In the context of low fertility and Australia's ageing population, a national longitudinal telephone survey, "Negotiating the Life Course" (NLC), asks women about their childbearing intentions. This paper uses conversation analysis (CA) to examine interaction between an interviewer and respondents on one NLC question about the likelihood…

A study refined a valid and reliable measure to measure learner empowerment and determined construct validity by correlating learner empowerment with the related variables affinity-seeking (an interpersonal communication construct), motivation to study, and learning. Subjects, 340 undergraduate students enrolled in communication classes at a…

Part of a more extended study, a study used discourse analysis to examine how instructors and students talk about sexist language in an attempt to discover their implicit language theories. Subjects, six instructors and six undergraduate students chosen from a convenience sample at a large western university, were interviewed and asked to comment…

A study analyzed postings over a week-long period to two electronic discussion lists to position them as communication forms and to assess their potential value to journalism educators, students and researchers. The lists--"Journet" and "Stumedia"-- were examined using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Results indicated that the…

Formats of communication within families are believed to be relevant contexts for children's development. Cultural values, norms, and interpretation patterns are transferred from parents to children within the family's specific communication framework. The purpose of this project was to study the quality of relationships and the communication…

The Program in Human Sexuality (PHS), an outpatient mental health clinic in the University of Minnesota Medical School that specializes in sexuality-related dysfunctions, had received a number of patient complaints in late 1992 and early 1993 about therapeutic processes and business services. The proactive approach was to survey patients about all…

An action research project implemented a program for improving the conversational skills of language impaired high school students. The students attended high school in a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Poor conversational skills in the language impaired students were documented through teacher observation, teacher assessment, and…

A study examined the nature of trait-like and situational communication apprehension on non-traditional undergraduate students enrolled in a two-year community college. Subjects were 323 students enrolled in general education requirements at a midwestern community college. Of these, 181 were 25 years or under and 142 were older, 212 were females…

A study examined a set of assumptions and expectations held by six male Japanese students (who came to the United States to learn to speak, read, and write English) upon their arrival and 6 months later. These students were considered at-risk because their marginal university status and their inability to function in an English language…

Suitable methods can be developed and instructional devices can be designed for the teaching of argumentation analysis to students of varying interests, ages, and capacities. Until 1950, the study of argumentation in the Netherlands was either purely practical or a continuation of the classic logic and rhetoric traditions. A number of new research…

A study analyzed the discourse of four pairs of students participating in dyadic interactive communicative tasks (ICTs) to discover if and how their discourse styles influenced the dynamics of interaction. Students were paired according to their teacher's evaluation of their discourse style as active or non-active, and were designated sender or…

An ethnographic study explored how small groups of student readers interacted in a classroom over time to interpret short stories assigned by a teacher. For five weeks, eight sixth-grade volunteers met on consecutive Fridays in two separate face-to-face discussion groups to read, discuss, rewrite, and perform a short story as a play. Primary data…

A study looked into what classroom communication behaviors adult learners and traditional undergraduate students associate with teacher effectiveness. Subjects for the study were 155 traditional and 95 adult learners at a large midwestern university. They were administered one of two questionnaires which differed on only one question: some were…

An exploratory study examined relationships between interpersonal communication theory and public relations from 1970 to 1990. One hundred thirty-six public relations campaign cases recognized for excellence by the Public Relations Society of America were analyzed for applicability of seven interpersonal theoretical perspectives. Information…

A model was developed for training individuals to adapt better to the changing work environment by focusing on the subordinate to supervisor relationship and providing a heuristic approach to leadership. The model emphasizes a heuristic approach to decision-making through the active participation of both members of the dyad. The demand among…