that when typically developing adolescents have to turn their thoughts and feelings into actions that students, males more so than females, do not always interact with students with disabilities in a positive, accepting manner. Additionally, adolescent males were found to have a more negative attitude than adolescent females when participating in activities with peers who use AAC. Further evidence was obtained by analyzing open-ended written responses from the survey. The qualitative results were grouped and analyzed by overall themes related to each AAC. Discussion of these results and implications for future research were recommended.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/1940"],"dc:rights":["© 2011, Sally Louise Alexander"],"dc:subject":["Education","Special Education and Teaching","Adolescents","Alternative","Attitudes","Augmentative","Communication"],"dc:title":["The Social Validity of Communication Modalities: Assessing Attitudes of Typically Developing Adolescents toward Augmentative and Alternative Communication"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Educational Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Campus Access Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_name":["Ph.D."]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T04:37:34Z"}