Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Print Grades Prime: A Quantitative Analysis Of Producer Communication Preferences Of U.S. Beef Breed Association Magazines Through The Lenses Of Uses, Gratifications, And Gatekeeping, Megan Underwood, Katherine J. Starzec, Nellie Hill-Sullins, R. L. Weaber

Journal of Applied Communications

The United States beef industry is a major stakeholder in national and international agriculture and is driven by technological innovations and beef producers in all 50 states. Beef cattle breed associations are essential to the success of the industry as they not only maintain breed pedigrees but also disseminate vital information to their members. The magazines of beef cattle breed associations are a primary source of communication for U.S. beef producers. Goals for this study were to determine what information beef producers use from their beef breed association magazines, what information they want to see more of in beef breed …

Ai Usage In The Insurance Industry: Future Or Fad, Carrie Stetler

Honors Projects

AI has garnered the attention of professionals from every industry and Insurance is no different. Join me to analyze the many ways AI is affecting this industry and others, as well as to answer the question, “Is AI really the future?”

Beyond Dystopia: The Effect Of Reading Hopeful Climate Fiction On Climate Anxiety And Environmental Self-Efficacy, Brandon Mcwilliams

WWU Graduate School Collection

Climate communication and climate storytelling have thus far been unrelentingly bleak. However, growing evidence suggests that the barrage of negative, technical communication may result in negative mental health impacts and doesn’t necessarily translate into climate action. Rather than continuing to focus on technical and fear-based communication, there are calls to shifts towards narrative communication and hopeful communication frames. In this study, I investigate what effect hopeful climate fiction has on readers through three related avenues of inquiry using the popular solarpunk novella A Psalm for the Wild Built as an experimental text. I examined (1) what effect, if any, the …

Harnessing The Power Of Storytelling And Storylistening: Fostering Challenging Conversations In Coastal Communities, Holly E. Parker Phd

Maine Policy Review

As sustainability practitioners we often spend our time in vibrant echo chambers. We’re invigorated by debates about how to support just and sustainable communities and environments. But what happens outside that echo chamber? What happens when we meet a neighbor, a colleague or a decisionmaker who doesn’t share our urgency for action? Do we go it alone as we seek to make change? Or do we need to build new, unexpected partnerships? In a time when technology and political and social divisiveness make it easy to dismiss the other, it is vital that we build pathways to understanding opposing points …

The Influencer Effect: Exploring The Persuasive Communication Tactics Of Social Media Influencers In The Health And Wellness Industry, Deborah Marie Deutsch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the emergence of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, social media influencers (SMIs) have been a growing source of information in the health and wellness industry. Through their creative, informative, and appealing content, SMIs have the innate ability to reach and attain a large following on social media platforms. The purpose of this study is to ascertain an understanding of the persuasive tactics employed by SMIs in the creation and dissemination of information in the health and wellness industry. Using the theoretical framework of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Appeals and Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm, this qualitative study seeks to examine …

Are We Cringey?: Evaluating Social Media Strategies For Younger Audiences, Kathleen Schipano, Loren Mixon

Library Faculty Presentations

Have you ever stopped before posting to think, “Is this cringey?” Have you ever felt stuck or unsure of how to leverage social media to connect to your patrons? In this session, we will talk about key methods for staying on trend, taking the temperature of your audience, and finding ways to share your message that will resonate with younger audiences. You will see examples of workflow and idea creation while exploring trending media to develop skills to connect to students and patrons where they are.

A Framework For Creating Virtual Reality Models For More Effective Coastal Flood Risk Communication, Tina Korani, Alexandrea Martinez

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

Coastal cities are exposed to increasing risks of flooding from sea-level rise. Climate change is expected to double the frequency of coastal flooding within the next decade, and some areas could experience floods of a magnitude 100 times higher than currently (Vitousek et al., 2017). People living in at-risk areas often ignore the impact of climate change on flood intensity and frequency. Immersive visual storytelling techniques proved promising and powerful tools to engage with and raise awareness of flood hazards. Here, we are introducing a framework to use Virtual Reality (VR) to reach better people living in coastal cities and …

Altering Attitudes On Climate Change: Testing The Effect Of Time Orientation And Motivation Framing, Kylie Clark, Aubrie Adams

CSU Journal of Sustainability and Climate Change

Climate change has become a defining issue of the 21st century. According to a Pew Research (2020) survey, for the first time in its two-decade history, a majority of Americans now believe that dealing with climate change should be a top priority for the President and Congress, which is a 14% rise from four years prior. Nonetheless, this rise is accompanied by a deep partisan divide amongst citizens of the United States (U.S.) and Republicans are far less likely to consider climate change a top public priority with a roughly 50% partisan gap on the issue (Popovich, 2020). Thus, this …

"You Know, The South Is A Breeding Ground For Gluttony": A Qualitative Evaluation Of Dissonance Between Christian Beliefs And Eating Habits, Karli S. Yarber, Jefferson D. Miller, Jill Rucker, Lora Walsh

Journal of Applied Communications

This research is intended to initiate understanding of how obesity in the South persists even though the majority of inhabitants subscribe to a faith that discourages unhealthy lifestyles. Grounded in the Cognitive Dissonance Theory, this study examined Protestant evangelical Christians in the South (N = 11), who participated in semi-structured interviews. The first emergent theme was that, to these Southerners, the purpose of food is for sustenance and survival, as well as for bringing people together. Most participants reported having an average level of knowledge of nutrition and health. Furthermore, participants generally agreed that marketing or educational efforts had little …

A Sports Dream Come True, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

As summer approaches, many students transition from classes to work, and for Cedarville University junior communication major Hannah Kuczynski, that means starting the internship of her dreams. Beginning in early June, Kuczynski will start her internship with NBCUniversal in Orlando, Florida, as a direct-to-consumer services intern.

Media On A Mission: Professor Uses Film In Overseas Mission, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Some say you need a ministry degree to do missions work, but Mischelle McIntosh, associate professor of communication at Cedarville University, believes otherwise.

From June 15 to July 6, McIntosh will be joining a Cedarville global outreach team going to Bethesda Orphanage in Hammanskraal, South Africa, north of Pretoria. McIntosh will be recording promotional video content for the organization, interviewing staff, and documenting its impact on the surrounding community.

The Artistry Of Mediation: A Look At Mediation’S Effectiveness For Resolving Cross-Cultural Disputes Through The Leonardo Da Vinci Conflict Between France’S Louvre Museum And Italy’S Uffizi Gallery, Sophia D. Casetta

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Art is powerful, as it symbolizes the history and identity of the country that claims it. However, through timely transitions, such as trade and wars, the ownership of meaningful artworks blurs, with museums fighting to claim their heritage to put on honorable display for their people. Mediation can be a peaceful means to resolve art ownership disputes, as it accounts for respecting the individual cultures of the countries represented in the dispute. Using the key medication traits described within this essay, a prepared mediator involved in such a cross-cultural conflict should be able to help resolve the issue at hand. …

40 Years Of Training Leads Professor Toward Christian Music Broadcasters Award, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

When it comes to the Christian broadcasting industry, few people have had a greater impact than Cedarville’s Jim Leightenheimer. Having spent the last 40 years training young broadcasting professionals, Leightenheimer was nominated for an Industry Achievement Award by Christian Music Broadcasters (CMB).

Bridging The Gap Between Skidmore Students And Local Businesses, Charlotte Benson

Self-Determined Majors Final Projects

Skidmore students are an underutilized customer base for small businesses in Saratoga Springs. The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the purchasing behaviors of Skidmore students in order to determine how local small businesses can better attract them as customers. Current Skidmore students were surveyed and interviewed to ascertain overarching patterns in their purchasing habits. Results show that word of mouth and social media are influential at Skidmore, but are underutilized by local businesses. Findings also suggest that purchasing habits are largely formed during students’ first year at Skidmore. Finally, interview and survey results indicate that Skidmore students most …

Decentering Whiteness, Dismantling Systemic Bias: Examining Empathetic, High-Communication, And Supportive Hiring Processes To Forge An Inclusive Future, Annie Bélanger, Sheila García Mazari, Preethi Gorecki

Presentations

This presentation will explore perspectives on inclusive hiring practices from both sides of the table. The library's first diversity residency search and subsequent faculty searches integrated inclusive recruitment and high-empathy hiring practices. The diversity residency search committee chair, one of the successful residency candidates, and a tenure-track faculty hired using the new approach team up to dissect the hiring process from their perspectives. They will discuss the work behind critically examining the existing hiring process, designing an inclusive recruitment plan, and implementing a new structure in order to ensure empathy to applicants going through the process. They will then discuss …

Female Lawyers Don’T Need Pity; They Need A Paycheck, Meagan S. Bilodeau

Pell Scholars and Senior Theses

Whether it's pity or patronization female lawyers have often been criticized. They're visualized on the lower level of the patriarchal hierarchy system in the Hollywood courtroom. However, women that hold emotional intelligence don't need pity. Emotional intelligence encompasses how to set boundaries, stay motivated, hold healthy relationships inside and outside the courtroom, as well as maintain self-regulation. Through analysis of the biographical films Erin Brockovich, On the Basis of Sex, and The Mauritanian this study explores how extensively psychological resilience subfactors are depicted, proving whether or not female lawyers are emotionally prepared to succeed in their noteworthy cases.

Emergency Preparedness And Response: Examining Rural Hospitals (Rhs) Communication Systems Before, During, And After A Natural Disaster, Geremy D. Lloyd

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Rural Hospitals (RHs) have distinctive characteristics that constitute unparalleled challenges. One of those challenges is the ability to communicate effectively in a disaster, impacting the various effects on the affected society. Research has shown that effective emergency preparedness and response (EPR) communication is paramount when communicating informed details about emergent events. Despite the evolving complexities of communication and the technology associated with disaster communication, very few studies have successfully investigated RHs communication systems before, during, and after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study was to examine and assess RHs communication systems and to highlight the strengths, identify …

Lessons Learned: Deborah Perelmuter, Mercedes Cardona

Journal of Financial Crises

Deborah Perelmuter has spent more than three decades with the Federal Reserve System. In 2008, as senior vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (FRBNY) and co-head of Capital Markets Analysis and Trading (CMAT) within the Markets Group, she was tasked with setting up the operational details of the Term Securities Lending Facility (TSLF). The TSLF auctioned Treasury securities to primary dealers in exchange for less liquid collateral to provide liquidity to those firms during the Global Financial Crisis of 2007–2009. Perelmuter became senior financial stability adviser within the office of the director in the FRBNY’s Research …

Lessons Learned: Andrew Gray, Mercedes Cardona

Journal of Financial Crises

Andrew Gray joined the FDIC in 2007, after having been majority director of communications for the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and press secretary for US Senator Richard C. Shelby (R–AL). Gray’s initial project was a campaign to mark the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); his role evolved into running crisis communications as the FDIC stepped in during several bank failures triggered by the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and conducted 489 bank resolutions during 2008–2013. After the crisis, the FDIC also assumed new responsibilities over the winding down of …

Health Communications Trial With A Resistant Population To Increase Public Health Compliance During A Pandemic, Alison Amoroso, Carlos A. O. Pavao, Russel E. Luke, Jennifer Mccoy, Sean Richey, Shenandoah Evans

Journal of the Georgia Public Health Association

Background: Georgia has among the worst rates of COVID-19 hospitalization and death rates in the nation. Many identifying as politically conservative resist public health mitigation measures, similar to populations in other politically conservative geographical areas. There are limited peer-reviewed public health communications designed for this population. We aimed to determine if an intervention using a fear appeal approach with efficacy during a pandemic can positively affect knowledge, attitude, perception, and/or behavior (KAP) in Georgia with this population.

Methods: We delivered online video stimuli tailored to the geocultural characteristics of the target population. designed to stimulate fear, encourage efficacy, and counter …

Legal And Ethical Considerations For Public Relations Book Review, Alan K. Caldwell

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Book review and analysis of the strengths and gaps in the content of Legal and Ethical Considerations for Public Relations by Karla K. Gower.

Communicating Through A Crisis: An Analysis Of The University Of Mississippi's Initial Covid-19 Crisis Communications, Sydney Waitley

Honors Theses

This thesis, in effort to examine modern-day crisis communications, focuses on the analysis of University of Mississippi’s initial crisis communications during the COVID-19 pandemic during March 2020. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the university’s communication efforts during this crisis in order to determine the effectiveness of the University of Mississippi’s initial COVID-19 crisis communications. First, the researcher analyzed historical case studies on three notable crisis communications (the Johnson & Johnson Tylenol Crisis of 1982, the United Airlines Crisis of 2017, and the Crock-Pot Crisis of 2018). From these case studies, qualities of good crisis communications were determined …

Contributing Factors To Drug Abuse In The Appalachian Region, Will Holcombe

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The Appalachian region faces wide scale drug use and opioid addiction that exceeds the national average, and the crisis needs more attention in order to properly address the epidemic. Many previous studies have documented the problems Appalachian residents face regarding opioid addiction and other diseases of despair. However, this study focuses on two specific contributing causes of the opioid crisis: a lack of access to medical care and over-prescription of opioids. Additionally, while the problems of substance abuse, particularly opioid abuse, are well represented in media accounts, there is an under-representation of drug recovery and the positive aspects of the …

Come Close And Listen: Exploring The Intimacy Of Audio Media, Eleanor Kingwell Sharples Hoover

Honors Theses

This thesis aims to demonstrate the power of the audio medium to connect speaker and listener, as a result of the uniquely intimate nature of the medium. By understanding how speakers and listeners connect through audio, the research reveals that the audio medium is a sustainable media outlet, one that is durable despite changes in culture in the media market, that has transformed over time, all while keeping itself within the principal constraints of its original form, that being sound as conveyed to a listener. Three interviews were conducted with individuals situated in different areas of the audio media landscape; …

Professor Named President Of Religious Communication Association, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Religion is important in understanding how societies operate and communicate. And yet, according to Dr. Andrew Harris, associate professor of communication at Cedarville University, many scholars in the communication discipline often overlook religion’s role in the communication process.

Advancing Technology & Digital Lifestyles: Facilitating A Group Independent Study, Kailey Droz

WWU Honors College Senior Projects

For my senior capstone project, I facilitated a group independent study (ISP) through Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University called Advancing Technology and Digital Lifestyles. A small group of students and I critically and creatively analyzed our relationship with technology, and its impacts on the individual, interpersonal relationships, culture, and society. Prior to facilitating, I did research within the fields of cyberpsychology, social psychology, communication studies, and media studies. I am sharing my syllabus and facilitation notes, my final project (two short stories), an annotated bibliography, and a reflection on the group ISP and my process.

Here …

“Genius” Move: It Newbie Fast Forwards Company Growth, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Barnes’ can-do spirit and relentless desire to learn resulted in $1 million in increased revenue for her new employer in her first year. And she was named Genius of the Month for February by Technology Marketing Toolkit, landing her on the front page of this marketing giant’s magazine.

Texas Stakeholders’ Knowledge And Perceptions Of Chronic Wasting Disease Risks: Implications For Wildlife Agency Communications, Elena C. Rubino, Christopher Serenari

Human–Wildlife Interactions

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal neurological disease impacting cervids. The disease can move swiftly through populations, making CWD management a priority for wildlife agencies across the United States. Stakeholder perceptions of CWD may shape behaviors that can negatively impact wildlife agencies. Thus, agencies need comprehensive assessments of stakeholder risk perceptions and enhanced understandings of how perceptions are formed to improve communications. Using a mail- and online-based questionnaire to collect data from September 2020 through January 2021, we surveyed 503 hunters throughout the state of Texas, USA, and 481 Texas landowners who owned property in CWD-affected counties to better …

Probation Department Culture And Promotion Policies, Paul Chavez

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

With management influence evolving in organizations, changes occur slower than anticipated. The problem in my study addressed how management controls promotional policies for probation officers. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate whether management has control over probation promotional policies. Maslov’s theory of self-realization was incorporated into the theoretical framework for my research. Audio interviews were conducted with 15 participants who were non managerial probation officers who had no subordinates. Data analysis included key elements impacting morale in the workplace, employee evaluations, training, and communications. The conclusion showed there was a need to improve several promotional policies based …

Lessons Learned: Jenni Lecompte, Mercedes Cardona

Journal of Financial Crises

Jenni LeCompte was deputy assistant secretary in charge of public affairs operations at the Treasury Department during the Global Financial Crisis and later became assistant secretary, public affairs. She coordinated communications, served as a spokesperson, and advised Secretary Timothy Geithner during the crisis. This “Lessons Learned” is based on an interview with Ms. LeCompte.