Because scientific understanding of communicating family research to policymakers is incomplete, qualitative interviews were conducted with social scientists experienced in bridging the gulf between research and family policy. In keeping with the tenets of 2 communities and community dissonance theories, the underutilization of research in…

This study assessed communication initiation and repair behaviors of 28 adults with severe/profound mental retardation in a variety of settings. All subjects communicated through nonsymbolic gestures. All subjects initiated at least one communication act; all but three subjects repaired at least one communication act following a breakdown. Recasts…

This paper reviews the existing body of research on the relationship between communication apprehension (CA) and nonverbal behavior. The strengths and limitations of three different approaches are considered. Contextual approaches are studies of CA and nonverbal behavior in which the primary focus is on communicative context (public speaking,…

Investigates whether first- and fourth-grade children vary their production of redundant messages (saying more than the minimal necessary to be informative) as a function of sharing common experience with a listener. (HOD)

Nine hours of videotape of an integrated eight-year-old deaf child of hearing parents, in social and instructional settings, were analyzed using a Vygotskian model. Analysis focused on: the frequency, amount, and kinds of interactions; the means of communication; the importance of context; the use of eye contact; and repair/avoidance of…

Work with a mute, autistic, severely handicapped girl over five years (ages 7-11) is analyzed using developmental pragmatics. While she often used interactive acts leading to environmental consequences, she was almost never observed using any that led to a social consequence. She learned to point and gesture but not voluntarily. (Author/VW)

A study was conducted in September 1981 of factors which influence the process of communication between clients and staff at six high-capacity computer facilities in the Sacramento, California, metropolitan area. These included two large government organizations, a medium-sized corporation, two bibliographic database settings, and a computer…

Addresses three relationships between research and practice in speech-language pathology: (1) shared-interest communication; (2) research-driven communication; and (3) practice-driven communication. Recommendations for developing effective communication are offered. (Author/DB)

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 12 titles deal with the following topics: (1) the communication training needs of managers in large businesses; (2) sociolinguistic signals of role in university office-hour interactions; (3) the determinants of participation in…

Teacher isolation is a significant problem in the science teaching profession. Traditional inservice solutions are often plagued by logistical difficulties or occur too infrequently to build ongoing teacher networks. Educational Technology Center (ETC) researchers reasoned that computer-based conferencing might promote collegial exchange among…

Following training in a communication repair strategy (showing), 10 children (ages 4 to 9) with hearing loss showed a greater (but not statistically significant) tendency to use this repair behavior than similar untrained subjects. The children used more explicit repair behaviors when asked questions that requested more information. (DB)

Examines communication apprehension, its causes, and effects. Challenges educators to develop teachers' interpersonal communication. (MD)

To evaluate the ethical role of researchers in developmental communication, this paper first reviews current thinking on development theories, suggesting that world recession, as well as skyrocketing national debts and internal conflicts in Third World nations underscore (1) the relationship between Third World development and global stability,…

By means of communication network analysis and individual interviews conducted between September 1982 and March 1983 with district administrators in a single medium-sized school district, this study describes the consequences of the 1975 decentralization of the district's communication network. Following a brief introduction and a discussion of…

The report examines research on differences in the interpretations of discrepant and nondiscrepant messages by normal and emotionally disturbed children and reports on a study in which tone of voice and verbal content were discrepant in their affective meaning. A review of the research on discrepant messages, their delivery, interpretation, and…