Discusses friendship as one of the types of social relationships possible in school. Argues the importance of helping students form friendships in order to promote their social, psychological, and intellectual development. (FL)

Communication competence has been approached primarily from three perspectives in the communication literature: (1) as cognitive understanding of communication, (2) as a capability of performing certain communication skills, and (3) as achieving effective communication. Most scholars who write about communication competence view competence either…

Responds to Belsky's critique of the Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale and suggests explanations for the disparity in results when using the Scale as an intervention device with new families. (HOD)

Suggests conditions or "cues" that provoke the process of second- guessing, and describes an experimental study confirming that interactants do second-guess when confronted with those cues. (MS)

Both women and blacks are often seen as inferior, emotional, harmless, content in their places, and nonverbally submissive, and are subject to overt discrimination in education, employment, and politics. Assertiveness training, a popular means used by women to overcome or combat sexism, could be equally effective in combatting racism. Assertive…

Provides a composite view of the combination of teacher qualities and actions that make a teacher effective. (HOD)

Assesses the value of competency/skill research in speech pedagogy. (PD)

The article argues that it is necessary to identify and teach mentally retarded students the work behavior that is essential for successful employment. To ensure success, students must have vocational and social skills as well as adaptability skills which help them assess a problem, set a course of action, and modify their activities. (Author/DB)

While health services personnel in the United States receive the best technical training available, they are rarely exposed to a holistic health science curriculum which would enable them to develop the interpersonal competence needed in the delivery of health services. Indeed, the primary task of health services personnel is teaching patients to…

Skillful interpretation of nonverbal communication on the part of college administrators is pointed out as an important factor in the success or failure of educational enterprises. A method is presented of using such instruments as the Occupational Climate Description Questionnaire and the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire in assessing…

Men and women have different characteristic work behaviors and attitudes that affect their career advancement. A study of women college administrators identified four abilities of successful women in the field: strong sense of self; working hard and setting priorities; interpersonal skills, including listening and mediating; and ability to use…

The phenomenon of "burn-out" is most frequently experienced by people who, in the course of their jobs, work with other people such as students, patients, or clients in situations that involve intense personal interaction. The complex symptoms of the burn-out syndrome are described in this paper. The most common of these symptoms is a change of…

Impression management refers to the concept that people engaged in interaction will attempt to control the image of themselves that others form. This provides a foundation for social interaction, giving others information about who we are and what to expect from us. A central concern of impression management is the manner in which we are evaluated…

The assessment of behavior patterns and levels of functioning of visually handicapped students is essential for establishing effective educational programs. The article discusses the factors in formative assessment, the types of data to be collected, and the most appropriate measurement instruments that are available to evaluate a variety of…

Introduces this special journal issue by outlining previous research on early peer relationships. Explains that the articles in this issue provide a backdrop for identifying the early precursors of individual patterns of success versus failure with peers. (JS)