Exploring students’ perceptions of instructor requests for forms of address and students’ appraisals of the instructor

ABSTRACT Guided by predicted outcome value (POV) theory, we explore how instructors’ forms of address (FOA) during the first class day impact students’ POV judgments and their perceptions of instructors’ credibility and socio-communicative orientation. College students (N = 416) were randomly assigned to view one of six stimulus videos varying by FOA (e.g., “Doctor,” “Professor,” first name) and instructor biologic sex (e.g., male-presenting, female-presenting) before completing dependent measures. Results suggest female-presenting instructors are perceived to be less caring, albeit more assertive when referred to by “Doctor” or “Professor” compared to male-presenting instructors referred to by the same FOAs. Female-presenting instructors are also perceived to be more caring, yet less assertive when referred to by first name only in comparison to the male-presenting instructor referred to by the same FOA. The current study highlights the gendered expectations students have of instructors and the implications of instructor FOA during the first class day.