Choice Review

Goldsmith's premise is that scholars have encountered problems in studying support communication because in measuring enactments they devote insufficient attention to the complexities of the communication process. Accordingly, Goldsmith (Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign) approaches interpersonal communication as a complex behavior; her goal is to derive predictions about the types of behaviors most likely to improve supportive interactions. She examines 369 references and finds that all theories and empirical findings thus far fail to adequately account for how successful social support is enacted. She devotes four chapters to a detailed examination of current models of social support communication and discusses why they are lacking. By descending into the details of messages and conversations, Goldsmith reveals how current research practices (self-report instruments, coding schemes, etc.) distort or dismiss the myriad ways that support is enacted in close relationships. This is a book for a select group of scholars who research what is labeled "troubles talk." The descriptions and analysis are tediously detailed, but they nonetheless show how faulty methodology and simplified empirical theories can distort complex human communication. Thus, this careful scholarly analysis will help all communication scholars avoid the pitfalls of trying to fit human communication into oversimplified models. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. Graduate and research collections. R. Cathcart emeritus, CUNY Queens College