Previous research indicates that social beliefs can act in a self-fulfilling manner, affecting responses to individuals and thereby constraining these individuals to behave in ways that spuriously confirm attitudes about them. The possible role of self-perception, i.e., whether targets of such self-fulfilling prophecies not only alter their…

This paper reports data from two studies on the behavioral assessment of social competence in college males which look at how well the male initiates interaction with a female in a "boy meets girl" situation. The goal is to determine the types of social behavior which will differentiate between a group of anxious, non-dating, or low…

Compares story receipt and story sequencing variables of males and females in dyadic conversations. Significant differences exist in the amount of time spent as story recipients and with regard to two story sequencing devices--embedded repeat and marked repeat. No differences are noted in the number of sequential stories told. (JMF)

Discusses the interaction, beyond the normal instructional scope, of elementary school students and their teachers with the emphasis on sex role behavior, reward seeking, and the differences in learning problems of boys and girls. (RK)

Tabulated the frequencies of dyadic and group interactions in single-sex playgroups of 4- and 6-year-olds. Found that boys and girls at both ages engaged in similar frequencies but in different patterns of dyadic interactions. Only 6-year-old boys interacted in groups. (BC)

Study supported by Research Grant M-3209 from the National Institute of Mental Health

A study examined perceptions of the appropriateness of nonverbal behaviors in dyadic interactions. A questionnaire was constructed containing descriptions of nine touching, posture, and personal space behaviors likely to occur in normal dyadic interactions, such as entering a room without knocking, leaning back and putting one's feet on a desk,…

The "diffusion of responsibility" hypothesis as an explanation of helping behavior (or lack of same) is qualified by suggesting that the hypothesis applies only in non-interacting situations. It is hypothesized that interacting groups who are aware of a help-demanding situation actually focus the responsibility and, therefore, take action as a…

Investigated whether abused and neglected children differ from other children in their nonverbal attachment and communicative behavior. Found that in comparison (1) abused children avoided contact and interaction and (2) abused females exhibited more avoidance than males. (PD)

Investigated the impact of sexual composition and competitive/cooperative orientation on interaction patterns in same-sex and mixed-sex dyads. Found that the competitive or cooperative orientation of the interactants exerts a far greater impact on the communication behavior of dyads than does their sexual composition. (PD)

A study was conducted to examine speech interruption patterns as an index of communication dominance and gender differences in language behavior. Six graduate student groups involving a total of 35 subjects were videotaped. The data extracted for study were 255 transcribed interruption sequences. A category system was developed and used to code…

To determine what students expected their speech teachers to be like, students in introductory speech courses at two universities were asked to complete a questionnaire on the first day of class, prior to meeting their instructor. The students were told their instructor was male or female, but otherwise were given no information about the teacher.…

Based on the realization that professors' cultural and personal backgrounds affect the way they transmit information and the way they interact with men and women students in their classes, this booklet is designed to help faculty members assess how they are presenting subject matter to their students. The first section of the booklet,…