Surveys communication researchers about the importance of 116 research questions and 24 general areas in communication education to identify future research needs for the discipline. Indicates that priority should be placed on investigations of student and teacher communication competence, effects of teacher communication on learning, and…

Examines differences among speech behavior-social evaluation relationships as a function of whether the evaluator's perspective was that of a participant or an observer and, if the latter, whether the presentational medium involved an audiovisual, audio-only, or transcriptual recording. (RAE)

Uses recent work in literary criticism to examine the structure of religious discourse. Suggests religious discourse is the use of a certain rhetorical style that conforms to certain rules of underlying structure, but which communicates only to the extent that this structure is appropriate for the application in question. (MS)

Analyzes worker descriptions of effective and ineffective listening in two work environments (a bank and a medical center). Reports that listening is described in organizational settings as an interrelated set of concepts, including attentiveness, verbal behavior, nonverbal behavior, attitudes, memory, and behavioral responses. (MM)

Indicates the existence of such communication dimensions as attentive, relaxed, animated, dominant, impression leaving, communicator image, and apprehension. Finds that high school students who perceived themselves as being relaxed and attentive, low on communication apprehension, and as having a positive view of their communication image also…

Describes a typology of communication dimensions used by academic chairpersons in the early stages of the socialization process. Four new chairpersons were interviewed, and four functions of communication (informative, integrative, regulative, and innovative) guided data gathering in researching the link between communicator and role…

Compares metaphors and intimate relationships, arguing that both may be viewed as relational and categorized into four distinct styles. Results indicated validity for assignment of three relationship types concluding that parallels exist between linguistic and social forms. (NKA)

Presents an overview of Michel Foucault's approach to the study of historical systems of thought, arguing that Foucault's view of historical criticism and language-in-use have much to offer rhetorical theory and criticism. Discusses the nature of discourse for Foucault and examines the characteristics of the fundamental discursive datum, the…

Examines the relationship between communicative and organizational processes in the medical and financial screening steps of the patient intake process of an urban out-patient clinic. Case studies of conversational routines in medical intake show how these processes elicit and provide information in categories used to reconcile conflicting medical…

Indicates that situational factors such as perceived novelty, subordinate status, conspicuousness, dissimilarity and prior history correlate significantly with public speaking anxiety. Presents a causal model based on a confluence of previous research and the results of the present study. Includes classroom implications.(NH)

Recognizes the Kennedy-Nixon debate (in which alleged viewer disagreement was unsupported) as the seminal element in support of the position that television may distort the substance of political communications. Argues that although visual cues undoubtedly have potential to influence the perception of candidates, the nature of that influence…

Identifies various speech styles of English as marked by stance adverbials. Indicates that the discourse functions of stance adverbials differ considerably from the functions suggested by their literal meanings. (JK)

Examines the extent to which the inability to translate decisionally relevant information into matrix form and knowledge about decision rule use act as impediments to consistent choice-making. Indicates that instruction, in decision matrix construction and decision rule application, increases students' decision making consistency. (JK)

Investigates the underlying reasons for the fundamental shift in Benjamin Franklin's portrayals of the British colonies in America. Explores the hypothesis that "Magna Britannia" was both a deliberative work directed toward the British Parliament and an apologetic work directed toward conservatives in the colonial public. Also discusses…

Argues that Behavior Alteration Techniques (BATs) improve students' on-task compliance which, in turn, is consistently associated with achievement. Indicates a substantial relationship between BAT use and cognitive learning on both absolute and relative measures of achievement. Shows that the teachers perceived by students as "good"…