This qualitative study delves into the communicative experiences and uncertainty management strategies of women participating in primary sorority recruitment. Drawing upon Uncertainty Management Theory and Social Penetration Theory, data were collected through six focus groups comprised of participants who engaged in the recruitment process. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: (1) Relationship Building and Self-Disclosure, highlighting the significance of interpersonal connections and self-disclosure levels in determining house preferences; (2) Uncertainty Management, which elucidated the role of social support, intentional uncertainty cultivation, and emotional responses in navigating the recruitment process; and (3) Emotional Decision-Making, underscoring the influence of emotions such as comfort, surprise, and discomfort on participant decisions, despite limited information availability. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of primary sorority recruitment dynamics, offering insights for scholars and Greek community members alike. These findings shed light on the pivotal role of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence in shaping recruitment outcomes and underscore the need for further research in this area.
","abstract_html":"<p>This qualitative study delves into the communicative experiences and uncertainty management strategies of women participating in primary sorority recruitment. Drawing upon Uncertainty Management Theory and Social Penetration Theory, data were collected through six focus groups comprised of participants who engaged in the recruitment process. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: (1) Relationship Building and Self-Disclosure, highlighting the significance of interpersonal connections and self-disclosure levels in determining house preferences; (2) Uncertainty Management, which elucidated the role of social support, intentional uncertainty cultivation, and emotional responses in navigating the recruitment process; and (3) Emotional Decision-Making, underscoring the influence of emotions such as comfort, surprise, and discomfort on participant decisions, despite limited information availability. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of primary sorority recruitment dynamics, offering insights for scholars and Greek community members alike. These findings shed light on the pivotal role of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence in shaping recruitment outcomes and underscore the need for further research in this area.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Lankford, Ashley"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Masters Thesis","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Kathryn Anthony","Dr. John Meyer","Dr. Brent Hale"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:40Z","subjects":["greek life","recruitment","sorority","decision making","social penetration theory","uncertainty management theory"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1020","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Kathryn Anthony","Dr. John Meyer","Dr. Brent Hale"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Lankford, Ashley"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2027-05-09T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["greek life","recruitment","sorority","decision making","social penetration theory","uncertainty management theory"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1020"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This qualitative study delves into the communicative experiences and uncertainty management strategies of women participating in primary sorority recruitment. Drawing upon Uncertainty Management Theory and Social Penetration Theory, data were collected through six focus groups comprised of participants who engaged in the recruitment process. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: (1) Relationship Building and Self-Disclosure, highlighting the significance of interpersonal connections and self-disclosure levels in determining house preferences; (2) Uncertainty Management, which elucidated the role of social support, intentional uncertainty cultivation, and emotional responses in navigating the recruitment process; and (3) Emotional Decision-Making, underscoring the influence of emotions such as comfort, surprise, and discomfort on participant decisions, despite limited information availability. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of primary sorority recruitment dynamics, offering insights for scholars and Greek community members alike. These findings shed light on the pivotal role of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence in shaping recruitment outcomes and underscore the need for further research in this area.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Communicative Experiences of Potential New Members (PNMS) in Greek Life Recruitment"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Kathryn Anthony","Dr. John Meyer","Dr. Brent Hale"],"dc:creator":["Lankford, Ashley"],"dc:date.available":["2027-05-09T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["This qualitative study delves into the communicative experiences and uncertainty management strategies of women participating in primary sorority recruitment. Drawing upon Uncertainty Management Theory and Social Penetration Theory, data were collected through six focus groups comprised of participants who engaged in the recruitment process. Thematic analysis revealed three central themes: (1) Relationship Building and Self-Disclosure, highlighting the significance of interpersonal connections and self-disclosure levels in determining house preferences; (2) Uncertainty Management, which elucidated the role of social support, intentional uncertainty cultivation, and emotional responses in navigating the recruitment process; and (3) Emotional Decision-Making, underscoring the influence of emotions such as comfort, surprise, and discomfort on participant decisions, despite limited information availability. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of primary sorority recruitment dynamics, offering insights for scholars and Greek community members alike. These findings shed light on the pivotal role of interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence in shaping recruitment outcomes and underscore the need for further research in this area.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/1020"],"dc:subject":["greek life","recruitment","sorority","decision making","social penetration theory","uncertainty management theory"],"dc:title":["The Communicative Experiences of Potential New Members (PNMS) in Greek Life Recruitment"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T05:45:40Z"}