Digital Commons Network^™

The Effects Of Deepfakes And Synthetic Media On Communication Professionals, Axel Ebermann

Student Theses and Dissertations

The spread of misinformation and disinformation is regarded as one of the most salient challenges for communication professionals around the world.

Now, a new technology called "DeepFakes" or “Synthetic Media” has the potential to further uproot the infosphere. Artificial Intelligence (AI) will enable the mass creation of synthetic audio-visual content that resembles real videos, in which people will appear to say or do things they never actually said or did.

The existing literature predominantly focuses on three aspects of DeepFakes and Synthetic Media: the technical background, coverage of preexisting DeepFakes and possible solutions to combat the malicious use of the …

Dissonance Between Christian Beliefs And Eating Habits In The South, Karli Dianne Stringer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to initiate understanding of how obesity in the South is still so prevalent even though the majority of inhabitants subscribe to a faith that discourages unhealthy lifestyles. Furthermore, the information presented in this research sought to fill the knowledge gap for communicators and educators concerning the dissonance between Christianity in the South and the unhealthy eating habits of Southerners. Grounded in the Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study comprised of a semi-structured interview route in which Protestant evangelical Christians in the South (N = 11) participated in a descriptive study conducted by a committee …

Silence In The Business World, Andrew Nedeljkovic

Honors Projects

This is a research-based paper focused on the uses of silence in business. Silence in this context refers to practices like meditation and mindfulness, rather than silencing the voices of underrepresented groups. This paper looks at the benefits that silence can have for American businesspeople and their firms. It compares the understanding of silence in the United States to the understanding of silence in other cultures.

Kicking The Way Through A Global Pandemic: How Ncaa Division I Soccer Players And Institutions Have Responded To The Covid-19 Pandemic And Related Protocols, Celia Clare Gaynor

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic rapidly spread throughout the United States in 2020, affecting many lives in the process. As health communicators, dealing with this disease and sharing effective health messaging in a fluid and unknown situation was key to preventing greater spread of COVID-19 and keeping the public safe from harm. For athletics, like all other aspects of society, protocols needed to be put in place to ensure that athletes could safely participate and compete in their sport. The present study looks to examine NCAA COVID-19 protocols of mask wearing and social distancing and how NCAA Division 1 …

Teaching Healthy Communication Skills For College Students With Disabilities, Molly Mcshane

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

For college students with disabilities, interpersonal communication can be difficult. There have not been sufficient supportive services for college students with disabilities when it comes to learning communication skills in a college environment. Without effective communication skills, college students with disabilities may face social barriers and fewer chances for personal connections, which may lead to social isolation. In order to address this issue, I planned to create a 2-hour lesson for members of the Student Awareness for Disability Empowerment club (S.A.D.E) at California State University, Monterey Bay.

Decolonial Lessons From Historical African American Community Leaders: Reconstructing African American Identity As Resistance In Praxis, Rhejean King-Johnson

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

This study analyzes the communication praxis for the purposes of decolonization of four community leaders, Frederick Douglass, W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells and Malcolm X in efforts to reconstruct African American (AA) identity by exposing the inhumane speech, behavior and thought of white supremacy. Their work employs specific communication strategies such as descriptive narrative, allegory, two-ness, anaphora, and metaphors to address the oppressive white-centric representation of AA identity and provide a decolonial shift in U.S. Eurocentric ideology. Through a close reading and textual analysis of representative works such as, Frederick Douglass’s book, “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass” (2005), …

Examining Messaging Strategies Of Virtual Reality Companies On Instagram, Brian Galloway

Masters Theses

This study examines the messaging strategy and executional strategy utilized in the virtual reality industry on Instagram through the lens of Taylor’s Six-Segment Message Strategy Wheel. Content analysis examined a total of n=942 posts which were coded for high level message strategy, specific message strategy, and executional strategy. Engagement data was also recorded. Ritual-view messaging strategies were found to be utilized most often, with Social and Sensory-segment strategies used most frequently in terms of segments in Taylor’s model. In terms of executional strategies, User Image, Brand Image, and Use Occasion strategies were seen most frequently. Ego and Social segment message …

Communicating With Muted Groups: The Case Of Human Trafficking, Amy Matzke-Fawcett

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

The problem of human trafficking is global, affecting men and women, adults, and children, with exploitation of various forms including (but not limited to) sex work, hospitality and entertainment, labor, agriculture, soldiering, forced begging and organ removal. While it has been the focus of movies, news articles, documentaries, legislation and research, the discussion of the communication surrounding human trafficking is still in the formative stages. What is the messaging about human trafficking in legislation, both historically and in the present day, and how did news and popular media help to frame the discourse around trafficking in the United States? Using …

Communication After A Romantic Breakup, Kayleigh Jordan Mahoney

College of Communication Master of Arts Theses

Throughout a person’s life, it is likely that they will experience a romantic breakup at some point. However, post breakup experiences can differ from person to person. Many different things can impact a person’s post breakup experiences including their investment during the time of the relationship, as well as any communication that takes place after the breakup. Previous research has taken a look at post breakup experiences. However, little to no research has examined post breakup experiences while taking into consideration romantic beliefs. This study (N = 72) tested how a person’s investment during the relationship predicts post breakup distress, …

"Airbnb Go Home:" Tourism Frictions And Short-Term Rentals In New Orleans, Madeline R. Fussell

LSU Master's Theses

This thesis examines the concerns and conflicts around short-term rental (STR) properties in New Orleans neighborhoods. Using data from collected from critical discourse analysis, semi-structured interviews and social media posts, this paper analyzes the ways the city of New Orleans, residents of the city, STR hosts, and platforms like Airbnb discuss issues of safety, displacement, rising costs of living, as well as responsible STR practices. To understand the complexities of the issues people, have with short-term rental properties, this project approaches STRs from a housing and gentrification lens to understand the role these properties play within in the daily atmospheres …

Seeking New Understanding Of Primarycare Policy Constraints: A Qualitative Assessment Of Health Workers And Community Perspectives On The Role Of Communication In The Implementation Of Ghana‘S National Community Health Policy, Mathias Aboba

Masters Theses, 2020-current

Ghana has been implementing the Community-based Health Planning and Service (CHPS) initiative as a national health policy for over twenty years. The CHPS program is designed for delivering Primary Health Care services to under-served population who mostly reside in economically poor and hard to reach locations. Over the years studies looking at various aspects of the operation of the policy have found that community members and other stakeholders lack proper understanding of the program. This study analyzed qualitative data collected in two districts in Northern and Volta Regions of Ghana to assess health workers and community members’ perspectives on the …

Communication In Adult Children Of Alcoholics: The Problem, The Result, And The Solution, Audrey Barth

Communication & Media Studies | Senior Theses

In the United States alone, 25% of children live with an alcoholic parent (Haverfield et al., 2016). While there is extensive research on the psychological impacts of growing up with an alcoholic parent, research focused on communication is slim. This paper seeks to examine the communication characteristics in adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) in three ways: (1) to determine how communication dynamics in alcoholic families are detrimental, (2) to determine the implications of these dynamics in adulthood, and (3) to determine how communication can be implemented as a solution for ACOAs. Several interviews were conducted on ACOAs based on those …

Compassionate Support Training For Adults Impacted By Mental Illness: A Workshop Series Using Transformative Learning Pedagogy, Lindsay Bennett

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This professional project aims to translate current compassion academic research and scholarship for my client partner, the Cache County chapter of NAMI, to aid the family members of loved ones who live with mental illness.

Laugh Until It’S No Longer A Scandal: The Use Of Humorous Apologia To Reframe Crisis Narratives On Saturday Night Live, Vanessa S. Hills

Masters Theses

This thesis examines the role of humor-based apologia as a crisis communication strategy for celebrities. Using a rhetorical method, it explicates the role that humor plays in shaping crisis narratives in response to kategoria within the context of Saturday Night Live. Four case study analyses determine whether the generic parameters of apologia include the use of a humor-based apologia or whether humorous apologiae should be classified as a unique subgenre. These findings further the body of research on apologia and highlight the need for additional research on the effectiveness of humor as a crisis communication strategy.

A Discourse Analysis Of Student-To-Student Conversations In A Secondary School Physical Science Laboratory Setting, Jennifer Faith Oramous

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative grounded theory study applies Discourse Analysis (DA) to focus on the student-to-student (SS) “productive conversation” occurring within groups engaged in several activities in a physical science laboratory with a goal to identify aspects and patterns of such conversation. In this study, Student-to-Student Productive Talk (SSPT) stated in relation to the accepted definitions of classroom productive talk. SSPT is on-topic discussion between students that meet the requirements of productive conversation such as visible thinking and argumentation. The form of analysis applied in this study was derived from Classroom Discourse Analysis by Cazden (2001), Gee (2014a; 2014b), and Rymes (2016). …

Jr. And Sr. High At-Risk Students Within Poverty: Formation Of The Mentor-Mentee Program In Addressing Their Needs, John J. Noggle

Doctor of Ministry Projects and Theses

In the Spring of 2015, I was driving toward Southwest Arkansas to my new appointment at Stamps First United Methodist Church. As I was driving further south on Highway 71, I began to notice how poverty-stricken South Arkansas was. Towns that were once the commercial service centers to their communities contained empty store buildings and little economic life. It was then that I knew that the majority of children in South Arkansas were At-Risk children in poverty. I felt a call in my Spirit to help those in need by developing a plan of action to help them in meeting …

Sex Differences In Communication During Times Of Conflict, Erin J. Snider

MSU Graduate Theses

Although current research indicates small effect sizes with sex differences in communication and some believe gender and culture to be the primary influence of conflict communication style, i.e., abstraction and perception, emotional talk, conflict management styles, capacity to empathize, and argumentativeness style, sex may be more responsible because of the biological properties of brain function and hormone effect. This research intends to compare male and female perceptual and behavioral reactions during communication in conflict. The measure of sex (i.e., the biological difference between men and women) in communication during conflict is used for this study. To ensure a homogeneous sample …

Leadership, Job Stress And Uncertainty Among Nurses During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Impacts And Implications In Lieu Of Pertinent Theoretical Constructs, Davis Woodson

Honors Theses

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on practicing nurses in the United States. The study considered the effect of communication, self-efficacy, intolerance to uncertainty, and life satisfaction on nurses’ job satisfaction; additionally, this study considered the extent to which nurses perceived organizational response efficacy was predicted by their perceptions of communication and perceived threat susceptibility. A total of 191 nurses participated in the online survey. The study revealed that life satisfaction was positively predicted by communication, self-efficacy, and life satisfaction in multiple regression analyses. Perceived communication positively predicted perceived organizational response efficacy …

Improving Therapeutic Communication In Mental Health Nursing: A Quality Improvement Project, Patricia A. Nill

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Over 46 million adults in the United States (U.S.) live with a mental illness. Locally in Nevada, the psychiatrist to patient ratio is approximately 700:1, and patients are seen primarily in the inpatient setting, if seen at all, due to the wait average of 85 hours in the hospital emergency rooms for access into mental health hospitals or specialty units of a general hospital. Moreover, costs for mental health mood disorders alone are estimated at over seven million dollars annually. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) opined the need for change in healthcare to redesign practice and clinical communication with patients …

The Use Of Narratives And Social Media In Arts & Culture Nonprofit Crisis Communication During Covid-19, Jordan Buuck

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted established communication practices for organizations across the globe. While much attention focused on the adaptability of large corporations, less attention has been paid to how nonprofit organizations have responded. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic was creating ripple effects in social service needs, nonprofit organizations that did not directly address public health still fulfilled urgent missions and needed to communicate their legitimacy to assist with community resilience efforts. This study discovered the roles narratives and social media played in nonprofit organizational crisis communication during the COVID-19 pandemic through interviews with 12 participants. Using situational crisis …

Bridging Barriers In Inclusive Classrooms: Avenues For Communication Between General Education Teachers And Families, Nicole M. Wack

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Family-teacher communications have proven beneficial for the academic, social and behavioral success of students at all levels. Research studies have specifically examined this dynamic as it relates to general education teachers and general education families, teachers and families at the primary level, and special education teachers and special education families. However, there is minimal research regarding communication strategies between families of students with disabilities (FSWDs) and general education teachers of inclusive classrooms (GETINs) at the high school level. In order to address this gap in the literature, this action research study investigated the following research questions: 1) To what extent …

Disruptive Communication Among The Interdisciplinary Team: Gaining Insight And Providing Nurse Education, Kristen Marie Anderson

Doctor of Nursing Practice Scholarly Project

The purpose of this study is to identify what types of disruptive behavior nurses are experiencing, discuss outcomes of disruptive behavior, and educate healthcare providers and administrators of disruptive communication. Understanding the consequences of disruptive communication can help educators articulate the need for training in conflict management and therapeutic communication methods. It can also aid healthcare providers to be more conscious of their behavior in the professional setting. Seven research questions related to communication were developed and analyzed in this study. The author developed a pre-education survey that included demographics, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions to assess the nurses' knowledge …

How Power Creates Alteration Among Communication For Members Within A Greek Letter Sorority, Kelsey M. Kopec

Honors Theses

This study aims to address whether or not communication is altered due to hierarchical or seniority status within an all-female base organization such as a sorority. Prior to doing this research, I predicted that the outcome would result in negative alterations within communication. Using a survey method, I was able to obtain 90 participants within female based, National Panhellenic sororities nationwide. Overall, I found that there was more of a positive shift in communication between members who are in power positions, to those that are not.

Perceptions Of Rural School Principals’ Experiences, Practices, And Understandings Of Conflict And Conflict Management, Tacy Kay Gamel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The rural school principalship provides unique challenges and great opportunities for conflict and conflict management. However, minimal research exists about the rural principalship or about rural principals’ conflict and conflict management. The purpose of this holistic, multiple case study was to examine rural principals’ perceptions and experiences with conflict and conflict management. Cases had to meet the criteria of the formal rural definition, and participants had to be the sole leader of their campuses. Each of the participants completed a questionnaire, an initial interview, and a follow-up interview. Data collection and analysis revealed the discord experienced by these principals based …

Shaped And Structured Fields For Underground Remote Sensing And Communication, Daniel Jerome Orfeo

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

There is an urgent and longstanding need for non-contact subsurface imaging for the detection and identification of buried objects. This dissertation investigates the use of specialized electromagnetic (EM) remote sensing techniques for the detection of subsurface objects with little or no metal content, such as utility pipes, landmines, and improvised explosive devices. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a well-established remote sensing technology with widespread use [58]; despite this, significant performance limitations remain. First, a high degree of sensitivity is necessary to detect and locate nonmetallic targets. Second, target geometries and congested target configurations are difficult to identify and resolve. Third, …

Motivational Interviewing: A Strategy To Improve Health Professional's Communication, Lanita James

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Miscommunication between patients and healthcare professionals is common in U.S. hospitals and is considered one of the chief factors in reduced patient satisfaction with care. Collaboration with the nurse researcher who reviewed the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems Survey (HCAHPS) data for a local hospital noted that negative ratings were directly related to the miscommunication between the patient and care providers. Further identified that the nursing staff was not knowledgeable about evidenced-based strategies needed to communicate effectively with the patients. The purpose of this DNP project was to develop an education program to increase nurses' knowledge about …

Exploring The Value Of Technology Within Cross-Departmental Communications, Brian J. Luckey

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

While many midsized businesses have invested in technology to support business operations, most have not realized the potential value of using technology to collaborate cross-departmentally. There is a lack of knowledge concerning strategies for using technology to facilitate effective organizational communications, which has resulted in operating technology investments being made without corresponding investments in communication technologies. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to fill the knowledge gap concerning the impact of technology for cross-departmental communications. The theoretical foundation for this study was based on systems theory, organizational theory, and stakeholder theory. The key research question involved the impact …

Communicating Organizational Vision And Values To A Multigenerational Workforce, Jose M. Peralta

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Differences in values, motives, and beliefs of members of a multigenerational workforce can negatively impact organizational sustainability. Business leaders who cannot communicate organizational vision and values to a multigenerational workforce risk reduced organizational sustainability. Grounded in generational cohort theory, communication accommodation theory, and organizational culture theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies that leaders of multigenerational workforces within the financial industry use to communicate organizational values and vision for a sustainable work environment. Participants comprised five financial organization leaders in New York City who successfully implemented communication strategies to communicate organizational vision and values for …

A Qualitative Phenomenological Study Exploring Aviation Communication Experiences Of North American Pilots, Sonia Fay Bush

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Human factors contribute to approximately 75% of aviation accidents. The lack of effective flight deck communication has caused numerous aviation accidents which has resulted in the loss of many human lives. The specific management problem was that standardized flight deck communication of airline pilots may not be sufficient to prevent aviation accidents. The focus of the study was the lived flight deck communication experiences of North American pilots. Using the Observer Model of Communicology formed the conceptual framework for this study, 15 participants were selected, using purposive sampling. Data collection was accomplished via one-on-one interviews. Coding and thematic analysis were …

The Role Of Leadership Communication Patterns On Organizational Effectiveness, Nidal Pascoe

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Abstract The communication patterns of leaders in the workplace are vital to ensuring productivity and meeting organizational mission and goals. The quality of workplace communication from the leaders impacts the perceptions of employees about the workplace and their ability to fulfill organizational missions and goals. Communication can be delivered through multiple technological means, in person, and in writing. Message delivery also can convey the tone of the sender. The purpose of this case study was to identify the communication patterns between the executive leaders and six of eight site leaders of a nonprofit counseling center focused on serving children and …