Research has addressed what instructional conditions may inhibit or promote scientific argumentation. Little research, however, has paid attention to interpersonal factors that influence collaborative argumentation. The present study examines the ways interpersonal factors affected group dynamics, which influence the features of collaborative…

While most scholars view argument as a single conversational event, the interaction can be seen as a serial episode that occurs and recurs in everyday life. This essay presents a model of serial argument with supporting data. (PD)

Examines various measures such as intensity, frequency and reciprocity of hits used in a game fight between spouses and attempts to relate such actions to the amount of discord reported in the represented marriages. (MH)

Examines the use of rules-based communication during problematic situations, that is, the use of talk centering on the appropriateness of particular conduct in particular contexts. Discusses the use and implications of remediation, or rule application, and legislation, or rule creation, in problematic situations. (JMF)

Study delineates the five most frequently utilized strategies of relational conflict resolution: manipulation, nonnegotiation, emotional appeal, personal rejection, and empathic understanding. (PD)

Reviews the central principles of conversational organization and characterizes conversational argument in terms of these general principles. Discusses enthymemes and why they are the substance of persuasion. (JMF)

Two experiments were conducted to test predictions made for attitude change interactions between the source-message orientation of recipients of a persuasive communication and various components of interpersonal and mass media communication situations. In Study 1, it was predicted that the presence of the source or the anticipation of discussing…

Discusses a study designed to investigate the relationships between vocal activity level and interpersonal attraction, perceived credibility, perceived homophily or interpersonal similarity and perceived power or ability to influence. (MH)

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…

This book is a collection of fourteen papers presented at the communication colloquium of the University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee, during the 1967-68 academic year. The essays have been organized into three sections. Section I: "General Perspectives on Communication" contains presentations which are addressed to basic theoretical and conceptual…

Studies children's justification of message choices as characteristics of their reasoning processes. Indicates that interpersonal reasoning increases in sophistication and complexity over the age groups studied and that females reason at a higher level than males. Situational influences on level of interpersonal reasoning were also found. (JMF)

Develops a multidimensional framework for analyzing an extended physics classroom interaction to understand the resources participants use, alignments they form, and meanings and context they construct. Considers how participants negotiate their positions, focusing on one resistant student and why she remains unconvinced by others' arguments and…

Found that increases in cognitive complexity and construct system abstractness significantly related to the use of (1) a greater number of persuasive strategies; (2) more listener-adaptive persuasive strategies; and (3) formation of more complex and abstract impressions of interaction partners. (PD)

An attempt to synthesize primarily experimental studies of the process of social influence is presented. The point is made that each of us is involved in the process of social influence, both because we often attempt to influence someone else, and because we are constantly targets for attempts at social influence. This book is divided into four…

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…