An investigation of Puerto Rican Spanish conversational strategies involved analysis of recorded conversations for the amount of simultaneous speech, its context, and the turn-taking used. Overlapping and interruption were distinguished from cooperative (supportive) simultaneity of speech, and a "turn" was defined as a recognized utterance. The…

When researcher and teacher are united in a common goal of increased understanding, it is a mutally dependent and mutually beneficial endeavour. This paper reports on the methodology used in a recent classroom investigation of teachers' expressed beliefs in which each of the two participating teachers was engaged as co-researcher involved in the…

Defining interpersonal orientations as the characteristic and consistent ways in which individuals interact with others, this paper examines various conceptualizations and theories regarding such orientations in order to discover how they affect interpersonal communication. In particular, the paper (1) reviews work concerning psychological types;…

Compared the Marital Interaction Coding System (MICS) and the Communication Skills Test (CST) to determine the similarities and differences in the assessment data obtained from these observational measures. Coded videotaped marital conflict-resolution discussions of married couples with both systems. Husband-wife and distressed and nondistressed…

Studied the influence of counselor and client sex on relational communication patterns in counseling within a systems theory framework using audiotaped intake interviews of 36 counselors. Both counselor sex and and client sex were significant factors in participants' perceptions of each other during the intake. (JAC)

Offers a model that examines the interracial communication taking place on prime-time television programs. Suggests that viewers are observing communication that does not facilitate friendships, relationships, and close cooperation between Blacks and Whites. (PD)

Twenty students participated in this study in which white lies were collected and coded for analysis. Overall, findings confirm previous findings that lies are often used to cope with difficulties in unequal power relationships. (PD)

Analysis of postobservation conferences between 20 pairs of teachers and supervisors revealed four major micropolitical strategies used by participants to influence conference interaction. Two strategies--reflecting personal orientation and conversational congruence--prevailed in conferences rated positively by participants, whereas supervisor use…

This study compared efforts of 20 deaf and 20 hearing infants to reengage their deaf or hearing mothers in a maternal "still-face" situation. When all kinds of infant signal behaviors were considered, few overall differences were found in eliciting efforts by deaf and hearing infants. (Author/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 study of 5 hearing-impaired and 6 normally hearing children (ages 1-3) and their mothers found that mother directives were more frequently expressed during interaction with children exhibiting less advanced language abilities, and both groups of children were more likely to produce topically related responses to their mother's directive…

Conversational analysis was used to evaluate conversation between an adult with autism and a researcher. Analysis identified differences in conversational style based on such features as topic movement, topic maintenance, repairs, interference from earlier structures, common collocations, overlaps, latching, and pauses. Findings suggest the…

This critical analysis of the scaffolding metaphor for the field of learning disabilities first reviews the origins and early applications of the metaphor and criticisms of the metaphor raised by others. It proposes an enriched version of the metaphor which emphasizes the communicational dynamics and conceptual reorganization involved in…

Polite statements in conversations between men and women are analyzed as rational strategies designed to save face. Previous research has established that saving face is composed of two needs: the need to be unimpeded in conversation (negative politeness) and the need to be approved of (positive politeness). Face-threatening acts (interruptions,…

The hypothesis that different communication patterns would be found in South African families with children of high and low social competence was tested on a sample of 36 white families with 5-year-old preschool children. The communication patterns of 18 families with children of high social competence, as assessed by preschool teachers, were…