Surveys employees of the Hershey Medical Center in Pennsylvania to examine why they read "Vital Signs," the employee newsletter. Finds that employees with a higher level of organizational integration often place more emphasis on reading the employee newsletter to survey system functions and the employee social network. (MM)

Examines the question of who have been the most important theorists in the communication field. Evaluates the relative importance of various theorists by counting the number of pages in the "International Encyclopedia of Communication" that mention each theorist. Provides a chronological list of the 120 theorists most often named in the…

Observes that three dominant perspectives on intentionality--the encoder, decoder, and interactional--emerge from communication literature. Explains that the encoder perspective links intent to conscious activity, whereas the decoder perspective associates intent with observable actions. Notes that the interactional perspective attempts to unite…

Proposes a new thesis about the role of individual differences in managers' media choice behavior. Argues that individual differences influence media choice only under conditions of low message equivocality. Reports that the findings of an exploratory study provide some support for this theoretical notion. (MG)

Examines whether delayed judgments of observed behaviors are more biased than immediate judgments. Finds that delayed judgments more closely approximate implicit theories of communicative competence. (SR)

Presents new measures of musical syntax which allow systematic comparison of normative and distorted syntactic structure and thus investigation of the notion that distortion, both semantic and syntactic, enhance audience attention. Applies the measures in an examination of the social forces that influence the use of normative versus distorted…

Explores and illustrates the different types of press relations commonly undertaken by terrorist organizations. Argues that large and small groups both engage in publicity efforts, but employ different patterns of press relations activities. (SR)

Advocates the traditional controlled message, crossed design for the study of language variables in communication research. Analyzes and rejects arguments (presented in the article, "Messages as Replications: Toward a Message-Centered Design Strategy," in the same issue) in support of the multiple-message design. (SR)

Advocates the multiple-message design (message replication within experiments) for message research in communication. Analyzes and rejects arguments (presented in the article, "The Design and Analysis of Language Experiments in Communication," in the same issue) in support of the single-message design. (SR)

Investigates jury decision-making factors, decision timing, and the decision-making process by talking to actual trial jurors. Indicates that jurors were influenced by the evidence, witnesses, lawyers, and defendant and that the jurors made their decisions early in two trials and later in another trial. (SR)

Examines words per pause (W/P) as a means of identifying solidarity between speakers and listeners. Speakers use significantly more words per pause with friends than when speaking with strangers. W/P can be used to investigate speaking style in various contexts and to diagnose sympathy and estrangement between speakers. (JL)

Considers issues in rhetorical epistemology whose significance transcends religious communication and commitment. Examines consensus-based epistemology as a model for understanding religious belief. Discusses the implications of Jeffery Bineham's position for rhetorical criticism (presented in a previous article in this issue) as well as the…

Affirms Jeffery Bineham's general position on consensus theory (presented in a previous article in this issue), but identifies several problems in what Bineham sees as a consensus theory of rhetoric. Questions the necessity of prior truth for a genuine rhetoric, the relationship between consensus theory and independent existence, and the role of…

Analyzes the publication patterns of prolific authors in speech communication between 1915 and 1985, using the journals listed in the most recent "Index to Journals in Communication Studies." Reports that publication early in a scholar's career is very important, as is flexibility in selecting journals in which to publish. (MM)

Examines data from two public speaking performances to examine the stability of speakers' perceptions of situational factors and the relationship of those factors to communication apprehension and state anxiety. Finds that degree of attention functions as a situational perception, whereas novelty, subordinate status, conspicuousness, and…