Supports the hypothesis that exposure to nonmediated information that conflicts with information gained from a media source would cause an increase in media skepticism. Suggests that media skepticism may be a useful construct for future research in communication processes and effects. (NKA)

Considers the way in which recent apocalyptic religious discourse motivates actions and attitudes toward secular issues by appealing to sacred texts. Traces one such strategy, termed "transfer." (SR)

Examines Mario Cuomo's keynote address at the 1984 Democratic National Convention as a case study in rhetorical interaction. Argues that the keynote setting presented both generic and immediate constraints, which Cuomo resolved through a rhetorical strategy rooted in metaphor as an argumentative technique. (MM)

Describes a study designed to identify indices of writers' varying conceptions of self, audience, and rhetorical situation in an evolving context. Concludes that older writers used situational strategies based on relationships, and younger writers used assertive strategies based on position. (JAD)

A sports event with a large crowd in attendance contains the dynamics to turn from a wholesome event to a mob scene. Fan violence has escalated in recent years and is most likely to occur in segments of the population that feel disenfranchised. Theories of what causes crowd violence and ways to avoid it are discussed. (JL)

Argues that problem-solving assignments whose only purpose is to train students to report technical details ignore much of the real-world context of a problem. Presents an approach to give students a broader sense of problem solving. (MS)

Examines how changes in the method of news story presentation affect information recall and viewer evaluation. States that, as story complexity increased (in terms of production elements), overall recall decreased significantly. In addition, as story complexity decreased, positive evaluations of the story increased. (MM)

Examines preferred media sources for four categories of special news--medicine, science, business, and consumer economics. Found that respondents ranked the media in the following order as preferred sources of specialized news: (1) local television affiliates, (2) local newspapers, (3) magazines, (4) radio, (5) cable networks, and (6) national…

Investigates the relationship between beginning public speakers' self-reported performance anxiety and audience perception of that anxiety. Indicates that audiences perceive speaker anxiety levels to be lower during performance than the speakers themselves report. (AEW)

Hypothesized that audience pressure would prove most detrimental to the skilled performance of adolescents (due to vulnerability to self-awareness) but not of children. Performances of skilled players of video games with and without audience indicated a curvilinear relationship between age and performance change which confirmed the hypothesis.…

Reaffirms the position of directors (Peter Brook, Tyrone Guthrie, Peter Hall, and others) concerning the "balance of power" between director and playwright in transforming a playscript into a theatrical performance. (PD)

Concludes that for voters highly dependent upon political commercials, an independent sponsor is more trustworthy and affects candidates' images more than a party or candidate sponsor. (FL)

Examines pictures used in "USA Today" and its readership data and concludes that it is edited primarily for men. (FL)

Analyzes audience response to reveal what people mean when they report that a particular presidential candidate "won" a debate. Argues that, without explicit reference to decision criteria, surveys attempting to discover viewers' perceptions of a debate will be misleading. (PD)

Concludes that liberal opinion magazines have far more mobilizing information than do either conservative opinion magazines or news magazines. (FL)