Presents an interview with Mike Rose. Explains the source of Rose's interest in the cognitive dimension of writing and how it affects his teaching particularly and classroom instruction generally. Discusses writer's block in terms of cognition. (NH)

Fuses theories about Basic Writers and writer's block. Addresses, through the use of hypertext, how computers can help Basic Writers who experience this writing difficulty. Discusses the two main branches of students' difficulties (problems with genre and problems with the linearity of texts) which may be partially alleviated through the…

Considers how students and teachers use Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) to respond to writing anxieties. Notes that experiences with TO have encouraged the continuation of experimentation with the theories and practices in and out of the classroom. Discusses how TO places instructors in creatively vulnerable and edifying positions.…

Teaching faculty learn to assimilate into their departmental culture as doctoral students; the terminal degree in Library Science, the Master's degree, however, provides training in the day-to-day operation of a library but not experience in scholarly publishing. As a result, library faculty on the tenure track live in a heightened state of…

In 1975, J. A. Daly and M. D. Miller devised and validated a 26-item questionnaire to better understand why having to write produces an extreme level of anxiety for some people. This questionnaire has been used extensively in related research since its introduction. Subsequent studies, which have shown writing apprehension to be…

Meditation is the practice of becoming still--training the mind to slow down. Researchers have acknowledged the "technical" relationship between meditation and writing. Meditation can become part of the writing process, particularly for those who experience writing apprehension, often expressed as procrastination or writer's block.…

Results of study 1 indicate that subjects promised credit for rigor wrote more words and more constructs than did their nonmotivated counterparts. Results of study 2 demonstrate that writing apprehension scores and self-reports of situational motivation predicted both loquacity (amount of words) and cognitive complexity scores. (Author)

Acknowledges the anxiety of writing and of teaching writing. (JL)

Identifies three types of writer's block. Suggests a model using peer tutors to help blocked students overcome the problem. Discusses diagnostic considerations, tutor qualifications, and the importance of clear communication among the student, teacher, and tutor. Emphasizes the importance of relaxed relations between student and tutor. (PAA)

Presents the voices of basic writers, telling the importance of education in their lives and their struggles with it. Argues that basic writing merits support and should be regarded as college-level in its objectives and methods. Rejects the move to transform the mission of two-year colleges into one of narrowly defined developmental endeavors.…

Argues that: (1) the disturbing effects of writer's block the student experienced were the result of self-disintegration; (2) the student's cognitive powers were devoted to a defensive stabilization of the self; (3) the defining qualities of his writing were a product of his psychological configuration; and (4) his tendency toward narcissistic…

Accounting majors (n=126) displayed significantly more apprehension about writing compared to national norms; males were more apprehensive than were females. Nontraditional students (over age 25) did not differ from traditional students. Accounting students were less tolerant of ambiguity than the national norm; males and nontraditional students…

Designed to identify students with writer's block, this measure is an attitude questionnaire of 24 items separated into five subscales: blocking, lateness, premature editing, strategies for complexity, and attitudes. If teachers or researchers wish simply to identify blockers, they can administer only the items within the behavioral…

Presents the problem of intentional or unintentional plagiarism on the part of young students, several possible causes for it, and offers ways teachers can help students avoid copying and understand the value of owning one's writing. (JC)

Concerns arise about two of the most widely used measurements in writing research because of faulty logic in the construction of the Writing Apprehension Test and the possibility of incomplete analytic procedures using T-unit analyses. Two experiments were conducted to address these concerns. Results are discussed. (Author/MT)