Facilitating successful focus groups requires both science and art. One element that can fully challenge focus group facilitators includes how to handle the unfocused focus group. This article describes "unfocus" and the benefits and disadvantages of unfocus in focus groups. Lessons learned from and approaches taken on this journey are shared to…

This paper points out that the available research on communication rules tends to be descriptive (or humanistic) in nature and characterized by a conspicuous absence of prediction along with experimental methods and parametric interpretations of social behavior. The paper first argues that current scientific methodology is consistent with a…

Argues that reliance upon verification procedures has inhibited theory building in communication. Advances four falsification procedures and presents examples from communication studies. Offers several implications these procedures have for empirical research in communication. (PD)

Six waitresses in a restaurant of a large midwestern city agreed to participate in a study of the nonverbal effects of ornamentation. The hypothesis was that diners would leave larger tips for a waitress who wore a flower in her hair than for the same waitress without a flower. During the four nights that data were collected, the waitresses…

Describes a communication research course which includes instruction in the awareness of media distortions of behavioral science research. (PD)

Discusses Q methodology in light of modern philosophy of science and hermeneutics. Outlines and discusses the basic steps of conducting Q-method research. Suggests that Q methodology allows researchers to understand and interpret the subjective text of respondents without confounding them with external categories of theoretical reflection. (RS)

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…

Behavior analysis provides a unique way of coming to understand intrapersonal and interpersonal communication behaviors, and focuses on control techniques available to a speaker and counter-control techniques available to a listener. "Time-series methodology" is a convenient term because it subsumes under one label a variety of baseline…

Eighty communication researchers from universities responded to a questionnaire designed to assess attitudes toward deception-related practices in conducting communication research. Sixty-eight percent of the researchers believe that misleading or misinforming subjects is acceptable behavior within the experimental setting, as long as debriefing…

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)

Discusses advantages and disadvantages of several common methodologies for teaching writing. Suggests that the techniques of behavior analysis offer the best hope for developing instructional methodologies that will provide the best results for both writing students and teachers. Reports on a pilot study that supports this suggestion. (MM)

Vocal activity in spontaneous speech appears to alternate between regular periods of high and low activity. These cycles may be properties of social systems, internal cognitive rhythms, or physiological rhythms that affect readiness to initiate activity. (Author/RL)

A study explored the relationships between public relations practitioners' organizational roles and the type of evaluation methods they used on the job. Based on factor analysis of role data obtained from an earlier study, four organizational roles were defined and ranked: communication manager, media relations specialist, communication liaison,…

The effects of crowding and sex on reactions to a side-to-side invasion of personal space were examined. Male or female experimenters violated the personal space of 40 male and 40 female subjects who were sitting at library tables that were either crowded (several persons present) or uncrowded (subjects sat alone). The subjects' body movements,…

Reveals that an individual's information processing is affected by number of objects and differences in perceptual sets. (KS)