Examines, relying on uncertainty reduction theory, the effect of communication strategies on assessments of relational repair and intimacy. Finds that 100 heterosexual romantically involved couples nominated unfaithfulness, third-party competition, and geographic distance as most negatively affecting their relationships. Finds that perceptions of…

Examines threats, suggestions, hints, and promises for politeness and expediency in gaining others' compliance. Tests predicted rank-orderings of politeness/expediency of threats, suggestions, etc., stemming from politeness-theory literature. Indicates hints, although inefficient, are not the most polite for gaining compliance; threats, although…

Finds that compulsive communication has low positive relationships with assertiveness, willingness to communicate, self-perceived communication competence, and neuroticism; low negative relationships with introversion and communication apprehension; and moderately high negative correlation with self-reports of behavioral shyness. Suggests that…

Delineates a metatheoretic rationale for a biologically based theory of verbal aggressiveness. Integrates neurobiological principles into the concept of verbal aggressiveness. Presents a working model, and addresses the implications of this theoretical position. (SR)

Identifies five features of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that may account for its deep universal appeal. Suggests the memorial's effectiveness may recommend it as a model for contemporary anti-war rhetoric. (MS)

Explores the tension between critical rhetoric's "doxa" and a modernistic "episteme." Develops a revised conception of doxa positioned within a critical rhetoric, which is contrasted to episteme. Advances a conception of prudence (practical wisdom) that uses doxa as its underpinnings. Argues that the actions of the agent may be…

Tests predictions from a cognitive heuristics approach and a nonverbal expectancy violations approach concerning deception attribution directed toward a message source. Shows that the reward value of a message source can function as a heuristic cue and influence attributions of deceptions; however, this effect is apparently limited to low-reward…

Investigates the role and impact of receiver involvement in product class, comparative message format, and receiver sex on the relative effectiveness of comparative advertising messages. Indicates that females and males respond uniquely to comparative advertising, revealing consistent patterns regarding both circumstances and approaches. (SR)

Finds that subjects with a choice about whether to interact with their partner again (or with one of the persons they observed) remembered less in general than those expecting to interact with the same person or with a different person. Participants remembered significantly more conversational information using cued recall than observers, and…

Investigates how mode of imagery affects imagined interactions and the relationship between affective processing and imagined interaction. Shows that (1) verbal imagery is associated with self-dominance, rehearsal, and understanding whereas visual imagery is associated with more pleasantness; and (2) pleasant imagined interactions are lower in…

Finds that people with external locus of control found communication to be less rewarding and less satisfying, tended to avoid communication, and were motivated to communicate more ritualistically than internals. (SR)

Finds that self-reported satisfaction as a member of a marital dyad was (1) positively related to the spouse's use of a more co-active style of communication and decision-making, and to the spouse's communication of referent power; and (2) negatively related to the spouse's communication of coercive power and use of reward power. (SR)

Explores the erroneous assumptions underlying Burleson's criticism of Beatty and Payne and examines in context the evidence selected by Burleson to support his criticism. (NKA)

Presents basic information on construction of q-sorts and methods for analyzing q-sort data. Notes the particular relevancy of q-methodology to communication research. (PD)

Indicates that undergraduate students' argumentativeness interacted to affect the number of arguments generated and the type of resolution reached: specifically, "high argumentatives" with "low argumentative" partners generated a significantly greater number of arguments, and were significantly more successful in gaining…