This introduction to the subject begins by describing what meta- analysis does (as well as how it is done). Subsequent analyses (there are 21) incorporate a wide variety of topics related to interpersonal communication (e.g., couples and safe sex, parent-child communication, argumentativeness, and self-disclosure), while examining such basic issues as reciprocity, constructivism, social support in interpersonal communication, and gender, conflict, marital, and organizational issues.