The need for humanistically-oriented research may be viewed as the unfinished business of humanistic psychology. Additional research is needed to support some of the theoretical positions of humanistic psychology which have emerged from clinical practice, education, and management consultation rather than from laboratories and field studies. The…

The paper reviews literature on the family-ecological perspective regarding autism and examines the bidirectional influences among child, family, professional, and school. It is noted that, in contradiction of psychogenic theories of autism, research suggests that parents of autistic children are not more pathological than parents of otherwise…

This paper discusses the debate on paradigms in educational administration and how this debate cannot be separated from the debate on the nature of the school. It asks questions about the extent to which recent challenges to traditional paradigms succeeded in changing the debate on the school as an organization. It supports arguments that the most…

The goal of all speech rehabilitation methods is the restoration of speech as a unitary higher function. One approach views speech as a complex but coherent system where all levels and components are interconnected. This view takes into consideration the use of verbal communication, which takes place at a higher speech level and includes activity,…

The paper reviews the literature on early intervention programs with emphasis on programs for handicapped and at risk infants. The definition and goals of intervention for such infants are examined in relation to early childhood developmental characteristics. Studies demonstrating the effectiveness of early intervention for disadvantaged,…

Social penetration has been described by S.W. Littlejohn (1992) as "the process of increasing disclosure and intimacy in a relationship." The phrase "social penetration" originated with I. Altman and D. Taylor, the foremost researchers in this area. From other theories, Altman and Taylor developed a unified theory which…

A conceptual model of the rhetorical community that addresses the sociodramatic processes through which social order evolves, is maintained, can change, and is threatened is presented in this paper. Following an introduction, the paper identifies the various uses of rhetorical vision and rhetorical community that are found in fantasy theme…

Integrating concepts from family systems theory, attachment theory, and family socialization theory within a systems theory of public opinion and social movements, this paper concentrates on linkages between family socialization and political attitudes, adding the influence of social structure. The paper holds that family systems theory…

This paper explores the use of a series of heuristic models that identify the interrelated components of the broader educational process. This heuristic schema was designed so that educators can examine the purpose and limitations associated with models and subsequently enhance their ability to guide changes within their own institutional setting.…

Numerous studies about mentoring have been conducted, and this paper reviews current studies on mentoring programs from a systems approach. To understand current studies about mentoring, the paper identified three major research questions and reviewed how those questions have been examined in each area: mentoring input, mentoring process, and…

This paper examines the many assertions made in the health communication literature about the importance of communication as an essential process in promoting effective health care. If these assertions are true then researchers should be able to demonstrate the ways that communication influences the accomplishment of health care goals--how…

Chaos offers educational communications and technology new systems' tools and ideas; i.e., it provides the system with a deterministic "I don't know" state within which new activity patterns can be generated. Previous characterizations and paradigms of systems stated that simple systems behaved in simple ways, complex behaviors implied complex…

To address the question of why newspapers tend to become more and more fragmented internally and to propose a model of the interrelationships between the newspaper and its "operating environment," this paper draws on recent work by organizational theorists. Beginning by examining the central goal of newspapers, the first section suggests that the…

The relational concepts developed in mathematics and psychology are used in this paper to explicate the needs and responsibilities of dramatic acting and theatre research. A parallel is constructed between the emergence of the mathematical concept of function, the awakening of psychology to the concept of relationship (especially regarding family…

Chronological age is a marker in time but it fails to measure accurately the performance or behavioral characteristics of individuals. This paper models the complexity of aging by using a system model and a human function paradigm. These models help facilitate representation of older adults, integrate research agendas, and enhance remediative…