Communication, identity, and AA

"July 2014."Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Colleen Colaner.Includes vita.The current study interviewed 24 members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to analyze the expression of the addiction recovery experience. The current study also explored the theoretical boundaries of the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) (Hecht et al., 2005) by focusing on the expression of identity-building resources drawn from the layers of CTI, and by investigating the nature of interpenetration as well as the nature of between-layer and within-layer identity gaps. Findings showed that members of AA, when talking about their recovery experience, referenced concepts that can be considered identity-building resources such as honesty, gratitude, and selflessness, relationships with sponsors and other members of AA, and relationships with friends and family outside of AA. Members also talked about enacting their recovery by identifying with the community of AA and working the 12 steps. In addition, the current study demonstrated how each of the layers and their attending resources interpenetrated to form a more complete picture of identity during recovery. For example, working the steps and learning the principles of AA fostered personal layer qualities like honesty and selflessness which helped improve relationships and, overall, helped members of AA enact their sobriety and understand themselves as successful recovering alcoholics within the community of AA. Furthermore, the current study identified and described personal-enacted, personal-relational, and personal-communal identity gaps for members of AA, along with within-layer gaps, such as personal-personal, relational-relational, and communal-communal identity gaps.Includes bibliographical references (pages 122-129)

Exploring Touch Communication Between Coaches and Athletes

In athletics, coaches and athletes share a unique and important relationship. Recently Jowett and her colleagues (Jowett & Cockerill, 2003; Jowett & Meek, 2000; Jowett & Ntoumanis, 2003, 2004; Jowett & Timson-Katchis, 2005) utilized relationship research (focusing on, for example, marital, familial and workplace relationships) from conjoining fields, and in particular social and cognitive psychology, to develop and test a four-component model (4 C’s) that depicts the most influential relational and emotional components (closeness, commitment, complementarity and co-orientation) of coach-athlete relationships. Proceeding from a review of the literature on human touch communication to examine research on the power of touch to exchange relational and emotional messages (Hertenstein et al., 2006), the present study explores coaches’ and athletes’ collective experiences of communicating via touch, utilizing in-depth interviews with eight college coaches and athletes. A phenomenological approach was used to gather, analyze and interpret the data, drawing on Merleau-Ponty’s (1945/1962) philosophical exploration of perception and human experience, which emphasizes the body as a means of communicating with the world. The findings indicate that touch between coaches and athletes increased at major events when emotions and tensions ran high. In addition, touch involved showing appreciation, instructing, comforting and giving attention, and affected perceptions of relationships. The findings also show that touch communication is influenced by societal factors, such as gender, relational stage, and what spectators, parents and other athletes may think. By illustrating how touch is enacted and experienced by a group of college coaches and athletes, the study represents an initial step toward understanding touch communication in the coach-athlete dyad. Indo-Pacific Journal of Phenomenology, Volume 7, Edition 2 September 200

Applying the communication theory of identity to members of alcoholics anonymous: A phenomenological analysis of the expression of the recovery experience.

The current study interviewed 24 members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) to analyze the expression of the addiction recovery experience. The current study also explored the theoretical boundaries of the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) (Hecht et al., 2005) by focusing on the expression of identity-building resources drawn from the layers of CTI, and by investigating the nature of interpenetration as well as the nature of between-layer and within-layer identity gaps. Findings showed that members of AA, when talking about their recovery experience, referenced concepts that can be considered identity-building resources such as honesty, gratitude, and selflessness, relationships with sponsors and other members of AA, and relationships with friends and family outside of AA. Members also talked about enacting their recovery by identifying with the community of AA and working the 12 steps. In addition, the current study demonstrated how each of the layers and their attending resources interpenetrated to form a more complete picture of identity during recovery. For example, working the steps and learning the principles of AA fostered personal layer qualities like honesty and selflessness which helped improve relationships and, overall, helped members of AA enact their sobriety and understand themselves as successful recovering alcoholics within the community of AA. Furthermore, the current study identified and described personalenacted, personal-relational, and personal-communal identity gaps for members of AA, along with within-layer gaps, such as personal-personal, relational-relational, and communal-communal identity gaps

Honest but Hurtful Messages in Romantic Relationships

In romantic relationships partners expect an exchange of honest and emotionally supportive communication. Delivering an honest but hurtful message to a romantic partner poses a confounding dilemma where emotional support must be compromised in order for honesty to be shared. Past research (Zhang & Stafford, 2008) has uncovered this relational contradiction and examined it using Face Management Theory (Brown & Levinson, 1987; Cupach & Metts, 1994; Goffman, 1967). This study aims to understand HBH messages in romantic relationships through examining surrounding dialectic contradictions along with strategies of politeness and deference used in message delivery. Controlled openness, patience, friendliness, and clarity were all factors associated with satisfactory message experiences