Argues that the 1988 Presidential Debates were debates both by definition and in the strategies employed by the candidates. Notes that these debates are rhetorical events in the larger framework of a political campaign. Suggests that criteria for "winning" should be consistent with the purpose of political debate. (MM)

Examines the symbolic reality of unmarried mothers using Bormann's fantasy theme analysis and Q-methodology. Identifies three rhetorical visions with a dramatistic humanistic analysis produced by and about unmarried mothers: the Down and Out Vision, the Making the Best Vision, and the Yummie Vision. (MS)

Examines whether information lost or altered in a communication chain can be reversed. Concludes that within the boundary conditions of this experiment, information loss is reversible; that some losses are more reversible than others; and that people reconstruct orderly parts and omit details that confuse connections among the parts. (JAD)

Examines linguistic features of help-seeking messages constructed to overcome obstacles to the achievement of interpersonal objectives associated with: (1) the type of request (borrowing or favors); and (2) relational intimacy. (SR)

Examines whether individuals can generate memory structures for increasingly intimate relationships; agree on the rank ordering of expected actions; distinguish between perceived typicality of such actions and how necessary the behaviors are for a relationship to develop; and segment prototypical scenes of developing relationships in a…

Investigates (1) whether subjects consult their memory or relevant implicit theories when making verbal reports, and (2) the effect of recognition criterion on verbal report performance. Finds that subjects occasionally employ implicit theories to develop their verbal reports, but that memory is much more important in determining the reports. (MM)

Examines 102 issues (published in 1985 and 1986) of the "Eulenspiegel," the only magazine in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) devoted to humor and satire. Focuses on the "Eulenspiegel's" treatment of the United States to determine the nature of that satire, its purposes, and its effectiveness. (MM)

Finds that both severity of violation and recipient of explanation affect the linguistic content of elementary school-aged girls' excuses. Concludes that older girls used fewer single apologies, incorporated more repair components, and tailored their explanations to the nature of each violation. (JAD)

Evaluates the developmental status of communication by studying citation patterns both within the field and between communication and other fields. Examines citation linkages of 10 communication journals using the 1983-1985 data from "Social Sciences Citation Index's Journal Citation Reports." (MM)

Outlines four factors that account for the relative lack of integration between mass communication and interpersonal communication researchers. Cites several forces that support segregation of the two research areas, yet notes that the recent turn to cognitive explanations of communication in both fields may create the climate for meaningful…

Reports the results of a study that used several statistical tests of reciprocity of self-disclosure. Finds little evidence for reciprocity of self-disclosure, and concludes that either reciprocity is an illusion, or that different or more sophisticated methods are needed to detect it. (MS)

Offers a general review of applications of psycholinguistic theory, focusing on applications in the field of education. Studies already undertaken and future areas for study are discussed, and guidelines for conducting psycholinguistic research in the classroom are proposed. (CFM)

Outlines the career and accomplishment of Gerald R. Miller, professor and researcher in the field of communication. Articulates the secondary goals of rhetoric and how Miller's career excelled at each of them. (HB)

Finds that male respondents are significantly higher than female respondents in two aggressive communication predispositions (argumentativeness and verbal aggressiveness). Shows that both male and female participants perceived that generalized males are more argumentative and verbally aggressive than are generalized females. Discusses implications…

Analyzes the substantive and stylistic features of the "Hamnet" script (an 80-line parody of "Hamlet") as performed on Internet Relay Chat. Explicates the logistics of virtual production. Finds evidence for the democratization and globalization of culture in Hamnet productions. Suggests that Hamnet activities appeal primarily…