| Bio | 
| Presentation/Paper |
Bessie Dietrich
Western Carolina University
Subject Listing - Communications
Advisor: Dr. James Manning
Friday, Oral Session 4, Presentation 1, Karpen Hall 011
ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL GROUP COMMUNICATION DYNAMICS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS
In addition to adapting to new environs and situations, college freshman develop many new relationships as they enter college. Because of this, the academic and social small group dynamics that new students were previously familiar with change in drastic and sometimes frightening ways. This paper will examine the dynamic of healthy small group communication as they apply to college freshmen. Specifically, it will focus on how these communication dynamics work both in and out of the classroom and how new college students often yield to "groupthink" when in these surroundings. Recent research has noted the importance of healthy small group dynamics as they relate to college freshmen. University of Central Florida professor and researcher Rufus L. Barfield stated in 2003 that "[individuals] in student work groups in the college classroom often struggle to maintain their individuality within the peer-based groups." These dynamics are also important socially according to researchers Rempel and Fisher in their 1997 study who studied 31 groups of college males and "examined the impact of perceived threat and cohesion on the ability of groups to solve problems in a situation of social conflict." By investigating these small group communication dynamics and how they apply to college freshmen, the information in this paper will be of great value to professionals within the communication field, college administrators and faculty, and others interested in student life and student affairs.
Advisor: Dr. James Manning, Associate Professor of Communication, Communication, Theatre & Dance, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC