This study examined the problem of a suspected decline in the number of schools offering courses in the coaching of high school and college forensics. A list of 127 schools offering graduate programs in the areas of rhetorical and communication theory, public address, and speech communication education was generated from the 1986-87…

This paper describes some methods found to be successful in helping students learn two major thinking strategies: making and supporting generalizations, and argumentation. The paper includes sample materials involving a variety of different subject areas to provide ideas about activities that work with students at a variety of ability and grade…

Analysis of work rhetoric and economic vision in selected television ads from the 1984 presidential campaign showed that the ads of both Mondale and Reagan appropriated traditional "work ethic" appeals in presenting the candidates' economic visions, although each candidate emphasized different aspects of the American Dream. Mondale's…

Recalling a program session at the 1981 annual meeting of the Speech Communication Association entitled "The Small College Speech Communication Instructor: Jacks and Jills of All Trades," this paper "revisits" that session by reviewing the comments and observations made then and offering reflections on the changes that have been observed in the…

The analysis presented in this paper is based on the premise that study of public relations from the perspective of a rhetorical theory yields useful insights about public relations. The first part of the paper develops a rationale for the study of the rhetoric of organizations, especially the rhetoric of corporations, and concludes by juxtaposing…

High school debate style should emphasize persuasion, information, and logic above other skills. Recent trends, such as excessive speed of delivery and excessive amounts of evidence used in debate, have tended to inhibit the effective acquisition of those skills for students. Potential methods for moderating speed and evidence use are not allowing…

A study examined whether intercollegiate debating enhances the critical thinking ability of participants and investigated whether users of the two existing styles--National Debate Tournament (NDT) and Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA)--differed significantly from each other and from nondebaters in their critical thinking skills. Four…

Did President Franklin D. Roosevelt's condemnation of electric utility public relations represent a fair interpretation of the findings of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into the electric utility industry as authorized by Senate Resolution 83 in February, 1928, or were Roosevelt's statements simply campaign hyperbole that met the…

This paper is concerned with the importance of argumentation in the classroom, especially in relation to the social sciences. Issues of argument and argument evaluation are considered. The paper analyzes the nature of such reasoning and indicates its importance in subject matter learning. Three situations are described in the paper in which…

For the generation of Americans who witnessed and perhaps even fought against the Hitler regime, the consequences of his political manipulation had a significant and tangible impact on their lives. For younger generations it is necessary to work to understand how Hitler constructed his appeals to the German people. While a great deal of his…

Fifty-five million people were transfixed before their television sets in July 1987 by the agonistic 21-minute summation of Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii of the events of the congressional inquiry into the Iran-Contra scandal. Senator Inouye's text summarized and characterized split national purposes that collided, in which norms and codes of…

Teachers of public speaking need to provide the educational leadership necessary for students to become responsible for their presentational interaction. Several instructional practices can help students re-position themselves in what they do with their presentational interaction to make it meaningful. For example, teachers can respond to student…

A study examined the way argumentation in collective bargaining shapes outcomes. Specifically, it explored the types of claims and reasoning processes that characterize bargaining interaction on different subissues of a proposal and tracked the development of arguments through sequential sessions and caucus meetings by examining similarities and…

To explore the dimensions of credibility and physical attractiveness in a public relations setting, the impact of public relations (PR) spokesperson physical attractiveness--as operationalized as photographs of the spokesperson attached to a press release--on perceptions of both the writer's and the organization's credibility was examined.…

This document is intended to improve the critical viewing skills and increase the understanding and appreciation of what is viewed. Included are the chapters: (1) "Critical Thinking: The Parts of an Argument," intended to develop a process to help a person judge arguments in what is read, seen, and heard; (2) "Critical Viewing:…