Date of Award

12-1973

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Communication

First Advisor

C. Raymond Millimet

Second Advisor

Dennis Fus

Abstract

The development of communication skills is vital to socialization in the classroom and to personality development. Petty and Starkey (1966) suggest that language is the greatest force for socialization that exists and at the same time is the most potent single factor in the development of individuality. Rosenberg and Coopersmith (1965, 1967) showed that a person's verbal behavior will influence others ’ attitudes toward him, while Mead (1934) indicated that an individual’s behavior is affected by the kind of image that he has of himself. This image comes largely from the individual's perceptions of o thers’ attitudes toward himself until he conceptualizes a "generalized other" based on his experiences in a special social environment. Should the generalized other be based on negative considerations, he will use his perceptions of others' reactions to form a rationale for his behavior. It is likely that if a student has problems communicating effectively or views communication as a painful experience, he will not be a participating member of the class.

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