Advancing the Integrative Theory of Communication Work: Developing and Validating a Measure of Communication Work Among U.S. Adults with Chronic Illnesses

It is important to theorize and observe empirically how communicative behaviors can constitute a form of labor that may take a toll on people who are already coping with a health stressor. The present investigation considers the Integrative Theory of Communication Work (ITCW) from a post-positivist paradigm, with the goal of developing a psychometrically sound communication work scale. A diverse sample of American adults with chronic health conditions was recruited to complete an online survey inquiring about their experiences with communication work during illness. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses rendered stable factor structures that fit with theoretical assumptions. This project resulted in a reliable and valid measure of communication work, and yielded preliminary quantitative evidence for the ITCW's theorized relationships among the communication work dimensions of effort, preparation, duty, division of labor, and costs/benefits. Several avenues for future research with the new measure are proposed.