Researchers expand areas of knowledge
Sandy Johnstone
Of the Emerald
As the woman
reaches for a
cigarette, she
remembers to write
down when and
why she is smoking.
Her increasing
awareness of her
smoking may lead
to her cutting down
and is one of the
first steps in quit
ting, according to
psychology Prof. Edward Lichtenstein.
The woman is a participant in the smok
ing clinic sessions which comprises a ma
jor part of Lichtenstein's research.
Typically, Lichtenstein has about four
groups of six to 12 moderate to heavy
smokers meeting weekly each term. Each
group learns the same core information,
including having them record when and
how often they smoke, but some variables
are changed. For example, one group may
have spouse support and another may
not.
"We teach a problem solving attitude,"
says Lichtenstein. "Smoking is not a ran
dom process."
Lichtenstein has been doing research
about smoking since the first Surgeon
General's report was publicized. Current
ly, his research examining the role of
stress and social support in smoking is
funded by about $50,000 in grants from
the National Institute of Health.
About 60 percent to 70 percent of those
that complete the program quit by the
end and about 33 percent have quit by the
end of the year.
So far, Lichtenstein has found stress
does make it more difficult to quit, while
social support can work both ways. Hav
ing spouses involved in the program
seems to help, but the results are not clear
and convincing, he says.
"If we can learn something about smok
ing — why it is difficult for people to quit
— we can reduce mortality,” he says. "The
bottom line is keeping people alive and
well."
The two men begin to look violent as they
argue, and one of them takes a frustrated
swing at the other. But before he hits the
flesh of the other, a third man steps bet
ween them and tries to calm them down.
The scene seems common enough — a
simple barroom brawl — but to com
munications Prof. David Frank it is an ex
ample of conflict resolution that can be
used in situations far from the local
tavern.
"There are a lot of parallels between
how you and I resolve conflict and the
Israelis and the Arabs," he says.
The role of communication in the
resolution of conflict is Frank's current
topic. He is examining the diplomacy of
former secretary of state Henry Kissinger
and former Pres. Jimmy Carter.
Kissinger is more traditional. "He puts
band-aids on situations," he says. "It
looks peaceful."
Carter was less traditional, more com
munication based. "He did not try to im
pose settlement," says Frank.
Examining a political situation from the
perspective of communication could br
ing some practical results, he says. If he
can develop a model of a competent
negotiator, then those type of people
could be used in diplomatic work.
Frank will present a paper about his
research to the Speech Communicators
Association in November in Washington,
D.C., and will eventually hope to mold the
paper into an article for publication in a
professional journal.
"I try to pull together some ideas to
make the world better,” says Frank.
Quiet fills the room as the students con
centrate on trying to visualize agreement
and conflict.
Many of the students will end up with
similar drawings for the concepts.
"We develop a certain image for a con
cept that is more rigid than you think,"
says Ken O'Connell, a fine arts professor.
"One student was shocked that facts
had form," he laughs.
Visual thinking remains uncommon
Continued on Page 24
Ken O'Connell, fine arts professor, uses computers to increase the visual aspects of art. "We are visual
animals," he says.
Photos by Dave Johnson
Karen Sprague, biologist, studies test tubes of DNA to determine how,
why and when they transmit to tells.
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