Digital Commons Network^™

The Relationship Between Exposure To Television Violence And Committing Anti-Social Acts By Adolescent Male Juveniles, Rasha Abdel Hamid Kamhawi

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Responding To The Americans With Disabilities Act: Contributions Of Interpersonal Communication Research And Training, Dawn O. Braithwaite, Denise Labreque

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), has resulted in considerable misinformation and resistance, especially when ablebodied individuals and persons with disabilities interact. This essay reviews contributions of interpersonal communication researchers who address the challenges persons with disabilities face when communicating with ablebodied others, suggesting ways to mitigate communication discomfort and to reduce problems in helping situations. The authors suggest foci for future research and training which can contribute to the acceptance and effectiveness of ADA and to facilitate communication between ablebodied persons and persons with disabilities.

Structuring Constraints On Perceptions Of Upward Influence And Supervisory Relationships, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This research examined the effects of centralization of authority on employees’ perceptions of the likelihood of attempting upward influence and their perceptions of supervisory trust and leader-member exchange. Three hundred and sixty-two employees from five different organizations responded to a questionnaire that assessed perceptions of centralization, attitudes toward upward influence, leader-member exchange, and supervisory trust. Consistent with earlier formulations, centralization was operationalized as perceptions of participation in decision making and job autonomy (Hage, 1980; Hage & Aiken, 1967). Results revealed that both job autonomy and participation in decision making significantly affect subordinates’ attitudes toward attempting upward influence and the levels …

The Contributions And Challenges Of Family Communication To The Field Of Communication, Sandra Petronio, Dawn O. Braithwaite

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

As the Family Communication Commission in the Speech Communication Association is off to a good start, it seems appropriate to bring attention to the contributions and challenges studying family communication has for the discipline of communication. More than a decade ago, Bochner (1976) outlined several fruitful areas of investigation. Clearly, people heeded Bochner’s persuasive arguments and produced research on family communication problems (e.g., Bochner & Eisenberg, 1987; Fitzpatrick, 1988; Noller & Fitzpatrick, 1988; Petronio, 1982; Sillars, Weisberg, Burggraff, & Wilson, 1987). But, the need to examine family communication in more depth is essential to the growth and development of the …

Assessing Patterns Of Disengagement And Re-Entry In Two Local Congregations Of Churches Of Christ, David Mitchell Malone

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates two congregations among Churches of Christ with a prototype instrument adapted from questions used in a national survey (The Unchurched American, The Princeton Religion Research Center, 1978). The ministry objective for this project thesis is to generate an assessment instrument to be used as a tool for ministry between active and inactive church members.

Specific questions addressed are: what are the patterns of disengagement and re-entry in two local congregations connected with Churches of Christ? Is the disengagement of teenagers and young adults (age 13-24) in each local congregation measurably greater than other recognized age categories over …

A Biblical Program For Building New Self-Love In African American Males And Fathers, Anthony Roach Sr.

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

A training program for building new self-love in African American males and fathers was developed, taught, and implemented. The author made a conscious effort to employ an integrative approach to the curriculum, using both the resources of theology and psychology in its framework.

Managerial Communication Practices In Chinese Factories: A Preliminary Investigation, Kathleen J. Krone, Mary Garrett, Ling Chen

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This paper presents the results of a preliminary study of selected managerial communication practices in Chinese factories. Members of a delegation of Chinese managers visiting the United States were interviewed to explore: (a) the extent to which Chinese factories conform to a bureaucratic model of organization, and (b) factory director communication within these organization. Of particular interest were their upward and downward communication practices, and their methods for persuading and motivating workers and managing conflicts with problem employees. The results of our investigation reveal a distinctive form of bureaucracy operating within these factories. Moreover, we describe patterns of managerial communication …

A Comparison Of Organizational, Structural, And Relationship Effects On Subordinates’ Upward Influence Choices, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This research examined the extent to which organizational membership, centralization of authority, and subordinates’ perceptions of supervisory relationship quality affected how frequently they report using different types of tactics in their upward influence attempts. Participants from five different organizations were surveyed. A typology of upward influence tactics was created based on the extent to which: (1) the means employed to attempt influence are open or closed, and (2) the desired outcomes are openly expressed or left undisclosed. The resulting dependent variable consisted of three types of tactics: open upward influence, strategic upward influence, and political upward influence. MANOVA results indicated …

Narratives Of Action And Identity In Cloth: The Textiles Of Highland Luzon, The Philippines, B. Lynne Milgram

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The textile artifact, although framed by its physical existence, is not an isolated entity, but functions as a vital part in the ongoing systems of society. By viewing the artifact as an actor with its own life history and with particular parts to play in every sphere of life's narrative, we are provided with an entry to discovering how both the textile object and the subject, its creator and user, collaborate to mutually define one another. To interpret fully the significance of textiles within their cultural context one must examine not only the artifact's physical qualities, its materials, techniques and …

Protecting Defamatory Fiction And Reader-Response Theory With Emphasis On The German Experience, Henry Ordower

All Faculty Scholarship

Examines the litigation in Germany surrounding the publication of Klaus Mann's novel Mephisto. Analyzes the concepts of libel and defamation in fictional works and concludes that neither injunctive relief nor damages is appropriate because of the limited risk of injury and the potential for adverse impact on creative expression.

“Just How Much Did That Wheelchair Cost?”: Management Of Privacy Boundaries By Persons With Disabilities, Dawn O. Braithwaite

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

Persons with physical disabilities were studied to determine how they communicate when they perceive able-bodied persons are expecting or demanding disclosure about their disability in new relationships. An interpretive analysis was performed on 350 pages of transcripted data from interviews with disabled adults. The results showed that disabled persons were able to describe the communication of able-bodied others and their attributions when disclosure was demanded or expected. This study revealed communication strategies disabled persons use to manage disclosure. These strategies were discussed as regulating privacy boundaries, whereby disabled persons seek to be acknowledged as “persons first” by controlling dissemination of …

Effects Of Leader-Member Exchange On Subordinates’ Upward Influence Attempts, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This research examined the extent to which subordinates’ perceptions of supervisory relationship quality affected how frequently they use different types of tactics in their self-reported upward influence attempts. Based on their responses to the Leader-Member Exchange Scale (1982), three hundred and thirty-seven respondents from five different organizations were classified into an in-group or out-group supervisory relationship. As a part of a larger study, a typology of upward influence messages was created based on the extent to which: (l) the means employed to attempt influence are open or closed, and (2) the desired outcomes are openly expressed or left undisclosed. The …

Leadership In Churches Of Christ In Argentina: Expectations Of National Christians For The Use Of Power By Church Leaders, William Alan Richardson

Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations

From the earliest arrival of Spaniards in Argentina, strong authoritarian leaders have provided the predominant model for leadership in all arenas. This project/thesis sets out to discover the effects of this history upon the expectations of Argentine Christians for leaders and leadership styles in the churches of Christ, investigating three key questions: Do Argentine Christians prefer authoritative or participa- tive systems of organization in the church? What system of organization is actually employed in the churches of Christ? Is change required?

In order to answer these questions, the study was initiated with an overview of the history of Argentina and …

The Experience And Expression Of Emotion In The Workplace: A Study Of A Corrections Organization, Vincent R. Waldron, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This study evaluated Rafaeli and Sutton’s (1989) model of emotional expression in the workplace by examining descriptions of emotional interactions occurring among members of a state government agency. The results indicated that qualities of felt emotions influenced emotional expression, which in turn yielded changed relational perceptions and changed communication behavior subsequent to the emotional event. Content analysis of the event descriptions resulted in preliminary generalizations about the types of emotions experienced by members, the nature of repressed emotional messages, and the dimensions of relationship changes stemming from the emotional events. The results are interpreted as evidence of the importance of …

The "Logic" Of Postmodernism: Theory, Criticism, Literature, Institution, Jeffrey T. Nealon

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Cultural Preference In The Perception And Retention Of Information, Michael Lennertz

Archived Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Appeals Of Athletic Shoe Advertisements To Teens, Shari Lynn Tayloe

Honors Theses

Studying the structure and the effectiveness of ads can suggest how and why advertisers' commercials appeal to consumers. Narrowing this study down to one medium-television, one product--athletic shoes, and one audience-teenagers, can better identify commercials' appeals and their effectiveness. The study of television athletic shoe advertisements, as viewed by teenagers, provides primary data about both the ads themselves and about their appeals to the 15- to 18-year-old audience.

Reader/Viewer Response To The Rhetoric Of Costume, Patricia Lee Moore

Theses Digitization Project

No abstract provided.

Spindrift Gazes, Ronald Charles Kurtenbach

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Spindrift Gazes is a collection of short stories that thematically relate to how human dignity is engendered and how that sense of dignity is challenged, undercut, and regained. These fictional constructions are particularly concerned with issues of transformation, how and why change takes place. Of particular emphasis is how differing kinds of human relationships are instrumental in the nature of those changes. Of fundamental concern is to give fictional form to human rights issues.

Advisor: Judith Slater

Women's Perception Of Fashion Comparing Viewers And Non-Viewers Of Evening Soap Operas : The Cultivation Effect, Elliot Paul Bloom

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The cultivation effect is defined as the distorted view of reality which results from the heavy viewing exposure to a certain type of programming content. The assumption behind the cultivation hypothesis is that the more hours an individual exposes himself or herself to a particular type of program content. the more the individual's view of reality will be consistent with the "reality" shown in the program.

It is no mystery that for the past half-century, millions of Americans have made the broadcast soap opera a daily habit. In response to the heavy interest exhibited by this strong audience, social scientists …

Developing The Personalized System Of Instruction For The Basic Speech Communication Course, William J. Seiler, Marilyn Fuss-Reineck

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this article is to discuss major planning and development decisions required in order to use the Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) method in the basic speech communication course. In this article we examine: (1) how major PSI components are implemented and (2) how the PSI course is managed. By documenting the decisions required to use PSI in speech communication courses which include performances, we hope to provide helpful guidelines for those interested in applying the PSI method to their basic speech communication courses.

An Exploration Of Cultural Differences In Japanese/American Intercultural Marriages, Mary Erzen-Toyoshima

Dissertations and Theses

This is a study of how certain cultural differences between Japanese and Americans might be problematic in Japanese/American intercultural marriage.

A History Of The “Hattiesburg American”, Patt Foster Roberson

Dissertations

This dissertation did not include an Abstract.

This dissertation is a study of the history of the Hattiesburg American , a local newspaper in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It is also a study of the development of local newspapers in the United States.

Recovery Of Helminths From Prehistoric Feces: The Cultural Ecology Of Ancient Parasitism, Karl J. Reinhard

Karl Reinhard Publications

Several helminth parasites have been recovered from archaeological sites on the Colorado Plateau. These include Ascaris, Trichuris, Enterobius, Moniliformis, and tapeworms in the families Hymenolepidae and Taeniidae. The recovery of these animals demonstrates that cross-temporal: comparison of parasitism between different prehistoric lifestyles is possible. Such comparison might elucidate the effects of changing lifestyle and subsistance pattern on human parasitism.

Desiccated feces recovered from archaelogical deposits were studied. Hunter-gatherer feces were selected from Dust Devil Cave in southeastern Utah. Agriculturalist feces were studied from Antelope House, a cave site in northeastern Arizona, and Salmon Ruins, a Pueblo …

Extending Orientation: Telephone Contacts By Peer Advisers, John Ragle, Kathleen Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The telephone has been used for delivering a variety of services to college students. Because consumers typically initiate the telephone contact themselves, the effectiveness of these programs depends on the extent to which students are aware of the availability of services and of their own needs for assistance. First-semester freshmen may have the least adequate information about what constitutes a problem and where to go for help on campus. In 1982 the Dean of Students Office at the University of Texas at Austin conducted a pilot study of a telephone contact program in which peer advisers placed telephone calls to …

Characteristics Of Rejection Letters And Their Effects On Job Applicants, Fredric M. Jablin, Kathleen J. Krone

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

This study attempted to describe the structural and content characteristics of actual employment rejection letters (following job screening interviews). Their impact on applicants’ feelings about themselves (self-concept and self-satisfaction) and about letters (perceptions of letter clarity, “personalness” and appreciative tone) are assessed. Results provide a profile of the “typical” rejection letter and indicate that while few of the letter characteristics affected applicants’ feelings about themselves, a number of these attributes were related to applicants’ perceptions of the letters.

The Last Word: Reality Into Fiction - 1984, Nancy L. Street

Bridgewater Review

Television programming In the United States is transforming our society. Unaware of its incursions, Americans literally “buy into” dramatized patterns of behavior. From the evening news to advertising to prime-time drama like “Dynasty” or “Matt Houston” the distinctions between reality and fiction are blurred if not obliterated. Drama becomes reality; reality, e.g., the news, becomes drama. Contemporary American television posits a world view impacting on interpersonal interactions, family structure, cultural transmission, political decision-making, war and what it means “to know.”

Psi: An Attractive Alternative For The Basic Speech Communication Course, William J. Seiler

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The Personalized System of Instruction (PSI), often referred to as the Keller Plan after its founder Fred Keller, was developed to teach introductory psychology courses. Since it was first used, however, PSI has seen widespread use in many disciplines. Sherman estimates that six thousand PSI courses have been taught at all levels of education by virtually all disciplines. Boylan reports that more than thirteen hundred individuals presently use the PSI method on the university and college level; that 80.5% of the individuals surveyed represent four-year institutions, with the remainder representing two-year institutions; that 66% of the colleges and universities are …

Communication Apprehension And Teaching Assistants, William J. Seiler, John P. Garrison, David W. Brooks, Frederick K. Sikora, Thomas J. Tipton

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

The authors of this note have developed a program aimed at training, providing feedback to, and evaluating the performance of graduate teaching assistants. It includes the use of a tool called the Personal Report of Communication Apprehension, which is reliable and valid.

A Series Of Dialogues For Foreign Students Who Have Just Arrived In The United States, Stephen B. Gelman

MA TESOL Collection

From my experience with beginning or intermediate students who have just arrived in the States, I have found that they lack confidence in dealing with real situations outside the ESL classroom and in interacting with Americans because of their inability to speak or understand normal spoken English. They need some preparation and encouragement to ease the cultural shock they will encounter.

In this project, I have used a series of dialogues to prepare the students for the most common situations they will experience almost immediately, such as opening a checking account or eating in a restaurant. Another purpose of these …