A self-help tool to aid in the study of the First Look text

1. Two of the key words in the theory are conversation and conformity. Think of as many synonyms as you can for each word. Which of these synonyms put a positive spin on the idea? A negative spin? A neutral spin? What would FCP say about whether conversation and conformity are positive or negative?


2. How did your family of origin create a shared reality? Did the way this happened change over the course of your upbringing, and if so, how? Which of the four family types do you think your family was, and what evidence would you point to for support of your choice?


3. Pick one thing that is of interest to your family--sports, hobbies, politics, religion, entertainment, etc. Explain how your family has engaged in coorientation about that thing.


4. Research from the theory demonstrates that family-of-origin communication patterns are associated with outcomes as an adult. How do you think your family-of-origin's communication environment influences how you communicate today? If you want to keep those communication patterns, what would you do? If you want to change those communication patterns, what would you do?


5. The chapter describes Ledbetter's research on students during the first year of college. From that description, which family type do you think is most likely to be successful in college? Least likely to be successful? How might college administrators and professors apply family communication patterns theory to help students have a smooth adjustment to college?