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"We Give Them The Most Important Thing Possible. We Give Their Dreary Lives Excitement”: Toward A Theoretical Model Of Narrative Parasocial Engagement, Dominic Delbert Meyers
"We Give Them The Most Important Thing Possible. We Give Their Dreary Lives Excitement”: Toward A Theoretical Model Of Narrative Parasocial Engagement, Dominic Delbert Meyers
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Video game narratives and characters are some of the most enjoyable and persuasive components of the video game industry. While narratives and character relationships within video games have been examined separately, there is no working model and little research attempting to bridge the connection between narratives and character relationships. This research combines Narrative Paradigm Theory and Parasocial Relationships to understand how narratives and character relationships influence each other in video game environments. This was done through rhetorical field methods, utilizing a focus group and narrative rhetorical analysis on the transcript of the focus group. Results provide a working model coined …
Theoretical Motivations For Posting In #Metoo, Shannon Pappas
Theoretical Motivations For Posting In #Metoo, Shannon Pappas
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In 2017, actress Alyssa Milano shared a tweet encouraging survivors of gendered violence to write “me too.” A media storm ensued as survivors answered her call in the millions. Anyone can look back at what survivors posted during the height of #MeToo, but we still don’t know why they felt the need to post in the first place. To answer this question, the social identity model of deindividuation effects and spiral of silence were utilized. The social identification, perceived anonymity affordances, and willingness to self-censor scales were used for this research, along with a perceived deindividuation scale that was created …
Fighting For What Is Right: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Fan Campaign To Save Anne With An E From Cancellation, Marie E. Anderson
Fighting For What Is Right: A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Fan Campaign To Save Anne With An E From Cancellation, Marie E. Anderson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The Anne with an E fan campaign highlighted storylines of social issues that fans felt were important for society. Of particular interest to the fan community was a storyline from the series in which Anne and her friends organized a protest following incidents of sexual assault and censorship aimed at silencing girls from speaking out on gendered issues. This storyline was heavily referenced in the billboards that the fan-based campaign displayed in Toronto and New York City (Anne Nation, 2020). In this analysis, I used fantasy theme analysis (Bormann, 1972) and metaphorical criticism (Osborn, 2018) to conduct a visual and …
Identity Negotiations In Family Relationships: Discussing Substance Use Disorder Through The Communication Theory Of Identity, Sarah-Michele Q. Weaver
Identity Negotiations In Family Relationships: Discussing Substance Use Disorder Through The Communication Theory Of Identity, Sarah-Michele Q. Weaver
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Guided by the communication theory of identity (CTI), the current study explores identity negotiations among family members who have experience with substance use disorder. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 participants. Personalenacted, enacted-relational, and personal-relational identity gaps guide the scope and use of CTI. Findings mirrored 3 major themes in consideration of these identity gaps: (1) participants embraced or rejected SUD as a central aspect of personal identity, (2) participants experienced turbulence in relational identities due to SUD, and (3) personalrelational identity gaps and alignment surface in multiple contexts where interpersonal communication occurs.
Disclosing For Closure: Negotiating Boundaries For Self-Expansion After Violence, Jadah M. Morrison
Disclosing For Closure: Negotiating Boundaries For Self-Expansion After Violence, Jadah M. Morrison
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The #MeToo movement has brought the narratives of survivors of sexual assault center stage. As we begin to understand the intricacies of these narratives, we must remember them in their first iteration, their initial disclosure. This study aims to understand the motivations behind the first disclosure of sexual violence. Through looking at these motivations through the lens of self-expansion theory, we can better support survivors of sexual violence in this initial process. Self-discrepancy theory was also used to understand survivors’ sense of self, and the motivations of how survivors seek refuge in their receiver. Thus, privacy management lends itself to …
An Examination Of Trust In News Mediums By College Students: A Comparison Of Egypt And The Usa, Karim Soliman
An Examination Of Trust In News Mediums By College Students: A Comparison Of Egypt And The Usa, Karim Soliman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Polls have shown a decline in trust in the USA when it comes to trust in Media. This study looks at if trust in news mediums really does matter. The study also compares a sample from USA to Egypt. The study finds that American college students have more trust in traditional news media but use it less than newer forms such as social media. The Egyptian sample has high trust in social media and low trust in traditional news media that are normally under the influence of the Egyptian government. The frame works used are the uses and gratification theory, …
The Impact Of Facebook Affordances On Doomscrolling Behaviors During The Relational Dissolution Process, Emma Williams
The Impact Of Facebook Affordances On Doomscrolling Behaviors During The Relational Dissolution Process, Emma Williams
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
The affordances provided by social networking sites (SNSs) impact how different social media platforms are used. Facebook has unique affordances such as ease of use, community, information seeking, escapism, and common interests that impact Facebook use. Interpersonal electronic surveillance, categorized as doomscrolling for this study, is a behavior of continuous scrolling and consumption of negative content. Facebook affordances, paired with digital artifacts from terminated relationships, create an environment for doomscrolling (IES) behavior. Building off of the “grave-dressing” and “resurrection” stages of relational dissolution, I examined the relationships of these Facebook affordances with doomscrolling (IES) behaviors through an online survey (N …
Veracious Verdicts: An Expansion Of Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory In Jury Decision-Making Using Attribution Theory, Jade E. Larson
Veracious Verdicts: An Expansion Of Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory In Jury Decision-Making Using Attribution Theory, Jade E. Larson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As a pillar in our judicial system, the courts utilize almost ten million citizens each year for jury service. As a result, the courts are faced with issues of inconsistency and unpredictability. This study aims to examine some factors that significantly influence jury decision-making by investigating cognitive experiential self-theory (CEST) as a jury decision-making model, unified with attribution theory to better predict verdict outcomes. An online survey was distributed to 121 participants. The respondents were asked to read a civil trial case presentation; they were then randomly divided into two conditions (high and low unrelated detail eyewitness testimony). The testimonies …
Encroachment: College Athletes’ Experiences With Identity Development As Affected By Media Representations Of Social Justice Demonstrations, Madison Remi Vanwalleghen
Encroachment: College Athletes’ Experiences With Identity Development As Affected By Media Representations Of Social Justice Demonstrations, Madison Remi Vanwalleghen
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study was conducted to understand how communication and identity are experienced by Black university athletes in asking about their experiences and how they gauge mainstream media portrayals of Black NFL athletes making verbal or physical statements about or in protest of social injustice, racism, and inequality in America. I interviewed five university athletes identifying as Black/African American or Mixed- Race using media representations of Black NFL athletes’ protests since the NFL has dominated mainstream media headlines regarding recent athletes’ protests, especially in connection to the Black Lives Matter social movement. I also used several theories to interpret the data …
"It's None Of Your Damn Business" : Communication Among Newlyweds Regarding Family Expansion Preferences, Kiersten Koehler
"It's None Of Your Damn Business" : Communication Among Newlyweds Regarding Family Expansion Preferences, Kiersten Koehler
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As newlyweds begin their new adventure as a married couple, the discussion of family expansion is inevitable. This thesis seeks to understand how newlyweds discuss their plans for family expansion among each other and to others by applying the theory of communication privacy management. Ten newlywed couples were interviewed regarding their experiences navigating the topic of family expansion and reproduction. Specifically, the couples were asked about preferences for privacy and control, and what expectations the couples have when disclosing information about their preferences for family expansion. The data demonstrated that communication privacy management may not look the same among each …
Examining Communication Patterns And Identity In Families With Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Amber L. Alvey
Examining Communication Patterns And Identity In Families With Children Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Amber L. Alvey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
“Deafness in the context of the hearing family attacks the backbone of the family structure, namely communication” (Ahlert & Greeff, 2012, p. 402). There is a link between communication and identity, specifically the role of communication on identity (Jung & Hecht, 2004). The purpose of this study is to better understand the experiences of families with children who are deaf or hard of hearing by investigating the relationship between family communication patterns and identity. In this study, I conducted in-depth interviews with the parents of children who are hard of hearing to investigate family communication patterns and identity. Using Family …
The Generation Z Handbook: A Grounded Theory Approach To Motivation In The Workplace, Justin Mahutga
The Generation Z Handbook: A Grounded Theory Approach To Motivation In The Workplace, Justin Mahutga
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organizations must develop human capital to remain competitive in today’s economic landscape (Crook, Todd, Combs, Woehr, & Ketchen, 2011; Noe, 2017). Motivation is one aspect of human capital development that organizational research has difficulty understanding (Kovach, 1980), and given the recent introduction of Generation Z into the workforce (Ferri-Reed, 2016), this thesis seeks to understand the process of organizational motivation for Generation Z from a communication perspective. By applying grounded theory methods to 13 interviews, I illustrate several exploratory relationships within an emergent framework to describe the process of motivation for Generation Z participants. Primarily, subjects demonstrate that through the …
Make The Inaugural Great Again: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Donald J. Trump’S Inaugural Address, Danielle F. Dickerson
Make The Inaugural Great Again: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Donald J. Trump’S Inaugural Address, Danielle F. Dickerson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis, I utilized three distinct theories (ideographs, dramatism, and the bully pulpit) to rhetorically analyze and assess President Trump’s 2017 inaugural address. Ultimately, I analyzed whether Trump deviated from Campbell and Jamieson’s (1985) presidential inaugural expectations. While the presidential inaugural address was the only text analyzed, implications were drawn from Trump’s rhetoric leading up to and within the inaugural. This thesis also analyzed Trump’s rhetoric through social media, specifically Twitter, and looked at the context surrounding the inaugural. I suggest, through my research, that Trump does deviate from the traditional framework of the inaugural address, and ultimately modernized …
Undoing Gender: An Analysis Of How Women Communicate Within The Agricultural Industry, Shala R. Larson
Undoing Gender: An Analysis Of How Women Communicate Within The Agricultural Industry, Shala R. Larson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In recent history, women have entered more business-like positions in the agricultural industry. This thesis seeks to understand how women in agriculture describe their workplace communication and whether they feel they are part of a muted group. Twelve women were interviewed regarding their experiences as women in agriculture and were asked whether they feel valued in their positions and how they communicate with their male co-workers. Specifically, interviewees were asked if they ever felt the need to alter their communication to complement, emulate, or otherwise adjust to masculine communication styles. The majority of women interviewed reported having to strategically choose …
Our Stigmatized American Heroes: Examining How Veterans With Ptsd Communicatively Manage Stigma, Rikki A. Roscoe
Our Stigmatized American Heroes: Examining How Veterans With Ptsd Communicatively Manage Stigma, Rikki A. Roscoe
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Mental health conditions are arguably the most prominent disabling medical condition that military service members endure. Veterans with combat-related PTSD often refrain from seeking mental health treatment due to the stigma attached. Concealing PTSD or attempting to cope without professional help can lead to extreme and lifethreatening consequences including depression, substance abuse, and suicide. Attaining a better understanding of stigma management strategies is important because it has the ability to help veterans better manage stigma in the future. Thus, the current study uses stigma management communication theory (Meisenbach, 2010) to uncover the ways in which veterans with PTSD communicatively manage …
#Rest In Digital Peace: Examining Attachment Dimensions' Relationship To Grief Messages On Facebook, Kendall Uhrich
#Rest In Digital Peace: Examining Attachment Dimensions' Relationship To Grief Messages On Facebook, Kendall Uhrich
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Grief is a natural reaction to loss that can include behaviors and thoughts that are emotional, physical, and spiritual (DeSpelder & Strickland, 2015). With the rise of social media, grief is now performed in a different and more public manner. The current literature has established the connection between how one grieves and their attachment dimension of either attachment anxiety or attachment avoidance (Bowlby, 1980; Schenck, Eberle, & Rings, 2016; Waskowic & Chartier, 2003; Worden, 1983). Attachment dimensions have also been correlated with social media usage, primarily the use of Facebook (Hart, Nalling, Bizer, & Collins, 2015; Lin, 2015). Findings from …
Assessment Of The Impacts Of Marijuana Legalization In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Michael Lynch
Assessment Of The Impacts Of Marijuana Legalization In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Michael Lynch
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
As marijuana legalization expands in the United States, communities that are shifting rapidly from prohibition to legalization are impacted greatly. As South Dakota remains one of the only states in the nation that has not engaged the marijuana reform movement in any manner, it is vital to assess potential impacts marijuana legalization might have on the state. Although there are several marijuana impact reports that analyze potential health and economic impacts of legalization, few address political and criminological implications that impacted areas undergo as a result of this policy change. Subsequently, there is a need to analyze the impacts of …
Framed By Sexuality: An Examination Of Identity-Messages In “Purity Culture” Reflections, Ashley Pikel
Framed By Sexuality: An Examination Of Identity-Messages In “Purity Culture” Reflections, Ashley Pikel
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Purity culture is a movement many young Evangelical Christians experienced in the 1990s and early 2000s. Purity culture espouses many values including practicing abstinence until marriage, observing strict dating and/or courtship rules, and remaining physically, emotionally, and spiritually pure. In 1997 Joshua Harris authored I Kissed Dating Goodbye (IKDG) which popularized purity culture principles. Over the past twenty years, Harris reflected on his writings as well as feedback from others to determine that some of what he wrote was incorrect. In 2016, Harris requested IKDG readers to submit their experiences with the book in the form of personal stories. Through …
"I Don't Want To Hear About Your Dick": Communicatively Managing Stigma Surrounding Foreskin Restoration, Joshua Hartelt
"I Don't Want To Hear About Your Dick": Communicatively Managing Stigma Surrounding Foreskin Restoration, Joshua Hartelt
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Goffman (1963) defined stigma as an individual being unable to receive social acceptance because of a specific characteristic by being marked based on a characteristic, which can visible or invisible. This study examined how men undergoing foreskin restoration communicatively manage the stigma associated with restoring their foreskin. Through 13 interviews, I was able to thematically code using Meisenbach’s (2010) stigma management communication typology which served as an excellent theoretical fit. My results suggest that men undergoing foreskin restoration deploy several sub-strategies to manage stigma, as well as utilize multiple strategies simultaneously. Furthermore, my results indicate the possibility of new stigma …
No “I” In Team: A Sport Communication Ethnography Of Cohesion And Leadership Of A Collegiate Track And Field Team, Dean Stier
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Based on an ethnographic method of observation and ethnographic interviews, this study examined naturally-occurring nonverbal communication and sport communication of a collegiate track and field team. The researcher conducted twentyfour hours of observations and ethnographic interviews with seven research participants (n=7). These approaches provided insight into communicative characteristics of cohesion and leadership, two main conditions of the groupthink theory. An analysis of the observational field notes and ethnographic interviews mostly supported prior research on cohesion and leadership. However, emergent themes are offered, which provide insight into gender communication, sport communication, and small group communication within this setting. A discussion of …
Funny In A Man's World: Women Comedians' Use Of Political Satire At The White House Correspondents' Dinner, Jessica M. Peterson
Funny In A Man's World: Women Comedians' Use Of Political Satire At The White House Correspondents' Dinner, Jessica M. Peterson
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Satire and politics are typically considered masculine fields within the societal constructs of the United States. Wanda Sykes and Cecily Strong both navigate these male-dominated worlds with their addresses at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This analysis views these addresses through three rhetorical lenses: feminist standpoint theory, rhetorical citizenship, and rhetorical and political agency. This study explores the way women’s issues in society exposed to various audiences through Sykes’ and Strong’s satirical addresses. Communication scholars have not previously considered both of these addresses; this analysis furthers our understanding of feminist viewpoints being shared to audiences and encouraging audiences to take …
The Syrian Refugee Crisis: A Rhetorical Analysis Of President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, And President Donald J. Trump’S Political Discourse About Syrian Refugees, Erin Lionberger
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
In this thesis, I introduce the reader to sixteen texts of political discourse about Syrian refugees from three rhetors; President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and President Donald J. Trump. As the Syrian refugee crisis continues to grow, political leaders and citizens around the world debate the appropriate way to provide aid to those fleeing Syria. I rhetorically analyze multiple texts from each of these politicians’ and their use of framing, ideographs and metaphors within their political discourse. In my research, I suggest that the framing language used by each rhetor about Syrian refugees has varying impacts on the audience. The …
Exploring The Relationship Between Immediacy Behaviors And Student Motivation In Engineering Classrooms: Immediacy As A Cause Of Motivation, Andrea N. Barahona Guerrero
Exploring The Relationship Between Immediacy Behaviors And Student Motivation In Engineering Classrooms: Immediacy As A Cause Of Motivation, Andrea N. Barahona Guerrero
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Instructor immediacy is an essential characteristic of effective instructors. Although instructional communication has done extensive research on the impact of immediacy behaviors on students, there is little available research observing immediacy behaviors as predictors of motivation on engineering students. As a result, this study examined the impact of engineering instructors’ use of immediacy behaviors on engineering students’ motivation. The results indicated that verbal immediacy predicted engineering student motivation. The thematic analysis revealed that when students perceived their instructors as helpful, students’ motivation to learn and ask more questions increased. The thematic analysis also observed that when instructors seemed unapproachable, students …
Graduate School Decisions: The Impact Of Out-Of-Class Communication On First-Generation College Students, Kaitlyn Voges
Graduate School Decisions: The Impact Of Out-Of-Class Communication On First-Generation College Students, Kaitlyn Voges
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
First-generation college students possess barriers within academics that may be unique to the population. This thesis seeks to understand how instructors and advisors can use the memorable messages framework to encourage first-generation college students to attend graduate school despite barriers the students may possess. Thirteen first-generation college/graduate students were interviewed regarding their decisions to attend graduate school. Specifically, interviewees were asked if they received memorable messages from an outside source which encouraged them to pursue a master’s degree. A majority of participants stated they had received a particular message from either an instructor or academic advisor. These messages tended to …
Do College Students Perceive Stigma The Same Way Experts Do? An Experimental Test Of Lay Perceptions Of Body-Size Stigma, Andie Malterud
Do College Students Perceive Stigma The Same Way Experts Do? An Experimental Test Of Lay Perceptions Of Body-Size Stigma, Andie Malterud
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Personal experience with weight-based stigma is negatively associated with selfesteem (Myers & Rosen, 1999). This study examined how self-esteem is affected by exposure to weight-based stigma communication that is directed at another person. Using Smith’s (2007a) stigma communication framework, I created a 2 (Stigma Level: high, low) x 2 (Gender of stigmatized person: male, female) x 2 (Body Size of stigmatized person: large, small) posttest-only experiment. Participants’ self-esteem was not impacted after viewing stigmatizing messages directed at another person. This suggests that selfesteem is more stable than some researchers indicate (Wagner, Lüdtke, and Trautwein, 2016). My results suggest that stigma …
Account Service And Creative Personnel: Interpersonal Conflict And Dialectical Tensions In Advertising Agencies, Ashley Phillips
Account Service And Creative Personnel: Interpersonal Conflict And Dialectical Tensions In Advertising Agencies, Ashley Phillips
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Account service and creative personnel have oppositional perspectives and motivations that often lead to interpersonal conflicts while working together on client projects. The purpose of this study was to explore the nature of interpersonal conflicts in advertising agencies. The researcher used relational dialectics theory as a lens for analyzing the dialectical (i.e., oppositional) tensions experienced by account service and creative personnel as well as the praxis patterns (i.e., techniques) used to manage those tensions. After conducting in-depth interviews with five account service and five creative personnel (N = 10) from full service advertising agencies in the Midwest, an analysis revealed …
Cliteracy And Justice For All : A Critical Rhetorical Analysis Of Sophia Wallace’S Cliteracy Campaign, Vanessa Condon
Cliteracy And Justice For All : A Critical Rhetorical Analysis Of Sophia Wallace’S Cliteracy Campaign, Vanessa Condon
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Female sexuality is constantly restricted in public discourse in the United States. To combat this, Sophia Wallace created the Cliteracy campaign: a project that sought to challenge the stigmatization of female genitals. Wallace’s attempt to create a new language regarding female sex and sexuality revealed critical implications for how we discuss sex in American culture. For an in depth analysis, I utilized feminist, materialist, and social movement rhetorical lenses. This study revealed that while text is viewed as an objective mode of communication, however, it is ingrained with hierarchical societal constraints. Moreover, Wallace’s rhetoric suggested that a god term is …
The Relationship Between Nonverbal Immediacy And Therapeutic Alliance In Higher Education Client-Counselor Interactions, Valerie Kleinjan
The Relationship Between Nonverbal Immediacy And Therapeutic Alliance In Higher Education Client-Counselor Interactions, Valerie Kleinjan
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Communication is essential to a successful patient-provider interaction. Within health communication literature, a substantial body of research has focused on verbal communication; however, few studies have fully dedicated to nonverbal communication research. The study examined the relationship between perceptions of client nonverbal immediacy and ratings of the therapeutic alliance. Additionally, the study provided an analysis comparing counselor and client ratings of both client nonverbal immediacy and the therapeutic alliance. Results indicated a significant relationship between counselor ratings of client nonverbal immediacy and counselor ratings of the therapeutic alliance. Counselors and clients also rated client nonverbal immediacy similarly, indicating that the …
Cultural Fit Wanted: A Content Analysis Of Human Resource Generalist Job Advertisements, Kelli J. Chromey
Cultural Fit Wanted: A Content Analysis Of Human Resource Generalist Job Advertisements, Kelli J. Chromey
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This content analytic study explored organizational anticipatory socialization through job advertisements. Human Resource (HR) Generalist positions (n = 100) listed on the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) website between November 6, 2012, and January 28, 2013 were analyzed through seven quantitative categories (organizational goals, HR job descriptions, job skills and abilities, communication skills, website, mission/values, and word count/reading level). Results indicated that these listings generally included information such as company name and location, but rarely revealed organizational goals, missions and values. The addition or absence of a website, along with readability and word count were also included. Implications included …
Gender Portrayal In J.K. Rowling's “Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix”: A Feminist Rhetorical Criticism, Nicole Ackman
Gender Portrayal In J.K. Rowling's “Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix”: A Feminist Rhetorical Criticism, Nicole Ackman
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This study examined J.K. Rowling’s (2003) novel entitled, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Although this novel has not yet been classified as a fairy tale, it does contain fairy tale elements. This study reviewed literature in the field of folklore, fairy tales, and feminism. Foss’ (2004) four-step feminist criticism model was employed to analyze gender portrayals in the novel. According to Foss’ model, the novel was analyzed for masculine or feminine perspectives of the world, effects on the audience, improvement of women’s lives, and impact on rhetorical theory. Although Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix …