In a study of relative priorities for interaction in groups containing adults and children, 570 family groups in public settings were observed for 10-second time periods. There was far more adult/child touching than adult/adult touching. Adults tended to talk more than children and talking was reciprocated at higher rates in adult/adult dyads than…

Compared the interactional patterns of distressed (N=22) and nondistressed (N=17) couples through base rate and sequential analyses of communication samples that were coded with the Marital Interactional Coding System. Nondistressed couples emitted higher rates of problem-solving, verbal and nonverbal positive, and neutral behaviors. (Author)

This study examined the verbal message strategies employed in the two 1988 presidential debates by Vice-President George Bush and Governor Michael Dukakis, independently and comparatively. A number of broad verbal categories were developed to code the messages of each candidate from videotapes and transcripts. Verbal characteristics under…

Investigates retrieval and reporting of superordinate and subordinate concepts in oral or written recollections. Finds no differences in total number of superordinate, subordinate, or reader-generated ideas recalled; however, does find differences between oral and written recall, depending on initial or ending position of text information. (RS)

A study analyzed the verbal interactions of married couples in high, moderate, and low marital satisfaction groups to determine whether (1) the interaction processes within the three satisfaction groups differed and (2) there were different communication patterns that characterized the interaction processes of the groups. Subjects were 34 young…

Observed the decision-reaching and leadership behavior of children in same- amd mixed-age triads by coding their verbalizations in arriving at a consensus for their preference ranking of eight pictures. (HOD)

Compares readers' and listeners' perceptions of powerless language features. Examines whether oral versions of powerless messages generate higher credibility ratings than written versions. Finds that subjects note more hesitations in writing but more hedges on tape, and that placing powerless speech in the written transcript reduces…

A study was made of the "cognitive demands" made of children during spontaneous conversations with their teachers at nursery school and their mothers at home. Teachers' talk contained a higher proportion of cognitive demands and "testing" demands than did mothers' talk; however, the hourly rate of these demands was higher in…

Recognizing that inexperienced teachers may differ substantially from experienced teachers in their perceptions of student control, a study examined both preteachers' and experienced teachers' strategy selections when confronted with student misbehavior scenarios that reflected particular situational determinants. Subjects, 522 prospective and…