The role of friendship maintenance over communication technologies in freshmen's social adjustment to college.
Saved in:
| Title: | The role of friendship maintenance over communication technologies in freshmen's social adjustment to college. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Olson, Chelsea (AUTHOR), Toma, Catalina L. (AUTHOR), Brown, B. Bradford (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Journal of American College Health. Dec2025, Vol. 73 Issue 10, p4130-4139. 10p. |
| Subjects: | High schools, Research funding, Undergraduates, Questionnaires, Information technology, Path analysis (Statistics), Loneliness, Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared test, Social integration, Longitudinal method, Social adjustment, Transitional programs (Education), Communication, Social support, Psychology of college students, Comparative studies, Student attitudes, Data analysis software, Friendship |
| Geographic Terms: | Wisconsin |
| Abstract: | Objective: Studies show that friendships help undergraduates navigate the transition to college, but it is unclear how technology use impacts the maintenance of friendships and students' subsequent adjustment. This study fills this gap by examining how maintenance over communication technologies with pre-college and in-college friends is associated with freshmen's social adjustment to college, via two psychological processes: social support and belongingness. Participants and Methods: 194 college freshmen completed online surveys. Results: Path analyses show that maintaining friendships with pre-college friends over communication technologies was positively associated with freshmen's perceptions of social support but negatively associated with their social adjustment. Using communication technologies to maintain friendships with college peers was associated with higher perceived belongingness, and, in turn, better social adjustment. Conclusions: Communication technologies may assist or hinder freshmen's social adjustment to college. University staff may find ways to use technology to improve programs aimed at combatting loneliness and enhancing friend-making at college. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Journal of American College Health is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
Be the first to leave a comment!
