Confirms the idea that persons with similar communication values are more likely to become friends than persons with dissimilar communication values. (SR)

Antecedents of linguistic nonimmediacy were examined in a four-factor analysis of covariance with repeated measures design. Immediacy refers to the language of a message expressing a close relationship to the referent, while nonimmediacy suggests that the language expresses a more distant relationship. Subjects in the study were 118 college…

Thirty-two speech anxious college students participated in a study that examined whether four treatments that have been effective when applied separately would be equally effective when applied in combination. The treatments were (1) systemic desensitization (SD), (2) speech skills training (SST), (3) SST combined with coping skills training (CST)…

A study focusing on argument as a receiver-contained phenomenon assessed the differential importance of (new) arguments stimulated by a message, as opposed to (old) arguments previously integrated. Data were collected from 207 college students in a pretest, posttest, and delayed posttest design. The subjects provided information on their attitudes…

Measures communication apprehension of 84 accounting seniors at an institution requiring significant communication skills training. Finds that the communication-skills component of the curriculum alone is not successful in alleviating communication apprehension in those students whose apprehension is above normal. Concludes that business educators…

Investigated cognitive assembly processes underlying speech production. Reported results of two experiments demonstrating that when students used an organizing device (an abstract problem-solution sequence) in preparing, practicing, and delivering speeches, they exhibited less silent pausing. (PD)

Findings from two studies indicated that (1) conversations with silences were evaluated more negatively, along a number of dimensions, than conversations without silences; and (2) when silences were accompanied by an activity--for example, sculpting--conversations were rated more favorably. (PD)

Studied the use of three levels of evaluativeness (offering no opinion, description; offering one's own opinion; and offering an opinion of the other's opinion) in developing, stable, and deteriorating relationships. Expectations were confirmed in the developing and stable conditions but were not confirmed in the deteriorating condition. (PD)

Language samples of college- and middle-aged respondents were analyzed to determine if the language use of college students is appropriate for generalizations to other elements of the population. (PD)

Examines graffiti created by students in "film school" as an organizational document. Finds themes related to alienation and the discourse that counters the sources of that alienation. Shows how the humorous communicative style of graffiti creates tension among cultural meanings that mediates between alienation and liberation. (SR)

In the attempt to examine motivations for the interpersonal diffusion of news events, two sets of data were collected. First, 82 college students completed an open-ended survey regarding their reasons for passing on news events; second, another 200 college students were given the list of reasons previously compiled and were asked to rate their…

The willingness of interactants to disclose information about themselves in relationships from which they wish to disengage was compared with their willingness to self-disclose in relationships they wish to maintain. The subjects, 102 college students, were randomly assigned to one of four hypothetical scenarios: one in which the respondent wished…

Findings strongly support the content validity of the 24 items included in the instrument to measure communication apprehension. (PD)

Found that college students who were high self-monitors reported varying their self-disclosures more than low self-monitors. Finding is consistent with theory and research which indicate that high self-monitors perceive that they adapt to situations by varying their communication while low self-monitors do not. (PD)

Confirms results suggested in previous studies: in viewing video replays of their speeches, students recognize the need for improvement in language and delivery but give less attention to content. Concludes that using video replay for student self-critiques will be beneficial primarily in identifying and improving language and delivery. (PD)