Communication Research

Here's a wonderful post on bullying sent to me by the author. http://www.needtoknowit.org/selfdefense/school-bullying It contains practical how-to advice.

  In a recent article of The Ethicist in the NYTimes ( http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/magazine/laptop-prop.html?ref=theethicist&_r=0 ) a question was raised about the ethics of laptops being positioned in front of television newscasters if they are there to convey the impression of being up-to-the-minute (but not for actual use). It�s an interesting example of artifactual communication being used to influence credibility.             A second part of the question concerned the ethics of displaying the computer company logo. Is this advertising (product placement), the writer asked, ethical for a news show? In the answer to this question Chuck Klosterman, the ethicist, says that the display of a logo or the mention of a particular designer�s name does not constitute advertisement if there is no payment and if the person has no intention of advertising. This, it seems to me, is true from only one point of view, that of th...

Speech Rehearsal Often we advise students to rehearse their speeches five or six times which often seems to students to be a lot. In a recent NYTimes ( http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/magazine/jerry-seinfeld-intends-to-die-standing-up.html ) article, it noted that Seinfeld (a communication major from Queens College, btw) rehearsed his five-minute set for the Tonight Show 200 times. Now, that�s a lot.  

Words of 2012 The New York Times annually identifies new words of the year. Invariably there are several communication terms: Dox Eastwooding MOOC Nomophobia Sway Unskew Dox = an abeviated form of "documents" or "to document" Eastwooding = talking to a chair MOOC = an acronymn for Massive Open Online Course Nomophobia = fear of being without a cell phone Sway = an attitude of confidence and style Unskew = to rework data to suit particular beliefs

  Here is a guest post written by Leah DeCesare. Leah DeCesare is a writer and blogger ( www.MothersCircle.net)  writing about perspectives on parenting from a mother of three, educator and doula. She is a certified birth and postpartum doula as well as childbirth educator and Certified Lactation Counselor, serving families in Rhode Island. Leah is currently conducting the Mother�s Circle Young Women�s Birth Survey open to 18-26 year olds ( https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/youngwomensbirthsurvey .) She is the Co-Founder and Co-President of Doulas of Rhode Island, a past DONA International Northeast Regional Director and she volunteers with Families First RI.   Meta Description: I like to talk. I talk to connect and get closer to people. Most people like to talk. Connecting is human, talking is still our most genuine way of connecting. I like to talk. I talk to connect and get closer to people. What I�ve realized is most people like to talk - and talk a lot. People talk...

Strategies for Power Here is a discussion of the communication of power which I wrote for my 50 Communication Strategies book and that I thought might be of interest to a wide variety of readers.   Power is the ability of one person to influence what another person thinks or does. You have power over another person to the extent that you can influence what this person thinks or what this person does. And, conversely, another person has power over you to the extent that he or she can influence what you think or do. Perhaps the most important aspect of power to recognize is that power is asymmetrical : If one person has greater power, the other person must have less. If you are stronger than another person, then this person is weaker than you. If you are richer, then the other person must be poorer. In any one area�for example, strength or financial wealth�one person has more and, inevitably and by definition, the other person has less (is weaker or poorer).   The varied type...