Discusses difficulties technical writers and readers have concerning proposals that define problems and suggest innovation. Suggests that when writers recognize both their own and readers' assumptions about such problems, they can adopt techniques to gain reader concurrence. (KEH)

Examines the symbolic content of eulogies delivered by Southern clergymen following the 1870 death of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Explores the clergy's discussions of Lee's immortality and the redemptive power of audience unity which were foundations for later mythic discourse on the general's life. (SG)

Examines the clash between the sanctuary movement and United States government regarding the admission to the United States of Central American refugees. Shows through an application of Kenneth Burke's dramatistic approach how different "scenes" operating for the two sides motivate opposing rhetorical agencies. Analyzes those agencies…

Analyzes conflict talk among three-year-old friends playing in same-sex triads at their day care center. Interprets the gendered aspects of two disputes in terms of an anthropological linguistic model and a psychological framework. Demonstrates the gendered nature of children's peer talk at as young as three years of age. (RS)

Examines gender differences in topical coherence of same-sex best friends' conversations using John Gumperz's framework for cross-cultural communication. Finds that girls exhibit minimal or no difficulty in finding something to talk about. Finds that boys exhibit more discomfort, with tenth grade boys talking about their own highly personal…

Examines the validity of audience involvement in the context of local television news by testing the relationships among (1) strength of news viewing motivation and involvement intensity; (2) type of news viewing motivation and involvement orientation; and (3) cognitive and emotional involvement. Finds that audience involvement during message…

Compares technical journal editing practices with journal style, examining variables that reflect active, verbal expression of ideas and parsimony and clarity of sentence construction. Finds that editors have little professional training in editing and style, little knowledge of style terms and differences, and spend little time editing, and only…

Proposes a Center for Applied Writing which combines elements of the developmental and writing-across-the-curriculum models and bridges academic and nonacademic discourse. Explains that the center would offer new avenues for research, instruction, and practice in business and technical communication, while bringing together diverse approaches to…

Applies the concepts of persuasive definition, ideograph, and ideological history in an analysis of Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.'s, discourse. Uses this analysis to enhance understanding of how the strategic definition of terms such as "liberal" can influence the ongoing struggle to set presumptions in American political life. (SR)

Examines the ethics of fostering false inference. Presents and discusses a hypothetical case in which a firms's proposal seems intended to mislead, while actually stating nothing that is not literally true. (KEH)

Identifies how the number of practice and feedback sessions affects the development of select interpersonal communication skills. Finds that acquisition of interpersonal communication skills can be positively affected by the use of behavior modeling that includes video feedback, behavior rehearsal, or a combination of both. (MS)

Uses data from the National Assessment of Educational Progress to examine the speaking skills of 21-25 year olds. Finds that 15 to 20 percent of those examined cannot adequately communicate orally. Suggests that speaking proficiency is inversely related to minority status, and positively related to education, occupational status, and age. (MS)

Argues that little attention is paid to the ways in which social relations of power mediate the process of meaning creation. Suggests that ideology provides a way of contextualizing the communication process within such power relations and that communication is intrinsic to the means by which relations of domination are produced and reproduced.…

Uses a spatial model to examine the relationship between stimulus exposure, cognition, and affect. Notes that this model accounts for cognitive changes that a stimulus may acquire as a result of exposure. Concludes that the spatial model is useful for evaluating the mere exposure effect and that affective change does not require cognitive change.…

Examines effects of issue obtrusiveness on network news agenda-setting. Tests two competing models: (1) obtrusive contingency (agenda-setting effects decrease as personal experience with issues increase); and (2) cognitive-priming contingency (agenda-setting effects increase as obtrusiveness increases). Finds no support for obtrusive contingency…