Drawn from a conference focusing on the changing nature of the communication function, the papers in this collection analyze and outline the professional and personal developmental techniques necessary to anticipate and capitalize upon those changes. Among the specific topics discussed in the 32 papers are the following: (1) the techniques and…

By means of communication network analysis and individual interviews conducted between September 1982 and March 1983 with district administrators in a single medium-sized school district, this study describes the consequences of the 1975 decentralization of the district's communication network. Following a brief introduction and a discussion of…

One of a regular series on the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications, this report covers the period January 1 to March 31, 1985. Studies summarized in the report cover such topics as (1) segmentation of coarticulated speech in perception (2) intrinsic time in…

Designed to reflect the diversity of approaches to persuasion, this annotated bibliography cites materials selected for their contribution to that diversity as well as for being relatively current and/or especially significant representatives of particular approaches. The bibliography starts with a list of 17 general textbooks on approaches to…

A study was conducted to explore the language or discourse of the administrative assistant in an effort to gain insight into the development of the superior/subordinate relationship. The study also explored differences in gender-based behavioral expectations identified through a content analysis of administrative assistants' messages. The…

A program (entitled "Across the Curriculum") that integrated speaking, listening, reading, and writing instruction into content areas across the curriculum, in Central College, Iowa, is described in this paper. The paper first discusses the formation of the program, which was predicated on a desire shared by faculty members in all academic areas…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 21 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) factors affecting interpersonal attraction and perceived appropriateness; (2) the effect of self-esteem, relationship satisfaction, conceptual complexity, and…

As one of a regular series, this report focuses on the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications. Drawn from the period of July 1 to December 31, 1981, the 15 manuscripts cover the following topics: (1) phonetic trading relations and context effects; (2) temporal…

A study was designed to evaluate the use of summated rating (Likert) scales of agreement, evaluation, and frequency. The subjects, 58 female and 45 male college students, rank ordered the descriptive adjectives for the areas of agreement, evaluation, and frequency on a scale of 1 to 100. They also completed the Personal Report of Communication…

A study tested the effectiveness of ridicule as an educational and social corrective in children's educational television programs. Arbitrary activities involving a novel object were presented to 69 four-year-old and 83 six-year-old children via videotaped presentations and demonstrations. In each of three types of motivational message (ridicule,…

This report is one of a regular series on the status and progress of studies on the nature of speech, instrumentation for its investigation, and practical applications. Drawn from the period of January 1 to March 31, 1980, the 14 manuscripts cover the following topics: (1) acoustics in human communication; (2) motor-sensory feedback formulations;…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The ten titles deal with the following topics: (1) rhetorical theories for college writing teachers, (2) contemporary rhetorical criticism of literary art, (3) the rhetoric of the new religious cults, (4) Victorian argument, (5)…

Analyzes President Reagan's foreign policy address of October 27, 1983, on events in Lebanon and Grenada, by taking a flexible approach to Kenneth Burke's "pentad"--preserving the inherent ambiguity of act, agent, agency, scene, and purpose. Concludes that the speech reveals a formulation of American character incompatible with a…

Examines the relationship between (1) use of and reliance upon particular media, (2) participation in activities linked to a conflictive public issue (South Africa) and (3) knowledge about that issue among black college students in Washington, DC. Concludes reliance on a particular medium is less important than interest and motivation in…

Reviews recent research on the nature of teachers' and students' talk in the classroom, specifically addressing the teachers' expectations of student talk and behavior. (SRT)