One of the factors inhibiting development of a more descriptive theory of communication has been a poorly defined conceptual framework which places almost exclusive emphasis on verbal messages and overlooks an important feature of the communication process, the fact that effective communication develops from interaction among various message…

Within the large body of literature on attitude change, many diverse and sometimes apparently conflicting findings have been reported. A catastrophe theory model of attitude change that attempts to synthesize many of these diverse findings is proposed. Attitude change is usually monotonic with message content or the strength of the persuasion…

Relational communication refers to the control or dominance aspects of message exchange in dyads--distinguishing it from the report or referential aspects of communication. In relational communicational analysis, messages as transactions are emphasized; major theoretical concepts which emerge are symmetry, transitoriness, and complementarity of…

Readings are included on seven topics: 1) theories and models of communication processes, 2) acquisition and performance of communication behaviors, 3) human information processing and diffusion, 4) persuasion and attitude change, 5) psychophysiological approaches to studying communication, 6) interpersonal communication within transracial…

A mixture of theoretical and practical essays points up the purposes of, barriers to, and means of facilitating communication. Four models of how people communicate are presented. A series of essays describing communication messages and channels include considerations of "gobbledygook," nonverbal communication by touch, smell, or body movement,…