Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Assessing The Relationships Between Perceived Support From Close Others, Goal Commitment, And Persistence Decisions At The College Level, Renee E. Strom, Matthew W. Savage

Communication Faculty Publications

Research on supportive communication was examined in relation to students’ goals of earning a college degree and their intent to persist. Theories of student departure (Bean, 1985; Tinto, 1993) informed research questions assessing the impact of how social support from family members and friends affected commitment to the goal of graduation and how commitment to the goal of graduation influenced intent to persist. First-year college students completed a questionnaire at 2 time points during their first year of college. Results revealed that initial support from family and friends positively impacted initial commitment to the goal of graduation. Subsequent support from …