ABSTRACT
There is no doubt that the microanalysis of communication does have considerable practical significance. Even the very act of carrying out such research, of disseminating results, both through the narrow confines of academic publications and the broader spectrum of books, newspapers, radio and television could be influential. By highlighting the fine details of social interaction, it becomes much easier for people to change their behaviour, if they so desire. Changes can also occur in the way in which people actually think about communication. In addition, formal training procedures have been developed specifically intended to improve how people communicate. This chapter is divided into two sections: the first is intended as a review of communication skills training, the second as a discussion of the wider practical implications of microanalytic research. Each of these two sections is summarized below: Section 1. Communication skills training:
forms of training: microtraining assertiveness training, social contexts: job interviews intercultural communication medical communication.
