Tests the QUEST model of question answering in naturalistic settings and in settings with complex pragmatic constraints: telephone surveys, business interactions, filmed interviews, and interviews on popular television programs. Finds that QUEST explains most of the answers in these contexts and virtually all of the answers that refer to the…

Suggests it is couples' communication skills and problem-solving strategies, not their specific problems, that differentiate satisfied and dissatisfied couples. Concludes after a study of couples' arguments that adjusted couples are more likely to use effective complaint sequences, whereas maladjusted couples are more likely to employ ineffective…

Calls for the application of traditional tests of evidence and argument to the conspiratist discourse. Demonstrates through the example of the Korean Air Lines 007 incident that conspiratist critics must develop an evaluation system to explain their arguments. Suggests that conspiratist strategies can limit real communication. (SG)

Examines Carol Gilligan's thesis that women use care orientation while men use justice orientation in structuring their ethical systems. Argues the usefulness of Gilligan's position as an interpretative framework for explaining conclusions drawn from selected experimental studies in psychology, sociology, and communication. (KEH)

Suggests that the rapidly increasing capability of computer-based writing systems will force communication researchers to (1) broaden their basic conception of studying "author" to include authoring teams; (2) broaden the type of material studied from that which is largely textual; and (3) track changes in "genre conventions."…

Investigates the relationship between employee perceptions of communication behaviors and satisfaction with communication that occurred during a performance appraisal interview. Finds that perceptions of understanding and the quality of communication are significant predictors of satisfaction with communication during the appraisal interview. (KEH)

Shows that hiring decisions in a natural setting are affected by the temperament similarity of interviewer and applicant, supporting Keirsey's hypothesis that temperament similarity affects compatibility. Suggests that general personality and temperament may be an influential variable in a number of commonly investigated communication constructs.…

Examines Susan Sontag's February 1982 Town Hall Address as a case study of strategies and constraints associated with contextual reconstruction (whereby rhetors address perceived conflicts between text and context). Traces the development of these concepts in Sontag's writings. Discusses the counter-intentional understanding of Sontag's speech by…

Analyzes processes by which gay people see themselves in relation to the social construction of AIDS discourse, both as individuals and as a collective. Uses Foucault's concepts of "subjectification" and "bio-power" to describe self-defining constructs of people with AIDS and to explicate their interactions with the political…

Explores the interface between ego-involvement and the third person effect. Finds (1) that partisan viewers (pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian) believe that news coverage causes neutral viewers to view their side unfavorably and their antagonist more favorably; and (2) that news coverage did not significantly affect neutral subjects' attitudes. (SR)

Tests whether the effects of forewarning about a suspenseful film are dependent upon one's preferred way of coping with stressful events (assessed with the Miller Behavioral Style Scale). Discusses the individual difference variable in terms of behavioral dispositions located in the activation-arousal system. (SR)

Describes the lack of disciplinary agreement regarding proposal writing. Proposes a generic structure for proposal writing that includes situation, objectives, methods, qualifications, costs, and benefits. Suggests that major advantages of such a structure include its "slots," which make it like a schema, and its "event…

Interviews farmers in Moshavim, Israel, to examine the need for efficient written communication channels between agricultural extension services and small farmers. Identifies the main problems as a weak distribution system and the necessity for authors of extension pamphlets and brochures to consider the special needs of small farmers. (KEH)

Examines television rerun viewing motives and sociodemographic characteristics to predict frequent, occasional, and infrequent rerun viewing habits. Indicates that demographic and social variables are not major determinants, while motives are reliable predictors. (SR)

Examines the secret tests that couples use to acquire information about the state of their relationships. Examines predictors of when individuals are most likely to seek such information: commitment, perceptions of the partner's commitment, jealousy, and courtship progress. Explicates the associations among various dimensions of testing episodes.…