Through the Years: An Examination of Instructor Age and Misbehavior on Perceived Teacher Credibility

This study used descriptions of a hypothetical instructor to test the effect of instructor age (young or old) and type of teacher misbehavior (offensive, indolent, or incompetent) on three dimensions of perceived teacher credibility (trustworthiness, caring, and competence). Older instructors were viewed as more credible than were younger instructors. In addition, offensive teachers were judged to be more credible than indolent or incompetent instructors; and indolent instructors were perceived as more caring and trustworthy than offensive or incompetent instructors. Results are discussed in terms of implications for student-teacher interaction.