This paper presents recent information on the use of mass communication to combat the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in Latin America. The paper takes up the following topics: (1) communication as anti-AIDS weapon; (2) the information effort lag; (3) targeting AIDS information; (4) delivering the message to health…

This study examined the verbal message strategies employed in the two 1988 presidential debates by Vice-President George Bush and Governor Michael Dukakis, independently and comparatively. A number of broad verbal categories were developed to code the messages of each candidate from videotapes and transcripts. Verbal characteristics under…

The 47 references, dating mostly from 1976 to 1990, in this annotated bibliography provide information about the effect of humor in written and spoken messages and its role in interpersonal relationships, especially within the context of small groups and organizational environments. The materials in the bibliography are cited according to academic…

A study investigated the level of black participation in the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) to discover means of increasing and improving black student involvement in forensic activities. Of 64 schools reporting that they compete in CEDA, only 22 reported having black debaters on the team. Additionally, these schools reported a total…

A study sought to describe family interaction as it has been taking place in a television family of the nineties--the Simpsons. Twelve episodes of the program were videotaped, transcriptions were made of the portions of the programs which contained family interactions, and 1,670 communication behaviors in the material were coded. Each behavior was…

The college speech communication classroom can serve as a laboratory for rhetorical theory and criticism. Applying the hypothesis of "experimental persuasion" to the study of oral expression, an instructor can promote in his/her students the development of story-telling skills of concrete depiction, dramatic action, the elements of…

A study investigated the influence of interpersonal variables, such as communicative competence, loneliness, and roommate rapport, upon persistence in college. The study includes self-reports as well as reports of roommates' behaviors. Subjects were 200 freshman students (out of a total of 350) who participated in several sections of a…

A study examined the means of and correlations between perceptions of willingness to communicate, communication competence, communication apprehension, and introversion of college students in the United States and Micronesia. Subjects were 159 undergraduate students enrolled in 19 classes at the Community College of Micronesia on the island of…

A study investigated the interrelationships among warrants, argument dimensions, and perceived argument effectiveness. Warrants were operationalized as analogies, examples, and causal warrants, while argument dimensions were defined as degree of logicality, emotionality, and ethicality. Based upon prior research, weak and strong arguments were…

A study was conducted to determine if (1) significant gender differences exist in prevalence of deception, motivation for deception, and recipients of deception; and (2) whether such differences support traditional gender role perceptions and expectations. Seventy-four subjects, 50 female and 24 male undergraduate students, recorded all instances…

An evaluative study examined the role communication scholars should play in the planning, development and teaching of peace studies courses. Numerous surveys indicate increased student concern over world communication and peace. The language and war metaphors being used by the various governments in the Persian Gulf crisis illustrate how the…

Focusing on perceived sex differences in organizational settings, a study examined mutual evaluations of communicative competence in superior-subordinate relationships. Subjects, 86 superior-subordinate pairs from 23 organizations, completed the Communication Competency Assessment Instrument measuring competencies in communication codes, oral…

A research study was conducted (1) to investigate the effects of sex and gender of discloser, and sex of the interaction partner on self-disclosure reports and behaviors, in particular the dimensions of intimacy and control; and (2) to investigate the relationships between self-report and behavioral measures of disclosure and the impact of sex and…

Defining small talk as "superficial talk about matters of little concern," a study examined the role of small talk in the work place. Subjects, 51 white collar workers and clerical employees at three corporations, an Eastern state university, and two small businesses completed a questionnaire concerning the following questions: (1) What…

A study explored the thoughts people have as they interact with others in conversation. Individuals were asked to communicate with each other over networked microcomputers and as they typed their messages, they spoke aloud their thoughts about the exchanges. These oral protocols, matched with the messages exchanged over the network, were then…