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Showing papers on "Interpersonal communication published in 1975"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a theoretical perspective for dealing with the initial entry stage of interpersonal interaction and suggest a set of research priorities for studying the development of interpersonal relationships, concluding with a discussion of some of the problems to be considered if the theory is to be extended beyond the initial stages of interaction.
Abstract: This paper provides a theoretical perspective for dealing with the initial entry stage of interpersonal interaction. The seven axioms and 21 theorems presented suggest a set of research priorities for studying the development of interpersonal relationships. The paper concludes with a discussion of some of the problems to be considered if the theory is to be extended beyond the initial stages of interaction.

2,627 citations


Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1975
TL;DR: The authors suggest a socio-semantic interpretation of language development, based on the intensive study of one child, Nigel, from 9 months to 2½ years, who developed a two-level system, having sounds and meanings but no words or structures, in which the meanings derived from the elementary social functions of interaction with others.
Abstract: Adult language comprises three interrelated systems, phonological, lexicogrammatical (vocabulary, morphology, syntax), and semantic. Language development studies in the 1960s focused mainly on the lexicogrammatical level; they were also predominantly psycholinguistic in their orientation. More recently, interest has extended into semantics; the present paper is concerned with the learning of meaning, and proposes a complementary approach in sociolinguistic terms. The paper suggests a socio-semantic interpretation of language development, based on the intensive study of one child, Nigel, from 9 months to 2½ years. Nigel first developed (Phase I) a two-level system, having sounds and meanings but no words or structures, in which the meanings derived from the elementary social functions of interaction with others, satisfaction of needs and the like. This continued to expand for 6–9 months, at which time the child entered the stage of transition to the adult language (Phase II, corresponding to what is generally taken as the starting point). This was characterized by the interpolation of a lexicogrammatical level between meaning and sound, and by the mastery of the principle of dialogue, the adoption and assignment of speech roles. It was also marked by a generalization of the initial set of social functions to form a basic opposition between “language as learning” and “language as doing.” The transition was considered complete when the child had effectively replaced his original two-level system by a three-level one and moved from monologue into dialogue; he then entered the adult system (Phase III). He could now build up the meaning potential of the adult language, and would continue to do so all his life. From a sociolinguistic point of view the major step consisted in once again reinterpreting the concept of “function” so that it became the organizing principle of the adult semantic system, being built into the heart of language in the form of the ideational (representational, referential, cognitive) and the interpersonal (expressive-conative, stylistic, social) components of meaning. All utterances in adult speech contain both these components, which are mapped on to each other by the structure-forming agency of the grammar. The original social functions survive in their concrete sense as types of situation and setting, the social contexts in which language serves in the transmission of culture to the child

1,186 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The authors found that opinion leaders are perceived as more homophilous than non-opinion leaders on the dimensions of Attitude, Morality, Appearance, and Background, and the scales found to measure these dimensions are suggested for consideration by researchers concerned with homophily or interpersonal similarity in human communication.
Abstract: This paper reports the development of a measure of perceived homophily. In both an initial investigation and in four subsequent studies employing samples from diverse populations, four dimensions of response were observed. These dimensions were labeled Attitude, Morality, Appearance, and Background. Additional results indicated that opinion leaders are perceived as more homophilous than non-opinion leaders on the dimensions of Attitude, Morality, and Background. The scales found to measure these dimensions are suggested for consideration by researchers concerned with homophily or interpersonal similarity in human communication.

419 citations





Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a general alternative interpretation of correlational findings which link perceptual or questionnaire measures to data on performance, and show that knowledge of performance affects the levels of influence, cohesiveness, communication, motivation, and openness to change attributed by members to their work groups.

368 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Results indicated that interpersonal behavior in assertive situations varied as a function of social context, and highland low-assertive subjects were differentiated on the basis of 9 of the 12 measures of interpersonal behavior.
Abstract: Thirty-two assertive situations that varied in social-interpersonal context were administered to 60 hospitalized psychiatric patients via role playing. Half of the role-played situations required the expression of negative (hostile) assertiveness, and the other half required positive (commendatory) assertive expression. Situational context was varied by having the subjects respond to male and female interpersonal partners who were either familiar or unfamiliar to patients. Responses were videotaped and rated on five measures of speech content and seven measures of nonverbal behavior. Additionally, groups of high- and low-assertive patients were identified from the total sample using a behavioral measure of global assertiveness and a self-report instrument. Results indicated that interpersonal behavior in assertive situations varied as a function of social context. Further, highland low-assertive subjects were differentiated on the basis of 9 of the 12 measures of interpersonal behavior. Support for a stimulus specific theory of assertive behaviors and implications for assertive training are discussed.

322 citations





Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This article investigated children's ability to convey and respond to requests for action based on spontaneous speech of 36 dyads of nursery school children, and found that direct request forms (e.g. Give me the hammer) were frequent and the majority were acknowledged verbally.
Abstract: An investigation of children's ability to convey and respond to requests for action was based on the spontaneous speech of 36 dyads of nursery school children (3; 6–5; 7). Direct request forms (e.g. Give me the hammer) were frequent and the majority were acknowledged verbally. Examination of the contexts of direct requests indicated that speaker and addressee shared an understanding of the interpersonal meaning factors relevant to requesting. These meaning factors were invoked in justifying, refusing and in repeating or paraphrasing a request, and they also provided a basis for the communication of indirect requests. Examples of inferred requests are discussed, and a relationship between the structure of the speech act and conversational sequences is proposed.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results suggest that the Jungian functions related to judging and the type of enactment are significantly related to an individual's conflict-handling behavior.
Abstract: This study has sought to investigate the Jungian psychological correlates of an individual's choice of different interpersonal conflict-handling modes: competing, collaborating, compromising, avoid...




Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Communication apprehension, the apprehension an individual has about interpersonal communication, was hypothesized to affect both the perceived desirability of a number of occupations and the actual job choice made by subjects.
Abstract: Research on vocational desirability and choice has seldom examined the role of either perceived communication requirements or communication apprehension in career decisions. Communication apprehension, the apprehension an individual has about interpersonal communication, was hypothesized to affect both the perceived desirability of a number of occupations and the actual job choice made by subjects. Both hypotheses received support. High apprehensives perceived low-conuriunication occupations as significantly more desirable than high-communication occupations. Low apprehensives, on the other hand, perceived high-communication occupations as significantly more desirable than low-communication occupations. Occupational choices of high apprehensives were significantly lower in perceived communication requirements than those selected by low apprehensives.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors test whether schooling in a second language affected social skills in an interpersonal verbal communication task with 3 groups of schoolchildren from kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2.
Abstract: GENESEE, F.; TUCKER, G. R.; and LAMBERT, W. E. Communication Skills of Bilingual Chidren. CHILD DEVELOPMENT, 1975, 46, 1010-1014. In order to test whether schooling in a second language affected social skills, 3 groups of schoolchildren from kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 were tested in an interpersonal verbal communication task. All children were native English speakers and were tested in English. 1 group attended English schools with Englishspeaking teachers (Control); 1 attended English schools with French-speaking teachers (Partial Immersion); and 1 group attended French schools with French-speaking teachers (Total Immersion). The groups were comparable in terms of age, socioeconomic level, and verbal and nonverbal IQ. In the task, the children were asked to explain how to play a game to 2 different listeners-1 blindfolded and 1 not blindfolded. There was no significant difference among the groups in terms of how many rules they mentioned to each listener. On the other hand, the 2 immersion groups mentioned more about the materials of the game to the blindfolded than to the sighted listener than did the control group. The results were discussed in terms of differential sensitivity in interpersonal communication, and a possible explanation for differences in the development of such sensitivity was offered.




Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Men social drinkers participated in experimental "parties" which were videotaped and coded for instances of interpersonal aggression, and participants with a history of arguments and other aggressive acts and low scores on measures of socialization, self-control and responsibility demonstrated interpersonal aggression after heavy drinking.
Abstract: Men social drinkers participated in experimental "parties' which were videotaped and coded for instances of interpersonal aggression. Participants with a history of arguments and other aggressive acts and low scores on measures of socialization, self-control and responsibility demonstrated interpersonal aggression after heavy drinking.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigate the ways in which information disclosed early in the relationship is used to form predictions concerning the probable attitudes of the other person, and to explain subsequent communication behavior as the relationship progresses.
Abstract: The purpose of the present series of studies was to investigate the process of proactive and retroactive attribution in ongoing communication transactions. This objective was accomplished by studying the ways in which information disclosed early in the relationship is used (1) to form predictions concerning the probable attitudes of the other person, and (2) to explain subsequent communication behavior as the relationship progresses. Experiment I revealed that perceived background similarity led to predictions of attitude similarity. Experiments II and III found that consistency between early information and later behavior led to the utilization of early information to explain later behavior. These findings were discussed in terms of uncertainty reduction during initial interaction.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Acker and van Houten as discussed by the authors investigated patterns of sexual differentiation in five small, highly professionalized organizations and found that women face consistent disadvantages in their experiences in organizations, as evidenced by inequities in interpersonal attractiveness, social isolation, job satisfaction and work strain.
Abstract: Women face consistent disadvantages in their experiences in organizations, as evidenced by inequities in interpersonal attractiveness, social isolation, job satisfaction, and work strain. The question raised is whether these disadvantages are due simply to differences in access to key organizational resources (expertise, professional rank, and authority), or to the advantages men have in real izing their vested interests in the face of competition from women. The vested interest interpretation receives strong inferential support, while the interpretation based on differential access to resources receives little confirmation. The concept of compartmentalized rationality is developed in.exploring the implications of the findings. Differences in the experiences of women and men in some sorts of social activity have been much studied and, as a result, are generally familiar in the discipline. Yet, in organizational research, direct comparisons between men and women are rare. The reasons for this vary. Some have speculated that women react to work in organizations in a fundamentally different way than men do (Etzioni), and this has occasionally caused women to be excluded from an analysis altogether (Shepard). Others have studied women at work but have not explored the importance of sex, per se, in determining behavior. (For a comment on this, see Acker and van Houten.) Whatever the reason for the oversight, given our ignorance on the subject there is little doubt that the interaction patterns and exchanges of rewards that develop in organizations would stand out more clearly if sexual differentiation were taken into account. With this in mind, we have investigated patterns of sexual differentiation in five small, highly professionalized organizations. Information from these organizations was used previously to explore the social-psychological implications of Weber's model of bureaucracy (Miller and Fry), but this is the first time that the possibility of sexual inequities has been directly investigated. The research proceeded in two stages. First, the differences between men and women in three areas of organizational activity were determined: 1. differences in access to organizational networks of interaction were examined, using sociometric measures of interpersonal attractiveness (specifically, friendship, perceived influence, professional respect and or*This research was sponsored in part by NIMH grant no. 23274-01 Al and by the Social Sciences Research Institute of the University of Southern California. We are grateful to Steven Bloch for his assistance in the analysis of the data, and to our colleagues, too numerous to Iist, for their perceptive comments on early versions of the paper.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Mar 1975
TL;DR: A review of studies of interpersonal attraction as related to the transmission of various nonverbal cues indicates that there is some evidence for a relationship, but the external validity of many of these studies is marred by the limited form of the communication allowed -usually one-way only -and by the unnatural and stereotyped nature of the communications as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A review of studies of interpersonal attraction as related to the transmission of various nonverbal cues indicates that there is some evidence for a relationship, but the external validity of many of these studies is marred by the limited form of the communication allowed -usually one-way only -and by the unnatural and stereotyped nature of the communications. The use of various communications media is suggested as a method of overcoming these limitations, and an experiment demonstrating the effect of communications medium upon evaluations of a conversation and the conversation partner is reported. A post hoc hypothesis is advanced to explain an unexpected effect of conversation task in this experiment.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The future of psychotherapy in both East and West lies in discovering a conceptual framework with universal validity within which ad hoc therapies--for symptom relief, personality development, or interpersonal adjustment--can be developed.
Abstract: If psychotherapy is defined as "interpersonal method of mitigating suffering" then many psychotherapeutic systems have existed in India a long time. Unlike Western systems, these have lacked a clinical bias but have provided a more global framework. The future of psychotherapy in both East and West lies in discovering a conceptual framework with universal validity within which ad hoc therapies--for symptom relief, personality development, or interpersonal adjustment--can be developed.

Journal Article
TL;DR: This ethological approach to language acquisition suggests that noncognitive, interpersonal factors may be major contributors to the slow pace of language development among mentally retarded and autistic children.
Abstract: Language is initially a social or communicative event that develops from the nonverbal communication system existing between caretaker and child. While language in an adult speaker is used for reasons other than social communication, the communication function is the primary source for language acquistion, other language functions being derivatives of this basic function. A few studies were cited which suggest that the normal process of language acquisition may be conceived heuristically in terms of an ethological or psychosoical framework. This ethological approach to language acquisition suggests that noncognitive, interpersonal factors may be major contributors to the slow pace of language development among mentally retarded and autistic children. The implications of this approach were discussed in terms of the design of language-intervention programs.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an experiment was designed to assess variations in perception of communication style by persons with differing Communication Style Measure (CSM) scores, and the results showed that subjects with low CSM scores did not report any appreciable difference between their communication style and that of subjects with high CSM score.
Abstract: An experiment was designed to assess variations in perception of communication style by persons with differing Communication Style Measure (CSM) scores. Twenty-four dyads participated in an interpersonal encounter. Postinteraction data analysis indicates that subjects with low CSM scores do not report perceiving any appreciable difference between their communication style and that of subjects with high CSM scores. In contrast, subjects with high CSM scores report perceiving a significant difference. Clues about perceptual differences were investigated via step wise regression.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors sought to answer the following questions: (1) What specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors are associated with the initiation of communicative interactions; and (2) Do these verbal andnonverbal behaviors vary according to the degree of acquaintanceship of the participants in the greeting situation.
Abstract: This study sought to answer the following questions: (1) What specific verbal and nonverbal behaviors are associated with the initiation of communicative interactions; and (2) Do these verbal and nonverbal behaviors vary according to the degree of acquaintanceship of the participants in the greeting situation.