Digital Commons Network^™

Making Of Wars: Analysis Of The Franchise Management Of God Of War And Gears Of War, William Seaton

All Theses

Two of the most prominent franchises in the video game industry are God of War and Gears of War. These franchises, produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) and Xbox Game Studios (XGS), respectively, and their presentation through company blogs offer insight into the franchise management strategies and franchise conceptualizations that their parent companies have. Understanding these franchising aspects furthers knowledge on how these companies, two of the three largest video game producers, engage in franchising behaviors through discourse. Utilizing a framework of the discourse of franchise paratexts, this thesis examines those franchising tactics and discursive frames that the companies …

Refigured: Separations In Portraiture, Caroline Myers

All Theses

Utilizing traditional painting techniques embedded with digital syntaxes, Refigured: Separations in Portraiture, serves as a catalog of my experiences with communication in a hyperconnected world. Processing illegible information caused by my hearing loss informs the process of imposing similar boundaries within my paintings. Like a technical glitch, these obstructions create an illegible visual experience, with evidence of my process remaining as a clue for the viewer’s understanding of the image.

Though personal in nature, I expand from my experience with auditory communication to employ pertinent explorations into the sustained unpredictability of today’s ever-expanding medium that is technology. My paintings …

God’S Favorite: Hollywood Archivists And Peddlers, Daniela Farfan

Comm-entary

In his exhibition, Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? Photographer David LaChapelle features well-known celebrities that are sometimes revered as God’s favorites. The mirage of Hollywood is glamorous and beautiful. Hollywood is a place of dreams congruent with limitless imagination and youth. LaChapelle’s photographs feature celebrities who sacrifice themselves to achieve and exemplify the ideals of show business and celebrity. LaChapelle’s portraits offer insight into the fantasy and truth behind celebrity.

The Role Of Epistemics In Storytelling, Ashley Kayla White

Comm-entary

Epistemics play a vital role in storytelling sequences. In fact, laying the necessary epistemic groundwork before engaging in a storytelling sequence may make the difference between successful and unsuccessful story receptions. Taking a conversation analytic approach and drawing from one story-rich recording, this paper aims to explore the role of epistemics in storytelling sequences captured in day-to-day interaction. To achieve this, several critical conversation analytical concepts are employed. These include repair, expansion, physical gesturing, preference organization, reference, delicate formulations, assessments, and more. This paper adds to a framework of conversation analysis scholarship by drawing explicit connections between two distinct concepts …

Framing Radical Care And Radical Empathy In The #Blacklivesmatter Movement, Ashley White

Comm-entary

This thesis looks at the ongoing media framing of the #BlackLivesMatter movement (primarily in the realm of journalism) to argue that incorporating elements of radical care and radical empathy in how we communicate stories can lead to transformative change. The paper looks at the history of the movement, with attention paid to the major cases that have sparked outrage, protests, and policy changes in the United States in the last decade. Attention is also paid to the #SayHerName movement and the role of intersectionality in whether some stories reach prominence or not. Following this, a comprehensive explanation of the concepts …

Comm-Entary 43rd Edition, 2022-2023 - Full Issue

Comm-entary

No abstract provided.

The Pacific Sentinel, May 2023, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

The Pacific Sentinel

Editor: Dan Chilton

Articles in this issue include:

• Letter From the Editor
• Ghosts of Plant & Place
• Everybody Reads Ozeki
• Shrinking: Rethinking New Approaches to Therapy
• Braiding Sweetgrass
• Lana Del Rey Album Review
• The Perseverance of R*pe Culture in Rock & Metal
• Pay What You Will, Take What You Need
• What We're Enjoying
• Comics & Games

Check It Out: Analyzing The Checkout Experience Of Small Business E-Commerce Websites, Janet Lovera

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

There is limited research available aimed at identifying specifically how a small business shopper may experience different pain points during checkout in comparison to well-known retail websites and the layout of their e-commerce websites. Enlightened by the Technology Adoption Model and the concept of consumer trust, the purpose of this research is to determine similar characteristics across small business e-commerce websites to identify common pain points for users, or simply what small businesses lack regarding common elements that ease the checkout experience for consumers. From these insights, elements within the checkout experience can be compared to the pain points of …

Facebook In County 4-H Extension Programs In Arkansas: Is It Effective For Communication?, Haley Padgett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

As social media rises in popularity, agents with 4-H responsibilities have the opportunity to implement social media platforms in their communication outreach. The purpose of this study was to identify how agents with 4-H responsibilities in Arkansas use Facebook for communication purposes and their perceptions of its effectiveness. This information helps provide understanding of the effects of Facebook on county 4-H programs in Arkansas and assists agents in determining how to implement or better utilize Facebook in their county programs. The study had three research objectives: 1) describe the usage of Facebook by agents in Arkansas with at least a …

Civil War Journalism: Two Rough Drafts Of One History, Brianna Collora

History Honors Program

This paper addresses journalism in the Civil War by analyzing both Northern and Southern reporting. The severity of censorship changed throughout the duration of the war, with it less harsh in the Union by the end. Southern officials did not censor as much, both because their resources were scarcer, and their officials were more opposed to the use of censorship. While past historians have argued that the decrease in Northern censorship is because the Union began to have the upper hand in the war, I argue that the decrease in Union censorship was not only because the Union was now …

Death And Dynasties: Using Family Communication Patterns Theory To Understand Individual Feelings Regarding The End Of Life, Erica Danielle Cecilia Strand

Communication

This research investigated how Family Communication Patterns Theory, one of the leading theories in the study of family communication, relates to parent-child communication regarding religion and outlook on the end of life. Using pairs of parent-child participants this research sought to connect the family type and style in which one was raised, with their likelihood to remain in the religion they were raised with, as well as their acceptance or fear regarding the end of life. This research seeks to close the gap between parenting styles/family dynamics and adult feelings, thoughts, and beliefs regarding religion and death. This research was …

Women In Organizations: Leadership And Overcoming Biases, Madison T. Witt

Honors Thesis

This thesis will work to describe the different experiences women have in the workplace compared to men. It will discuss the biases faced: prove-it-again bias, tightrope bias, and the maternal wall bias. These play a large role in why women act as they do in the workplace as well as why they tend to experience different barriers within the corporate ladder. This research notes both gender biases facing women and the additional bias women of color face. These different experiences change how women lead companies when placed in executive positions. These leadership styles of women tend to be more welcoming …

Understanding The Evolution Of Enforcement Systems In Resource Dilemmas, Devin M. Flener

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

The effective management of resources on Earth is a pressing global social dilemma. An alternative solution to the traditional managing methods of these common pool resources is communal self-management facilitated through principles of restorative justice and developed through exploratory learning. We examined how communication, restorative justice techniques, and opportunity for exploratory learning impacted groups’ ability to develop a strong conceptual understanding of enforcement as well as an enforcement system in order to maintain an effective conservation strategy. Participants (N=288) were randomly assigned to 72 four-person groups in six separate conditions. Each group played nine rounds of a computer-simulated foraging task …

Examining Heterosexual Women's Social Comparisons And Perceptions Of Sexual Competition With Porn Stars, Jessica Journeay

Communication (PhD) Dissertations

The current study investigated women’s social comparisons and perceptions of sexual competition with porn stars they imagined their romantic partners viewed for purposes of private masturbation. Two novel predictors were considered, the body size (thin vs. plus-size) and facial attractiveness (high vs. low) of the porn stars, to investigate conditions that were more or less threatening to women’s relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, facial satisfaction, body satisfaction, and sexual desirability. Results from a 2 x 2 between-subjects online experiment (N = 762) suggest that women’s downward comparisons with porn stars’ facial attractiveness resulted in positive effects on facial satisfaction and …

A Holy Land Guidebook: Cultivating Spiritual Disciplines For Pilgrimages, Johnnie L. Birks

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

A small group of research participants and I assembled for this phenomenally enriching project intervention to create a proprietary branded guidebook for Miracle Loaves And Fishes World Hunger Ministry, Incorporated, and its subsidiary, Anointed Royal Tours, to be used for pilgrimages to the Holy Land. These pilgrimages will create sustainable funding for the ministry to support universal efforts to eliminate global hunger while simultaneously attempting to equip believers with a transformative and/or restorative walk in Christlikeness for the sake of creation, humanity, and eternal life in God’s Kingdom. The path of Christlikeness is to be transformed (Rom 12:2 NRSV), as …

The Impact Of The Csr Messages Type On Corporate Image: A Cross-Cultural Investigation, Hansen Lee

All Theses

This study investigates the impact of internal and external CSR messages on corporate image within a cross-cultural context. A 3 x 2 between-subjects experiment was conducted to examine the effects of CSR message types on general corporate image, trust, and credibility among U.S. and Chinese participants. The results revealed that U.S. and Chinese participants displayed varying levels of perceived corporate image and credibility. Chinese participants exhibited higher levels of trust, corporate image, and credibility after receiving CSR messages, regardless of type. Significant interaction effects were noted between CSR message type and culture on corporate image and credibility. Chinese participants had …

Using Linkedin To Promote Effective Corporate Social Responsibility Communication Through The B2b Supply Chain, Eden Wallace

All Theses

Utilizing LinkedIn as a communication tool for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) communications is a relatively unknown area of CSR research. However, existing scholarship and current business trends suggest that LinkedIn may be beneficial for business to business (B2B) companies to communicate to their corporate partners. Findings from this study advance communication scholarship in this relatively new area of research and provide new understanding in how LinkedIn can be used by companies to strengthen business operations pertaining to corporate social responsibility. This thesis examines how Equinix, a B2B company, communicates its socially responsible initiatives on LinkedIn and to what extent its …

The Autistic Perspective: Interviewing Autistic Adults On Lived Experiences With Behavior Modification And How It Has Shaped Their Communication, Lighla R. Whitson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The use of behavior modification (BM) based treatment, the best-known example being Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), is established as an evidence-based practice for promoting communication and other outcomes for Autistic individuals. As such, many Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs) use it in their practice to target various forms of communication. Among many autistic advocacy groups, however, ABA and other BM informed therapies are often described as a detriment to mental and emotional health. Organizations such as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) have come out against the practices and recommend finding different approaches to teaching communication skills. Much research is needed …

Digital Literacy Among Older Adults In Singapore, Mindy Eiko Tadai, Micah Tan

ROSA Research Briefs

Singapore stands as the fourth most digitally competitive country, after Denmark, USA, and Sweden, in the latest edition of the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking (IMD World Competitiveness Center, 2022). This global ranking measures the capacities of 63 nations to adopt and explore digitally transformative practices across government, industry, and wider society. Among households in Singapore, an astounding 99% have Internet access and 92% have computer access (Infocomm Media Development Authority, 2023). Even within the eldest surveyed cohort, proportions of smartphone usage have risen from 28% in 2017 to 48% in 2021 among resident Singaporeans aged 75 and above, and …

Nonprofit Marketing And Communication Personnel Job Satisfaction: The Effects Of Role Conflict And Role Ambiguity, Rachel L. Swink

Communication Theses - Archive

Job satisfaction is becoming increasingly important in efforts to retain employees across all sectors. The nonprofit sector is facing greater challenges than ever before in competing for and retaining adequate talent. The nonprofit sector provides unconventional benefits such as hybrid office models, paid time off, and others to improve job satisfaction. While nonprofits receive high job satisfaction, turnover is a big issue, even among marketing and communication teams which are often underfunded, understaffed, and unappreciated. Marketing and communication teams play a unique role within nonprofits, as they are frequently pulled in different directions to accomplish tasks that may not necessarily …

Understanding The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Newsroom Social Culture And Journalistic Performative Roles : A Qualitative Case Study Of Ai As An Emerging Digital Innovative Technology In Newsrooms, Chad S. Owsley

Communication Faculty Publications

Throughout the evolution of journalism, innovative technology has played a pivotal role in shaping the production and consumption of news. The transformative power of disruptive technology has revolutionized the journalism industry in the past by impacting the society it serves through the diffusion of innovation. Artificial Intelligence, when operationalized for use in journalism, has the propensity to be a disruptive technology, possibly transforming the industry in significant and meaningful ways. This research investigates the impact of Artificial Intelligence as an emerging digital innovative technology on journalism and mass communication from a sociological and historical context. The aim of this study …

A Quantitative Examination Of The Impact Of Moderating Variables On The Experience Of Eudaimonic Outcomes, Brandon Lynn Lawson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

There has been a growing body of research looking into effects beyond enjoyment of media content. However, these explorations have primarily been outcome focused and have failed to analyze variables that could be mediating eudaimonic effects. This thesis examined the results of an experimental study investigating the variables of flow and realism and their possible impact on eudaimonic outcomes of video game play. Using data collected from 193 participants who played either the game The Last of Us Remastered or Elude, this study examined the possibility of flow mediating the relationship between realism and eudaimonic effects. Results of a hierarchical …