Explores methods by which people argue about human understanding. Discusses the empirical, personal, and linguistic dimensions of understanding and the logical, rhetorical, and dialectical perspectives on argument. Considers the either/or and the both/and approaches to arguing and suggests that the both/and mode be employed more often. (PD)

Argues that the social construction of the cigarette in divergent synecdochic forms or "representational ideographs" is based on varying degrees of narrative and scientific knowledge. Broadens the existing theoretical perspective derived from Kenneth Burke and Michael McGee to include Jean-Francois Lyotard's view of narrative and…

Describes the Persuasive Arguments Theory (PAT), a noninteractional theory of group decision-making that predicts postdiscussion shifts from prediscussion cognitive arguments, elaborates on it, and advances two models to test the PAT perspective on argument. Finds the second model demonstrates superior predictive ability to the PAT model at some…

Examines the role of importance, novelty, and plausibility of message information in producing belief change. Demonstrates that significant belief changes only occurred when message information was high in importance, novelty, and plausibility. (NKA)

Develops the "knowledge-as-status" perspective and its model to help describe what knowledge is and how knowledge changes over time. Concludes that knowledge in a particular field will progress or regress on the basis of reasons for and against the changes--reasons advanced and analyzed in a rhetorically epistemological way. (PD)

Analyzes epistemological differences among rhetorical critical methods and examines the stance critics take towards these methods. (MH)

Discusses three studies that generated six replications of the subjective message construct theory indicating that between 25 percent and 50 percent of the variance in belief change can be explained by the theory. Indicates that subjective probabilities can be used to construct valid operational measures of importance and novelty. (NKA)

Results established, among other findings, that people persevere in their beliefs because (1) they generate explanatory schemata providing reasons for presumed empirical occurrences; and (2) once developed, these abstract, explanatory scripts become independent of the data originally giving rise to them. Also discussed implications of cognitive…

Explores the process by which contenders for the presidential nominations of the major parties in 1976 emerged, with particular reference to the impact of changes in campaign financing law and of the rules for convention delegate selection on that process. (JMF)

Makes a case for attending to developments in the study of attitude. Considers how the attitude construct has been conceptualized. Examines contemporary thinking about attitudes and draws out implications of that thinking for the study of persuasion. (RS)

Examines and describes the pragmatic uses of the "nuclear winter" metaphor in the original "Science" article and its subsequent use in "Foreign Affairs." Analyzes conditions of the metaphor's birth in the former and its development and use as a conventional metaphor in the latter. Shows that the metaphor became a…

Attempts to provide increased understanding of the nature and function of mystical preaching as a distinctive form of discourse by investigating the sermons of the medieval German mystic Meister Eckhart (1260-ca. 1327, 1329). (MH)

Examines the effectiveness of direct mail communication strategies--inoculation (a strategy which promotes resistance to attitude and behavior change), inoculation-plus-reinforcement, and refutation messages--in combating the persuasiveness of political attack messages. Finds that inoculation is more effective than the refutation approach in…

Examines the persuasive communication of HIV test counselors as cues to action in clients' decisions to practice safer sex. Indicates hypothesized relationships inherent in the Health Belief Model were not supported for the pre-HIV test survey, but the post-HIV test survey reported compliance with safer-sex recommendations. Finds use of certain…