This study measured the influence of a sportscaster's vocal pitch on listeners' perceptions of authoritativeness from a constructivist theoretical perspective. College students heard sportscasts read by a low- or high-pitched male or female and completed questionnaires measuring authoritativeness and sexist attitudes toward women. Male sportscasters were considered more authoritative than females, but male sportscasters with higher-pitched voices were rated more authoritative than those with lower pitches.

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This study examines how minority victims of Hurricane Katrina are visually presented. The authors posit that the victims’ images intersect across multiple contexts, including history, economics, class, and race, among others. The authors invite both policy makers and researchers to adopt inclusive perspectives when exploring the complexities of human interaction.

This study illustrated the perceptions of native English speakers about difficult conversations with non-native English speakers. A total of 114 native English speakers enrolled in undergraduate communication courses at a regional state university answered a questionnaire about a recent difficult conversation the respondent had with a non-native English speaker. A thematic analysis of their responses revealed that helping occurred when the non-native speaker was considered to be a customer, in-group member, or "fellow human being." Helping behavior was characterized by actions that fostered understanding between the interactants and aided the non-native speaker in completion of a task or goal. Non-helping occurred when the non-native speaker was considered to be an out-group member violating role expectations or cultural norms.

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