This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 15 titles deal with the following topics: (1) dynamics of communication and trust as school board and superintendent prepare for public meeting; (2) therapeutic discourse; (3) manipulation in interpersonal relationships; (4) effects of oral communication feedback and threats of punishment on intrinsic motivation; (5) effects of workload on the verbal behaviors of community college teachers; (6) young mothers' communication about death with their children; (7) the communicative relationship of academic departmental chairs and faculty; (8) the communication patterns of family physicians in private practice; (9) effect of gender on counseling interview skills; (10) effect of ethos on the retention of information; (11) effects of cognitive complexity, locus of control, and openness on the communication process in adult conversion to Christianity; (12) use of verbal statements by college level communication instructors during classroom interactions with students rated acceptable or unacceptable communicators; (13) audiotape and videotape formats in the interpersonal process recall model used to develop communication skills and empathy in mental health paraprofessionals; (14) identification of physician opinion leaders and the relevance of their communication network for continuing medical education; and (15) effects of distraction in a mass media application. (FL)