Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

George Lamaster: What Forensics Did For Me, George Lamaster

Speaker & Gavel

ALUMNI CORNER: The forensic community is filled with alumni who will tout the benefits they received through their participation in intercollegiate speech and debate activities. As directors of forensics programs face battles for budgets and sometimes for their program’s very existence, having a collection of published testimonies about the positive influence of forensics can be a tremendous help. To that end, Speaker & Gavel is setting aside space in each issue for our alumni to talk about how forensics has helped them in their professional life. These are our alumni’s stories.

College Policy Debate Community Climate: Data From The 2014 And 2015 College Policy Debate Survey, Keith Richards, Paul E. Mabrey Iii

Speaker & Gavel

The College Policy Debate Survey research project was designed to answer relevant questions about current debate practices and the debate community. This information can be used to inform future interventions as well as programming (e.g. bystander intervention training, organization membership criteria, judge mentorship, and involvement of historically marginalized or at-risk populations). This paper analyzes qualitative data from the 2014 College Policy Debate Survey and incorporates both the quantitative and qualitative data from the 2015 version. The study was developed to help the debate community understand what members believe constitutes a good resolution and salient beliefs about why people participate in …

Using Assessment To Improve Teacher Efficacy In The Actualization Of Student Outcomes: An Instrumental Case Study Approach, John Perlich, Justin Arends, Marissa Christiancy, Anna Griggs, Joe Kindig, Trischia Rueckert, Tyler Schuster, Mary Swift

Speaker & Gavel

The present study was designed to explore the relationship between perceived teaching style (PTS) and student outcomes in the classroom at a small Midwestern liberal arts college. A case study method was used to explore the relationship between PTS and learning outcomes. Quantitative data in the form of both survey assessment and posttest measures provided information about student outcomes; this information was coupled with a phenomenological inquiry process that was used to explicate PTS. The data suggests that student perceptions regarding “care” significantly relate with affective, behavioral, and cognitive outcomes; these findings fill a gap in the literature on the …

Fueling The Competition: Exploring Individual Events Competitors' Nutritional Choices, Anne Kerber

Speaker & Gavel

Despite ongoing scholarly conversations surrounding the health of forensic competitors and educators, there remains a dearth of published research demonstrating the impact of efforts to improve the activity’s wellness environment. Additionally, the dialogue has primarily focused on educators’ perspectives, obscuring how students’ participation in forensics influences their health behaviors as well as how they experience initiatives to improve wellness. This study aims to address the literature gaps, using the Coordinated Management of Meaning theory to analyze how forensic competitors account for their nutritional judgments during tournaments. Competition emerged as a logical force that not only guides students’ nutritional choices, but …

Front Matter

Speaker & Gavel

Front matter and table of contents for volume 54, issue 2 of Speaker & Gavel.

Complete Issue 54(2)

Speaker & Gavel

Complete digitized issue (volume 54, issue 2, Winter 2017) of Speaker & Gavel.

Beyond Audience Analysis: Conceptualizing Empathy For Technical Communication, Bernadette L. Cash

Technical Communication Capstone Course

The concept of empathy involves understanding others’ perspectives. Technical communication requires knowing the context of users; however, empathy is neither a prominent term nor a common subject in the accompanying literature.

This article will establish a foundation for empathy to be conceptualized for technical communication. Several definitions of empathy will be reviewed, followed by applicable resemblances from examples pertaining to audience analysis. A wide‑ranging analysis will connect features of empathy to topics from the areas of user experience, human‑information interaction, user value, business, and design thinking.

This article concludes that there is significant value in giving empathetic attention to the …

Inclusive Writing In Video Game Documentation: A Technical Communication Approach, Samantha N. Sousa

Technical Communication Capstone Course

This article examines the current conversation of inclusive writing in the technical communication field. Historically, the field of technical writing has been considered a straightforward and unbiased form of communication but I look to identify the pitfalls associated with these characteristics, specifically in the study of inclusive writing. By examining technical documentation through a traditionally gender-biased field of video game development, I present issues and suggest ways to implement inclusive writing through documentation. By envisioning and creating inclusive content in video games, we can expand these solutions to other areas of technical communication and strengthen the influence we have in …

Credibility Strategies Of Popular Health Websites: A Rhetorical Analysis Of Parkinson's Information Pages, Abigail Bakke

English Department Publications

Though using e-health is a common patient practice, unregulated and inaccurate online medical content can pose real dangers. To effectively convey important and accurate health messages, online health organizations must make their information stand out as trustworthy. To identify credibility strategies, I conducted a rhetorical analysis of Parkinson’s disease content from the two most popular U.S. health websites: NIH.gov and WebMD. Based on the range of credibility strategies identified in these webpages, I recommend that medical writers and e-health designers convey both expertise and trustworthiness to build credibility in their content.

Communication Skills: Listening And Speaking, Andrew P. Johnson

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

Human communication involves reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The short article describes how to use two of these, speaking and listening, in any subject area.

Enterprise Content Management In Technical Communication, Kristen Bledsoe-Fritz

Technical Communication Capstone Course

The goal of this project is to examine how the evolution of Enterprise Content Management (ECM) is helping to shape the role of Technical Communicator. Technical communicators are often at the forefront of Enterprise Content Management, as their job involves the creation, utilization, and distribution of most corporate content. The research conducted for this project examines the impact that Enterprise Content Management, influenced by evolving technology, has had on the expectation associated with the skillset of a technical communicator. Additionally, how technical communicators can grow and expand their skillset to serve as leaders in an ever-evolving industry is explored.

College Males' Attitudes Toward Sexually-Explicit Material: An Experimental Study, Cody Schulte

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Sexually explicit materials (SEM) are an ever-growing presence in our society. The ramifications of these types of images and videos have been studied in depth, and the field is still researching whether these materials have harmful effects to individuals who view them or not. Regardless of these findings, sexually explicit videos are used in educational and therapeutic settings with an educational intent behind the usage. While these materials are being used there is little, to no, data on the attitudes that the clients or participants viewing these videos hold. This study will examine the attitudes that collegiate males hold towards …

Self-Disclosure, Gender, And Patient Satisfaction In The Doctor-Patient Relationship, Khadiza Tul Jannat

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

It has been well established that the doctor-patient relationship is integral for providing quality health care and sustaining patient satisfaction. Additionally, research has indicated that doctors' self-disclosure is considered as an essential interpersonal component of relational development. In terms of the doctor-patient interaction, previous research has produced numerous studies investigating the relationship between doctors' communication behaviors and patient satisfaction. Scholars have also explored how communication styles are associated with doctors' gender, and patient satisfaction. However, there is still a gap in the existing research concerning the connections between doctors' self-disclosure, gender, and patient satisfaction in doctor-patient interactions. My qualitative study …

Racial Identities On Social Media: Projecting Racial Identities On Facebook, Instagram, And Twitter, Nolan Brinkman

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Because social networks are an important aspect of the lived realities of those who participate in them, this study examined the way racial identity was signified, indicated, or displayed on social networks. A survey was distributed to 347 college students from a medium sized Midwestern university to assess ways in which participants depicted their racial identity on social media. The study looked at the use of photos, textual communication, concealment of racial identity, and interactions with race related content to assess how participants projected racial identity on social networks. Results suggested that racial identity is not intentionally projected on social …

L1 Use In L2 Writing: A Case Of Multilingual Undergraduates In A Basic Writing Course, Lal Bahadur Rana

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The study entitled "L1 Use in L2 Writing: A Case of Multilingual Undergraduates in a Basic Writing Course" is a qualitative case study research carried out to find out the purposes for which undergraduate students use their L1s in an L2 Basic Writing course in the US university context, their perceptions regarding the effects of their use of L1s in L2 writing, and the ways they utilize their prior experience of writing academic essays while they are writing similar types of texts in L2. To these ends, the data were collected from the students enrolled in the Basic Writing course …

To Pass Or Not To Pass? Constructing And Negotiating Biracial Identity, Anthony Peavy

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The purpose of this research is to show how biracial people narrate their identities and how people in society influence biracial individuals' constructions of their self. This is significant because this research obtains perspectives from individuals who simultaneously occupy a privileged and underprivileged identity. In highlighting the experiences of biracial people and their constructions of the self, this research answered questions surrounding how they perform their identities in social situations and how they negotiate passing privileges granted to some based on visual perceptions and/or skin tone.

This research was done using qualitative research methodologies, as these give more insights into …

Productive Paddles And Productive Power: An Exploration Of Transgender Individuals' Negotiation Of Identity Through Bdsm Practices, Riley Zahn

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Productive Paddles and Productive Power: An Exploration of Transgender Individuals' Negotiation of Identity through BDSM Practices is a thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts in Communication Studies from Minnesota State University, Mankato in April of 2018. It explores the ways in which transgender individuals negotiate their identities through BDSM practices. To collect data, eight semi-structured, qualitative interviews were conducted revealing four key themes: BDSM as identity negotiation, BDSM as power enactment, embodied confirmation, and BDSM as trauma survivorship. The study concludes with a discussion of the implications, limitations and future avenues of …

"It's Because You Are White": A Qualitative Study On The Impact Of Whiteness And White Privilege In Interracial Relationships, Adrienne Gruenes

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Previous research has produced numerous studies on the dynamics of interracial relationships. However, there is still a gap in the existing research concerning how whiteness and white privilege impacts interracial relationships. This qualitative study sought to examine how whiteness and white privilege impacts interracial relationships when one person in the relationship identifies as white and their partner identifies as a person of color. I conducted in-depth interviews with four interracial couples who had one person in the relationship that identified as white and their partner identified as a person of color. Each couple participated in a dyadic interview and then …

Empathy And Campus Sexual Assault (Csa) Communication: Protecting The Wellbeing And Social Equity Of College Women, Kathleen Romero

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

A review of empathy and campus sexual assault communication has implications for technical communication research. Campus sexual assault is a social problem, and consequently college campuses are legally required to publish and disseminate sexual assault communication (i.e. policies, procedures, and training) to eliminate the behavior. Empathy is significant to campus sexual assault communication, given not only the emotional nature of the topic, but also the technical information to be communicated effectively and appropriately. Given the dearth of research on empathy and campus sexual assault communication, this expansive review of the literature establishes the need for technical communication research on empathy …

The Relationship Between Instruction Specificity And Resistiveness To Care During Activities Of Daily Living In Persons With Dementia, Jeffrey Buchanan, Britta Dejager, Sandra Garcia, Daniel Houlihan, Carolina Sears, Kathleen Fairchild, Adam Sattler

Psychology Department Publications

It is common for persons with dementia to display resistant behaviors during activities of daily living (ADLs) and caregiver communication skills can influence the likelihood of these behaviors. Previous research suggests that the type of instructions issued by caregivers is related to rates of compliance during ADLs in persons with dementia. It is unclear, however, if these instruction types affect the likelihood resistiveness to care (RTC) during ADLs. The purpose of the current study was to examine how the use of different types of instructions relate to instances of RTC during ADLs. Results indicated that vague and ambiguous instructions (i.e., …