Providing a review and synthesis of work on communication skills and skill enhancement, this handbook serves as a comprehensive survey of theory and research on social interaction skills. The editors have brought together researchers and writers to contribute to the volume, seeking to establish a foundation on which future study and research can build. The chapters are organized into five major units covering: 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). The handbook aims to offer a broad treatment of work on social interaction skills and skill acquisition, with emphasis on empirically supported strategies for developing and enhancing specific skills.