Examines the impact of nonverbal cues on participants' and observers' perceptions of relational messages in an experiment in which participants interacted with a confederate who systematically varied his or her communication style. Finds that nonverbal indicators of involvement and pleasantness were systematically related to relational message…

Discusses the probative potential of evidence in argument, and evaluates the importance of evidence in predicting belief change. Predicts adherence to argument claims and confirms the traditionally recognized importance of evidence to persuasion. (JMF)

Results indicate that individuals with relatively less developed (less differentiated) interpersonal construct systems can be expected to exhibit greater consistency between their attitudes about a person and their behavioral intentions toward that person than those with more developed interpersonal construct systems. (PD)

Reports on a study testing the assumption that communication apprehension is a stable trait not influenced by situational factors. Results indicate that communication apprehension scores are determined by situation, in this case anticipated speech performance, raising questions concerning the use of state-trait distinction in speech anxiety…

Discusses a study designed to investigate people's conceptions of what believability should entail and how these conceptions differ over topic-situations. (MH)

Supports the hypothesis that interaction processes connected with the Valence Distribution Model mediated the effect of decision schemes on group decisions. Substantiates the assumptions that interaction is a crucial factor in group decision making. Although input conditions may also have an impact on decision outcomes, they are mediated by…

Examines the groupthink phenomenon under controlled, laboratory conditions. Results indicate that the presence or absence of disagreement (conflict, hostility) among members may be the best discriminator between groupthink and nongroupthink groups. (JMF)

Examines the personality attributions made of a second speaker when (1) he reciprocated or failed to reciprocate the intimacy level of a disclosure made by an initial speaker and when (2) he matched or failed to match the initial speaker's level of language intensity. (Authors)