Examines public address in the post-bellum South (focusing on the years 1865 to 1900) as a form of epideictic speaking, in order to illuminate both the genre and the Southern mind. (SR)

Argues that Lincoln modeled certain major speeches on a chiasmus, and that this stylistic device governs the integration of form and function in Lincoln's presidential rhetoric. Argues that the chiasmus reveals that Lincoln saw himself as called by God to fulfill a special messianic mission. (MS)

Offers arguments in favor of condoning theoretical arguments and answers objections raised by critics of theoretical arguments. Recommends standards for improving the quality of theoretical arguments. (MM)

Assigned speech-anxious clients (N=30) to one of the following treatment conditions: (1) semantic desensitization; (2) attention placebo and (3) waiting list control. Results indicated that semantic desensitization therapy reduced both the affective and behavioral components of anxiety as compared to the two controls. (LLL)

People's conception of uniqueness in policy debate has changed dramatically in the past decade. Concepts like "we control uniqueness" and "direction of uniqueness" have come to dominate disadvantage debates. Unfortunately, policy debate has suffered as an activity as the result of some of these debating practices. In response, debaters and judges…

The author discusses the interests and attitudes of present day students. The III's, students of consciousness III, reject the entire concept of academic rewards. Their interest in public speaking classes is not to learn to win others over but rather as a means to improve communication. (MS)

College students reporting high levels of public speaking anxiety received fixed role, or rational emotive group therapy, or no therapy. Support for the hypothesis that treatment would reduce anxiety more than no treatment was secured. Results lend support to the assumption that psychotherapy is effective in reducing emotional disorders, and that…

An American observer's report on contemporary House of Commons debating and debaters. Discusses (1) traditional influences that come from the adversarial nature of parliamentary debate and its implications for communication style; and (2) contemporary influences, including education, that come from the changing characteristics of members of…

Stress Inoculation Training overall is more effective than no treatment in reducing self-reported anxiety and increasing self-reported confidence in performing speech behaviors. Merely being in a speech class reduces observed anxiety behavior. (Author)

Points out that preparing a manuscript for oral presentation often requires modifying, simplifying, amplifying, clarifying, and intensifying the original writing. Also notes that a speaker can make reading the paper more interesting by knowing the paper very well and striving for eye contact with the audience. (TJ)

Explores the reasons for people's fear of public speaking and the need for adequate speech training in high schools to foster positive attitudes toward public speaking. (JM)

Describes Dauna Easley's motivational speech at the 1996 American Vocational Education annual meeting, in which she told attendees about the talent in their ranks, admonished them to acknowledge kindnesses, and offered personal anecdotes. (JOW)

Examines the relationships among nonverbal behaviors, dimensions of source credibility, and speaker persuasiveness in a public speaking context. Finds numerous associations between nonverbal behaviors and attributions of credibility and persuasiveness. Discusses advantages of analyzing nonverbal cues according to proximal precepts. (SR)

Advances a justification for instituting limited rules governing the conduct of debates. Contends that declining participation calls for establishing rules designed to minimize the abusive debate policy practices presently affecting policy debate. Refutes D. A. Herbeck and J. P. Katsulas's position on the supposed educational dangers of the debate…

Uses dispositional and situational versions of novelty, conspicuousness, subordinate status, and a measure of public speaking apprehension to predict state anxiety in response to a public speaking task. Finds that a model consisting of trait versions of novelty, conspicuousness, and subordinate status significantly predicts public speaking state…