Details of conversational behavior can often not be interpreted until the social interaction, including the rights and obligations of the participants, their intent, the topic, etc., has been defined. This paper presents a model of conversation in which the conversational image a person presents in a given conversational situation is a function of…

A major argument made in favor of age-segregated services is that older people prefer and benefit from age-homogeneous social interaction. This preference was assessed through a secondary analysis of the national data from "The Myth and Reality of Aging" survey (Harris, 1975). All respondents 18 years of age or older (N=4065) were asked whether…

The issues of power and control, emotionality, style of communication, and values are related to the interactions between a woman therapist and a male client. Men have learned to function in interpersonal relationships by using control, power and competition. The unresolved issues of control and power between a therapist and client may contribute…

A study was conducted to determine (1) if teachers treated differing ability reading groups within their classes differently, (2) if teacher behaviors affected mean group achievement, and (3) if so, if that effect was similar for both high and low achieving reading groups. The study involved 14 classes, 39 reading groups, and 277 students. The…

The influence of empathy on observers' attributions for an outcome achieved by an actor was examined as well as self-presentational strategies when observers either expected to assume the actor's role later (Role-Playing). On videotape, observer-subjects (N=160) watched an actor succeed or fail at an interpersonal influence task, after being given…

An examination of the technique of Family Reconstruction employed by Satir and others attempting to establish an appreciation of the client's personhood through the understanding of their parents' personhood is presented. In addition, the feeling of continuity with the family and the facilitation of integration is explored to further reveal the…

Students majoring in advertising can benefit from a study of that field in its historical context because such study helps them to understand current practices and to foresee future developments. One model of teaching advertising history within a required course about advertising and society begins with some basic definitions of the advertising…

It is contended that verbal and nonverbal behavior are necessary components of human communication and that they should be conceived of as inseparable elements when teaching a foreign language. It is suggested that the use of gestural dictionaries currently available could serve to close the gap between old and new methods of teaching during the…

The process of invitational teaching involves the creation of an optimal situation where teachers with positive perceptions of students interact with students who feel good about themselves. The content of this invitational process is a type of self-belief extended from one person to the other, a belief that each individual has an unknown…

Feelings and attitudes were investigated among family members with mentally ill relatives whose treatment delivery system was being "deinstitutionalized" or moved from hospital-based treatment to community-based treatment. Subjects (N=125) were interviewed at home by either mental health professionals or professional interviewers. Results…

The learning module described is for the use of inservice teachers interested in a study of the process of inquiry. It is designed for a workshop-sized group of teachers at the secondary school level but may be adapted for teachers in the middle school. The topics addressed in this product relate to the process of inquiry and include questioning…

Recent research into the "forty-nine" songs and singing of the Kiowa Indians in southwestern Oklahoma is described in this paper. The paper first outlines the value of a process oriented approach to communication analysis that accents three primary variables: indexicality (the inherent situational nature of communicative acts),…

A typology of faculty-student relations is presented that focuses on the socialization process taking place within the cultures of college and university departments. By looking at relationships rather than separate roles, an attempt is made to explain the problem of social distance between and among specialists and ways of adaptation and creative…

Television's messages about sex role behavior were analyzed by collecting and coding spot samples of the ten top ranked programs in prime viewing time and proportionate numbers of daytime soap operas and Saturday morning children's programs. The content analysis was based on a relational coding system developed to assess interpersonal…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 24 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: a social skills training program; facial kinesic correlates of terminal cancer patients; the relationships among indices of social cognition, motivation, and…