If art, when defined by existential and phenomenological boundaries, promotes self-understanding, then the verbal arts in particular offer fully developed hypothetical analogues of humans in action. The need to find some measure of self-knowledge through art does not diminish with age, but the self-understanding promoted by the portrayal of the…

Despite the fact that group work in speech communication classes is assigned to aid students in learning to work productively in groups, there are many people who avoid it and who express a sincere dislike for any group activity in the academic setting. This negative initial reaction toward group work was studied in order to compile a taxonomy of…

A college level unit which investigates stereotypes of aging in the United States is described. The three-class unit serves as an introduction to the study of social gerontology. Its purpose is to address issues of negative stereotypes of old age reinforced by the media and by our cultural roots; the lack of knowledge about the normal changes that…

The issue of contempt expressed towards the aged was examined from a cross-cultural perspective. Eight reasons for expressions of contempt emerged from a study of 95 societies drawn from the Standard Cross-Cultural Sample, and were treated as independent variables, with the overall level of contempt as the dependent variable, in a application of…

A STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING COMMUNITY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS IN WEST VIRGINIA. THE CONCEPT IS THAT A WORKER IN ONE COMPANY WOULD UNDERTAKE ON THE JOB TRAINING AT ANOTHER COMPANY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MACHINES AND EQUIPMENT NOT CURRENTLY OWNED BY HIS COMPANY. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT THIS WOULD UPGRADE THE WORK…

There are three standard complaints given by teachers of freshman composition: (1) college freshman students are inferior to English majors and graduate students, or inferior to freshmen from when the teachers were in college; (2) the subject matter of a writing course is inferior to that of literature courses; and (3) those who teach composition…

Tests were constructed to measure three dimensions of prejudice related to interracial communication: stereotyping, affective reactions, and communicative social distance. A test was also constructed to measure the type of attributional choices made about blacks. The attributional choices were either defensive (negative and stereotypical) or…

This workshop module is designed to increase teachers' understanding of the resistance they are likely to encounter from their students when introducing emotionally laden content (e.g., issues of stereotyping and sex bias), and to provide them with strategies for preventing, dealing with, and reacting to student resistance. A booklet for use in…

This conference presentation describes a six-week intervention training program for parents with children who exhibit negative behavior (noncompliance, temper tantrums, whining). The focus of the program is to increase positive parent-child interaction, as well as to teach parents how to make and follow through on commands to their children.…

IN A COOPERATIVE PROJECT WITH THE PEACE CORPS, THE OKLAHOMANS FOR INDIAN OPPORTUNITY (OIO) ORGANIZATION TRAINED A GROUP OF AMERICAN INDIAN YOUNG PEOPLE DURING THE SUMMER OF 1967 FOR SERVICE IN LATIN AMERICA. THE MAJOR HYPOTHESIS UNDER WHICH OIO PLANNED THE TRAINING PROGRAM WAS THAT INDIAN YOUNGSTERS, BECAUSE OF THEIR LACK OF SELF-CONFIDENCE, FELT…

This study hypothesizes that: (1) stereotypic attitudes which normal persons hold toward handicapped persons will be multidimensional; (2) some of the multidimensional components will be general across all handicaps while others will be specific to each handicap; and (3) those components of stereotypic attitudes towards handicapped persons which…

Throughout American history, there has been prejudice, discrimination and violence against religious, ethnic and racial groups. Negative attitudes and practices have originated both from the citizenry and from the government in the form of immigration restrictions. Some examples are documented in this article. (Author/GC)

Attention is called to the probability that counselors and psychotherapists share the age stereotypes of other Americans. Kinds of age bias are noted: age restrictiveness, age distortion, and negative attitudes associated with particular ages. (Author)

Interviewed 37 married returning female students to investigate mother-daughter relationships during daughters' first year in university. Well educated mothers' attitudes toward daughters' enrollment were described as predominantly positive, less-educated mothers' attitudes as predominantly negative. Mothers' educational level was not consistently…

President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative is opposed by many university scientists, but government officials have no problem placing research contracts. Specific arrangements and personal opinions are cited, and the text of the Star Wars Petition signed by 6,500 faculty and graduate student scientists is included. (MSE)