Digital Commons Network^™

Investigating The Role Video Game Players’ Supportive Communication Plays In Moderating The Effects Of Toxicity In Online Gaming, Duy Pham

Theses and Dissertations

Online video games are perceived as a hostile space that welcomes aggression and verbal abuse based on biological sex, gender, race, and sexual orientation. Therefore, video game players may choose to communicate in a supportive fashion toward other players or engage in toxic behaviors due to increased aggression and masculine norms. While scholars have been investigating supportive messages in a computer-mediated context, past research inquiries into supportive communication and video gaming have remained separate. The present study will connect these disparate lines of research. This study explores different levels of verbal person-centeredness (VPC) of support messages, combined with the sex …

“It Was Too Many People To Like: ” How Romantic Relationship Partners Of Bisexual Or Pansexual Individuals Express Jealousy, Emily Jae Mason

Theses and Dissertations

Jealousy expression has been the topic of academic research for several years. As reflected by their Communication Responses to Jealousy Scale, Guerrero et al. (2011) determined 11 communicative responses to jealousy that fell into four distinct categories. However, the study of jealousy expression has yet to be applied to several underrepresented identities. Utilizing queer theory, this study aimed to explore which communicative responses to jealousy bisexual and pansexual individuals report receiving in dyadic romantic relationships with a monosexist partner and whether they perceived these responses to be related to their gender identity or sexual orientation. An online questionnaire was completed …

Who Said It First? : Linguistic Appropriation Of Slang Terms Within The Popular Lexicon, Rachel Elizabeth Laing

Theses and Dissertations

Linguistic appropriation is an area of study that has been under-researched, even as it has become all the more relevant due to the rapid dissemination of slang and linguistic trends during the digital age. There are clear ties shown between individuals’ and groups’ identity and language. This study specifically examines the appropriation of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and LGBT language by creating an Acceptability of Appropriation scale and assessing potential relationships between linguistic appropriation, intercultural tolerance, and LGBT tolerance. These results are then examined through the lens of the communication theory of identity (CTI) and potential identity gaps that …

"I Thought That We Could Nurture The Nature Out Of Our Son": Making Meaning Of Parenting In The Narratives Of Parents Of Children In Residential Treatment, Jared V. Worwood

Theses and Dissertations

This study implements relational dialectics theory to explore the meaning of parenting from the perspective of parents who had enrolled a child in a residential treatment program. Contrapuntal analysis of six interviews revealed two discourses competing to make meaning of parenting. The Discourse of Demanding Parenting Ideals (DDPI) consisted of two themes: relentless sacrifice and complete responsibility, whereas themes of boundary-setting and acceptance compose the Discourse of Realistic Best Effort (DRBE). Discursive interplay between these discourses occurred in the forms of diachronic separation, synchronic interplay, and discursive transformation to make meaning of parenting and hold theoretical and practical implications.

Exceptional Paternal American Heroes Triumph Over Big Bad Terrorists ( Again ): The Storied Episodes Of Three Presidential Addresses Announcing The Elimination Of Another Middle Eastern Terrorist Threat, Maura Freeman

Theses and Dissertations

In 2001, the United States of America was the target of a vicious terrorist attack. In 2003, President George W. Bush announced that Americans were the mighty heroes responsible for capturing Saddam Hussein and bringing him to justice, even though Hussein was not the terrorist responsible for 9/11. Eight years later, President Barack Obama broke the news that Americans succeeded in assassinating Osama bin Laden, the true villain who orchestrated 9/11. One administration later, President Donald Trump proclaimed Americans had intervened to protect the world by eliminating another terrorist threat, Qasem Soleimani. I analyze these three presidential addresses as episodes …

Turning The Page: Using Foucauldian Rhetorical Criticism To Evaluate Literacy Center Communication, Sarah Monsma

Theses and Dissertations

Literacy, or the ability to read at or above a determined level, is an important and necessary skill. Many adult education programs exist to provide adults with specific educational resources. Literacy centers and programs contribute a vital resource to their respective communities, in helping adults who struggle with reading obtain their goals. In this thesis, I focused on the one such organization in particular, the Literacy Center of West Michigan. This organization utilizes regularly updated forms of online communication, including a News & Blog site on their website with 165 articles pertaining to the experiences of learners, background of staff …

Investigating The Role Video Game Players' Supportive Communication Plays In Moderating The Effects Of Toxicity In Online Gaming, Duy (Tyler) Pham

Theses and Dissertations

Video game players, especially women, find themselves victimized by verbal abuse and trash talk from their opponents in competitive online gaming. Therefore, video game players may choose to communicate in a supportive fashion toward other players or engage in toxic behaviors due to increased aggression and masculine norms. While scholars have been investigating supportive messages in a computer-mediated context, past research inquiries into supportive communication and video gaming have remained separate. The present study will connect these disparate lines of research. This study explores different levels of verbal person-centeredness (VPC) of support messages, combined with the sex of the message …

Professional Sport And Community Outreach: A Content Analysis Of Csr Messages Shared By Professional Team Sport Organizations On Twitter, Kelly E. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to understand the corporate social responsibility (CSR) topics shared by professional team sport organizations on their websites and on Twitter as well as fan responses to those CSR messages. A quantitative content analysis of individual tweets from 16 teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL posted from October 1-30, 2020 was conducted. Results indicate that CSR topic frequencies were significantly different both on webpages and on Twitter. Replies to CSR messages on Twitter were significantly different based on topic, and replies were largely neutral. There was no significant difference in reply valence to CSR tweets that …

“They're Issuing Edicts And Proclamations About Your Life, And You're Expected To Follow Those": Living Up To Communicated Parental Expectations About College, Anjali Patel

Theses and Dissertations

As emerging adults transition into adulthood, continued parental involvement and shared messages from parent to child creates a context ripe for research. Unrealistic and demanding messages about expectations from parent to emerging college student have the potential to harm the college students’ perceptions of their own college experiences. While research into the positive impacts of parental involvement has exemplified many constructive outcomes for the emerging adult, little research has discussed how parental overinvolvement, overparenting, and control may lead to parental messages about expectations for emerging adulthoods in their college years that may alter the students’ college experiences and perceptions of …

Lost In Translation: South Asian Muslim Women's Interpretation Of Religious Gender Role Expectations, Women's Agency, And Women's Identity, Tamanna Tasmin

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates South Asian Muslim women’s interpretation of religious scripture and the women’s agency to influence the contemporary patriarchal religious culture. Previous research indicates that the religious customs of the region follow traditional orthodox Islamic scripture that promotes patriarchal practices, yielding barriers for women in the family, education, and professional sectors. Based on an understanding of the religious education system, the history of traditional orthodox Islamic practice, and traditional gender role expectations of the region, I use structuration theory to understand South Asian Muslim women’s identity negotiation and the agency they perceive regarding their ability to influence the society. …

Investigating Family Communication Patterns And Parent-Child Relationships In Homeschooling Experiences, Victoria Eleanor Padilla

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to collect quantitative data from children and parents regarding their homeschool experiences. Data is explored through the lens of instructional communication, family communication, parent-child relational satisfaction, and parent-child closeness. The present study examined the connections between education and family when learning takes place at home. Findings and recommendations for future research are discussed that explain the relationship between parents and children after homeschooling has ended.

Social Media Rumination: The Impact Of Materialistic Value Orientation, Keeley Hynes

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research demonstrates that ruminating on social media content is associated with greater mental distress (Yang, Holden, Carter, & Webb, 2018). However, it is unclear what factors are associated with rumination. Using Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as a theoretical framework, this study examined how materialistic value orientation (MVO) predicted social media rumination in a sample of racially and socioeconomically diverse high school students at two waves of time. Those who are more materialistic value the means by which to gain possessions, and extrinsic life-goals associated with MVO are aimed at garnering external reinforcers such as money and social status (Richins & …

Collaboration In The Technical Communication Classroom: Negotiating Team Contracts In A Pwi, Alyssa Herman

Theses and Dissertations

As TPC teacher-scholars, we must acknowledge the overwhelming Whiteness of our field and the racism, ableism, and sexism inherent in our institutions. We must actively work toward inclusivity and socially just collaborations in our classrooms by encouraging dominant-identified students to confront their privileges and implicit biases in order to better engage with historically marginalized students. With that said, this thesis examines how teacher-scholars might take up a cultural-rhetorical approach to teaching TPC and how we might negotiate team contracts in PWIs. Firmly situated within the social justice turn, Herman draws from both feminist disability theory and critical race theory to …

“When Two Elephants Fight, It’S The Ground That Suffers ”: A Neo- Marxist Rhetorical Deconstruction Of The United States’ Rhetoric Of Power In Resistance To United Nations Treaties, Divine Narkotey Aboagye

Theses and Dissertations

In this thesis, I present a Gramscian rhetorical reading of American antagonism to the International Criminal Court, a crucial agency of the UN. I probed the rhetoric of power in resistance concerning the discourse of international treaties by showing how both the United States and the United Nations have become global hegemons. From the foregoing, I uncover American resistance to the constitutive force of United Nations treaties by paying attention to post-Cold War American presidents. By using a neo-Marxist lens and analyzing a key foreign policy accord – the International Criminal Court – that spans the presidencies of Clinton, Bush, …

The Influence Of Instructor Mental Illness Disclosure On The Perceptions Of Mental Illness, Classroom Climate, Teacher Credibility, Homophily, And Social Attraction, Kirsten L. Bridgemen

Theses and Dissertations

This study uses the lens of Communication Privacy Management theory to analyze the impact an instructor’s depth of disclosure of their mental illness can have on mental illness stigmatization, classroom climate, as well as teacher credibility, homophily, and social attraction. Participants responded to a series of quantitative-based questions regarding a hypothetical syllabus with varied levels of a teacher disclosing their mental illness. Results indicated that none of the investigated dependent variables were negatively affected by the hypothetical instructor’s disclosure, and mental illness stigmatization was lessened. Implications, limitations, and areas for future research are discussed.

Applying Psychological Reactance Theory To Intercultural Communication In The Workplace: Dealing With Technological Change And Tolerance For Ambiguity, Oumaima Boulhna

Theses and Dissertations

Psychological reactance theory has yet to be applied to intercultural and cross-cultural communication, at least not to a sufficient extent. This study conducted a cross-cultural examination of psychological reactance in intercultural workplace communication situations. Using the theoretical framework of psychological reactance as well as the constructs of intercultural sensitivity and tolerance for ambiguity, this study expanded applications of PRT for technological change messages in the workplace. The present study extended the previous applications of psychological reactance theory and found a significant cross-cultural variation for trait reactance. The results also revealed that tolerance for ambiguity was negatively related to trait reactance, …

Netflix And Kill: A Framing And Uses And Gratifications Comparative Analysis Of Serial Killer Representations In The Media, Mallorie Margaret Latora

Theses and Dissertations

Serial murder is tightly woven in the foundation of American history, and as such, so has serial murder been a plotline in American media. Throughout time, there have been books, television shows, films, and podcasts that both entertain and inform media consumers about the heinous crimes committed by serial killers. Even when known for violently murdering multiple victims, serial killers have an allure that takes their status from death row inmate to a celebrity in their own right. The popularity of the serial killer genre of media calls for an analysis of the representation of serial killers in the media, …

Yay Or Nay? A Media Analysis Of How Deception Is Utilized As A Leadership Tactic In The Television Show Sons Of Anarchy, Bruce T. Lanigan

Theses and Dissertations

Deception is a tactic that is seen by individuals on a daily basis. One of the places most people endure deception is in the workplace. This thesis analyzes how leaders utilize deception in the workplace through the television show Sons of Anarchy. Throughout the show, both transformational and transactional leadership styles are present. Various story arcs portraying deceptive actions will be analyzed through the lenses of leader-member exchange theory and interpersonal deception theory. This thesis reveals that transformational leaders utilize deception more effectively, while transactional leaders use deceptive measures more frequently.

"Do N'T Stop Believin'"In A Pair Of Socks: How The Sopranos Shapes Our Understanding Of Mental Illness, Adam Richard Brockman

Theses and Dissertations

This study rhetorically analyzed the final season of The Sopranos for its argument about

the nature of psychological depression in several contexts and forms. Consisting of nine

episodes, the final season of the series features pivotal moments in which characters confront the

sources of their depression and respond to them in a variety of ways. The study used both an

intertextual analysis and Burkean frames to provide insight into how the final season argues one

might overcome various forms of depression. It specifically considered depression related to

one’s family experiences, their existential concerns regarding death and spirituality, and their

indulgence …

"But We Can Be Friends": An Analysis Of Turning Points In Platonic Friendships Among Former Significant Others, Desiree Hernandez

Theses and Dissertations

This study aims to understand the patterns of post-dissolution communication. Specifically, the purpose of this qualitative analysis was to describe the functions of turning points individuals experienced in a platonic friendship with an ex-romantic partner. Three themes emerged from 13 in-depth interviews: framing distance as reparative, redefining boundaries, and providing ongoing support. The results provide initial insight into what turning points individuals experience during post-dissolution communication.

Increasing Engagement With Student Government Associations: An Examination Of Student Publics, Viraj Patel

Theses and Dissertations

Student Government Associations (SGAs) are campus organizations comprised of student leaders which advocate on behalf of the student population. Participation in SGAs have proven academic, professional, and social benefits, yet the engagement in the organization has declined. This study employs Daft and Lengel’s (1986) Media Richness Theory to examine if different media affect the composition of student publics. These publics are defined using Grunig’s (1979) Situational Theory of Publics (STP). Additionally, the impact of self-efficacy, response efficacy, and perceptions of social norms on the variables in STP is also examined.

"It Does N'T Seem Like A Big Deal": A Media Ecology Analysis Of Digital Teen Sexuality And Sexting Education, Allison Marie Metz

Theses and Dissertations

In the state of Illinois, any person in possession of sexually explicit photos of a minor, even if the subject is oneself, can be prosecuted as a felon for possession of child pornography and be required to registered as a sex-offender (705 ILCS § 405). Concurrently, the recent trend of ‘send nudes’ depicts humorous ways to request the transmission of sexually explicit photos, increasing this act as a normative practice for young people (Bradford, 2018; Thomas, 2017). This trend is incongruent with Illinois statue (705 ILCS § 405) and school administrative policy about transmitting sexually explicit photos of a minor. …

No “Me ” Before The Nation: Portrayal Of Nationalism And Religious Identities In Bollywood Movies Created During Modi-Era, Misha Khan

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzed three Bollywood films, Raazi, PM Narendra Modi, and Gully Boy, that were released during the administration of the current Prime Minister of India, PM Narendra Modi. The research questions focused on the portrayal of nationalism and religious identities in the analyzed films. The recurring theme in all three films remained to be nationalism However, drawing on the past research, this study found an existing intertwined relationship between the portrayed nationalism and religious identities. Other central themes in the films included patriarchy, the notion of Othering, and class hegemony. This study draws added implications through its results and …

The Polite Abuser: Using Politeness Theory To Examine Emotional Abuse, Cimmiaron Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations

Over the last few decades more and more cultural attention has been paid to intimate partner violence, especially emotional abuse. Follingstad, Rutledge, Berg, Hause, and Polek (1990) established that emotional abuse fell into six distinct categories, however, little attention had been paid to how abusers can utilize polite communication to hurt their partner. Equally, Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory (1987) had never been applied to problematic communication (Austin, 1990). This study aimed to understand how polite communication can be used as a form of emotional abuse. In-depth, semi structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants who self-identified as having been …

Perceptions Of Outreach, Theory, And Practice At Centers For Teaching And Learning, Samantha Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines Centers for Teaching and Learning (CTLs) and how they are perceived by the instructors and employees who work in higher education. CTLs focus on accessing and assessing faculty and staff while creating programs and research which offers insight into the faculty, instructional, and organizational needs of an institution. The needs that CTLs focus on include the professional, educational, instructional, and, sometimes, personal development of employees. Yet, the theories and practices which drive the research of educational development—specifically CTLs—are fragmented due to the interdisciplinary nature, vast scope, and practical-focus of directors and researchers.

This study builds upon previous …

A Resistance In Red: Ideographs In The Handmaid's Tale, Jessica Marie Wozniak

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the first season of the television show The Handmaid’s Tale, in order to better understand why the program has resonated in this historical moment to the extent that political activists use costumes from the show in their protests. I applied McGee’s (1980) ideograph theory in combination with a feminist lens to identify and explore five prominent symbols in the show. One ideograph in particular, , is especially dynamic in that it transforms from a marker of oppression to one of solidarity. I argue that the ideographs, which are highly gendered and mainly visual in nature, give The …

“There’S Something That I Want You To Know ”: An Analysis Of Coming Out Videos In Relation To Community Building And Co-Cultural Theory, Franklin J. Kimmell

Theses and Dissertations

There has been no previous research analyzing coming out videos published to YouTube

by content creators in relation to discourse dependency, online community building, and co- cultural theory. Galvin’s (2006) discourse dependent communication has been used in family communication research to examine how non-normative families have to use communication to prove their identity as a family unit. Orbe’s (1998) co-cultural theory is used to study interactions between members of the dominant culture and members of co-cultures, specifically looking at the strategic ways in which members of co-cultures communicate with dominant group

members. In this study, I aimed to analyze how …

Toward A Theory Of Procedural Rhetorical Systems: Demonstrations Of Player Agency In Uptake Of Rules In Video Games, Sydney A. Klem

Theses and Dissertations

This paper expands Ian Bogost’s (2007) procedural rhetoric by broadening the rhetorical view of games to encompass the arguments that they make not just about the material, but about themselves. The theory of procedural rhetorical systems (PRSes) views game systems as arguing toward how players should be following their rules, and like in any form of rhetoric, players possess agency in how they take up these arguments and how closely they follow rules. To demonstrate this, this paper analyzes a specific game, the 1996 platformer Super Mario 64, alongside various digital artifacts demonstrating how players have taken it up, including …

Let’S Be Perfectly Clear About Ambiguity: Exploring Instructor Use Of Strategic Ambiguity To Enhance Student Work And Learning Outcomes, Anna M. Wright

Theses and Dissertations

Instructors often desire to be clear in their teaching. However, a new area of research raises the possibility that instructors can use ambiguity strategically in courses and assignments to foster improved learning outcomes in students. This study uses quantitative research methods to explore how student characteristics affect learning outcomes when presented with varying levels of instructor messaging regarding clear and ambiguous assignments. Specifically, the measured student’s tolerance for ambiguity, mindset, as well as learning orientation and grade orientation as well as the impact instructor messaging regarding assignments has on student’s learner empowerment and affective learning. Findings suggest that instructor messaging …

Examining The Relationship Between Media Consumption And Kenya's Political Culture, Gilbert Kipkoech

Theses and Dissertations

Using data collected from 206 participants, this country-specific study examines the relationship between media consumption and Kenya’s political culture. Political scientists and communicators contend that political culture encompasses several aspects. In this study, only four aspects of a country’s political orientations (culture) and its relationship with the media are examined (a) Political participation, (b) political trust, (c) patriotism, and (d) inter-ethnic attitudes. Drawing on past research, the study establishes a link between media use and political attitudes and behaviors of the Kenyan people, operationalized in the study as the political culture. While the literature is divided on whether the media …