Investigates the private criteria people use in judging whether or not to make particular arguments. Determines the relationship between self-monitoring and the use of editing criteria. Finds that person-centered issues and discourse competence rules are extremely important, and that the self-monitoring scale has serious psychometric problems. (MS)

The communication discipline has advanced the belief that arguing (high argumentativeness) is a constructive communication activity. Recent research efforts have attempted the integration of principles from argumentation, interpersonal communication, and conflict management, and several benefits of high motivation to argue and skill in informal…

Investigates whether children attempt to persuade an interactant or initiate compromise when their interests conflict. Concludes that older children are more likely to spontaneously initiate compromise than are younger ones. (RS)

Argues that (1) Chaim Perelman's philosophy and the New Rhetoric project reflect his Jewish heritage and Talmudic habits of argument; and (2) because Perelmanian philosophy enacts Jewish and Talmudic thought, the New Rhetoric charts a "third way" between Enlightenment metaphysics and the more extreme expressions of postmodernism,…

Viewing generic arguments (arguments applied to an entire class or group of opposing arguments) in terms of the argument fields of a debate resolution strengthens the generic argument as a debate concept, brings debate theory and argument together, and offers a perspective for evaluating generic arguments in academic and the real world debate.…

Reviews research concerning the role played by variations in the timing of communicator identification as one aspect of the effect that communicator credibility has on persuasive communication. Claims that variations in the timing of the identification of the source of a persuasive communication can produce substantial differences in persuasive…

Keeping debate communicative is a great and recurring concern. A study investigated whether debate format may influence debaters' communicative behavior, by comparing behavior in Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) Lincoln-Douglas debate (LD) and in CEDA Team debate. Videotapes of the two first affirmative speeches of each, at the…

This paper focuses on a speech by Demosthenes, recognized as the foremost orator of the fourth century B.C., and the speeches of environmentalist David Brower, in a search for parallel use of values and myths in their rhetorical approaches. Myths provided a world view, ordered the world into right and wrong conduct and thinking, and created a…

A study investigated the speaking habits of the general public from the Albany, Schenectady, and Troy (New York) area in the spring and fall of 1984. Student interviewers completed interviews with 478 residents 18 years or older to find out how many times the respondent had given speeches in the past two years and under what circumstances. The…

Discusses three studies that generated six replications of the subjective message construct theory indicating that between 25 percent and 50 percent of the variance in belief change can be explained by the theory. Indicates that subjective probabilities can be used to construct valid operational measures of importance and novelty. (NKA)

Examines the interrelationship among propaganda, effect, and the Cold War during congressional debates over America's first peacetime propaganda program. Argues that the "war of words" metaphor further heightened the need for empirical proof of America's status in that conflict. Suggests that the Cold War helped to ensure the…

Offers a general introduction to the concept of "going meta," in which prior communications are made the subject of communication. Provides brief illustrations of its far-reaching applications to the study of rhetoric and communication. Describes going meta as a rhetorical balancing act, and illustrates this using televised political…

The social scientific research focus of major United States universities places the forensics programs at these institutions in a unique position. Three areas of tension between forensics and research based communication departments are as follows: research quality/utility, applicability of forensic training, and resource conflicts. Solutions to…

A study investigated the reason for the decline in participation in NDT (National Debate Tournament) debate. An anonymous poll of forensic programs was conducted to encourage a frank and open description of the issues surrounding the problem. One hundred thirty colleges and universities in America (out of 354) responded to a questionnaire. The…

In the past, rhetorical criticism relied heavily on an Aristotelian approach; critics judged a speech by how well it fulfilled the speaker's purpose and persuasion was the accepted goal of rhetoric. Political and academic forces have brought about a methodological perspectivism or pluralism of rhetorical theory, and in turn, caused a shift from…