The Interpersonal Communication Inventory, a self-report instrument for assessing social skills, was given to undergraduate college students to determine its reliability. Following this administration, other small groups of undergraduates were asked to complete an attraction scale, the Interpersonal Communication Inventory, an assertiveness scale, and a sociometric questionnaire. Results confirmed the Inventory as a reliable instrument, but a stepwise multiple linear regression did not support the hypothesis that the Inventory was a useful predictor of sociometric choice. In addition, Pearson product moment correlations between the Inventory and an assertiveness scale did not confirm the prediction that the two instruments would measure behaviors from different response classes. Definite conclusions could not be stated due to lack of validity data for the Inventory and possible confounding variables.

The general purpose of this study was to ascertain how older adults want their physicians to communicate with them and behave toward them. The first objective was to develop an instrument to measure attitudes toward communication in the doctor-patient relationship, the Physician-Patient Communication Inventory (PPCI). The second objective was to investigate age differences among older adults in specific aspects of the doctor-patient relationship. Six forms were administered to 54 women and 6 men aged 60-91: Consent form, Subject Data Form, Known Doctor Behavior List (PPCI, Part I), Ideal Doctor Behavior List (PPCI, Part II), Rokeach Dogmatism Scale (short form), and an open-ended request for additional comments. Statistical analyses included varimax-rotated factor analyses, split-half reliabilities, divergent validity, frequency tabulations, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple analyses of variance. Results indicated that the PPCI is a reliable instrument containing nine factors which relate to the content and style of physician communication with patients. The particular importance for physicians to have medical knowledge and to be able to communicate is clear from both parts of the PPCI. Low correlations with the Rokeach Dogmatism Scale showed that the PPCI does not measure general authoritarianism and intolerance. Comparisons between subjects aged 60-74 and subjects 75-91 did not yield significant differences at the .05 level, although the results on the Known Doctor Behavior List Factor 3, Dissatisfaction with Doctors, indicated a slight preference in adults aged 60-74 for taking the active role of the consumer, rather than accepting an authoritarian physician (P < .09). Results reported on individual PPCI items indicated that the older adults did not want family involvement in diagnosis and treatment of their health problems. Responses to terminal illness issues were mixed, as were responses to physician responsibility in non-medical problems. Recommendations included (1) repeating this study using a larger sample size, extreme groups, groups varying on demographic variables, and groups of illness-alike subjects; (2) exploring reasons that lead to patient termination of the doctor-patient relationship; and (3) investigating preferences of older adults in family involvement, communication about terminal illness, and physician responsibility in non-medical problems.

The present study sets out to investigate some of the factors which are related to the form of self-presentation an individual puts forward at one particular time and in one particular situation. In particular, we shall be concentrating on social interaction situations where one actor is motivated to ingratiate himself with the other. Further, we shall primarily be interested in changes in the degree of favourability of the subject's self-presentation. A subsidiary aim of the research is to examine the way the individual copes with evidence of his own self-presentational variability. In chapter I we examine a number of different approaches to the variability of self-presentation. We discuss the adequacy of these approaches and suggest how future study in the social psychology of this area should proceed. Also, we select one area of behaviour, ingratiation-motivated behaviour, upon which to concentrate. This area has already received a degree of research attention. This is reviewed and assessed as regards its need for systematisation, replication, expansion and improved methodology. In particular we elucidate a number of factors which when present in an ingratiation-motivated interaction facilitate a self-enhancing presentation. It is also argued that a full understanding of this area must involve the study of person as well as situational variables. Two possible variables, the sex and esteem level of the subject, are suggested for preliminary study. Finally, we introduce the subsidiary aim of the research to examine the problem created for the individual by a manipulated self-presentation which deviates from his core concept of self. Specifically we address ourselves to two questions. What creates such conflict states? How are they coped with? On the basis of previous research and drawing upon dissonance theory a number of hypotheses are advanced. Our person variables are again included at this stage. In chapter II we describe an experiment which seeks to examine some of these problems. By means of a complex interaction situation involving a number of different self-presentations, information is gathered on the basic principle governing self-enhancement in ingratiation-motivated situations and on the moderating effects of our personal variables, if any. The experiment also sets out to test our hypotheses concerning the reduction of conflict after a manipulated self-presentation. Chapter III contains a complete analysis of the results of this, our first experiment. The principal statistical technique employed is analysis of variance. In Chapter IV we set out to examine those factors which made for a self-derogating presentation in an ingratiation-motivated interaction. We review the previous research in this area and drawing it together with some of the findings from experiment 1 derive a number of tentative hypotheses concerning more complex patterns of self-presentation. Chapter V describes an experiment designed to test these hypotheses. The basic experimental situation involves a realistic job selection interview within which a number of situational factors are manipulated in order to ascertain their effect on the candidate's self-presentation. The sex variable was retained in this second experiment. The statistical analysis of the results of experiment 2 are contained in Chapter VI. Again, analysis of variance is the main technique employed. Finally in Chapter VII we review the findings of our experimental work. We draw attention to some unanswered questions in this area and suggest how future research may go about answering them. In particular we discuss the implications of this area of research for the future study of ingratiation-motivated behaviour per se, and further its possible contribution to other related aspects of social psychology.

The desire for social connectedness affects the way consumers live and make decisions. While social media has expanded the size and reach of social networks, people paradoxically feel less connected with the friends and acquaintances they communicate with online. This occurs because compared to face-to-face communication, digital communication is relatively impoverished and lacks the same level of richness, immediacy, and feeling of presence. Although social media platforms have sought technological solutions to enrich interpersonal communication, I propose and find that without having to transmit more and richer content, virtual relationships can be managed and strengthened through different presentation format (i.e., ephemeral communication vs. permanent communication) and channels of communication (i.e., public messaging vs. private messaging). First, under settings that are disruptive to communication, ephemerality, which is the quality of transience and disappearance causes consumers become more immersed and in the (“present”) moment, which produces interrelated consequences of being present that are beneficial to virtual relationship management. Second, when their behaviors are publically observable, consumers strategically signal information about their relationship in order to strengthen their tie with close others. Although abundant research has focused on consumers’ individual behaviors on social media, an understanding of the antecedents and consequences of interpersonal behaviors is lacking. To fill this gap, my dissertation introduces and investigates the implications of virtual relationship management in social media.

This thesis surveys patterns of production and use of greeting cards in Australia and analyses a corpus of greeting cards, examining the organisation of semiosis by greeting cards.As a commodity consumed for the express purpose of being given away, individuals using greeting cards enact themselves through a commodified technology of the self simultaneous with a performance that enacts relations with others.Particular focus is given to the 'fun-and- love' card, within the industry category of non-occasion greeting cards. This type of card is situated within a complex of performances which are constitutive of a contemporary nexus of commodification, public-private spheres, gender, interpersonal relations and discources of intimacy.As this is an inquiry into a commodity that is a texted cultural artefact, it is informed by both cultural and textual theories. The organisation of the thesis into two parts reflects its twin concerns: the first is akin to a study of the greeting card as a commodity that is given away, paying attention to practices of production, consumption and use within personal relationships. In symmetry with that exploration, Part Two is contiguous with the 'linguistic turn' that has taken many disciplines in productive directions over the duration of the twentieth century.In doing both these kinds of 'discourse analysis' articulated to an empirico-ethnographic study of a cultural artefact that embodies emotion, the thesis seeks to contribute to dialogues that are concerned with moving forward with respect to theorising relations among sociocultural practices and language and discourse. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

This thesis surveys patterns of production and use of greeting cards in Australia and analyses a corpus of greeting cards, examining the organisation of semiosis by greeting cards.As a commodity consumed for the express purpose of being given away, individuals using greeting cards enact themselves through a commodified technology of the self simultaneous with a performance that enacts relations with others.Particular focus is given to the 'fun-and- love' card, within the industry category of non-occasion greeting cards. This type of card is situated within a complex of performances which are constitutive of a contemporary nexus of commodification, public-private spheres, gender, interpersonal relations and discources of intimacy.As this is an inquiry into a commodity that is a texted cultural artefact, it is informed by both cultural and textual theories. The organisation of the thesis into two parts reflects its twin concerns: the first is akin to a study of the greeting card as a commodity that is given away, paying attention to practices of production, consumption and use within personal relationships. In symmetry with that exploration, Part Two is contiguous with the 'linguistic turn' that has taken many disciplines in productive directions over the duration of the twentieth century.In doing both these kinds of 'discourse analysis' articulated to an empirico-ethnographic study of a cultural artefact that embodies emotion, the thesis seeks to contribute to dialogues that are concerned with moving forward with respect to theorising relations among sociocultural practices and language and discourse. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Ohio University, June, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 288-302)

Thesis (M.Ed.)--York University, 2003. Graduate Programme in Education. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 119-130). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL:http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url%5Fver=Z39.88-2004&res%5Fdat=xri:pqdiss&rft%5Fval%5Ffmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft%5Fdat=xri:pqdiss:MQ99323

Communication plays an important role in the life of a couple. This study seeks to determine the nature of couple communication. This study compares and contrasts the differences and similarities in communication between childless couples and parenting couples. The material for this study comes from interviewing ten married couples along with their responses to a written instrument. This study tries to answer the following questions: Is there a difference in communication between couples who have children and those who do not? Does the content of communication vary if the couple is parenting or not? Is the communication pattern of parents unique enough to be assigned individual characteristics? How do the couples themselves describe their communication? / Graduation date: 1993

Thesis (EdD)--Open University.