Communication motives (state vs. trait?) and task group outcomes

Abstract

Students’ motives for communicating with others (trait) and their motives for communicating in groups were investigated to determine support for a trait or state approach to studying motives. In addition, communication motives in groups were investigated for their relationship to members’ involvement, satisfaction with group process and outputs and perceptions of cohesion and satisfaction with their group presentation. Students completed the trait Communication Motives measure at the start of the semester before engaging in group projects. At the end of the semester when group work ended, students completed instruments measuring their motives for communicating in their groups and the group outcomes. First, the results showed that motives had some cross‐situational consistency in that students who communicated for pleasure and affection, but not for control or to escape also communicated similarly in groups. Those who communicated for control and, to a limited extent for pleasure, also communicated in groups from these motives. Second, students who communicated in groups from pleasure, relaxation, and affection motives had higher levels of group process satisfaction, satisfaction with the presentation, perceptions of cohesion, and somewhat greater involvement. This study offers some support for the consistency issue of establishing motives as traits. The authors suggest that communication traits are meaningful antecedent factors warranting inclusion in group research.