Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026
07:59
Using Practice Testing, Public Speaking, and Source Monitoring to Examine the Influences of Learning Strategies and Stress on Episodic Memory
Published on: June 14, 2019
In their own words: Staying connected in a combat environment
1George Mason University, College of Health and Human Services, 4400 University Drive, MS 3C4, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
Military Medicine
|August 25, 2010
Summary
Soldiers in combat environments limited communication with home due to mission needs and regulations. Peer communication was vital for support, while traumatic incidents significantly impacted soldier communication dynamics.
Area of Science:
- Military psychology
- Communication studies
- Sociology of conflict
Background:
- Effective communication is critical for military operations.
- Understanding soldier communication challenges in combat is essential for morale and mission success.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and describe communication issues faced by soldiers during combat deployment.
- To explore the factors influencing communication patterns in a war zone.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative research design utilizing semistructured interviews.
- Data collected from six key informants with prior Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) deployment experience.
- Content analysis aided by Invivo software for coding and data interpretation.
Main Results:
- Four primary themes emerged regarding communication barriers: the need for control, limiting contact with home, the importance of peer communication, and the impact of traumatic incidents.
- Soldiers intentionally restricted communication with family, superiors, and subordinates.
- Reasons for limited communication included regulations, maintaining focus, and minimizing distractions.
Conclusions:
- Soldiers' deliberate limitation of external communication underscores the pressures of the combat environment.
- Peer communication provided a crucial support system and outlet for soldiers.
- Experiencing traumatic events profoundly altered soldiers' communication behaviors and needs.
Related Concept Videos
04:49Robbers Cave
During the 1950s, the landmark Robbers Cave experiment demonstrated that when groups must compete with one another, intergroup conflict, hostility, and even violence may result. At the Oklahoman summer camp, two troops of boys—termed the Rattlers and the Eagles—took part in a week-long tournament. During this time, their negativity culminated in derogatory name-calling, fistfights, and even vandalism and destruction of property. However, this work also revealed that such tension could be...
01:03Communication
Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.
01:28Communication
Sharing information, concepts, and emotions to foster mutual understanding is communication. The sender, recipient, and transaction must be considered in this manner. The sender is the person who shares the message, the recipient is the person who receives and understands the message, and the transaction is the method used to deliver the message and the variables that affect the communication's context and surroundings. The nurse-client connection is built on therapeutic communication.
Within...
Within...
01:27Relationship Growth
Interpersonal relationships progress through stages, beginning with awareness and moving toward mutuality, where emotional connections deepen. While many relationships remain at moderate levels of mutuality, deeper connections form through self-disclosure, trust, and interdependence.Self-DisclosureSelf-disclosure involves revealing personal information, starting with surface-level details and gradually progressing to more intimate content. As trust grows, individuals feel more comfortable...
01:19Contact-dependent Signaling
Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
01:03Anchoring Junctions
Anchoring junctions are multiprotein complexes that help cells connect to other cells and the extracellular matrix. Anchoring junctions are present on the lateral and basal surfaces of cells, providing strong and flexible connections. Focal adhesions are often formed due to cell interactions with the ECM substrata, which initiate signal transduction via kinase cascades and other mechanisms. Together, they provide stability and tissue integrity. There are three types of anchoring junctions:...