Willingness to communicate: A potential confounding variable in communication research

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Abstract
Informed consent provisions of regulations involving use of human subjects in communication research have resulted in virtually all subjects in communication research being volunteer subjects. Since communication research often requires subjects to be involved in actual communication, an individual's willingness to communicate may have an important impact on whether the individual will be willing to volunteer for research in communication. This study reported that people who are highly willing to communicate, compared to those less willing, are significantly more likely to agree to participate in a communication study, are more likely to appear as scheduled for participation, and are more likely ultimately to participate after persistent efforts to obtain their participation.