ABSTRACT
The situational theory of publics (STP), one of the most popular public relations theories, provides a mechanism for the identification of publics and their information behaviors. The situational theory of problem solving (STOPS), an extension of the STP, is a more general theory of communication that looks at antecedents of individuals’ communication and information behaviors in the process of problem solving. This chapter reviews and explicates the differences and similarities between the two theories, their respective intellectual origins, and the body of new research that is being and could be generated from the STOPS.
