Tests the persuasive impact of synesthetic metaphors (which equate sense A to sense B) in advertising headlines. Finds that in some circumstances, synesthetic headlines produce less, rather than more, favorable attitudes toward the advertisement and brand than literal equivalents. (SR)

Describes study comparing views of husbands and wives toward day-to-day communication practices. Initial data analysis yielded 24 items contributing to 7 factors. Wives tended to report less communication or rate communication lower than husbands, but both husbands and wives were generally satisfied with communication in marriages. (Author/CRR)

Describes a study in which drug information leaflets given to patients were improved in two ways, first by adding a short introductory paragraph on the nature of side effects generally, and second by adjusting frequency descriptors to more accurately reflect pretesting of the drug. Explains that participants in the study were less likely to…

Extends prior research on communication barriers to the tax practitioner-IRS agent relationship. Provides survey responses from 98 tax practitioners pinpointing serious behavioral and personality barriers, inflexible thinking, technical competence, and close-minded attitudes of IRS agents. Suggests that the Internal Revenue Service might use…

Finds no support for cohort-centrism from a communication perspective, but finds that older persons viewed their conversational partners, whether young or old, to be more competent than did younger persons, and were more satisfied conversing with young persons. Finds that younger persons were less satisfied, regardless of the age of the…

Indicates that issue/advocacy advertising inoculates against attitude change among undergraduate students, while simultaneously protecting sponsors against slippage in ratings of source credibility, after exposure to a persuasive attack on behalf of an opposing position. (SR)

Proposes a framework for evaluating the degree to which communication technologies promote or inhibit ethical communication practices. Demonstrates the framework's applicability in an explication of the ethical problems associated with "caller identification." (SR)

Discusses the establishment of collective memory studies. Addresses six premises for collective remembering that are basic to contemporary scholarship: that collective memory is processual, unpredictable, partial, useable, both particular and universal, and material. Discusses the future of collective memory studies. (SR)

Argues that the two principle modes of organizing rhetorical theories in histories of rhetoric (according to influence or systems) frequently mask or distort the particularity of rhetoric's history. Forwards an alternative critical history that privileges the notions of text, particularity, change, and criticism. (SR)

Clarifies how the scheme systems work in C. Perleman and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca's "The New Rhetoric," responds to a critique of it, and examines patterns of scheme use in five panel discussions. Concludes that the description of inferential scheme categories in "The New Rhetoric" is generally complete and useful for the study of…

Investigates causes of ambiguities in the discourse resulting in the decision to launch the space shuttle "Challenger." Maintains that the source of that ambiguity was: (1) a social context with great pressure to launch; and (2) inappropriate conversational politeness strategies used to cope with that pressure. Discusses the lessons of…

Argues that all communication is inherently strategic, that is, it is purposive, it is adjusted to purposes, and this ongoing adjustment makes it strategic. Argues further that communication is primarily automatic, with strategies tacitly acquired and tacitly deployed. (SR)

Finds that (1) messages discrepant with existing beliefs have a greater impact on confidence in beliefs than do nondiscrepant messages; and (2) more expert sources slightly increase confidence in beliefs. Suggests that effects of message exposure on confidence and the effects of confidence on belief change persistence may depend on whether beliefs…

Explores the nature of trait verbal aggressiveness. Identifies types of verbally aggressive messages used by college students, beliefs about hurt, and reasons for use that distinguish high from low verbal aggressives. Finds that high verbal aggressive students are prone to using self-concept attacking messages. (SR)

Develops, examines, and confirms a four-factor conceptual model of defensiveness as (1) a self-perceived flaw the individual refuses to admit; (2) a sensitivity to that flaw; and (3) an attack by another person that (4) focuses on an area or issue that the attacker perceives as a flaw in the other. (SR)