Neither the proponent nor the critics of athletics can offer substantial evidence to prove that athletics per se are either beneficial or harmful. Presents a summary of the research to date. (Editors)

The purpose of this paper is to examine the function of memory as an underlying psychological process in human communicative behavior by offering a theoretical framework derived from communication literature. Divided into two sections, the paper deals with "The Psychology of Memory: Some Basic Propositions," which reviews the literature on the…

The purpose of this study was first to map the functional communication structure of a 142-member formal organization, then to analyze that structure to identify work groups (Cliques) and interlinking liaison role persons, and finally to describe certain differences between liaison persons and nonliaison members of the work groups as perceived by…

The authors develop a model of undergraduate student attendance that relies on five parameters, one of these being a parameter of total work, w, required to complete the degree. An enrollment forecasting method consistent with these attendance patterns is developed and compared with data for the period, 1961-1966, and a cohort of 2126 and 3298…

This study is concerned with the integration, cohesiveness, and satisfaction of communication processes within a large, complex organization. Since smaller, less complex organizations are considered to have a higher degree of integrativeness, the increased size and complexity of an organization diminishes the integration of communication processes…

Investigated relationship between loneliness (duration), self-esteem, and performance in academic assistance courses for high-risk students. Frequency and intensity of affects of loneliness correlated inversely with self-esteem. Self-esteem did not correlate with achievement (GPA) in courses. Frequency of affects of loneliness positively…

Faculty who see themselves primarily as teachers have a local orientation. Those involved with research and service work are more likely to have a cosmopolitan orientation. Teachers should undertake research or service commitments that extend beyond the local campus. Faculty should not rely exclusively on students to evaluate their teaching. (RM)

To determine whether individuals with different sexual identities exhibit different amounts of touching behavior, 199 undergraduates completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) and a modification of the Touch Avoidance Measure (TAM). The BSRI produced scores indicating an individual's degree of association with both masculine and feminine traits.…

A discussion of college faculty productivity defines the term and looks at related issues, including ways of improving productivity; costs of academic work; "deadwood"; and productive behavior as it relates to research, grantsmanship, instructional quality, enrollment and class size, and teaching load. Incentives and persuasive arguments are seen…

Issues in sexual harassment are discussed, including definitions, the experience of harassment, related behavior patterns, prevalence, beliefs, tolerance, and current research. The efforts and impact of a group of female faculty, staff, and graduate students (Women against Sexual Harassment) at the University of Rhode Island are described. (MSE)

The Communicator Style Measure (CSM) was administered to 731 students in Japanese universities and 520 American students at the University of Hawaii to discover if members of certain ethnic or national groups possessed a style of speaking that distinguished them from members of other groups. The CSM contains 51 randomly ordered items that inquire…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 16 titles deal with the following topics: the use of mass distribution as a method of diffusing ideas on college campuses; compliance-gaining message selection; the rhetoric of Divorced Catholics Groups and the founding of a…

An analysis of interpersonal communication research supports the existence of the notion "communicative style," the method or manner by which an individual interacts with others. Scholars concerned with interpersonal behavior acknowledge that individuals develop habitual styles of interactive behavior that tend to produce optimal…

A model postulating a relationship between faculty research activity, instructor behaviors, and student achievement is advanced, based on two causal models, one linking research activity and instructional effectiveness and another validating student evaluations as good indicators of instructional effectiveness, as measured by student achievement.…