Date of Award

Summer 8-1-2003

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Veanne Anderson

Second Advisor

Virgil Sheets

Abstract

A theoretical framework is presented addressing the way in which communication affects cohesion among group members and how this, in tum, impacts group splitting. Participants will be given a membership packet from a fictional group entitled Student Advocates for Al.c ohol Guidelines (SAAG). They were asked to imagine they were members of the fictional group for the duration of the study. During this time, they wrote notes regarding information in the membership packet and answered questions regarding their willingness to remain a member of this group. The two manipulations across conditions were (1) whether or not participants read the notes that other participants have written and (2) whether or not participants were given statements with which they agreed or disagreed. A main effect for agreement was found, so that when participants agreed with group beliefs they reported being more likely to remain members of the entire group than participants disagreeing with group beliefs, while those disagreeing with group beliefs reported being more likely to disaffiliate from the group entirely than participants agreeing with group beliefs. Additionally, communication increased members' willingness to associate with a subgroup when they agreed with group beliefs, but IV decreased willingness to associate with a subgroup when they disagreed with group beliefs. Likewise, communication increased members' likelihood of remaining group members when they agreed with group beliefs, while it decreased likelihood of remaining in the group when members disagreed with group beliefs.

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