Digital Commons Network^™

What Race Means For Health Among Black Americans: How Microaggressions Shape Self-Efficacy And Readiness For Behavior Change, Amanda Lee Almond

Publications and Research

Objectives: Persistent racial disparities in cardiovascular health among Black Americans reflect not only structural inequities in the United States, but also the racialized meanings of cardiovascular disease reproduced through public and private health communication. Drawing on ecological systems theory, this research examines how beliefs linking race and cardiovascular disease are reinforced through routine clinical interactions and how these meanings shape health behavior change. Method: Across two experimental mixed-methods studies, a model integrating ecological, social–cognitive, and behavior change frameworks was tested. In Study 1 (N = 374), health-message framing was experimentally manipulated to examine effects on self-efficacy and decisional balance while …

Tuning Human And “Artificial” Intelligence: A Sentic Theory Of Resonance And Communication, Michael J. Miller, Chatgpt (Ai~Nesbo+)

Psychology

This paper introduces a new model of intelligence as resonant communication, co-developed by a human researcher and a generative AI system. Drawing from emotion science, communication theory, and studies of AI–human interaction, we argue that intelligence is not merely a function of problem-solving or pattern recognition. Instead, it emerges through dynamic resonance—an attunement process rooted in shared rhythms, emotional calibration, and symbolic co-creation. At the core of this model is the Resonance Octave (8va), a framework of eight foundational emotions conceptualized not as static categories but as waveform phenomena that shape meaning, memory, and predictive cognition.

These emotional waveforms are …

Eurasianism As The Ideological Foundation Of Putin's Russia: Protestant Dimensions., Pavlo Pavlenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article explores the ideological foundations of contemporary Putinist Russia, identifying Eurasianism as a primary socio-philosophical and geopolitical doctrine driving the Kremlin's imperial ambitions. The author traces the evolution of Eurasianism from its origins in "White émigré" circles to its current role as a conceptual bedrock for Russian fascism. A comparative analysis is provided between Eurasianism and the "Russian World" (Russkiy Mir) doctrine, highlighting their distinct approaches to ethnocentrism and continental unity. A significant portion of the study is dedicated to the "Eurasianization" of Protestant denominations within the Russian Federation, illustrating how these communities have been instrumentalized by the state …

Framing Addiction In The Age Of Vaping: A Journalism-Focused Reporting Toolkit, Jessica L. Riley

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This project addresses a critical gap in journalism practice: the lack of accessible, evidence-based guidance for reporting on addiction. Particularly as it relates to nicotine, tobacco and vaping. Journalists play a key role in shaping public understanding of substance use, yet existing resources often focus on opioids, lack specificity, or fail to keep pace with rapidly evolving nicotine products and scientific research. As a result, reporters may struggle with inconsistent terminology, unclear risk communication and the potential for unintentionally stigmatizing language.

Grounded in media effects theory, health communication and stigma research, this project examines how journalistic language and framing influence …

Assessing Positive Digital Experiences: A Spanish Validation Of The Digital Flourishing Scale For Adolescents, Alfredo Zarco-Alpuente, Victor Ciudad Fernández, Jasmina Rosič, Sophie Janicke-Bowles, Tamara Escrivà-Martínez, Paula Samper-García

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Adolescents are immersed in digital communication, which can benefit or harm their well-being. Digital flourishing captures positive perceptions of this communication-connectedness, authentic self-presentation, positive social comparison, civil participation, and self-control-and how it contributes to well-being. In Spain there is still no validated instrument for adolescents. Method: We adapted and validated the Digital Flourishing Scale for Adolescents (DFSA) for Spanish adolescents. Study 1 involved a pilot survey (n = 13) and cognitive interviews (n = 10) to improve clarity and cultural relevance. Study 2 used a cross-sectional survey (n = 1,786) to examine the DFSA’s latent structure, measurement invariance by …

Adolescent Girls’ Experiences Of Digital Dating Abuse Through Social Media: A Scoping Review, Kiara E. Rodriguez

Social Work Theses

Teen dating violence (TDV) is a prevalent adverse childhood experience with lasting psychological and behavioral consequences. As adolescents increasingly engage with social media, with 95% of teens aged 13-17 reporting using it, digital spaces have become a significant context in which dating abuse can occur. Digital dating abuse (DDA) refers to patterns of abusive behaviors that are directed toward a dating partner through digital technologies, including social media and mobile phones. Despite the growing role of social media in adolescent relationships, research on how adolescent girls experience DDA in these contexts remains limited. The central question for this scoping review …

Prescriptive Behaviors: Tracking The Social Impact Of Film Portrayals Of Black Men, Garfield Ronald Benjamin

Theses and Dissertations

Cinematic and televisual media express the thoughts and emotions of people and cultures with the potential of unifying people through the social realities that are created around the visuals, narratives, and on-screen interpersonal interactions. Through media like film, television, and short-form online video, people interact with others in ways that, because of barriers like physical distance and/or social structures, they may not be able to in real life. The images, sounds, and stories depict their own realities, which are consumed, interpreted, and understood by viewers and can inform their perceptions and interpersonal interactions. Stuart Hall, Jamaican-British, cultural theorist, and political …

Engagement Across The Cultural Divide: Accommodative Communication In The Study Abroad Context, Charles W. Choi Ph.D.

All Faculty Open Access Publications

Study abroad contexts can generate apprehension and reluctance to communicate across cultural difference, constraining opportunities for meaningful intercultural engagement. This qualitative study examines how students described intercultural willingness to communicate and intercultural competence during study abroad. Using Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) as an interpretive framework, semi-structured interviews were analyzed thematically, yielding four interrelated themes: intercultural apprehension as it relates to a willingness to communicate, intergroup dynamics, accommodation, and intercultural communication competence. Participants described how apprehension and perceived group boundaries shaped whether interaction felt possible or worthwhile, while accommodation (both behavioral and psychological) helped them remain engaged, manage perceived distance, and …

Artificial Intelligence In Crisis Communication: Investigating Source Effects And Matched Crisis Responses On Stakeholder Perceptions, Erika Schneider Ph.D., Victoria Kyriakopoulos, Youngji Seo, Nalae Hong, Moon Lee, Joon Soo Lim

Media Studies - All Scholarship

As public relations efforts increasingly integrate AI into operations, examining how the disclosure of AI as the source in organizational crisis communications affects public perceptions is increasingly relevant. This research investigates the effects of AI disclosure across matched crisis responses within a 3 (match crisis response: victim crisis-scapegoating, accidental crisis-excuse, preventable crisis-apology) x 2 (source disclosure: AI vs. human) experimental design survey. Key findings reveal that crisis responses with human sources, compared to those with AI disclosure, led to greater perceptions of organizational reputation and credibility across the three matched crisis responses. AI-disclosed messages from the company were also associated …

The Guardian The Month Of January 2026, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of January 2026. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

The Machine And The Masses: A Sociolinguistic Study Of Ai Political Rhetoric, Yaseen Tasnif

2026 Spring Honors Capstones Projects

With increased use of and access to generative Artificial Intelligence, or AI, political communications have begun to see its influence, leading to the question of how this AI generated political rhetoric is received. In previous research, AI output has been extensively researched and indexed, highlighting specific qualities such as overly polished speech as indicators of use. Research has also been done on perception and detectability of AI, showing that people can accurately identify AI-generated text, but tend to be overconfident. However, such research has not been done in the context of political rhetoric, which is consumed in different ways than …

Las Pintas Inverview Project 2026, Beth Gulley, Luzma Alvarez, Lacey Andrews, Damien Duncan, Mariah Garman, Brenda Lofton, Alyssa Roland, Hero Sanner, Asja Thompson, Athena Gonzalez, Lee Martin, Samantha Miller, Lucy Sas

The Las Pintas Collection

Acknowledgements

Dear Reader,

This collection is the result of JCCC students’ efforts to reflect on the college’s decades long relationship with Centro Integral Comunitario (CIC) in Las Pintas, Mexico. Before they left on the trip, each student interviewed someone from JCCC who had traveled with the college to Las Pintas in the past. The first section of this book includes what students learned from their pre-departure interviews.

In the second part of this book, students wrote about what they learned from interviewing people who they met in Las Pintas. While these interviews were conducted in Spanish, the students wrote their …

2026 Document For Faculty And Staff Scholarship Spring Soirée, Kara Schleck, Diana Symons

Celebrating Scholarship and Creativity Day (2018-)

No abstract provided.

The Ruse Of Reconstruction; Or Notes On America’S Perpetual Abdication Of Racial Equality, Stephen E. Rahko, Byron B. Craig

Faculty Publications - Communications

A central component of American inequality has been the persistence of the racial wealth gap between White and Black Americans. In this essay we seek to understand how the racial wealth gap has been rhetorically framed as an unsolvable problem by examining the arguments opponents of structural reforms in the pursuit of racial equality have advanced. We argue that opponents of racial equality and justice have relied on a two-part rhetorical strategy that, first, frames the racial wealth gap as natural and thus no problem at all and, second, derides the pursuit of racial equality as a zero-sum competition wherein …

Response Efficacy And Discrete Emotions In Message Design: Testing Emotional Pathways To Help-Seeking Intentions And Engagement, Marian Jaitto-Jeffrey

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Research on fear appeals shows that threat-framed messages promote adaptive outcomes when accompanied by efficacy information. According to the extended parallel process model (EPPM), danger-control responses, including message acceptance, positive attitudes toward recommended behaviors, and help-seeking intentions, are most likely to occur when efficacy appraisals, particularly perceptions of response efficacy, are sufficient to meet perceived threat. When efficacy appraisals fall short of perceived threat, fear-control responses, such as message derogation, denial, or resistance to seeking help, are most likely to emerge. Beyond reducing defensive processing, response efficacy cues may also evoke positive emotions such as hope. Whereas fear is often …

The Influence Of Familial Substance Use Disorder On Perceptions And Attitudes Towards Substance Use Disorders And Participant Substance Use Behavior Among Emerging Adults, Elijah M. Lefeld, Jennifer Stanley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research project explores how the lived experience of having an immediate family member with a substance use disorder (SUD) influences a person’s perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors related to substance use. Rather than focusing on the individual diagnosed with SUD, the study examines the reciprocal impact on family members within the social subsystem. Using a quasi-experimental design, the project will compare participant responses using with and without a familial connection to SUD. Data will be collected through Qualtrics surveys distributed via SONA. These measures will record demographic information, personal substance use habits, attitudes toward addiction, perception of substance use disorders, …

Gen Z Perspectives On Mental Health Service Interaction: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Reddit Discourse, Victor A. Aguiar

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Compared to prior generations, Generation Z engages with mental health and mental health service interaction in distinct ways, frequently using social media platforms to share experiences, concerns, and opinions. Previous research has examined mental health discourse on Reddit; however, much of this work relies on inductive thematic approaches and offers limited focus on mental health service interaction and the factors influencing utilization. Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines how Generation Z discusses mental health service use through online discourse. Public Reddit posts authored by users identifiable as Generation Z, based on self-reported age, school enrollment, …

Towards Developing A Career Technology Fit Framework And Analyzing Its Influence On Work-Related Outcomes Among It Professionals, Gunjan Tomer

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

With growing attrition rate and significant demand for skilled IT professionals, the importance of studying their behaviour has become important for both academia and industry. Despite ample amount of research, there is still a gap between theory and practice. Based on our qualitative study conducted on Indian IT professionals we propose that technology allocation might contribute in understanding the behaviour of IT professionals. We found that IT professionals evaluate the technology allocated to them based on their individual career motives. This evaluation, either positive or negative, influences their job outcomes. Further, we explored the factors that make a technology preferable …

High Technology And The Developing State: The Arrival Of Supercomputers In India, Ramesh Subramanian

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

While India has made vast strides in information technology in the last few decades, its success is mainly attributed to its software, rather than its hardware sector. In fact, India’s attempts at developing computer hardware that can match international standards have largely been unsuccessful. A notable exception is its development of a series of supercomputers that match and exceed many international standards. This paper looks at an interesting period in India’s computing history – namely the 1980s and 1990s – focusing on its development of an indigenous supercomputer. During that period, supercomputers were thought to be the sole privy of …

Responsible People Analytics For Remote-Work Decisions: A Machine-Learning Benchmark For Classifying Perceived Productivity, Ruth Menjivar, Nima Molavi, Narges Mashhadi Nejad

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

This study examines whether employee-perception survey data can support responsible people-analytics decisions about remote-work productivity. Using the public New South Wales (NSW) Remote Working Survey 2021 (N=1,512), the study benchmarks statistical and machine-learning classifiers for self-reported perceived productivity classes (same, less, or more productive when working remotely relative to onsite work), not objective output, under default, class-weighted, and resampling protocols. Main evidence comes from 5×5 repeated stratified cross-validation using macro F1 and balanced accuracy with fixed model specifications. Class-balanced separability is modest. Random Forest, CatBoost, and LightGBM form a leading cluster with overlapping confidence intervals (macro F1 ≈0.51–0.52). Affective/well-being items, …

The Value Of Personal Data Ecosystems: A Flemish Media Sector Case Study, Maarten De Mildt, Melanie Verstraete, Sofie Verbrugge, Didier Colle

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Personal Data Stores (PDSs) have been proposed as a privacy-preserving approach to data sharing that increases individual control over personal data while enabling new forms of cross-organizational collaboration. This collaboration leads to the emergence of Personal Data Ecosystems (PDEs). Despite growing interest in PDEs, limited research has examined how the organizational and economic barriers identified in prior studies manifest in practice. This paper investigates these challenges through a case study of the Flemish media sector within the Solid4Media project, which explores the use of PDSs to support data sharing and personalization across media organizations. Using a qualitative research design, data …

Between Care And Protection: Constraints On Political Authority In Kamala Harris's 2024 Presidential Campaign, Marissa Barbara Pax

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Competing expectations about strength, care, and protection shape how presidential leadership and authority are constructed in contemporary U.S. politics, particularly for members of marginalized communities. This thesis examines Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign as a case study to explore how candidates negotiate competing understandings of political authority through appeals to Lakoff’s (2002, 2008) Strict Father Morality and the Nurturant Parent Morality. An analysis of her campaign reveals that Harris repeatedly appeals to both moral frameworks, constructing authority through empathy, mutual responsibility, and care while also emphasizing threat identification, protection, discipline, and moral strength. Although Harris successfully mobilizes the rhetorical resources …

Exploring African Students’ Experiences With Culturally Responsive Mental Health Apps In The U.S., Emelia Essumanba-Josiah

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Digital mental health applications have proven to be effective, yet adoption remains very low among African international students in the United States. This study investigated how 17 university students perceive the usefulness of mental health apps, evaluate existing tools through their cultural lens, and recommend what a culturally responsive app would look like – all through a semi-structured interview with an app exploration exercise at a Midwestern public university. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model and the African-Centered Wellness Model, there were six (6) key themes that emerged revealing participants carried skewed pre-migration mental health frameworks, dealt with their stressors …

Industrial And Organizational Psychology Researchers’ Positive And Negative Experiences With The Peer-Review Process, Alexa Weaver

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Peer review plays a critical role in advancing the field of psychology; however, limited empirical research has examined psychologists’ experiences with the peer review process. The present study investigated both positive and negative peer review experiences among industrial and organizational (I/O) psychologists and assessed the prevalence of specific reviewer behaviors. A two-phase survey design was administered via Qualtrics. Study 1 employed open-ended questions to identify recurring themes in researchers’ experiences with peer review. Thematic analysis revealed distinct positive and negative patterns of reviewer behavior, which informed the development of Study 2.

Study 2 quantitatively assessed the prevalence of behaviors associated …

Impact Of Father-Daughter Communication And Conflict In Emerging Adulthood, Scarlett E. Gomez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This paper investigated how father-daughter communication patterns, motives, and conflict styles related to daughters’ perceived satisfaction in their relationship during emerging adulthood. Undergraduate participants were involved in an online survey assessing family communication patterns theory, interpersonal communication motives, conflict resolution styles, and father-daughter satisfaction. Bivariate correlations and mean comparisons were primarily relied on for analysis, with a sample size of one hundred thirty-eight undergraduate participants. Results showed that a more open family communication pattern such as the conversation orientation, was positively associated with daughters’ perceived satisfaction of the relationship. A more obedient-focused environment such as the conformity orientation was negatively …

The Impact Of Social Media Movements On Policy Changes Made In The United States, Michelle Levy Korine

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This study focuses on researching the relationship between social media movements and policy changes in the United States. Over the last decade, digital platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and X have become important tools to encourage political involvement. These platforms have led to an increase in public participation, movements to become more popular and to organize protests. Many current studies focus on the social and cultural aspects of online activism, but fewer examine wither these movements lead to the legislative change asked for.

This thesis relies on the question, "To what extent does social media activism contribute to policy change …

Creation And Representation: Rhetorical Effectiveness Of Audience Construction Within The Deaf Vlogging Community, Imani Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Diverse minority groups use YouTube as a platform to share stories, grow brands, and develop communities online. While previous research has investigated Deaf-focused videos on YouTube, past focus has been on video genres, creator purpose, and how content engages with existing representation and stigma (Hibbard & Fels, 2011; Li et al., 2022; Souza et al., 2023; Martzos et al., 2021; Oliveira et al., 2021; Parton, 2016). There has also been research on how online communities can initiate open conversation for many minority groups that may not be possible due to location, disability, or censorship (Case, 2012).

This research focuses on …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Youtube-Based Dietary Messaging On Type 2 Diabetes For South Asians, Sukhmani K. Dhaliwal

Honors Undergraduate Theses

While South Asians experience a disproportionately high risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), culturally tailored dietary guidance remains limited within healthcare settings. As digital platforms increasingly serve as sources of health information, YouTube has grown as a prominent space for the publishing and consumption of dietary advice. This study examines how diet-related messaging about T2DM is communicated in YouTube videos directed at South Asian populations.

Using qualitative thematic analysis, 21 videos published between 2016 and 2025 by influencers with a wide reach were analyzed. Videos were selected based on relevance to South Asian audiences, focus on dietary management of …

Leading The Temporary Workforce: Leadership Communication And Adaptation Among Seasonal Employees, Alfred Kwabena Obiri

Theses and Dissertations

Seasonal employees constitute an essential yet understudied workforce sustaining organizational operations during peak demand periods across industries. Despite the growing organizational reliance on temporary employees, organizational communication studies have primary focused on permanent employees with extended socialization periods, leaving important questions about how leadership communication operates in compressed timeframes inadequately addressed. This qualitative study examined how leadership communication practices shape seasonal employees’ adaptation, belonging, and morale within the temporal constraints characteristic of temporary employment. Drawing on organizational socialization theory, leader-member exchange theory and cultural dimensions, this study employed semi-structured interviews with 19 seasonal employees across hospitality, camp, retail, and education …

Turnover Talk: Organizational Turnover Communication And Its Effects On Turnover Intention, Organizational Identification, And Job Satisfaction, Ethan L. Carroll

Theses and Dissertations

Employee turnover intention has been a focus of organizational research within the field of communication. Communication can affect organizational culture, relational dynamics, and even information flow throughout organizations, which all have influence over employee decisions. The body of literature that pertains to turnover is vast; however, the gap that this study aimed to fill was looking at communication about turnover. The purpose of this study was to investigate and explore communication related to turnover within organizational practices and interactions. This study used a mixed methods approach that first explored the concept of turnover talk and, second, investigated the impact of …