Communication researchers should respond to the interface of theoretical views and empirical data; that is, they should "take stock" of their theoretical assumptions and ensure that the research they undertake adequately reflects those theoretical assumptions. This essay presents the rationale for stock taking in the communication discipline and…

This paper reports part of the results from a three-stage panel study of the Fall 1976 presidential campaigns; 1,927 interviews were conducted in all, 594 occurring in the week prior to the election. Results indicated that voters did not change their voting intentions significantly during the fall campaigns; that they did change the certainty with…

Since much of the recent literature concerning leadership has emphasized the study of verbal interactions among leaders and other group members (ignoring the role of nonverbal communication), a study was undertaken to investigate several aspects of nonverbal communication in leadership. Specifically, it examined whether (1) leadership messages…

Based on research suggesting spatial zones of proximity in human behavior (individuals have definable zones of intimate, personal, social, and public space), it was hypothesized that "framed shots" of people on television screens would suggest specific distances to the viewer. The hypotheses were that subjects would estimate a greater…

A study explored the relationship between the functional communication patterns occurring in conflict and post conflict impressions of relational concern. The first part of the study involved the development and testing of an instrument to measure perceived relational concern, while the second part investigated whether varying styles of functional…

A study was conducted to determine the degree to which teachers and students share perceptions of the use of power in the classroom. The study defined five bases of power: coercive (implied or explicit punishment), reward, legitimate (assigned), referent (identification with the person in power), and expert (perceived competence). A total of 156…

Many studies using questionnaires and observational methods to collect information on the pointing gesture in infants have recently been performed. However, no study based on long-term observation is presently available that deals with the appearance and development of pointing as an interaction between mothers and their children. Therefore, this…

A study investigated the relationship between levels of communication apprehension (high or low) and eight heterosocial (between sexes) communicative behavior variables--conditioned anxiety, heterosocial skills, heterosocial apprehension, activity, proximity, heterosocial expectations, physical attractiveness, and heterosocial importance. In…

The fifth in a series of annual volumes published by the International Communication Association, this yearbook provides reviews, overviews, and syntheses of developments in the evolution of the science of communication. The 40 articles in the volume are categorized as follows: (1) communication reviews and commentaries, including issues in…

The development of message strategies is dependent on the underlying social cognitive structures through which they are formulated. (1) Research in the area has produced six generalizations concerning the development of persuasive skills: individuals' interpersonal perceptions change systematically with age; (2) children's persuasive strategies…

There are benefits to be gained by integrating social cognition research with communication research, especially with regard to the effects of television viewing on child development. Social cognition brings innovative theoretical and methodological approaches to the field of communication, permits a more complete characterization of the child in…

The communication activities and problems of 383 business and professional people in Hawaii were surveyed. The respondents reported spending the bulk of a typical work week engaged in giving instructions and making assignments, listening, talking face-to-face with employees, and conferring with clients. These interpersonal activities were related…

A study was conducted to determine those communication and general job skills necessary to adequately prepare college graduates for employment in politics. Subjects were 40 political party staff members of the Illinois General Assembly, who completed questionnaires concerning the communication and general skills they used in their jobs. In…

The community should be seen as an essential focus for communication study since it (1) illustrates and tests the instrumental nature of human communication, (2) illustrates the delicate interplay of private and public communication, and (3) provides a unique context in which all human interactive units exert communication influence…

The purposes of this book are to offer the outlines of a reciprocal-interactionist view of communication and education, to show some of its applications and implications, and to stimulate questions for exploration of the subject. Topics discussed in the seven chapters of the book are (1) the nature of interactions, (2) communication in reciprocal…