Harold B. Pepinsky

A Metalanguage for Systematic Research on Human Communication via Natural Language.

Systematic research on human communication will be enhanced by access to a metalanguage, which analyzes natural language texts rapidly and accurately into their structural counterparts. A rationale for constructing the metalanguage is provided in the context of a long‐range program of research, and illustrated by reference to an existing Computer‐Assisted Language Analysis System (CALAS) for use with English language texts. Such a metalanguage has immediate practical applications. Its underlying rationale also may be extended to encompass the study of policy‐oriented communications among persons or groups within or across human cultures.

A Counselor's Evaluative Expectancy and His Interpersonal Response to a Client

An experiment was designed to test 2 hypotheses: 1. Irrespective of his prior set, when a counselor accurately responds to a client-confederate as a friendly rather than a hostile person, the counselor will be induced to make more favorable responses to (a) the client and (b) himself as counselor. 2a. When the counselors prior expectancy of his client as either friendly or hostile is subsequently confirmed in an interview, the counselors responses will be accentuated in the direction of his prior set. 2b. When the counselors prior expectancy is disconfirmed in the interview, his responses will be attentuated in the direction of his prior set. Results supported the first hypothesis and provided equivocal support for the second hypothesis.