This study investigates cultural and communication medium effects on conversational argumentation in a decision-making context. Chinese and U.S. participants worked in pairs on two decision-making tasks via face-to-face (FtF) and instant messaging (IM). The analyses showed that Chinese participants tended to engage in potentially more complex…

The paper reviews the literature on the training of social behavior in autistic children and reports on a project which developed and evaluated a program which explicitly trained mildly handicapped peers to facilitate the social behavior of autistic children. The extensive literature review looks at the etiology of social deficits in autistic…

The study evaluated the communicative abilities of 30 learning disabled and 30 nondisabled children (ages 9-13 years) in two communication tasks. The study also attempted to investigate the relationships among factors believed to influence such abilities and to identify subgroups of disabled children based on profiles derived from the following…

Containing a methodological and conceptual critique of rules theory, this paper argues that rules theory cannot adequately explain enigmatic episodes because of its reliance on the practical syllogism and the concept of coordination. It proposes structural analysis as an alternative approach to analyzing and conceiving of enigmatic episodes. The…

This study examined the social validation of using microswitches versus interaction/stimulation conditions with persons with multiple disabilities. Teacher-assistant trainees and rehabilitation staff (n=72) were shown videotapes comparing the two methods and then scored both approaches. The microswitch condition was viewed as generally more…

The article describes the pilot testing of a direct observation procedure for observing social interactions of mentally retarded and non-retarded workers in supported work settings. The instrument was found to be capable of assessing such interactions and was readily utilized by practitioners. (DB)

The Verbal Interaction Analysis System is presented as an assessment of initial, dyadic conversations. Application of the VIAS to two case studies featuring mildly to moderately intellectually disabled adults shows how the VIAS provides an index of competence and assists in the development of specific treatment strategies. (Author/JDD)

This article describes the Language Interaction Intervention Program (LIIP) used in preschool classes for handicapped children in central New Jersey. Covered are the LIIP curriculum rationale, the LIIP model, the original evaluation study, and a replication study showing the program was effectively replicated with mothers appropriately changing…

It is argued that the marketing concept should be applied to the student-teacher interaction in colleges and universities, focusing on marketing's consumer orientation, whereby the exchange process is driven by the desire of one party to satisfy the needs of the other. Relevant marketing mix variables are outlined. (MSE)

States that college and university students who participate in collaborative-learning programs tend to show higher levels of achievement than do their peers in more traditional classroom settings. Focuses on methods and strategies for assessing student interaction in collaborative-learning settings and portrays verbal-interaction analysis as a…

In this study, we consider the potential of multimedia cases as tools for teacher professional development. Specifically, we examined online and face-to-face discussions that occurred within groups composed of pre-service mathematics teachers, in-service mathematics teachers, mathematicians, and mathematics teacher educators. Discussions within…

The collection contains six papers of studies which investigated the social ecology of the workplace and associated implications for friendship formations between adults with and without mental retardation. The papers' authors, Janis Chadsey-Rusch, Frank Rusch, Patricia Gonzalez, Jeffrey Tines, Kathleen Minch, and Carolyn Hughes, observed…

The conceptual, construct, and predictive validity of available instruments for coding relational control is considered in this paper. It approaches conceptual validity by offering a logical analysis that compares each instrument with formative ideas in interactional theory. It then advances data concerning the construct and predictive validity of…

In response to a paper by E. Culpepper Clark, Eva M. McMahan, and Michael J. Hyde that calls for the application of hermeneutic theory to the study of the oral history interview, this paper notes problems in the relationships between the proposed research design and the conceptual framework for the proposed research. While conceding that the…

A description of an intervention strategy that was designed on the basis of the initial level of interaction of an isolate preschool child with peers and adults is presented. The results of this case study are discussed. (Author/AL)