Earlier research has shown that young adults exhibit less favorable reactions to older speakers than to peers, especially on the competence dimension. To examine the role of speaker effectiveness in modifying evaluations of younger and older adults, undergraduates (N=80) received a map of a hospital floor plan and listened to either an effective…

This booklet was written to help parents decide what to tell their child who has cancer. It recommends that parents tell their child the truth about his disease to prevent him from feeling guilty and to increase his cooperation with treatment. A gentle, open, and honest approach is suggested. Sections discuss who should tell the child and when the…

Understanding the cognitive principles inherent in schematic concepts can enhance the practice of fundamental public relations activities. Schemata dictate what information will be attended to, what interpretations will be made of it, and how it will be remembered. Both self-schemata and other-schemata help individuals organize and interpret their…

Business writers often use--or may be taught to use--strategies for verbal interaction analogous to those they use in conversation. Unfortunately, much current composition theory discounts analogies between verbal interaction in speaking and writing and therefore disallows applying the results of linguistic investigations of spoken language use to…

This report describes a methodology for using verbal reports of thinking to develop and validate multiple-choice tests of critical thinking. These verbal reports of individuals' thinking on draft items of multiple-choice critical thinking tests can be used systematically to provide evidence of the thinking processes elicited by such tests, and in…

Play therapy has been employed by therapists to alleviate children's emotional stress. Most research dealing with this type of intervention has been in the form of case studies, focusing on therapy outcome rather than on the therapeutic process. The process of one child in individual play therapy was analyzed through the use of time-series…

To identify specific dimensions of communicative disturbances among adults and children in abusive/neglecting families, 10 mother/child pairs from problem families were matched with 10 control pairs. Each mother was videotaped with her 4- to 15-year-old child for 15 minutes while playing a game under nonstressful conditions. Subjects'…

This paper examines the socio-cultural problems affecting new immigrants. The first part presents a person-centered ecological theoretical framework with two points of departure: the individual in his/her biological cognitive and socio-cultural sphere, and the person's communicative behavior. The data is drawn largely from a 1967-1979 project in…

By exploring the relationship between competition theory and forensic speech contests, three benefits can be clearly identified: (1) students learn communication theory, (2) students who most accurately follow what is taught are awarded, and (3) students modify speeches by studying judges' comments, imitating winners, and utilizing selective…

Because a review of literature revealed that no valid instrument for measuring a person's willingness to communicate existed, a willingness to communicate (WTC) instrument was developed. The basis of this construct is the assumption that willingness to communicate is a personality-based, trait-like predisposition which is fairly consistent across…

Data for this analysis of classroom instruction were part of the junior high phase of the Managing Academic Tasks (MAT) study (Doyle, Sanford, Clements, French & Emmer, 1983). The MAT focuses on the character of academic tasks, the nature of the overall task systems that operate in classrooms, and the contexts associated with task…

Selected, recent ERIC documents in review. (CH)

The author differentiates eight types of verbal communication: (1) Socioeconomic, (2) Domestic, (3) Professional, (4) Sociocultural, (5) Public, (6) Legal-Administrative, (7) Recreational, (8) Entertaining. (HK)

An instructional procedure to improve communication skills was used with four trainable retarded children (ages 8 to 10 years). (DB)

This study tests the relationship between teachers' philosophy of human nature and the congruence of their verbal - nonverbal behavior. Results were inconclusive. (Author/HMV)