AN EXPLORATION OF COMMUNICATION AND PRODUCTIVITY IN REAL BRAINSTORMING GROUPS

This study analyzed the performance of individuals in real brainstorming groups in an attempt to determine the relationship between individual ideational output, perceptions of status within the group, and communication apprehension. Results of a multiple discriminant analysis suggest that persons who are high producers of ideas perceive fewer status differences among group members, perceive themselves as high status group members and are less apprehensive as communicators than those persons low in productivity. The linear combination of discriminating variables was able to successfully classify over 75% of the subjects into their actual output group.     

A STOCHASTIC ANALYSIS OF COMMUNICATION DEVELOPMENT IN SELF-ANALYTIC GROUPS

The purpose of this research was to examine patterns of information-processing over time in self-analytic groups. The communication in two groups was categorized by means of the Systems Information Processing Analysis (SIPA) category system. Messages were coded on four dimensions of information-processing: (1) source of information, (2) time orientation, (3) evolution of information, and (4) reduction of equivocality. The sequence of coded messages was then compared with a first-order Markov chain model. The results indicate the communication data from the groups are first-order; the groups are nonhomogeneous; stereotypy (predictability of patterns) is low to moderately high across the four dimensions; patterns in the evolution of information dimension are stationary over time. Patterns in the three other SIPA dimensions are nonstationary (time dependent) and suggest nonlinear changes. The information-processing patterns in the groups indicate that most information was spontaneously generated within the groups; the predominate time orientation was “present”; the form of message generally was either neutral opinion or new information; and moderate to moderately high uncertainty existed over time.     

AN ALTERNATING TREATMENTS COMPARISON OF ORAL AND TOTAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING WITH MINIMALLY VERBAL RETARDED CHILDREN

This study was a comparison of the effects of oral speech with total communication (speech plus sign language) training on the ability of mentally retarded children to repeat 4-word sentences. Three children were chosen who used single words to communicate but who did not combine words into complete sentences. Three sentence pairs were trained, with each pair having one sentence trained using oral methods and an equivalent one trained using the total communication approach. Both training procedures involved chaining sentence parts, reinforcement, and prompting. Oral methods involved presenting vocal stimuli and requiring vocal responses whereas total communication methods involved presenting vocal and signed stimuli and requiring vocal and signed responses. For the initial sentence pair with each child, an alternating treatments design was used to determine the relative efficacy of the two language training approaches. This was repeated with a second and third sentence pair using a multiprobe technique within a multiple baseline design. Results pointed to the superiority of the total communication approach in facilitating sentence repetition. Possible explanations of these results are offered and the utility of the alternating treatments experimental design is discussed.     

AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF FACILITATED COMMUNICATION

We evaluated the authorship of messages produced through facilitated communication by 7 adults with moderate or severe mental retardation and their facilitators. The clients had been reported to be communicating fluently through facilitated communication. We controlled the facilitators' access to information to be communicated in two evaluation formats, naming pictures and describing activities. In both formats we conducted three conditions: (a) the facilitator and client had access to the same information, (b) the facilitator did not have access to the picture or activity, and (c) the facilitator was given false information about the picture or activity. The results showed that the clients typed the correct answer only when the facilitator had access to the same information, never typed the correct answer when the facilitator had no information or false information, and typed the picture or activity presented to the facilitator when it was different from the one experienced by the client. These results provide unequivocal evidence for facilitator control of typing during facilitated communication.     

TRIAL-BASED FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING IN AN EARLY CHILDHOOD SETTING

Problem behavior is common in early childhood special education classrooms. Functional communication training (FCT; Carr & Durand, 1985 ) may reduce problem behavior but requires identification of its function. The trial‐based functional analysis (FA) is a method that can be used to identify problem behavior function in schools. We conducted trial‐based FAs and FCT with 3 children in an early childhood special education setting. All trial‐based FAs resulted in identification of behavioral functions, and subsequent FCT led to reductions in problem behavior and increases in communication.     

REPLICATION IN EXPERIMENTAL COMMUNICATION RESEARCH: AN ANALYSIS

This study proposes a taxonomy of replication designs and applies it to a representative sample of experimental communication research reports in Communication Monographs and Human Communication Research. Results of the analysis indicate that publishability and reporting practices hamper our ability to identify replication studies. The implications of these findings are discussed, and several suggestions for improving the situation are offered.     

FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS AND TREATMENT OF INAPPROPRIATE VERBAL BEHAVIOR

The present study examined the possible function of inappropriate verbal behavior of an adult man who had been diagnosed with both mental retardation and psychosis. Results of a functional analysis indicated that inappropriate verbal utterances were maintained by attention. An intervention consisting of the differential reinforcement of appropriate verbal behavior effectively reduced the inappropriate behavior.     

AN ANALYSIS OF MAINTENANCE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONAL COMMUNICATION TRAINING

The multiple and long-term effects of functional communication training relative to a common reductive procedure (time-out from positive reinforcement) were evaluated. Twelve children participated in a functional analysis of their challenging behaviors (Study 1), which implicated adult attention as a maintaining variable. The children were then matched for chronological age, mental age, and language age and assigned to two groups. One group received functional communication training as an intervention for their challenging behavior, and the second group received time-out as a contrast. Both interventions were initially successful (Study 2), but durable results were achieved only with the group that received functional communication training across different stimulus conditions (Study 3). Students whose challenging behaviors were previously reduced with time-out resumed these behaviors in the presence of naive teachers unaware of the children's intervention history. The value of teaching communicative responses to promote maintenance is discussed as it relates to the concept of functional equivalence.     

THE USE AND ABUSE OF FACTOR ANALYSIS IN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH

This paper discusses several decisions that researchers must make in their application of factor analysis to data related to communication phenomena. Several suggestions are provided to aid researchers in reaching appropriate decisions.     

INTELLIGENCE AND WORK ADJUSTMENT IN AN NYC POPULATION

It seems to be generally accepted that disadvantaged persons perform poorly on aptitude tests even when they may have the ability to do a job (Zimpel & Panger, 1970; Seiler, 1970). Other evidence suggests that race is also a factor in poor test performance (Anderson & Smith, 1969; Parker, Kunce, & Bolanovich, 1970). This study is an attempt to see how useful a widely used intelligence test may be for predicting work adjustment of disadvantaged youth when race is considered as a factor.     

COMMUNICATION PATTERNS OF FOREIGN IMMIGRANTS IN THE PROCESS OF ACCULTURATION1

This paper reports the theoretical development and testing of a causal model of communication patterns of foreign immigrants in the process of acculturation. Communication patterns are conceptualized on two levels: cognitive and behavioral. The cognitive level is observed by the complexity of an immigrant's perception of the host society; the behavioral level by the immigrant's involvement in the host society through interpersonal and mass communication. Three causal factors are identified as major determinants of the immigrant's communication patterns: language competence, acculturation motivation, and accessibility to host communication channels. The theory consists of nine propositions which explain the relationship among the three causal factors, behavioral participation in host communication channels, and cognitive structure in perceiving the host society. The theory was tested and supported by a survey among 400 randomly selected Korean immigrants in the Chicago area.     

SOCIOMETRY AND COMMUNICATION NETWORK IN AN INDIAN VILLAGE

Sociométrie et réseau de communication dans un village indien. — On compare, dans un village indien, les données sociométriques aux communications interpersonnelles qui se produisent aux différentes étapes de l'adoption de trois nouvelles techniques agricoles. La distribution des données sociométriques et celle des communications présentent la même structure: elles révèlent qu'il y a beaucoup d'isolés ou “non-communiquants” et un petit nombre de membres influents. Les “étoiles” sociométriques se trouvent être des “communicateurs-clefs” ou, tout au moins, des personnes qui communiquent davantage. De même, la plupart des “non-communiquants” sont isolés. On constate que les communications interpersonnelles sont limitées au sous-groupe sociométrique (clique), bien que les communications hors-clique ne soient pas totalement absentes. Il semble que la popularité dans le village soit fondamentalement en liaison avec l'influence personnelle, ce qui témoigne du caractère charismatique de l'autorité.     

RELATIVE CONTRIBUTIONS OF VERBAL, ARTICULATIVE, AND NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION TO EMPLOYMENT DECISIONS IN THE JOB INTERVIEW SETTING

Recruiter ratings of 338 on-campus interviews were used in a discriminant analysis procedure to determine the relative importance of the verbal, articulative, and nonverbal dimensions of communication during the job interview. Correlation of seven variables with the discriminant function indicated that appropriateness of content, fluency of speech, and composure were of greatest importance in contributing to a favorable employment decision. These findings were contrary to the recent literature which has emphasized the importance of nonverbal behavior. Implications for job-interview skills training are discussed, and suggestions for a comprehensive workshop model are presented.     

REPLACING MALADAPTIVE SPEECH WITH VERBAL LABELING RESPONSES: AN ANALYSIS OF GENERALIZED RESPONDING

We taught three mentally handicapped students to answer questions with verbal labels and evaluated the generalized effects of this training on their maladaptive speech (e.g., echolalia) and correct responding to untrained questions. The students received cues-pause-point training on an initial question set followed by generalization assessments on a different set in another setting. Probes were conducted on novel questions in three other settings to determine the strength and spread of the generalization effect. A multiple baseline across subjects design revealed that maladaptive speech was replaced with correct labels (answers) to questions in the training and all generalization settings. These results replicate and extend previous research that suggested that cues-pause-point procedures may be useful in replacing maladaptive speech patterns by teaching students to use their verbal labeling repertoires.     

AN INVESTIGATION OF EYE GAZE AND ITS RELATION TO SELECTED VERBAL BEHAVIOR

Eye gaze avoidance is examined in relation to the occurrence of turn-taking, vocalized pauses, sentence changes, repetitions, “you know,”“like,” sentence fragments, simple sentences, and complex sentences. The results provide support for the hypothesis that people avoid eye gaze when experiencing difficulty in encoding. This finding is discussed in relation to previous research and possible implications for the study of interpersonal communication.