Shows how Dynamic Social Impact Theory (DSIT) and an evolutionary perspective offer new ways of understanding social representations through communication. Outlines the metatheoretical perspective that social representations emerge as structure in self-organizing systems. Explores ways in which DSIT might be further informed by the dynamic…

Develops a neuropsychological model of political information processing based on the independence and interdependence of emotion and cognition. Discusses studies and presents findings suggesting that primitive emotional responses may be activated, even without the audience's awareness, and attributed to a political source, even though no conscious…

Investigated development of face-to-face communication in infants between 1 and 14 weeks old and their mothers. Found a curvilinear development of early face-to-face communication, with increases occurring between weeks 4 and 9. When placed on a sofa, infants' face-to-face communication was longer than when they were held. Girls spent a longer…

Examines the effects of using organizational spokespersons of ethnic backgrounds similar to or different from possible stakeholders of a multinational organization. Finds that the degree to which undergraduate students identified with his or her own ethnic group affected spokesperson similarity ratings. Discusses implications for multinational…

Explains that the cognitive-functional model of discrete negative emotions and attitude change attempts to bridge the theoretical gap between "emotional" and "rational" approaches to persuasion by focusing on how emotions motivate attention to and processing of persuasive messages. Explores the effects two emotions, anger and fear, and two levels…

Addresses the question of whether use of student samples jeopardizes the validity of research. Examines the distinction between univariate and multivariate relationships in a study of identification with Diana, Princess of Wales. Shows that although the estimates of univariate values differed across three samples, the multivariate relationships…

Assesses strategies employees use to express upward dissent within contemporary organizations. Indicates that employees used direct-factual appeal, repetition, solution presentation, circumvention, and threatening-resignation strategies for expressing upward dissent. Provides support for the exit-voice-loyalty model (and subsequent revisions) of…

Explores assumptions about employment interviewing and suggests an integrated agenda for discovery, learning, and engagement that diverges from conventional thinking. Notes that in attempts to establish just procedures and outcomes in interviews, identities associated with race/ethnicity, sexual-social orientation, ablebodiness, class, gender, and…

Examines reading ease between the English and Chinese versions of 65 corporate annual reports in Hong Kong and the English and Malay versions of 53 annual reports in Malaysia. Notes that the English passages in Malaysian annual reports are easier to read than the English passages in Hong Kong annual reports. Suggests that different language…

Maintains that technical communicators can retain their place on product development teams by re-engineering project environments. Describes an experiential learning strategy in project management to help technical communicators work with other information technology (IT) practitioners. Examines the solutions the teams produced for three projects…

Compares video and audio stimuli for listening assessment as well as multiple choice and constructed response modes, using modifications of the ACT Work Keys Listening and Writing assessment and the ACT Work Keys Listening for Understanding prototype. Confirms that examinees do less well on constructed response than on multiple choice responses.…

Describes a study which examined the current matriculation preferences and developmental changes in particular listening habits of medical students during their first year of medical education. Notes that results indicated significant differences between the "people" orientation and the "content" and "time"…

Explores the factors affecting the outcomes experienced by distressed persons (undergraduate students) when their comfort providers use humor during comforting interactions. Explains that results indicate the skillfulness of the comforting behavior, specific qualities of humor used, and the relationship between interactants predicted behavior.…

Reviews E. Noelle-Neumann's "spiral of silence" theory, which holds that, when a person learns through the mass media that public opinion has shifted away from the person's views, that person withdraws from expressing those views. Points to conflicting empirical evidence on Neumann's theory. Summarizes criticisms advanced against the…

Investigates the self-perception theory account of the foot-in-the-door (FITD) phenomenon, a sequential-request technique using a small first request followed by a larger, target request. Finds that a self-inference explanation is viable, but that a strict self-perception account fails because neither request size nor execution correspond to…