Research was conducted to study the speech in a sales transaction in a retail store under natural conditions. Fourteen sales transactions in a lighting fixture store were tape recorded, with the customer's knowledge, over a period of four days. Each talk was divided into three segments--speech preparatory, speech central, and speech final--and…

This study attempted to determine whether different forms of child misdemeanors lead predictably to given types of parental discipline. Twenty-four mothers and their children, who ranged in age from 10 to 20 months, participated in the study for a 9-month period. Mothers were trained to report their children's behaviors and their own socialization…

The present study focuses on multiple dimensions of face-to-face marriage interaction as the basis for identifying patterns or "types" of couple relating. The research assumes that it is possible to classify marriage relationships by criteria which are objective enough to allow replication and concensus. Particular emphasis is placed on the…

A review of the research of E.G. Mishler, H. Mehan, and others suggests that a unified theory of the mechanics of how continuous discourse is accounted for in classroom behavior is necessary for further study. Discourse analysis meets the criteria for selection of a theoretical framework because it deals with all the language within the classroom…

Arguing that, as a general principle, the most efficient, best organized and managed organization would have little duplication of work or of service to its markets or publics, this paper presents a method for assessing duplication among organizational components of work performed and of services to various publics and for determining the extent…

A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that "the number of discipline behaviors by the teacher is a function of the personality of the teacher.""Behavior" was defined as "oral statements" and "discipline" as "the attempt of one to require another to discontinue inappropriate behavior." Trained observers used interaction analysis to record…

The effects of certain teaching methods upon the development of critical thinking skills, an understanding of science and scientists, and knowledge of subject matter were investigated. An analysis of covariance and rank correlation between teacher behavior patterns and particular student outcomes on the "Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking…

It has been demonstrated that interaction analysis is a useful tool for helping teachers not only to hold illustrations of their teaching for future analysis but also to focus on and analyze specific aspects of their verbal instructional behavior. Apparently, four conditions are necessary to enable teachers to analyze and evaluate their…

Two experiments were conducted to examine self-fulfilling expectancy influence in a simulated supervisor-worker interaction. The first experiment led supervisor subjects to expect either high or low compliance from their workers. All workers completed a set of five tasks twice, once when instructed to work fast and once when instructed to work…

This paper explores the cognitive and behavioral consequences of our impressions of other people in the context of social stereotypes. Social stereotypes are a special case of interpersonal perception. Though they are usually simple and overgeneralized, many social stereotypes concern highly visible and distinctive personal characteristics, such…

This study examines the impact of one important task characteristic for the process by which groups solve problems. The principal comparison is between a generative problem and a choice task, and whether or not the differences between these types of tasks affect the group's methods for arriving at a decision. Two types of analysis are conducted of…

The controversy about the causal ordering of leader behaviors and unit performance is reviewed. The analysis indicates that neither the behavior-performance nor the performance-behavior proponents have provided convincing evidence. A longitudinal study of the development of these interrelationships from the initial stages is described. The results…

This paper presents a new mathematical approach, fuzzy mathematics, for defining, classifying, and analyzing concepts within communications. Fuzzy mathematics is based on the premise that real world phenomena contain characteristics that overlap any artifically created category system or classification rules. Therefore, set membership is…

This report examines the relationship between maternal medication during labor and mother-infant interaction on the third day of life. Subjects were 45 black low-income mothers and their healthy full-term infants. The mothers' perinatal drug history was obtained, and a coded observational schedule was used to record maternal and infant behaviors…

This paper examines the process of intervention design as it relates to the grammar of artifactual action. In his discussion, the author identifies three separate elements of artifactual action. These elements include defining the situation of action and the change agent's relationship to the situation; generating typical expectations about…