This study investigates cultural and communication medium effects on conversational argumentation in a decision-making context. Chinese and U.S. participants worked in pairs on two decision-making tasks via face-to-face (FtF) and instant messaging (IM). The analyses showed that Chinese participants tended to engage in potentially more complex…

Compares the persuasiveness of using statistical versus narrative evidence (case studies or examples) across 15 investigations. Indicates that when comparing messages, statistical evidence is more persuasive than narrative evidence. (PA)

Contributes to scholarship on agenda setting by examining the correlation between the agendas of the Christian Coalition and major U.S. newspapers. Finds highly significant relationships between the agenda of the Christian Coalition's official newspaper and the media agenda, as well as statistically significant second-level effects, indicating…

Present a graphical multivariate approach to the analysis and reporting of presidential poll results when more than two candidates command a significant percentage of the vote. Advocates a methodology based on joint statistical inference. Applies this methodology to polls prior to the 1992 presidential election. (HB)