A study investigated the influence of sex on perceived credibility. It was predicted that males would have more credibility than females, and that males and females would respond differently to the question of having more credibility if they were of the opposite sex. A series of research questions concerning both the similarity of sex of the…

Focuses on gendered modes of collaboration in a chemical engineering design course. Identifies three modes of collaboration (dialogic, asymmetrical, and hierarchical) and suggests that the first two are liberating, whereas the third is oppressive. Illustrates these modes by describing the collaborative interaction of two groups of students. (SR)

Discusses the impact of possible sex-based differences in communication styles on the technical writer's job. Argues that technical writers can choose to use both male and female communication styles to acknowledge multiple audiences and to improve the quality of their documents. (KEH)

Centers on third-party intervention in roommate conflicts. Examines how the gender and training of mediators affects both their control of interaction and perceptions of their performance. Reveals that female and male mediators are equally controlling, but females are perceived by disputants as less controlling than males. (SR)

Explores the consequences of using "masculine" versus "feminine" strategies in political commercials for female candidates. Reports that the "aggressive" strategy worked better than the "non-aggressive" strategy, and that the "career" strategy worked better than the "family" strategy. (MM)

Presents a 29-item annotated bibliography of empirical research from the 1980s on gender as a variable in managerial communication. (SR)

A study asked students from four professional colleges at a medium-sized midwestern college whether they had observed 14 of the "chilling practices" (practices which chill women, i.e. sexist practices) described by R. M. Hall and B. R. Sandler ("The Classroom Climate. A Chilly One for Women?") whether the instructor engaging in…

Two studies tested the hypothesis that the annual salaries of women in public relations are significantly less than those of men of equal education, professional experience, and length of employment with their current organization. A second hypothesis included organizational role status as a variable. The first study surveyed members of four…

A study was conducted to describe male and female participation and success in both debate and individual events national competition and to identify areas of gender-based inequity. Data from three 1984 national tournaments (National Debate Tournament, American Forensic Association's National Individual Events Tournament, and the National Forensic…

This study did not support the following hypothesis: more sexually-oriented jokes will reflect a sexist bias against women than against men. Instead, the findings indicate that joke-tellers of both sexes were more likely to select sexual jokes that discriminated against males. (PD)

Investigates whether National Debate Tournament debaters are evaluated differently because of gender. Shows that male speakers received more points than females; the effect was more pronounced in the negative when female judges heard female/female teams; and male judges gave higher points to same-sex teams. Encourages all participants to be…

A study was conducted to determine the effects on reading comprehension of the use of the exclusive pronoun "he" and more or less contrived alternatives. Subjects, 358 students enrolled in an introduction to human communication at a large northeastern university, read three different forms of the same essay. One essay form exclusively…

Examines how masculine and feminine speech patterns affect the acceptance by superiors of decisions made by male and female subordinates. Indicates that proposals of subordinates with masculine speech patterns are more likely to be accepted by male listeners, whereas female listeners are not influenced by the speech patterns. (SR)

Reports on a meta-analysis of research studies on the relationship of encoding and decoding abilities to sex roles. Suggests that "feminine" interpersonal goals may be achieved without superior nonverbal communication ability, whereas "masculine" goals may require more ability to judge others' feelings and moods. (Author/ST)

A study was conducted to determine if (1) significant gender differences exist in prevalence of deception, motivation for deception, and recipients of deception; and (2) whether such differences support traditional gender role perceptions and expectations. Seventy-four subjects, 50 female and 24 male undergraduate students, recorded all instances…