Reviews the impact that "talk about a past partner" (Tapp) has on one's current intimate, dyadic relationship. Four metacommunicative functions of Tapp are suggested: disclosing past relationship history, conveying relationship rules or expectations, creating closeness or distance, and confirming self-perceptions. (Author)

Examines recall of passages in order to determine relative importance of lines according to their function in argument. Results indicate that hypothetical assumptions and their logical consequences are less well remembered than facts and that facts introduced are better recalled than facts conducted in the course of an argument. (EKN)

Reviews several explanations for "playing the dozens," a ritualized verbal contest carried out principally among Black males. Holds that the ritual is a survival technique that teaches young Black men to face up to an antagonistic society and to deal with conflicts. Provides examples of ritual insult from other cultures. (Author/GC)

Examined the relationship between the social and task dimensions of small groups. Developed a measure of group members' feelings of cohesion. Demonstrated that perceptions about the quality of group interactions, goal attainment, group satisfaction, and group solidarity are significantly and positively related. (RC)

Presents and analyzes two studies designed to test native speaker reaction to certain types of errors that speakers of English make when learning German. Aim was to establish the role of the medium, spoken or written, in evaluation of errors. Results show overall ratings of errors in written and spoken language are similar, although with…

Examined a verbatim interview with Dr. Sidney Jourard consisting of counselor statements (N=31) and client statements (N=32) classified into categories. Some support was found for counselor self-disclosure statements eliciting client self-disclosure statements and a positive relation with the counselor. (RC)

Analyzed temporal variables (counselor talk, caller talk, and silence) in a sample of taped calls to a suicide prevention and crisis service. In comparing three outcome groups (showing, not showing, or canceling subsequent appointment for face-to-face counseling), no-show calls had more silence than the other two groups. (Author)

Undergraduates viewed videotaped counseling sessions, defined by verbal and nonverbal variables and two male counselors. Use of interpretation and responsive nonverbal behavior was perceived as more expert, attractive, and trustworthy than restatement and unresponsive nonverbal behavior. Counselor verbal intervention interacted with nonverbal…

Outlines Gestalt therapy techniques to increase active listening and counselor/client involvement in career counseling. Discusses awareness through dialog, role playing or "presentizing," and experiential "presentizing." Presents a sample dialog as illustration. (RC)

Describes a learning game developed to simulate verbal communication. Focuses on words and meanings and has applications to semantics, interpersonal communication, listening, nonverbal communication, and creativity in general. (PD)

Describes project to determine whether short video movies could be used to help foreign language students develop their written and oral skills. Movies with no sound were produced by the teachers and played to the students, who then wrote compositions to accompany the films. Completed presentations were then played to the class for discussions.…

Counseling process variables were investigated. Process variables were counselor-client congruency, counselor empathy, counselor verbal mode, and subrole. Counselor cognitive complexity did not significantly discriminate between measures of the process variables. There was a significant difference in performance on three process variables between…

Goals of the study, among others, were (1) to refine a system for assessing the developmental level of persuasive strategies, and (2) to test the hypothesis that children employ more advanced persuasive strategies when addressing unfamiliar rather than familiar persuasive targets (strangers v parents). (JMF)

Presents a model for training counselors to learn to confront empathetically. Describes a confrontation training scale that includes inadequate responses of acquiescing and scolding and the progressively more effective responses of recognizing ineffective behavior, realizing its negative consequences, and committing to change. Suggests confronting…

Examines the relation of Pidgin Sign English to American Sign Language and the written English of deaf persons. (AM)