Discusses an alternate method of examining the verbal interaction of mothers and their children in dyadic communication. The behavior of both mothers and children differed significantly according to the ages of the children involved. Acta Symbolica, 807 Jefferson Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee 38105. Subscription Rates: annually, $12.00 individuals,…

The two goals underlying this study were to provide the first data on how educators feel about learners' emotional displays, and to relate those viewpoints to their interactive behavior in specific learning environments. Prior to this investigation there was no literature addressing the socialization of emotion in schools, in fact, the bulk of…

Ways in which behavioral scientists can use both vertical (logical) and lateral (creative-intuitive) thinking to improve their research are discussed. Creativity in the selection of research questions would require that behavioral scientists ask questions whose answers could make a difference to societal and world well-being. Behavioral scientists…

A study was conducted to determine the effects of student locus of control on perceptions of and resistance to teacher influence attempts. Subjects, 302 college students, were provided with 22 sets of Behavior Alteration Messages and were instructed to rate on a 1-5 scale "how frequently your teacher uses statements of each type to get you to…

A study was conducted to improve confidence judgment (CJ) accuracy of college students through training in discriminating known from unknown information. Both low- and high-achieving college students were given CJ tasks, consisting of general information questions, before and after a brief training session. In addition, as part of the initial CJ…

In this study, the effects of differing levels of obligation attached to a gift and differing levels of resources possessed by the donor on the attraction of the recipient toward the donor were studied. Using groups of between three and five college volunteers, subjects were seated in booths constructed so that they could not see each other, were…

This project is the sixth in a series of studies designed to validate the Training and Development Benefit Forecasting Method (BFM) sponsored by the Training and Development Research Center (TDRC) at the University of Minnesota. The purpose of this study was to validate the BFM's ability to forecast the benefits of an organization development…

The theoretical notions underpinning what stress is, where it is located, how it is thought to operate and with what sorts of consequences are the focuses of this paper. Beginning with a list of sources representing the medical/psychological model of stress, the paper then discusses this model, including how biologic stress is conceptualized by…

This Technical Committee Report provides an overview and historical sketch of research in aging and proposes a need for new knowledge. An examination of key issues notes the difficulty in assigning priority to research topics, and identifies emerging issues of public concern including: (1) physical health (alcohol and drugs, falls and accidents,…

Guided by the belief that impressions of communication competence are based on observations of behavior appropriate to a particular context and on inferences about others' capabilities and motivations, a study was undertaken to (1) examine the relationship between self perceptions and other perceptions, (2) discover the role of motivation in…

This volume discusses various aspects of nonverbal communication and provides an extensive bibliography of journal articles, listed by author, that are relevant to the topic. Commentary is divided into six sections: "Considerations in Nonverbal Communication," which examines the impact of motion and rhythm, the components of nonverbal…

This paper reports two studies that examined changes in the participants' level of moral reasoning after exposure to the Kohlberg cognitive-developmental intervention model (1975). This approach focuses on universal moral principles which are manifested in a series of developmental stages. Knowledge of these stages provides one with an outline for…

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the dimensions of sex role behavior. The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) was administered to 270 male and female undergraduate students. The BSRI contains 20 masculine characteristics (acts as a leader, ambitious, self-reliant), 20 female characteristics (warm, gentle, loves children), and 20 neutral…

Research on the topic of writing apprehension--general tendency to anxiety that is triggered by the situation of writing--has recently been stimulated by the development of a self-report scale to measure it. Research in the effects of writing apprehension reveals that students who are anxious about writing choose coursework, majors, and…

Evidence indicates that a significant number of medical students have pervasive communication problems that affect their interaction with patients, faculty, clinical associates, and hospital staff. This paper describes the dynamics of the communication syndrome (clinically identified as "reticence"), discusses the manifestations and…