Most of Dr. Millar's research has been in the area of relational communication. The purpose of these efforts was to describe the relational form of dyadic interaction in order to differentiate satisfying from unsatisfying dynamics. This work utilized the Rogers & Farace (1975) coding scheme, is summarized in Millar & Rogers (1987) and Rogers & Millar (1988), and resulted in a three dimensional model of interpersonal relationships (Millar, 1994).
The Millar & Rogers relational model includes interpretive variables even though these have not yet been extensively analyzed. Therefore, recent efforts have focused on useful ways of studying discourse in order to descibe how meaning construction is produced by participants. This focus resulted in recognition of the primacy of metaphors in meaning construction (Williams & Millar, 1992; Millar, 2004) as well as concern for the ethical, political, and epistemological implications of a relational perspective.
Courses that Dr. Millar most frequently teaches are: Human Communication Theory; Language, Thought & Society (WC), Organizational Communication, Communication & Conflict; Qualitative Methods; and Communication, Technology and Society.
