Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Digital Commons Network

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

University Honors Theses

2019

Communication

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network

Parasocial Relationships With Podcast Hosts, Mikhaela Nadora Jun 2019

Parasocial Relationships With Podcast Hosts, Mikhaela Nadora

University Honors Theses

This study is a deductive thematic analysis of podcast hosts' attributes that explores how parasocial relationships (PSR) might be cultivated with listeners. The author analyzes five episodes of a podcast, Stuff You Should Know, and use its transcriptions to code for themes of identification, conversation practices, and authenticity to suggest ways PSR is developed by the podcast's hosts.

Results found host behaviors suggest how listeners may react to them. The combination of the effect of social deixis while describing personal characteristics suggest listeners may feel physically and emotionally closer to the hosts. Listeners may also see them as more trustworthy …


Is It Possible To Change Someone's Mind Online? A Graphic Design Thesis, Laurel Benson May 2019

Is It Possible To Change Someone's Mind Online? A Graphic Design Thesis, Laurel Benson

University Honors Theses

This paper explores whether or not it is possible to change someone's mind on the internet. Using an examination of traditional argument resolution techniques as a foundation, this paper builds upon that foundation and questions whether or not such techniques are appropriate on the internet. A mixture of primary and secondary research led to a surprising conclusion. It is in fact possible to change someone's mind on the internet, but to do so often involves techniques that are diametrically opposed to the traditional argument resolution techniques that were examined in the first part of the paper. This paper proposes that …


A Lot Of Admiration And A Little Bit Of Worship: Parasocial Relationships And Young Women, Raz Mostaghimi May 2019

A Lot Of Admiration And A Little Bit Of Worship: Parasocial Relationships And Young Women, Raz Mostaghimi

University Honors Theses

This research examines young women’s experiences with parasocial relationships (PSR) and how they use media in relation to their PSRs. I intended to determine if young women experienced romantic (PSRR) and platonic PSR in different ways with different goals, if PSR/PSRR impacted young women’s beliefs and behaviors, how PSR used social media in relation to their PSR, and if nonfictional and fictional media figures resulted in different goals for the PSR. I recruited Portland State University students who were women between the ages of 18 and 30 for a focus group and follow-up interviews on the subject of their PSRs. …