Presents a new approach to attitude measuring that provides a comprehensive index of favorability and salience, the primary attributes relevant to the study of any attitudinal issue. The new technique effectively separates indifferent research subjects from those who are neutral toward attitudinal issues. Discusses methodological advantages and…

Argues that political speech-making can have significant impact. Surveyed audiences of four presidential candidates during the 1976 Illinois primary. Analyzed attitude/behavior changes and motivations for attendance. Noted that, while the strongest motivations were of a cognitive-orientation nature, reasons related to event excitement were…

Found that parents' social class was the best predictor of adolescents' perceptions of the importance of the debates. The best predictor of students' ability to attribute victory to one of the candidates was interpersonal communication prior to and immediately following the telecast. (PD)

Studied the determinants of psychological propinquity and communication satisfaction in face-to-face, audio, and video conferences. Assessed the effect of a number of variables. Confirmed the importance of feedback in promoting communication satisfaction and the feeling of spatial closeness. (PD)

Reviewed literature on the influence of a speaker's expressive behavior on the behavioral response of another person in adult-adult and infant-adult dyads. Mutual influence in expressive behaviors was demonstrated to be a pervasive feature of social interaction found across a variety of behaviors and across developmental time. (Author/DB)

Concludes that handicapped children are deficient in listener-adapted communication but that mainstreaming provides an opportunity to improve these skills, especially as age increases. Mainstreamed handicapped children, however, still do not reach the level of communicative skills of nonhandicapped children. (PD)

Reports on a meta-analysis of research studies on the relationship of encoding and decoding abilities to sex roles. Suggests that "feminine" interpersonal goals may be achieved without superior nonverbal communication ability, whereas "masculine" goals may require more ability to judge others' feelings and moods. (Author/ST)

Examines reactions to male and female discussants who express positions of dissent in small decision-making groups. Results indicate that both men and women were persuasive when they used well-supported arguments. The use of qualifiers (tag questions, disclaimers) only had an adverse affect, however, when used by women. (PD)

Develops a model of negotiation rule use that incorporates both content and relational dimensions and focuses upon interaction as the dependent variable. Assesses how winners and losers in mock negotiations differ in their use of communication rules. (PD)

Explored difficulties between public affairs officers and their commanders. Analyzed responses of commanders on the time allocations of their public affairs officers across 16 job assignments. Results indicated low agreement between what commanders perceive as happening and what they prefer. (PD)

Examines how mass media exposure to election campaigns influences beliefs about the closeness of the election race, as well as how these beliefs influence the degree of involvement in the election. Data from the 1968 and 1972 presidential elections are analyzed and indicate that no such relationships exist. (JMF)

Discusses how assumptions of methodology rigidly restrict theory testing in the area of sequential analysis of social interaction. Assumptions explored center on three aspects of process: coding schemes, the nature of time, and the quality of explanations engendered by sequential analysis methodologies. (JMF)

Examines the contributions of Jacques Ellul to the area of communication research through his principle of "la technique," which offers a primary focus for theoretical considerations of modern communications media and their role in human society. (JMF)

Presents a computer analysis of talk-silence patterns of mixed sex triads related to levels of communication apprehension. Results indicate that high apprehensives talk less, talk less often, and are interrupted less often than low apprehensives. Discusses the implications of computer use in talk-silence behavior research. (JMF)

Reports a survey of elementary and middle school teachers regarding behaviors they perceived as signalling a lack of communicative competence on the part of students. Results indicate, that from a teacher's point of view, communication competence involves a complex of behaviors including attitudinal/motivational, as well as cognitive dimensions.…