Suggests that an interpretive view of communication, with philosophical assumptions about the nature of persons and communication, provides a perspective from which scholars study argumentation. Presents arguments supporting the value of the interpretive perspective, and answers criticisms by showing how those criticisms are grounded in…

Determined if subjects' (N=79) cognitive responses to a persuasive communication are more highly correlated with attitude change than the recall of arguments presented in the communication. Subjects were exposed to a systematically designed persuasive communication and then tested for their retention of arguments presented in the communication and…

Presents a procedure for identifying metaphorical concepts guiding the rhetorical invention of three Cold War "idealists": Henry Wallace, J. William Fulbright, and Helen Caldicott, whose collective failure to dispel threatening images of the Soviets is located in a recurrent system of metaphors that promotes a reversal of the enemy-image…

Curiculum deliberation involves weighing and examining the reasons for and against a curriculum and giving careful consideration and mature reflection to choices. It also often involves considered action by a group of persons. The predominant forms of discourse--persuasive, theoretical, and descriptive--used to codify curriculum deliberations are…

Confirms the hypotheses that (1) males are expected to use more aggressive persuasive strategies and when they do not conform to such expectations, attitude change is inhibited; and (2) females are not expected to use such aggressive strategies and are penalized when they are the source of unexpectedly aggressive message strategies. (PD)

In this article, the author explains that the distinction between leaders and managers is a false one: leaders must manage their personnel and resources, and managers need to lead the people who work for them. He describes the ways in which this is true for a university president, sharing his personal experiences as the president of George…

Parents of children with disabilities are frequently asked to tell all or part of their family's life story. These stories are potentially powerful ways to develop empathic relationships among parents and professionals. This document discusses ways parents can prepare and present their stories so that key themes are emphasized and the information…

A list of grievances comprises the longest portion of the Declaration of Independence, but the source of the document's power is its firm philosophic foundation. In this unit, the teacher can capitalize on the propensity to complain to increase student awareness of the precedents behind the Declaration of Independence. The unit can help students…

These 10 fliers focus on strategies to improve students' writing. The fliers are: (1) Improving Writing (covers general points related to all types of writing); (2) Writing Narrative (covers the main points to writing narrative, helping children to build up a repertoire of different types of narrative); (3) Writing Poetry (covers the main points…

Offering developmental students comprehensive, step-by-step instruction for writing expressive, informative, and persuasive essays, this book showcases the writing process and presents a wide variety of engaging assignments. It strengthens students' reading, thinking, and writing skills; validates their diverse and unique cultural experiences; and…

Currently, university composition programs are experimenting with the delivery of online writing courses, without the component of face-to-face interaction. To assess the efficacy of this delivery medium, a study compared two groups of undergraduate students in a course on argumentative writing taught by the same instructor: one group taking the…

Factors which affect communication with teachers via curriculum guides include how authors and readers conceptualize educational practice and teaching and audience characteristics. Although each of the predominant forms of discourse (persuasive, descriptive, theoretical) used to communicate practice prescriptions for teachers is flawed, the three…

Results suggest that older teenagers may cut down on their own smoking when they are involved in efforts to change the smoking behavior of younger teens. Concludes that an antismoking campaign within the context of a school curriculum might be effective in changing the smoking behavior of teenagers. (PD)

Identifies characteristics of successful courtroom speech for prosecuting attorneys, defense attorneys, and accuseds using computer-based content analysis and rater judgments of verbal behaviors. Demonstrates that verbal aggression is an important factor for successful prosecutors, equivocation is important to success for defense attorneys, and…

Discusses the coercive controls imposed upon Blacks during slavery, including regimenting their lives, restricting their learning experiences, limiting their opportunities to communicate, and prescribing demeaning role behavior. Rhetorical strategies employed by Blacks included a defensive posture of accommodation and a more aggressive behavior of…