Digital Commons Network^™

Safety In The Woods: Studying The Effectiveness Of The Kentucky Master Logger Program, Austin Winn Leake

Theses and Dissertations--Community & Leadership Development

Logging is a dangerous field; in this study the researcher looks to see the knowledge both before and after professional loggers participate in the Kentucky Master Logger Program. This information was used to see the overall effectiveness of the Kentucky Master Logger Program. The researcher found an overall improvement in logging professionals’ perceptions and understanding of logging safety. The researcher recommends creating an emphasis on a safe work culture through safety incentives and a greater focus on less used personal protective equipment such as insecticide

Conceptualizations Of A Flea Market Space, Tyler D. Curran

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

The ubiquitous presence of flea markets is emblematic of midwestern life. They illustrate common consumption practices and distinct modes of entertainment. This study investigates how vendors within a large, midwestern flea market conceptualize and utilize the space. Additionally, this study reveals the relationship between variant conceptualizations of the market and the merchandise sold by individual vendors. Existing research identifies a tension between social and economic dimensions within flea markets. This study extends prior research by examining the specific social fulfillments vendors garner and identifying other non-economic rationalizations for participation within the market. The results are derived from ethnographic observations and …

Source Credibility And Persuasive Communication: Effects On Social Media Influencers, Influencer Marketing, And Consumer Attitude Change, Isabelle Jia

CMC Senior Theses

Social psychology has long been researching how source credibility influences persuasive communication. With the world transitioning into a society interested in digital consumption, communication, and connection, this paper serves as a literature review of how different characteristics of source credibility can aid influencer credibility through various modes of social media messaging. The examination of three source credibility characteristics: 1) expertise, 2) trustworthiness, and 3) likability showcase how social media influencers can establish credibility with their consumers and build further connections with them. The results underline the importance of source credibility in influencing consumer attitude change and behavior over continued exposure …

Corporate Activism Best Practices In The Age Of Social Media, Fransisco Flores

Theses and Dissertations

Corporate activism, or the act of corporations speaking out on sociopolitical issues, has become more common with technological advances and social media access. Corporations’ role in society has evolved to include non-economic functions that aim to improve societal conditions. Despite corporations fulfilling additional societal roles, they face increased scrutiny from shareholders and stakeholders alike. Speaking out on social issues or staying silent causes ripple effects amongst their internal and external networks. Speaking out on social media while working for a private or publicly traded corporation can be challenging as it entails weighing a wide array of conditions, stakeholder desires, and …

The Impact Of Facebook Affordances On Doomscrolling Behaviors During The Relational Dissolution Process, Emma Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The affordances provided by social networking sites (SNSs) impact how different social media platforms are used. Facebook has unique affordances such as ease of use, community, information seeking, escapism, and common interests that impact Facebook use. Interpersonal electronic surveillance, categorized as doomscrolling for this study, is a behavior of continuous scrolling and consumption of negative content. Facebook affordances, paired with digital artifacts from terminated relationships, create an environment for doomscrolling (IES) behavior. Building off of the “grave-dressing” and “resurrection” stages of relational dissolution, I examined the relationships of these Facebook affordances with doomscrolling (IES) behaviors through an online survey (N …

Reddit As A Source Of Covid-19 Information: A Content Analysis Of R/Coronavirus During The Early Pandemic, Brent Hale, Mark Alberta, Seung Woo Chae

Faculty Publications

Emerging research has begun examining the utility of social media platforms for information dissemination during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following this developing thread, this work examines discourse within r/coronavirus, a Reddit forum (i.e., subreddit) developed to curate COVID-19 information that burgeoned during the early months of the pandemic. Through a content analysis of 226 posts and 2260 corresponding comments generated between February and May, 2020, this study investigated early-pandemic communication patterns in this platform, including what information was deemed important and how users framed causes and solutions. Overall, findings indicate that users of r/coronavirus prioritized information about COVID-19 spread, public health …

Rhetoric Of Surrogacy: Re-Considering Agency Through Embodied Performance, Ann Kitalong-Will

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Surrogacy as a medical practice goes back, in a practical sense, to 1988, when the court case, “In the Matter of Baby M, A Pseudonym for an Actual Person,” was tried in the Supreme Court of New Jersey. At the heart of the issue, was the question of who Baby M’s legally-recognized mother was in the relationship between the contracting parents and the woman who gestated and gave birth to Baby M. Using this case as a jumping off point, this dissertation traces a history of surrogacy as a global industry. This project explores rhetorical agency in the embodied performance …

Communication In Mass Media Surrounding Public Health Crises: A Comparative Analysis, Megan Grace Kramer

Honors Program Theses

No abstract provided.

Religious Violence And Twitter: Networks Of Knowledge, Empathy And Fascination, Samah Senbel, Carly Seigel, Emily Bryan

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Twitter analysis through data mining, text analysis, and visualization, coupled with the application of actor-network-theory, reveals a coalition of heterogenous religious affiliations around grief and fascination. While religious violence has always existed, the prevalence of social media has led to an increase in the magnitude of discussions around the topic. This paper examines the different reactions on Twitter to violence targeting three religious communities: the 2015 Charleston Church shooting, the 2018 Pittsburgh Synagogue shooting, and the 2019 Christchurch Mosque shootings. The attacks were all perpetrated by white nationalists with firearms. By analyzing large Twitter datasets in response to the attacks, …

Will The Real News Reporters Please Stand Up?: A Study Of Bias In The Media, Hannah Claussen

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The goal of my project is to define what news media bias is and examine its history and the effects it currently has on our country and democracy. I will examine its electoral effects as well as how media bias has contributed to lower trust in the news media as a whole.

My project will consist of a general news story on the subject of media bias; a smaller news story focusing on the history of media bias and public perception of the press; an abbreviated research paper on newspaper endorsements and their efficacy in a modern news landscape; and …

Promoting A Walk/Run Event To Expand Services For Individuals With Disabilities, Mckenzie Rodgers

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The Suzanne Vitale Clinical Education Complex (CEC) at WKU provides services to many individuals and families affected by autism spectrum disorders and other developmental delays and disabilities. As a nonprofit organization, the clinic relies heavily on donations and fundraisers as sources of income. One of the CEC’s primary fundraisers is the annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism. This event is held each April during autism awareness month, at the Bowling Green Ballpark, providing an opportunity for the community to support the clinic in an enjoyable way.

For an honors capstone experience, the author promoted the 15th annual LifeSkills Run/Walk for Autism …

Cultural Materialism Theory & The Kardashian Family, Jaylin Redman

Capstone Showcase

Raymond Williams popularized cultural materialism theory and used it to help understand cultural texts and their contribution to society. This theory is used to understand societal interactions and cultural shifts. This includes areas of society such as economics and politics. We focus on the Kardashian family as a cultural product used to influence society, using cultural materialism theory to understand them.

The Web And The Blockbuster Poster: An Examination Of The Impact Of Streaming Services On Movie Advertising, Holden Edward Strausser

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The year 2020 brought a widespread closure of movie theaters, exacerbating a trend wherein streaming services gained an increasing importance in movie distribution. This study examines how the changing nature of the motion picture distribution market after the advent of the streaming service is reflected in movie advertising, specifically the movie poster. The research uses a content analysis methodology to compare film posters across time, from before the beginning of streaming services to the arrival of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Analysis is derived from Uses and Gratifications theory and scholarship on star power. The research shows …

A Proportionality-Based Framework For Government Regulation Of Digital Tracing Apps In Times Of Emergency, Sharon Bassan

Dickinson Law Review (2017-Present)

Times of emergency present an inherent conflict between the public interest and the preservation of individual rights. Such times require granting emergency powers to the government on behalf of the public interest and relaxing safeguards against government actions that infringe rights. The lack of theoretical framework to assess governmental decisions in times of emergency leads to a polarized and politicized discourse about potential policies, and often, to public distrust and lack of compliance.

Such a discourse was evident regarding Digital Tracing Apps (“DTAs”), which are apps installed on cellular phones to alert users that they were exposed to people who …

ทัศนคติด้านความหลากหลายและความเท่าเทียมทางเพศของผู้ผลิตและผู้รับชมสื่อซีรีส์วาย เรื่อง คินน์พอร์ช เดอะ ซีรีส์ (Kinnporsche The Series), ธนายุทธ ฐากูรอรรถยา

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

รายงานนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์ดังนี้ 1) เพื่อศึกษาทัศนคติด้านความหลากหลายทางและความเท่าเทียมเพศของผู้ผลิตและผู้รับชมสื่อซีรีส์วาย เรื่องคินน์พอร์ช เดอะ ซีรีส์ (KinnPorsche The series) ในประเทศไทย 2) เพื่อศึกษาแนวทางในการผลิตสื่อซีรีส์วายที่มีเนื้อหาส่งเสริมความเข้าใจด้านความหลากหลายและความเท่าเทียมทางเพศ ผลการวิจัยพบว่า สื่อซีรีส์วายเรื่องคินน์พอร์ช เดอะ ซีรีส์ มีการนำเสนอถึงความหลากหลายและความเท่าเทียมทางเพศที่แตกต่างจากสื่อซีรีส์อื่นๆ เช่น ตัวละครที่บ่งบอกเพศที่เป็นเกย์อย่างชัดเจน เป็นต้น มีการให้ความสำคัญกับอาชีพและอำนาจแก่เพศหญิงและเพศหลากหลาย ในขณะเดียวกันกลุ่มนักรณรงค์และผู้รับชมมองว่ามีการนำเสนอที่ดีแต่ยังขาดมิติทางเพศหลากหลายอื่น ๆ ไม่ได้นำเสนอประเด็นปัญหาที่เกิดขึ้นจริงเท่าที่ควร ผู้มีส่วนเกี่ยวข้องทั้งหมดในอุตสาหกรรมซีรีส์วาย มีความเข้าใจในเรื่องความหลากหลายแลความเท่าเทียมทางเพศ มีทัศนคติในเชิงบวก กล่าวคือ มีการเปิดรับเรื่องความหลากหลายทางเพศ และยินดีหากทุกเพศได้รับสิทธิอย่างเท่าเทียมทั้งทางกฎหมายและสังคม จากผลการวิจัยพบว่า แนวทางในการผลิตสื่อซีรีส์วายในอนาคต ยังต้องคงไว้ในรูปแบบของสื่อบันเทิง เพื่อจรรโลงใจ ในขณะเดียวกันก็สามารถเปลี่ยนแปลงให้เข้ากับยุคสมัยและกระแสของสังคม โดยไม่ยัดเยียดเนื้อหา เลือกใช้วิธีการสอดแทรกที่แยบยล เช่น การปรับคาแรคเตอร์ของตัวละครหลัก ให้มีน้ำหนักความเท่าเทียมทางเพศใกล้เคียงกัน การเพิ่มความหลากหลายของเพศตัวละคร และที่สำคัญคือพยายามไม่สร้างภาพจำผิดๆให้กับสังคม

Racial Composition In Advertisements And Its Effects On White Consumers' Perceptions And Purchase Intention, Chung-Ting Wang

Honors Program Theses

Previous marketing research has generally not examined how ethnic majority consumers perceive advertisements featuring mixed racial compositions of model groups. This paper presents an investigation into how White consumers’ perceptions and purchase intentions change depending on the racial composition of the people represented in an advertisement. The study uses a single 12-condition experiment, in which we examine the type of advertisement (product vs. social advocacy advertising), racial composition (all-White vs. diverse mix vs. all-Black), and racial priming effects (racially-primed vs. racially-neutral message). Additionally, consumers’ levels of self-referencing to the ad and strength of ethnic identification are explored as possible mediation …

Skin Deep: Body Positivity And Brand Authenticity, Camilla Guimaraes

Honors Program Theses

This experiment explores the influence of a plus-size model’s dress (modest or revealing) and skin condition (perfect or imperfect) on participants’ responses to branded body positive Instagram posts. Specifically, participants were randomly assigned to one of the four conditions (i.e., modest-perfect; modest-imperfect; revealing-perfect; revealing-imperfect) to compare their (a) ratings of the model’s attractiveness, (b) emotional responses, (c) perceptions of the sponsoring brand’s authenticity, and (d) purchase intentions. In addition to the four treatment conditions, responses were also compared across participants with varying attitudes toward society’s beauty standards and with high or low body images. The results indicate the condition, the …

The Teleserye Story: Three Periods Of The Evolution Of The Filipino Tv Soap Opera, Louie Jon A. Sanchez

English Faculty Publications

The essay chronicles the history of the teleserye or the Filipino TV soap opera, one of today’s transnational televisual products making waves in different parts of the globe. It covers three periods—the period of transition from radio to TV (1962 to 1986), the period of competition (1986-2000), and the period of transformation (2000-present). Traversing through 60 years of the form’s enduring presence in Philippine television, it traces the format’s beginnings as it was introduced to the medium in a highly volatile social environment, and assesses its continued flourishing in democratized, contemporary times and consequent entry into the highly competitive global …

A Free Press Without Democracy, Erin C. Carroll

Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works

For several decades, the American press has been fighting for its economic survival. But while it has been consumed with this effort, the political threat to a free press has grown perhaps greater than the economic one. Democracy is eroding globally, including in the United States. Given the importance of a free press to democracy, the press needs to more urgently consider how it maintains its freedom as erosion persists.

This Article sets out a framework for American press priorities in this pivotal moment. It suggests that to resist and weather a turn to autocracy, the press must endeavor to …

Reconsidering The Nomos In Today’S Media Environment, Kimberlianne Podlas

Touro Law Review

Today’s media landscape is wholly unlike that which existed when Cover first discussed narrative and the nomos; specifically, the status of television as both a cultural messenger and object of scholarly study has changed significantly. Accordingly, this article contemplates narrative in the contemporary media environment, specifically, television as an essential source of narratives. To enhance understandings of the roles television narratives play and which narratives play a role, this article employs an empirical perspective. Surveying Media Theory, it outlines research on television effects, including when and why television’s representations of law can impact audience attitudes, behaviors, perceptions, knowledge, and judgements. …

Perceived Image Of Samui Island From Local Stakeholders, Ponatip Phetrat

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The objective of this research was to explore the perceived image of Samui island from local stakeholders. An in-depth interview was selected as the research instrument for this study. The data is collected from 15 respondents who were local stakeholders of Samui island, they are those who live and work in Samui for more than 10 years, aged between 24-45 years old. The findings indicated that according to brand associations in terms of attributes the respondents perceived Samui island as “beach” “nature” and “cultural tourist destination” also, respondents perceived Samui as having “friendly” “lively” “complicated” and “easy-going” personalities. In terms …

The Lived Experiences Of Middle Management Leadership Development Succession Planning In Public Sector Organizations, Linda Pounds-Adams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior directors in the public sector often lack viable succession plans for middle managers. Four conceptual elements from Burns’ transformational leadership theory provided a framework to investigate the practices directors in the public sector use to prepare middle managers for leadership positions. Succession planning is essential to retain highly skilled employees and maintain a sustainable competitive advantage in today’s competitive environment. The conceptual elements directly relate to succession planning and its components of career development and preparing future leaders. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the succession planning practices public sector directors use to prepare middle …

Presidential Rhetoric In Times Of Health Crises: From President Eisenhower To President Trump, Abbi Murphy, Justin Kirk

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

Three major health crises in American history include the polio epidemic in the 1950s, the Ebola crisis in 2014, and the coronavirus in 2020. Each of these viruses evolved under a different President, from President Eisenhower to President Obama to President Trump. Each of these presidents spoke to the people on their respective crisis, and here I examine speeches, addresses, and social media posts in order to examine the rhetorical strategies that each President utilized. Each of them had a similar goal in mind, to eradicate the disease and quell the public’s fears. However, they all had advantages and disadvantages …

The Disappearance Of The Anti-Aesthetic; The Death Of Fashion, Scrap Evans

Capstone Showcase

In this essay, Scrap explores the connection between famous nihilist and postmodernist theorists, Dadaism, the concept of the anti-aesthetic, and today's high fashion. They provide a history of nihilism and follow its influence through time upon other social, political, and artistic movements. They then make direct connections between famous theorists' prose and famous fashion designers' collections. Finally, they analyze the current state of the fashion world and discuss their plan of action.

The Program To Reduce Implicit Bias In Carroll Hospital Center Using The Implicit Association Test, Katherine E. Traynor

Capstone Showcase

Natural brain processes make all individuals susceptible to unconscious bias; however, stressful, fearful, or anger-evoking situations as well as the negative influence of media and social surroundings increase the risk of holding obstructive bias, and there is a greater risk of being negatively impacted by this phenomenon when belonging to a minority population (Rose & Flores, 2020). As a result, high rates of infant mortality (10.2 deaths per 1,000 live births for the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 4.1 in the White population) and cardiovascular related diseases (190.0 cases per 1,000 in the Non-Hispanic Black population compared to 161.3 in …

Advr 3300: Intro To Advertising (Syllabus), Walter Smith

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Broad survey of advertising in an economy of abundance and its relationship to marketing. Traditional, non-traditional and social media advertising will be studied. Problems and techniques of planning and coordinating an integrated series of advertising efforts for a successful plan will be discussed.

Advr 3300: Intro To Advertising Honors (Syllabus), Walter Smith

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Broad survey of advertising in an economy of abundance and its relationship to marketing. Traditional, non-traditional and social media advertising will be studied. Problems and techniques of planning and coordinating an integrated series of advertising efforts for a successful plan will be discussed.

Advr 3310: Branding And Strategic Media (Syllabus), Joel Nichols

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Exploration of how branding and strategic media (advertising and public relations) move members of the target audience from the point of awareness to the point of engagement. Trends in branding such as targeted, viral and interactive techniques will be explored, and branding campaigns will be created and evaluated.

Advr 3320: Strategic Account Management (Syllabus), Joel Nichols

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Exploration of how advertising account management is the center of decision-making and problemsolving—critical skills in today’s advertising structure. Trends in account management such as the account management information system (AMIS) will be included. Paid media, business-to-business, and digital and interactive techniques will be explored, created and evaluated.

Advr 3324: Creative Strategy (Syllabus), Ruoxu Wang

Journalism and Strategic Media Syllabi Archive

Course Description: Principles of advertising psychology in relation to proven techniques for understanding the creative process, including writing effective copy and designing effective advertising. One lecture hour, four laboratory hours per week.