Background: There are many children with neurodisability who are unable to rely on speech to communicate and so use a range of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) methods and strategies to get their message across. Current instruments designed to measure the outcomes of speech and language therapy interventions lack specific attention…

A comprehensive understanding of stage fright will better enable teachers and researchers to select the most appropriate "cure" and to determine those cases in which speech training will help reduce stage fright or other states of communication apprehension. Attempts to understand stage fright have focused on three psychological theories…

When designing a workshop about communication and stress, it is important to consider the medical definition--that stress is a physiological reaction to an external force that is interpreted by the individual--and the psychological definition--which suggests that through communication with self one can change the stress in one's life. Stress can…

Programs for the elderly are rapidly becoming part of adult education programs. Such programs often use the methods and assumptions associated with androgogy (an approach to adult education advocating that instruction of adults should encourage self-directed learning) and use learning objectives related to life experiences and problems. Although…

Defining communication fidelity as the communication of ideas by one person in a way that results in the construction of congruent ideas by the recipient of that communication, this paper describes a model of basic communication based on this construct that will provide specific information about communication problems. The paper also discusses…

Presents a theoretical account of how speakers interpret that which is taken for granted in messages. Discusses research concerning enthymemes, argument theory, indirect speech acts, conversational maxims, pragmatic implication and other areas. Provides a framework for a model of how speakers interpret unspoken portions of utterances. (JMF)

Nonverbal displays of status are often employed in argumentative interactions for the purpose of securing an advantage over an opposing speaker. These displays can be conceptualized as "implicit ad hominem fallacies" because, like all ad hominem arguments, they shift the focus of attention away from the substantive issues in dispute to…

This paper proposes the use of interaction process analysis to study negotiation behaviors. Following a review of current literature in the field, the paper presents a theoretical framework for the analysis of both labor/management and social negotiation processes. Central to the framework described are two systems of activities that together…

The communicative skills of listening and nondefensive negotiation for understanding rather than persuasive tactics for coercion are emphasized in this discussion as crucial in helping people deal with the tremendous amount of information received daily. The paper describes some conceptual interconnections between information, communication, and…

Communication apprehension (CA) refers to a family of related terms: (a) reticence, (b) shyness, (c) unwillingness to communicate; and (d) stage fright. One pervasive but not totally substantiated assumption in current literature is the relationship between the level of communication apprehension and the level of communication skill demonstrated…

Improving the quality of teaching should be a fundamental concern of the discipline of speech communication. In studying communicating style in any context or situation (including the classroom), attention needs to be given (1) to the character of the interpretive and behavioral repertoires of individuals; (2) to any socio-historical expectations…

Interpersonal communication plays an important role in health and health care. Five topic areas of problem-oriented interpersonal health communication research demonstrate this important role: lack of patient compliance, miscommunication and misinformation, insensitivity, unrealistic and unfulfilled expectations, and dissatisfaction. More…

Analysis reveals that the four labels do not denote four discrete problems; rather, the constructs overlap to a great extent. Author recommends systematic interviews with individuals to identify their problems and then a treatment dependent on the exact nature of the problem. (PD)

The purpose of this article is to describe the nature of communication apprehension and its academic implications, to present initial data on its incidence in Australia, and to indicate some methods used to reduce its effects. (Author)

This paper reviews the existing body of research on the relationship between communication apprehension (CA) and nonverbal behavior. The strengths and limitations of three different approaches are considered. Contextual approaches are studies of CA and nonverbal behavior in which the primary focus is on communicative context (public speaking,…