ABSTRACT
The cognitive explanations of the causes and consequences of human com- munication are as old as communication theory itself, and probably older. For instance, the scientific study of persuasion (the premier component of communication theory) was derived primarily from mass communication re- search focusing on the human psyche (see Delia, 1987). Newer components, such as interpersonal communication, were grounded, in part, in cognitive consis- tency theories (Newcombe, 1953), mentalist social learning theories (Miller & Steinberg, 1975), and humanistic psychology, with its clinical interest in the workings of the human mind (Jourard, 1971). The prevalence of cognitive theories of human communication continues to this day (see Hewes, in press-a).
