Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Where In The World Are The Women Of Time? Women And The "Person Of The Year" Covers For Time Magazine, Krystle Lynne Anttonelli

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Through a content analysis of Time magazine's "Person of the Year" issue, formerly titled "Man of the Year," this thesis examines how the news magazine has reevaluated and revised the once gender suggestive title to a more inclusive title in correlation to the portrayal of women featured on the covers from both past and present. This thesis also provides background on the feminist theory in order to put into perspective the professional and intellectual growth of women throughout the decades. The supporting literature contextualizes the findings with reference to other mainstream magazines and the portrayal of women versus men featured …

Self-Image Congruence With Communication Channels And Its Impact On Reward Program Loyalty, Orie Berezan

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Loyalty programs have become products in and of themselves. They need to maintain member loyalty in order to survive. It is proposed that communication has a larger impact on program loyalty than previously thought. This study utilizes structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate the influence of communication typologies and dimensions on hotel reward program loyalty via self-image congruence, service quality, satisfaction, and trust. Moreover, this dissertation presents a communication identity model, which focuses on promoting hotel reward program loyalty via self-congruence with communication channels.

Newly discovered significant paths were found between: communication style and self-congruence with communication channels; self-congruence with …

Taiwanese Willingness To Communicate In English: Can Watching American Television Programs Help?, Yu-Ting Chien

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study explored the relationship between Taiwanese audiences' use of American television programs and their willingness to communicate in English. Taiwanese participants filled out an online survey consisted of questions from uses and gratifications constructs and willingness to communicate constructs. In addition, different subtitle settings were also examined.

Results indicated that participants with high integrative motivation consuming information from American television programs, in addition, the setting of subtitles were associated with perceived communication competence, integrative motivation, language anxiety and social interaction motivation.

The Uses And Gratifications Of Dance Reality Television Shows, Heather M. Yuille

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Uses and Gratifications of Dance Reality Shows

Competition based dance reality shows are a sub-category under the reality television show genre. One way to add to the growing body of research about reality television shows is to study each sub-category individually in terms of uses and gratifications theory. Therefore this research looked into the reasons why people watch dance reality shows. Since dance is an art form that has deep historic roots, has experienced highs and lows in terms of public perception and has experienced a strong resurgence recently within the realm of reality television, it proves to be …

The Motivating Language Of Principals: A Sequential Transformative Strategy, William Tobias Holmes

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This study implemented a Sequential Transformative Mixed Methods design with teachers (as recipients) and principals (to give voice) in the examination of principal talk in two different school accountability contexts (Continuously Improving and Continuously Zigzag) using the conceptual framework of Motivating Language Theory. In phase one, teachers were surveyed using the ML Toolbox. The survey was administered using the Dillman Tailored Design Method, and the return rate was 67.48%. The major findings that emerged were: (a) significant differences in Motivating Language (ML), Direction-Giving Language (DG), Empathetic Language (E), and Communication Competence (CC) variables between the Continuously Improving and Zigzag Clusters; …

Communication And Female Date Initiation: Differences In Perception Based On Sex Of Initiator, Lindsey Kay Odom

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

First dates represent an important early event in the development of dating relationships. Commonly, date initiation is a behavior in which men take control; however, more women are attempting this task. Women initiating dates is a deviation from cultural norms or what society views as expected behavior. The deviation in behavior could have negative repercussions for women, which was investigated for the current study. College-aged participants (n = 232) completed an online survey regarding their perceptions of two hypothetical women who initiated dates. Informed by Expectancy Violations Theory, the expectedness and valence of the date-initiation behavior and mode of follow-up …

Audience Image Preferences Of 1080i And 720p High Definition Video Formats: An Experiment, Michael Thomas Stubben

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The two main kinds of high definition television video formats broadcast in the United States are 1080i and 720p. Both formats are claimed to have advantages and disadvantages relative to the other format. However, there has been little academic research to determine viewer preferences of these formats, and whether the stated claims about each format's strengths and weaknesses are valid. This thesis addresses this lack of research by employing an experiment to determine viewer perceptions and preferences of these two high definition formats.

The two major findings from this study pertain to viewer preferences of 1080i/720p with regard to motion, …

The Marketing Effectiveness Of Hotel Facebook Pages: From Perspectives Of Customers And Messages, Xi Yu Leung

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In the hotel industry, social media marketing has become a new trend hoteliers are chasing and an increasing number of hotels are using social media to promote their business. However, the marketing effectiveness of social media is still a big challenge in both academic and business world. Since social media marketing is totally different from traditional marketing approaches, traditional marketing theories and practices may not be applicable to social media. Besides, very few studies have examined the effectiveness of social media marketing in the academic world.

Therefore, this study intended to provide an in-depth examination on the marketing effectiveness of …

August 28, 1963: Building Community Through Collective Discourse, Jennifer Nestelberger

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The August 28, 1963 March on Washington is often remembered primarily for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, which serves as the pinnacle of civil rights movement oratory. This thesis, in contrast, examines speeches of the leaders of the "Big Six" organizations that preceded King's well-known words in order to shed light on the complexities of the movement and the outcomes that can result from meaningful dissent. Occurring at a time of division, the March emerged as a symbol of hope for change in the nation. The addresses of the day reflected this hope and helped build …

New Deal Cowboy: Gene Autry And Public Diplomacy, Michael Dean Duchemin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation explains how Gene Autry used his mastery of multiplatform entertainment and the techniques of transmedia storytelling to make the policies of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR), the 32nd President of the United States, more attractive to the American public. Making a case for cultural significance, the work shows how Autry developed a singing cowboy persona to exploit the western genre as his modus operandi, because it appealed to rural, small town and newly-urban Americans in the Midwest, South and Southwest. Examining Autry's oeuvre within a context created by Roosevelt administration policies, the dissertation exposes a process of public diplomacy …

Sex And Stereotyping In Sin City: A Content Analysis Of Las Vegas Magazine Advertisements, Michelle Irene Aikin

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

There have been numerous studies regarding gender stereotyping, the objectification of women, and how sex is used to sell products and services. In a city that is notorious for "what happens here, stays here," it is important to be aware of Las Vegas cultural marketing trends and how they compare with society-wide values. Using sex excessively in advertisements may have a negative impact on the Las Vegas community and the shaping of a negative image of the city. How much sex appeal is used and the levels of sexuality in Las Vegas print advertisements has not yet been researched. A …

You Should Know Jack: A Qualitative Study Of The Jack Lalanne Show (1951-~1965), Robert Cochrane

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Jack LaLanne hosted the first and longest running fitness program in United States broadcast history from 1951 through 1985. Since LaLanne's rise as a broadcasting celebrity, the health and fitness industry has grown from a small, somewhat-maligned field into a multi-billion dollar per year economy of its own. As LaLanne reached iconic status through his show, his name became synonymous with good health and nutrition, but the messages of his show went far beyond simple exercises. He used religious, patriotic, and biomedical messages to get his points across. In addition, he was a showman who sang to his audience, used …

American Propaganda, Popular Media, And The Fall Of Jacobo Arbenz, Zachary Carl Fisher

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In June 1954, President Jacobo Arbenz Guzman of Guatemala resigned in the face of a coup led by Colonel Carlos Castillo Armas. While the United States publicly denied involvement, the coup was in fact the culmination of a plan called PBSUCCESS (CIA codeword), led by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Although PBSUCCESS lived up to its namesake, it was aided (both intentionally and unintentionally) by various U.S. media outlets. For the duration of Arbenz Guzman's regime, he and his country had been the subject of U.S. suspicions of undue Communist and Soviet influence. A general anti-Communist attitude permeated virtually all …

Niche Theory In New Media: Is Digital Overtaking The Print Magazine Industry?, Zeenath Haniff

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

New challengers in mass media are poised to annihilate the competition. The trials and tribulations that magazine publishers have conquered over the years is a testament to the industry's undaunted resilience and perseverance against such competition. Presently, the paper-based medium has enjoyed massive success by catering to readers' individual interests in special interest publications called niche magazines. However, the future of print magazines is unclear as recent technological innovations in digital publishing become the latest contender against print media. Analyzing the possible effects of the new digital medium upon the incumbent print magazine may help publishers prepare to face their …

Cultural Impact On Customer Satisfaction And Service Quality Evaluation In Hotels, Yeji Seo

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify how the cultural differences impact customer satisfaction and service quality evaluation in U.S. hotels.

Statement of Objective: The objective of this paper is threefold. The first objective is to define customer satisfaction and what customer satisfaction means to people from different cultural backgrounds. The second objective is to evaluate past research on satisfaction and to develop a taxonomy based on the existing literature to introduce how to measure customers’ satisfaction effectively in accordance with each culture. The third objective is to recommend what should be done by the hotel professionals in …