This article traces the development of the theory and practice of what is known as "community of inquiry" as an ideal of classroom praxis. The concept has ancient and uncertain origins, but was seized upon as a form of pedagogy by the originators of the Philosophy for Children program in the 1970s. Its location at the intersection of the…

The purpose of this study was to determine if a confident potential partisan group will tend to rely on persuasion as a means of influence, if an alienated potential partisan group will tend to rely on constraint as a means of influence, and if a neutral potential partisan group will tend to rely on inducement as a means of influence. Student…

In addition to the treatment effects of two anticonformity appeals, personality variables were also considered. The control group and the group presented with an emotional anticonformity lecture conformed more than the group presented with an intellectual anticonformity lecture. Ego defense theory is used to discuss other findings. (DB)

Examines the influence of decision-making style on communication openness and satisfaction in Japanese organizations. Results of a survey indicated that Japanese employees preferred persuasive or consultative managerial decision-making styles and were more satisfied when their preferred decision-making style and the style of their manager were…

Full study of small group communication must include consideration of task and socio-emotional dimensions, especially in relation to group problem solving. Thirty small groups were tested for their reactions in various "ad hoc" conflict resolution situations. Instructions to the groups were (1) no problem-solving instructions (control),…

There are three senses in which all persuasion is political: (1) persuasion seeks to restructure the organization of power; (2) persuasion itself is an exercise of power; and (3) all morally significant human conduct includes political dimensions. The comprehension of political events in dramatic terms is the burden of the author's thesis in this…

While a number of feature films can be used in group-process instruction, "Twelve Angry Men" and "The Breakfast Club" are particularly valuable for analyzing group communication patterns and strategies. "Twelve Angry Men" demonstrates that persuasion in groups can take place through a variety of methods. Exercises…

Confrontation, or aggressive verbal behavior, has been defended as a rhetorical tactic by some communication theorists on five bases: biological, psychological, sociological, rhetorical, and intellectual. Proponents of "rhetorical sensitivity," however, differ from those who would accept confrontation uncritically. Confrontation is not…

A model of conversational distance violations that claims that these violations mediate communication outcomes such as source credibility, source attraction, and learning was examined in a study involving 136 undergraduate students. The students were tested in small group settings using eight confederates, four rated highly and four lowly in…

The authors offer proposals for studies of human behavior in the courtroom, with respect to communications interaction among jurors and source credibility of attorneys. They refer to innovations in videotaping procedures, which make it possible to examine communications principles and dynamics in the courtroom situation. The first proposed study…

Frequently speakers confront hostile groups and audiences with opposite points of view. Public communicators faced with this dilemma can choose not to address the group or, in speaking, can avoid points of contention, but a third more subtle alternative used is deliberate ambiguity or vagueness, a rhetorical strategy known as equivocation. But do…

An ethnographic and linguistic study conducted at a high-technology corporation examined decision-making in managerial meetings, focusing on the effects of silences following a proposal on the maker of the proposal. An opinion is that such silences signify a negative evaluation of the proposal, inviting the proposal maker to alter his position.…

The effect of lawyer credibility and juror perception on trial verdicts was tested through the use of a videotaped, reenacted genuine court case. The reactions of two groups of test subjects composed, first, college students enrolled in speech communication courses and, second, persons who had served on a real jury within four years, provided data…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 15 titles deal with the following topics: factors affecting group decisions regarding attributions of responsibility; a model of message-attitude-behavior relations; effects of the communicative process on perceived source…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 15 titles deal with the following topics: the rhetorical dimensions of nondiscursive, fragmentary communication; perceptions of persuasion situations and the question of transituational consistency of behavior; alcohol use and…