Communication Commons^™

Understanding The Business Model Of Content Creation, Taylor Vahey

Honors Projects in Communication

Individuals who post niched consistent content to social media platforms have grown audiences, which presents an opportunity for content creators to monetize the attention their posts receive. Both content creators and marketing practitioners are using trial and error processes to learn how to utilize the newest online promotion strategy; influencer marketing. This research aims to outline the business operations from the perspective of the influencer. Research on all aspects of this industry is insufficient, with only a few hundred published peer-reviewed articles on the topic available. Most of the research focuses on the perspective of the audience or the marketing …

The Impact Of Doctor-Patient Communication, Health Literacy, And Mental Health Among Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus On Healthcare Usage, Marissa Stern

Honors Projects in Communication

Pregnancy is a critical period in a woman's life. Overall, little research has been done on pregnant women. Pregnant women are considered a special population with special needs. All pregnant women must receive proper care from their providers and be a part of the decision-making process. Additionally, health care providers must provide materials to patients in hopes to increase their health literacy. Increasing health care usage and health literacy is meant to increase patient-centered care. This study plans to use the All of Us data set. We are interested in the data from the survey component of the data set. …

The Influence Of Alcohol-Related Advertisements On College Students Behaviors And Attitudes, Meghan Mcdonald

Honors Projects in Communication

College students have been exposed to alcohol-related advertisements for several decades now and research has proven that this exposure has an influence on today’s population’s knowledge, attitudes, and intentions to drink (Saffer, 2002). The college student population has been shown to participate in excessive drinking leading to other potential risks and harms, such as increased rates of depression (Furr et al., 2001; Hingson, 2009). Furthermore, students who experience depressive symptoms may experience elevated risks for alcohol-related problems (Joiner et al., 1992). The goal of this paper is to examine different persuasion techniques that alcohol companies currently expose to college students …

Stories And Selling: The Impact Of Narrative Storytelling In Video Commercials, Gabriela Martin

Honors Projects in Communication

In a world where business is so closely tied together with the digital world, it can become easy to miss out on the human component of the marketing field. However, it is the narrative storytelling interwoven into advertisements that make them so compelling to consumers. Customers do not just want to be told about the features of a product, but rather they want to understand how having that product will make them feel. This storytelling can be communicated across several different forms of media, but it is especially apparent in the formatting of video commercials. While basic informational videos can …

Quality Tv In The Streaming Age, Ryan Wood

Honors Projects in Communication

The purpose of this Honors Thesis is to explore how viewers define quality TV for themselves. This study places the quality TV discourse within the context of the rise of the streaming industry and the decline in traditional moviegoing. To carry out this study, a Qualtrics survey with closed-ended questions and open-ended contextual questions was administered to 162 students at Bryant University. The survey sheds light on the characteristics that viewers deem most important in assessing the quality of television series while at the same time identifying recent shows that viewers believe deserve the "quality TV" label.

If You Can't Take The Tweet: Understanding Corporate Social Responsibility Through The Lens Of Social Media Marketing, Julia Winterhalter

Honors Projects in Communication

Companies are increasingly taking action on societal issues and are aware of the impact that their corporate voice has on impressionable publics. Existing research focuses greatly on corporate social responsibility and the moral standards that set up companies to market themselves authentically to the values they build themselves on. The current study explores how three companies utilize their platform to share their values in relation to ethical issues arising in the modern world. Through the Twitter accounts of Ben & Jerry's, Patagonia, and Starbucks, a content analysis was conducted on their use of language related to their ethical standpoints on …

Intercultural Communication Competence And Empathy Among Physician Assistant Students: The Role Of International Experiences, Rachel Lerch

Honors Projects in Science and Technology

Having cultural competency and empathy towards others has become increasingly important, especially within the medical field. Experiential learning, such as study abroad has been shown to help increase intercultural communication competence (ICC) and empathy amongst students, which is important once those students enter the workforce. It is especially important for health care providers, such as Physician Assistants, to have high levels of ICC and empathy since they are in contact with patients from various cultures and need to have clear and comfortable communication with those patients. The purpose of this study is to confirm the relationship between ICC and empathy …

Adderall Experience During The College Years: A Reflection Of First-Hand Experiences, Sarah Ross

Honors Projects in Communication

Illicit Adderall use has long been acknowledged by the media. Despite its acknowledgement, students are still facing the challenges that come with illicit Adderall. The objective of this study is to allow students to express their own thoughts and opinions regarding illicit Adderall use and to broaden the types of experiences that are being reported. Interviews were conducted with seven college-aged students from a small university in Rhode Island. Three females and four males, 100% identifying as white, were asked a series of semi-structured interview questions. Interviews were conducted anonymously and held via Zoom on a private, password-protected computer. Interviews …

What Makes A Successful Social Media Influencer?, Catherine Jokela

Honors Projects in Communication

Social media have changed the way people communicate and live their lives. And as might be imagined, with new platforms come new opportunities. One of those opportunities is becoming a social media influencer. Social media influencers can earn fame and fortune, but how is that success measured? In depth interviews with Katy Bellotte and Mikayla Nogueira, two successful social media influencers, will be analyzed to answer the question, “What makes a social media influencer successful?”

Using A Live-Action Disney Movie – Beauty And The Beast – To Promote Improved Gender Role Awareness, Body Image, And Self-Confidence In Elementary School Children: A Media Literacy Parental Intervention Workshop, Samantha Turcotte

Honors Projects in Communication

Americans are bombarded with media messages, whether they are playing with their cell phones, tablets, streaming from their laptop, or watching television. There is no escaping the messages of mass media, and children are being exposed earlier than ever before. Media literacy skills are a necessary part of life, and there is a lack of media education in public school systems, which leaves it up to parents to teach their own children. The purpose of this research study is to gauge the behavioral intent of parents to speak with their child about media literacy with and without receiving a media …

Communicating In Crisis Situations, Rick Gorvett, Chris Morse, Julie Volkman

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

Communicating technical information, especially in a crisis situation and particularly when the audience does not share the technical background, is a challenge that actuaries frequently face. This essay describes the dynamics and issues involved in crisis communications and provides some recommendations for actuaries confronting such a situation.

Social Media Usage Patterns: Research Note Regarding The Lack Of Universal Validated Measures For Active And Passive Use, Briana M. Trifiro, Jennifer Gerson

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

The existing literature regarding social media use provides extant evidence supporting the claim that usage patterns ultimately have the capability of impacting users. However, the vast majority of the literature is based upon experimental laboratory settings where participants are observed by researchers. The current article asserts that there is a significant deficiency within the discipline regarding the validated measurement of usage patterns of social networking sites (SNSs) and offers guidance for those who may want to develop a general measure.

Thinking About Engaging North Korea: A Study On The Framing Of The U.S. Human Rights Public Discourse In The Washington Post And New York Times Between 2001 And 2017, Rachael M. Rudolph

History and Social Sciences Faculty Journal Articles

North Korea said in January 2019 that it was exploring ways to engage the human rights issue. This was a much welcomed announcement because the issue must be addressed in order for the two countries to reach a formal, comprehensive peace agreement and the lifting or easing of unilateral sanctions. This study utilizes framing as an analytical tool to examine how the North Korean human rights discourse is framed in the United States for the purpose of identifying the salient rights‐based issues covered in two traditional media outlets, namely, the Washington Post and New York Times. Next, it reframes the …

Information Avoidance In Risky Financial Behavior, Shannon Foglia

Master of Arts in Communication

Maxing out credit cards, spending savings accounts, and only paying off the credit card minimum each month are all examples of risky financial behaviors that tend to get college students into debt. These risky choices can stay with a student long after college, making them unable to buy a home or achieve financial independence. As one of the last taboos, personal finances are rarely a topic of conversation among students and their social networks. This investigation uses the Theory of Motivated Information Management to understand what makes college students avoid information and communication regarding personal financial behaviors. Results showed that …

Cognitive Processing And Climate Change: The Impact Of Political Ideology On Processing Climate Change Information, Quinn Massaroni

Master of Arts in Communication

This study addressed information processing for climate change messages from representatives of a political party. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the political ideology of a message source and message sender and its impact on perceived hazard characteristics, negative affective response, and information processing behavior. Hypothesis 1 and Hypothesis 2 posited that when the source and message receiver have the same political ideology, the receiver will experience heightened levels of concern about climate change. Hypothesis 3 and Hypothesis 4 posited that, regardless of the message source, participants are more inclined to heuristically process information. Research …

Trends In American Newspaper Coverage Of Autism, Allison Miller

Master of Arts in Communication

The public's understanding of disabilities is cultivated via several media resources, including news media. Disability scholars often cite negative representations of disabilities in mass media, yet analyses of newspaper journalists' coverage of autism remain scarce. The present study explores the frames, stereotypes, stigmatizing cues, and individuals cited in news coverage of autism through a content analysis of The New York Times and USA Today coverage of autism from 2013-2016. The findings revealed that episodic frames are consistently utilized to discuss autism. References to abnormal social tendencies and coupling autism with adverse circumstances were the most common stereotypes in newspaper coverage. …

Foregrounding Morality: Encouraging Parental Media Literacy Intervention Using The Tares Test For Ethical Persuasion, Kevin Pearce, Stanley Baran

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

In the United States, children are exposed to literally hundreds of thousands of television commercials a year and virtually every aspect of kids’ lives are replete with commercial messages. The negative effects of this exposure are well documented. Yet, there remains very little regulation or limit on advertising to children beyond that which exists for adults. Additionally, only about 1/3 of U.S. parents wish for stronger controls. This presents a challenge for media literacy scholars and practitioners. Research has shown that, when presented with information about the negative effects of commercial messages, parents are more likely to adopt some form …

Patient-Centeredness In Electronic Communication: An Evaluation Of Patient-To-Healthcare-Team Secure Messaging, Timothy P. Hogan, Tana M. Luger, Julie Volkman, Mary Rocheleau, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Anna M. Barker, Kim M. Nazi, Thomas K. Houston, Barbara G. Bokhour

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

Background: As information and communication technology is becoming more widely implemented across health care organizations, patient-provider email or asynchronous electronic secure messaging has the potential to support patient-centered communication. Within the medical home model of the Veterans Health Administration (VA), secure messaging is envisioned as a means to enhance access and strengthen the relationships between veterans and their health care team members. However, despite previous studies that have examined the content of electronic messages exchanged between patients and health care providers, less research has focused on the socioemotional aspects of the communication enacted through those messages.

Objective: Recognizing the potential …

Instagram Use And Its Effect On Well-Being And Self-Esteem, Briana Trifiro

Master of Arts in Communication

Over the last ten years, social media has become an integral facet of modern society. In particular, image-based social networking sites such as Instagram have become increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults. However, despite this proliferation of use, the literature remains divided regarding the potential impacts of social media, particularly in regards to image-based platforms. The present study sought to analyze the relationship between social media usage patterns and its subsequent effects on user self-esteem and well-being. However, the study’s results show that, despite the existing literature, intensity of Instagram use serves as a mediating variable in this relationship. …

Name Of The Game: A Media Analysis Of Concussion Terminology In Documentary Film, Kaitlyn Graham

Honors Projects in Communication

This project explores the way concussions are communicated to us through the use of documentary film. By examining the use of concussion related terms, as well as the tone and general word choice, it can be seen that there are certain words and phrases that are commonly left out, and others that are used too much. The differences in the usage of these words and tones reflects the current concussion crisis occurring in many contact sports around the world. This media analysis was conducted with the goal of finding trends in how concussions are discussed depending on the sport and …

Think Before You Click: An Analysis Of Facebook As A Source Of News, Lauren Malone

Honors Projects in Communication

The purpose of this study is to analyze how millennial college students perceive and interpret the news-related content that is posted on the social networking website Facebook. The news that this study is focused on is related to major events in American politics, especially this past Presidential election. One research question was developed to compete this study: what influence are news stories being shared on Facebook having on millennials? In order to determine the answer to this question, focus groups with college students at Bryant University were held in which the students were asked to evaluate a news article and …

Examining The Impact Of Communication And Leadership Styles Of Women: Perceptions Of Effectiveness By Subordinates, Samantha Scoca

Honors Projects in Communication

The number of female managers in American companies has been increasing with female management making up 63.4% of S&P 500 companies (Catalyst 2018). Female leaders have traditionally been at a disadvantage by social norms that surround masculine corporate America. Women have often been categorized as communal leaders that focus on the collective efforts of the team they manage (Eagly 1987). They communicate using interpersonally-oriented dimensions including collaboration, relationship building and information sharing as well (Appelbaum et.al 2013). Male leadership and communication styles, on the other hand, have been mentally associated with agentic qualities such as being aggressive and having results …

Division I Female Student Athletes’ Self-Image Perceptions And The Association With Photo Centric Social Media Platforms, Logan Paul

Honors Projects in Applied Psychology

The purpose of this study is to describe self-image (body image) perceptions of female, Division I student athletes and discover how photo centric social media platforms and the frequency of their use may shape these perceptions. Body image is a complex phenomenon influenced by many factors including peers, parents, coaches, and social constructs. In the general population, data has shown that media messages play a powerful role in shaping perceived self-image and body satisfaction. Body image may not match the actual body and the athlete may strive more often to achieve a body ideal. It is hypothesized that female athletes …

Chasing Success: A Cultivated Reality, Anastasia Bevillard

Honors Projects in Communication

George Gerbner’s cultivation theory claims that people who consume heavy amounts of media are more likely to be influenced by those messages to believe the media reality as opposed to actual reality. Using cultivation theory as the basis for study, I performed a cultivation analysis examining the intersection of mass media and perceptions of success among college-aged young adults living in the United States. The analysis focused on three main points: (1) How mass media perceives and subsequently demonstrates success. (2) The impact of mass media on young adults living in America. (3) What reality of success is cultivated by …

Self-Presentation Of Male And Female Athletes On Instagram: A Continuation Of Gender Roles Found In Advertisements?, Kelsey Gainor

Honors Projects in Communication

Social media has brought with it a closing of the relational distance between players and fans; athletes have an important decision to make about the way they want to be viewed, not only as athletes, but also in the many other facets of their lives, such as being a parent, friend or role model. By applying the differing gender expectations for males versus females to an athletic context, this research study aims to gain a better understanding of how these gender expectations for male versus female professional athletes are exhibited through self-presentation on social media, specifically Instagram. The athletes’ own …

Challenging The Stereotype – Greek Life In The Media, Briana Trifiro

Honors Projects in Communication

Stereotypes are an undeniable aspect of today’s society. As demonstrated through a variety of mass communication theories, stereotypes are often formed as a result of exposure to mass media images. This concept is especially important today, as media messages permeate daily life in a variety of ways. From the news, to social media, to movies and television – media messaging is everywhere and impacts people on a daily basis. The purpose of this study is to produce a documentary video which demonstrates how negative media portrayals of Greek life lead to the formulation of stereotypes about college students affiliated with …

Miss Olympic Athlete? A Content Analysis Of Nbc’S Primetime Interviews During The 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Caroline Butts

Honors Projects in Communication

The 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro has further exposed the difference in sports reporting between sexes. Creating social media controversy, viewers called out the sexist commentary directed towards women athletes emphasizing their relationship status, how many children they have, and male athlete accomplishments over the female’s athletic ability. This content analysis will dive deeper into NBC’s prime-time coverage of the twenty-third Olympiad, examining the sport and non-sport questions brought up during interviews with the male and female athletes. With reporters possessing more control over what is discussed on-air, when compared to live commentators, the goal of this …

A Quantitative Content Analysis On Food-Based Advergames Aimed At Children, Emiko Barker

Honors Projects in Communication

No abstract provided.

Social Media Influence: Metrics Matter, Juliana Houldcroft

Honors Projects in Marketing

It is imperative for companies to engage in social media marketing as consumers are often dependent on online information and electronic word-of-mouth. Past literature claims that consumers evaluate the influence of communications differently on social media than they would in a traditional environment because of the nature of the internet. This study aims to analyze user’s perceptions of social media marketing influence and determines if user’s perception of influence changes based on the number of social media metrics (likes, comments, and shares) that accompany a Facebook post. The study also investigates if perceptions of influence vary depending on a user’s …

Five Seconds To The Ad: How Program-Induced Mood Affects Ad Countdown Effects, Tiffany Venmahavong

Honors Projects in Marketing

The study examines what effects a five second countdown warning will have on consumer’s attitudes towards the advertisement depending on the main program content. This study builds upon several theoretical models concerning program-induced moods in relation to viewer’s judgment to commercial advertisements. Findings from two studies suggest that program-induced mood systematically influences attitude toward the inserted ad with (vs. without) a five-second countdown: for the negative-affect program, attitude toward the ad was more positive when the ad was preceded by the countdown than when the ad was not preceded by the countdown. However, for the positive-affect program, attitude toward the …