A replication study tested functional theory utilizing untrained full-fledged groups. One hundred forty undergraduate students who were enrolled in a small group communication course at a large midwestern university participated in small group discussions analyzing a plagiarism case used in an original study by R. Y. Hirokawa. Results indicated…

A study analyzed quantitatively the effectiveness of public communication as practiced by college students in an introductory speech course. The aim of the study was to test empirically the principles of rhetorical theory on which the teaching of beginning public speaking is commonly based. The study investigated the relationship of mode of…

Focusing on the developmental nature of organizational communication competence, this literature review draws on the communication competence and organizational assimilation literatures to propose models of the process of developing organizational communication competence. The paper's first section presents an overview of research exploring…

To explore communication patterns within organizations, a network analysis was conducted of a large New York financial institution with 98 departments and 66 branches. Functional analysis revealed that departments had more and stronger communication linkages than did branches. Departments were also closer in communication distances than branches.…

A study used an interpersonal goals approach to investigate the impact of normal communicative activity upon the attitude similarity and social attraction relationship of 90 undergraduate students. It was hypothesized (1) that there would be a main effect upon perceptions of social attractiveness and communication competence due to aligning…

This study examined the relationship between subordinate satisfaction and superior-subordinate co-orientation regarding performance feedback rules within organizational dyads. Specifically, the study focused on how subordinate perceptions, regarding how and when informal performance feedback should be provided by a superior, would impact…

A study evaluated competing explanations for differences in the public records laws of the American states. Data for the study came from a review of the annotated statutes for the 48 contiguous states, summaries of appellate court interpretations, and attorney general opinions about the meaning of the laws' provisions. The laws were examined for…

Instead of adopting or developing a theoretical or methodological approach to social movement study, researchers might benefit from gathering an understanding of a particular movement's history by narrowing the focus of the study for rhetorical analysis. Convention papers and journal articles should identify a specific stage, sub-group, person, or…

Arguing that little research has been done on media portrayals of persons with disabilities, this paper reviews mass communication content studies of media portrayal of women and blacks in terms of deviance and minority group theories, and also reviews studies of media treatment of persons with disabilities from the rehabilitation and education…

This paper focuses on the experimental findings of Shanto Iyengar with regard to media agenda-setting and a theory of priming, summarizing his work across time. Following an introduction, the next section briefly reviews five of Iyengar's experiments on agenda-setting and priming, giving an overview and conclusions for each. The final section, a…

Seven studies explored the relationships between risk-taking predispositions and health attitudes, beliefs, and involvement. Data were gathered from surveys, and from lab and field experiments on 1,323 subjects. Findings indicated five risk-taking factors: adventurousness, rebelliousness, impulsiveness, physical risk taking, and unconventional…

A study tested the prediction that men's and women's relative responses to the Argumentativeness Scale will change if the items are worded consistently so as to make more or less salient the content and process dimensions of arguing. Respondents, 564 students enrolled in basic public speaking courses at Ball State University, were each provided…

This paper provides a selected review of the literature pertaining to corporate advocacy (non-product advertising by corporations, addressing political or social issues). More specifically, the paper examines research from the communication, business, public relations, and advertising literature dealing with justifications for the practice of…

Behavioral flexibility has long been recognized as an essential component of communication competence. A study served to develop a communication flexibility scale and corresponding validity and reliability information, and examined the relationship between communication flexibility and related constructs. The Communication Flexibility Scale…

A pilot study was conducted to address the professional and personal roles male and female public relations students hope to play within 10 years after their graduations and to determine whether any differences were significant enough to warrant more extensive study of this phenomenon. The null hypotheses employed included: (1) there will be no…