Communicative predictors of social network resilience skills during the transition to college

Abstract

Persisting in college requires resilience for emerging adults, who must adapt to a new culture with different norms. Many also struggle with financial pressure, mental health issues, and interpersonal stressors. This longitudinal study proposes and tests a model of the communication factors that predict social network resilience skills during the transition to college. A sample of 436 first-year college students in the Mountain West region of the United States reported their family communication patterns, perceived friend and family support, communication confidence, and social network resilience skills (SNRS) at two points in time. Model testing revealed that friend support, family support, and communication confidence mediate the positive effect of conversation orientation on SNRS. Friend support mediates the positive effect of conformity orientation on SNRS. Theoretical implications for the Communication Theory of Resilience and Family Communication Patterns Theory are discussed.