Explores age differences (6 to 22 years of age) in conceptions about the nature of the skills required by verbal and nonverbal (abstract) intelligence tests. (HOD)

This study investigates whether groups of children on a microcomputer task show superior performance to individuals and whether the differences are due to social-cooperative or individual-cognitive facilitation. Considers the relationship between expressed knowledge and problem-solving performance across three conditions. (Author/CT)

Reports the responses of 23 mothers of Down's Syndrome children to the Behavioral Style Questionnaire concerning the temperament characteristics of their child. Mothers were also interviewed with the Implicit Parental Learning Theory Scale and asked how they would handle certain specified child behaviors. (HOD)

Examined home-reared and institutionalized infants in Greece to find sex differences in social-vocal behaviors as assessed by Differential Vocal Responsiveness (DVR) to mother/caretaker versus stranger interactions. Results suggest that early differences in vocal-interactional patterns, and possibly cognitive processing, may be attributable to…

Compares the language generated by different kinds of oral communication activities. Areas of comparison include: speed of speaking, frequency of turns taken, and frequency of self-correction. Results indicate that the relative degree to which a student draws on his communicative and linguistic resources seems to be related to the communication…

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that first-grade beginning readers could evaluate the referential-communicative adequacy of simple, two-word messages better if they received oral-plus-written messages rather than oral-only messages. Results indicated that oral-plus-written messages were significantly easier for children to…

In order to determine how use of responsive listener cues (e.g. head nods, yesses, smiles, etc.) changes over preschool years, children were videorecorded as they listened to an adult speaker talk about his experiences. Age and sex differences in preschoolers' responsive behaviors are discussed as well as the relationship between the development…

Investigated the effects of reinforcement with differing therapist styles upon affective verbalizations in undergraduate students (N=72). Results showed that the presence of facilitators and the provision of feedback enhanced the expression of affective and empathic verbalizations and that the direct question process interacted in an additive…

An introductory guide for English for Specific Purposes (ESP) teachers draws attention to three areas of language function: study of language as meaning system, study of individual communicative acts, and study of functions in discourse organization. The latter is useful, since differences in focus of different language researchers have produced…

Sociolinguistic analysis of the ways children and teachers interact verbally may provide insight into why minority children often have difficulty in school. Examples of a classroom discussion cycle are listed and discussed. (DF)

A Microcounseling Skill Discrimination Scale (MSDS) was developed to measure ability to discriminate between effective and ineffective verbal and nonverbal helping messages. Both trained and naive groups successfully discriminated between effective and ineffective verbal and nonverbal helping messages, with trained raters showing a greater range…

Describes a study which evaluated the level of communication of first-and second-grade children in three tasks. Resistance to shifting of perspectives was seen as a contributant to inefficient communication. (JH)

This study investigated the features of verbal disagreements arising among 25 adolescent students with mild intellectual disabilities and 25 of their typical peers. Transcripts of a learning task were coded using an adaptation of Eisenberg's (1992) scheme for analyzing verbal conflicts. Findings of the study indicate: (1) in verbal conflict…

Discusses ways of improving the teaching of college business communications courses, including the use of circular seating arrangements, small group discussions, panel discussions, impromptu speeches, and new techniques for teaching letter writing. (DD)

Ten boys and girls in a nursery class, who were matched in age and in nursery experience, were each observed for a complete school day. All of their responses and activities were categorized and analysed in relation to their social class and intellectual and verbal ability. (Author/RK)