Providing a thorough review and synthesis of work on communication skills and skill enhancement, this Handbook serves as a comprehensive and contemporary survey of theory and research on social interaction skills. Editors John O. Greene and Brant R. Burleson have brought together preeminent researchers and writers to contribute to this volume, establishing a foundation on which future study and research will build.

The handbook chapters are organized into five major units: general theoretical and methodological issues (models of skill acquisition, methods of skill assessment)

fundamental interaction skills (both transfunctional and transcontextual)

function-focused skills (informing, persuading, supporting)

skills used in management of diverse personal relationships (friendships, romances, marriages)

and skills used in varied venues of public and professional life (managing leading, teaching).

Distinctive features of this handbook include:

* broad, comprehensive treatment of work on social interaction skills and skill acquisition;

* up-to-date reviews of research in each area; and

* emphasis on empirically supported strategies for developing and enhancing specific skills.

Researchers in communication studies, psychology, family studies, business management, and related areas will find this volume a comprehensive, authoritative source on communications skills and their enhancement, and it will be essential reading for scholars and students across the spectrum of disciplines studying social interaction.