Staff loneliness and communication issues.

This edition of "Research Notes" focuses on loneliness, with implications for international camp staff, and communication methods.

Social Networks Minimize Loneliness

In a study of college students studying overseas for one year, participants completed three scales of surveys measuring loneliness, intimacy, and social activities. The participants were unique in that they were far from home in a new culture for a finite period of time while balancing new relationships. They faced both problems of learning and living in a new culture, as well as the usual older adolescent difficulties (e.g., seeking relationships, independence, and learning about self-identity).

This research study involved 105 students (58 females and 47 males) from the United States and Canada studying at Hebrew University in Jerusalem for one year. All participants were single, and the mean age was 20.3 years old for females, and 21.3 years for males. All students were of Jewish origin and all of them lived together in a dormitory on campus.

The researcher asked the students to complete paper and pencil surveys and also verbally interviewed twenty (eleven females, nine males) of the students. Loneliness data were collected and compared to normative scores. No significant differences were found for loneliness between females or males. Most students reported bouts of loneliness in the first week overseas. Making friends was a key element to reducing those feelings of loneliness. In particular, spontaneous gatherings of new friends were helpful in dispelling the loneliness.

The author found that the lonely feelings were related to homesickness, which was characterized as missing those friends and family members with whom the students had intimate connections; lonely feelings also arose when the students were bored. The author was surprised by the low levels of loneliness in the students studied. He reported quick development of close social networks was important to minimizing lonely feelings. Relationships with family did not contribute to loneliness as much as relationships with close friends and intimate partners. Those students who had the most satisfying relationships back home and in the new site experienced the least loneliness.

Implications for camp

Many camps utilize international staff as summer counselors. They add a great deal to the diversity of camp, provide invaluable skills in many specialty areas, and contribute to the overall richness of camp life. Understanding international staff's experiences of loneliness is important so that camp administrators can help them address these feelings. While this research primarily focused on American students going overseas, similar experiences may hold true for international students, especially those from European countries, coming to the U.S. If this is the case, then making friends and connections quickly upon arrival is important to overcoming feelings of loneliness, and should be one of the primary goals of precamp training.

Wiseman, H. (1997). Far away from home: The loneliness experience of overseas students. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 16 (3). 277-298.

Ask and You Shall Receive

What is the best way to get others to do what we want? Compliance theory suggests that people begin with indirect methods and then move into more forceful methods when attempting to move others to action. When there is a greater urgency, more force, both direct and explicit, is used to gain compliance. Generally, people balance efficiency with politeness when trying to gain others' compliance.

In this study, the authors examined four common ways of gaining compliance - threats, suggestions, hints, and promises - for politeness and expediency. The study involved 159 undergraduates who rated the politeness and efficiency of sixty-four compliance-gaining strategies/statements. Threats were most often viewed as being rude, but expedient. Respondents viewed threats as heavy, forceful, powerful, pressuring, fierce, and punishing. Suggestions were perceived as softeners, indirect, encouraging, and moderately good (polite). Participants thought hints were polite yet nonexplicit, inefficient, weak, and indirect. Lastly, promises were viewed as polite, moderately expedient, positive, reward-oriented, favorable, and friendly. In this study, a promise was likened to a bribe (i.e., if you do this, I will buy you candy).

In addition to threats, suggestions, hints, and promises, the authors also looked at direct requests as a method of gaining compliance. The authors found that the efficiency and politeness scores differed depending upon the example (i.e., some threats were perceived as less threatening than others, and some were viewed as more efficient than others).

Overall, however, threats were viewed as the least polite compliance-gaining strategy used. Hints were found to be the least efficient method of gaining compliance, while threats and promises were viewed as equally efficient. Direct request strategies were considered the most efficient compliance-gaining strategy of all.

Implications for camp

Camp staff use compliance-gaining strategies with peers, campers, and camp administrators. Knowing which strategies are most efficient and polite will be helpful in teaching staff the best way to go about gaining compliance. Many people rely on hints and suggestions to get others to do as they wish, and those strategies are not always effective. This can leave people feeling frustrated because others did not respond the way they wanted. Threats and promises can have detrimental effects on others, and after a while, seem to lose their effectiveness. This research showed that direct request is the most beneficial strategy of those examined. If you teach your staff how and when to use tactful direct requests, you can increase compliance-gaining efficiency and reach the level of cooperation for which you are striving.

Kellerman, K., & Shea, B.C. (1996). Threats. suggestions, hints and promises: Gaining compliance efficiently and politely. Communication Quarterly, 44(2), 145-165.

Deb Jordan, Re.D. is an associate professor of leisure studies at Oklahoma State University. Send your letters and one-page summaries of research related to camp to: Research Notes. c/o Dr. Deb Jordan, Leisure Studies, 107 Colvin Center, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078. Note: Only research completed within the past two years will be considered for review.