Early male and female differences in the functional use of language were investigated by coding verbal interactions of preschool children during play sessions with same-sex peers. Findings were consistent with research showing that males talk more and are more assertive in their social interactions than are females. (Author/GC)

Examines differential preferences in use of and expectations of use of affinity-seeking strategies as a function of participant's sex. Indicates distinct differences between male and female strategies and expectations that an individual of the opposite sex would mirror their own preferences when seeking affinity. Offers two alternative…

Examines the social behavior of 34 preschool children, observed both at home and in preschool, to determine patterning interactions among siblings and consistency in children's interactions with siblings and peers. Concludes that children's behavior at home is most affected by relative age of their siblings. (HOD)

Reanalyzes data which suggests there may be gender differences in the relationship between academic performance and interaction with peers among college students. Shows that there are no such gender differences. Reports also a study assessing gender differences in relationships between academic performance and loneliness, communication skills, and…

Twenty-four adolescents participated in conversations with a same-sex peer, an opposite-sex peer, or a speech-language pathologist. Significant differences were found in linguistic behaviors between conversations with peers and those with clinicians. Conversations with opposite-sex peers tended to have fewer direct questions, reduced listener eye…

Documented sex differences in speech and their significance are considered. The research literature on sex-differentiated speech reveals the influence of sex-role stereotypes and assumptions about the relation of speech to sex-differentiated socialization. The more substantiated differences form three clusters: (1) the production of esteemed…

Examined adolescents' verbal and nonverbal behavior in 30 female-male dyads. All behaviors were coded. Analysis of videotaped interactions revealed more similarities between girls and boys than differences, although gender distinctions were evident in speaking time and in smiling. Results focus on developmental and contextual accounts of…

To derive a descriptive profile of communication role patterns and to determine whether these patterns were gender dependent, a Gender Communication Scale was developed by selecting scale items from other instruments that best discriminated reports of role behavior. The scale was then administered to 91 male and 148 female undergraduate students.…

Presents and examines five conceptualizations of women that dominate contemporary research practices in communication studies: womanless communication, great women speakers, woman as other, the politics of woman as other, and women as communicators. Discusses the implications of the inclusion of women in communication studies. (NKA)

Examines differential effects of regulative and interpersonal contexts, together with sex of the parent, on perceptions and role playing responses of children. Indicates that both boys and girls, even aged five and six, have role expectations for parents that allow fathers to talk more and exert more power than mothers, especially in regulative…

To determine communication conflict style differences in black and white subjective cultures, 123 black and 180 white university students were administered the Organizational Communication Conflict Instrument (OCCI), a scale measuring the three conflict management styles: control (confrontation); nonconfrontation; and solution-orientation. Results…

Two experiments were undertaken in Hong Kong to examine sociocultural factors in the speech acts of making apologies in Cantonese. The first experiment involved ten men who were given role cards describing various situations with minor to serious problems for which they must apologize. The influence of certain situational variables on the…

Examines the role of play as a composing strategy for the development of children's writing abilities. Finds that boys use play more extensively than girls, and that boys balance their use of play and marked control (gisting and evaluating) while girls rely on a marked control strategy more than on play. (KEH)

The literature suggests that the U.S. system of higher education has developed and maintained conservative norms that govern behavior in the classroom and discourage open dialog by dictating what is and is not appropriate to discuss in academic settings. The question is raised of the appropriateness of these norms. Classroom dialog was analyzed to…