Written Communication Jan 1985

Are Social-Cognitive Ability and Narrative Writing Skill Related?

BRANT R. BURLESON ; KATHERINE E. ROWAN

Abstract

Rubin, Piché, Michlin, and Johnson (1984) recently presented data allegedly demonstrating a substantial relationship between social-cognitive ability and narrative writing skill. Certain theoretical and statistical considerations led us to suspect that the claimed relationship was not actually present in the data reported by Rubin et al. Consequently, two empirical studies were conducted to test for the hypothesized relationship between social-cognitive ability and narrative writing skill, one study reanalyzing data reported by Rubin et al. and the second analyzing original data. The results of the two studies indicate no relationship between social-cognitive ability and rated quality of narrative essays. These findings are discussed in terms of a theoretical model of the relationships among cognitive abilities, discourse aims, and discourse models.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
1985-01-01
DOI
10.1177/0741088385002001002
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
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Citation context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. McClish (1994)
    Humanist and empiricist rhetorics: Some reflections on rhetorical sensitivity, …
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  2. BONK (1990)
    A Synthesis of Social Cognition and Writing Research
    Written Communication
  3. PICHÉ et al. (1987)
    Social Cognition and Writing: Interpersonal Cognitive Complexity and Abstractne…
    Written Communication
  4. KROLL (1985)
    Social-Cognitive Ability and Writing Performance: How are they Related?
    Written Communication

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