Originally published in 1985. Detailed exploration of the dynamics of language within social psychology forms a social psychology of language which is distinct from other approaches. This volume presents some of the growing body of research in this area, with many theoretical models and ideas - chapters consider the relationship between language and social situations, looking at cognitive structures in how communication between individuals develops in childhood and beyond, how it defines social situations, influences others, expresses feelings and values, evokes social categorizations and how it can break down.

1. Introduction Howard Giles 2. Towards a Theory of Communication in Terms of Preconditions: A Conceptual Framework and Some Empirical Explorations Rolv M. Blakar 3. Psychological and Interactional Dimensions of Communicative Development Barbara J. O'Keefe and Jesse G. Delia 4. Acquiring Social Variation in Speech Jean Berko Gleason and Rivka Y. Perlmann 5. Speech Cues and Social Evaluation: Markers of Ethnicity, Social Class, and Age Richard J. Sebastian and Ellen Bouchard Ryan 6. Towards a Social Psychology of Voice Variations Bruce L. Brown and Jeffrey M. Bradshaw 7. Temporal Patterns of Speech and Gaze in Social and Intellectual Conversation James M. Dabbs, Jr. 8. An Expectancy Interpretation of Language and Persuasion Michael Burgoon and Gerald R. Miller 9. Pragmatics Versus Reinforcers: An Experimental Analysis of Verbal Accommodation Howard M. Rosenfeld and Pamela K. Gunnell 10. Interpersonal Accommodation and Situational Construals: An Integrative Formalisation Peter Ball, Howard Giles and Miles Hewstone