Digital Commons Network^™

Friends On Facebook: The Impact Of Facebook On Interpersonal Friendships Of Female College Students, Kathryn T. Schultz

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Using the Internet is extremely common among college students, and one major function of Internet use is communicating with friends from their offline lives. With the popularity of social networking sites, it is important to explore how the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) is impacting female college students' relationships. Two theories provided a foundation for this study: Walther's social information processing theory (2002) and Baxter and Montgomery's relational dialectics theory (1996). Quantitative research was done for this work by surveying female college students regarding their feelings about Facebook's potential impact on their interpersonal friendships. Some initial findings include that, of …

Transparency Through Social Media: Improving The Credibility Of Pr Professionals In The Twenty-First Century, Pete Voss

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This correlational study identifies opportunities for PR (public relations) professionals to gain trust by engaging online communities using unprecedented levels of transparency. The thesis begins by reviewing literature and setting the stage for how and when PR gained its PR problem (Thomas et al., 2009). The study observes how PR professionals are currently engaging these audiences, and also demonstrates how the public perceives these actions. The philosophical framework for this study stemmed from Aristotle's belief in goodwill in communities (Book 1, Chapter 1), and Augustine's (1909) belief that "All wish to rejoice in truth" (p. 186). Sherif's Social Judgment Theory …

Cultivating Culturally Empathic Environments In The Academic Setting, Sharon-Rose Lau

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Teachers, as leaders and facilitators in the classroom, not only disseminate information, but ultimately propagate and perpetuate ideologies that shape their students' cognitive world. However, with the enrollment of minority students increasing in the United States, greater challenges are encountered as teachers struggle to promote advocacy, respect, and understanding in the classroom. Navigating the relationally ambiguous or uncertain requires certain cognitive tools. The Uncertainty Management Theory which encompasses relational mindfulness and empathy assists individuals in developing the communicative skills necessary to fortify relational contingencies. This thesis explores the communicative methods teachers use to create culturally empathic environments within the academic …

A Critical Analysis Of Direct To Consumer Advertising Of Prescription Medications Using Language Expectancy Theory, Lisa Marie Emig

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the relationship of Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA) and Language Expectancy Theory (LET) by conducting a critical analysis of three medications used to treat depression. Society and the medical profession have created a dichotomy between the well and pathological state. The study reviews if DTCA uses language and visual cues to influence the use of medications, to downplay potential side effects, to portray life as better when taking a medication and to remove personal responsibility for health. There are common elements used in DTCA of antidepressants. The review of the common elements shows the use of specific …

Commenting On The News: How The Degree Of Anonymity Affects Flaming Online, Frank Mungeam

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The internet has become the number two for news (Pew Research Center, 2011). News organizations which previously did not allow commenting on the news now routinely permit anonymous commenting on stories on their online news websites. This practice has resulted in widespread reports of personal attacks known as flaming (Hlavach & Freivogel, (2011). This study examines the degree to which the anonymity of users affects their tendency to engage in flaming in online news forums through a qualitative analysis of four different types of news stories on four different news websites, two allowing anonymous comments and two requiring use of …

An Examination Of Workplace Racial Microaggressions And Their Effect On Employee Performance, Ronee L. Hunter

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Although laws regulate blatant discrimination in the workplace, researchers have shown that invisible racism occurs through everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental communications. Invisible racism, in the form of microaggressions, includes subtle comments that negate or invalidate the thoughts, feelings, or experiences of a person of color. Microaggressions are words or actions that occur in communication that communicators may be unaware are a form of racism. Racial microaggressions were examined in this study through the lens of symbolic interactionism. This theory studies race as a structural category reproducing inequality, and it illuminates the influence of culture and communication "to reproduce racism …

Does The Use Of Technology In The Classroom Increase Students' Overall Academic Performance?, Jessica Mariah Brown

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Technological advances and a decrease in the cost of technology have resulted in nearly 93 percent of public schools classrooms in the United States having access to the Internet, and a considerable increase in educational programs that incorporate technology into the curriculum (North Central Regional Educational Laboratory, 2005). Due to the prevalence of technology in the classroom, the effectiveness of such programs has become a prevailing research topic amongst social scientists. This thesis reviews past research and provides an analysis of relevant studies conducted within the last ten years. Using Daft and Lengel's media richness theory as a basis, this …

The Components Of A Healthy Culture: Umpqua Bank, Joanna Nasser Mansour

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

When analyzing an organization's success, taking a cultural approach allows the dissection of key components necessary to determine and produce such findings. Culture brings more to the table than just the values and ways an employee is expected to conduct their daily job duties. Umpqua Bank, an Oregon-based bank, was the organization chosen for this study because the employees take great pride in its unique retail bank culture. Geertz's Cultural Approach (1973) and Edgar Schein's (1991) idea of Three Levels of Culture: core beliefs and assumptions; values and behavioral norms and artifacts were utilized, along with other communication theories used …

Nonverbal Communication In Small Group Leadership: Using Nonverbal Competence To Increase Group Cohesiveness, Angela Tice

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Cohesiveness is an important component of small groups and contributes to the overall effectiveness of the group. The purpose of this study was to research leaders' nonverbal cues and the potential effect they have on group cohesiveness. Grounded in Burgoon's expectancy violations theory, Pearce and Cronen's coordinated management of meaning theory, and Mead's symbolic interactionism theory, this study examines the leader's ability to demonstrate their competence in nonverbal communication, and as a result increasing the group's cohesiveness. The data for this exploratory study came from two different surveys, non-participant observations, and participant interviews. This study revealed that positive nonverbal communication …

Mobile Communication Devices And Government-Public Engagement, Lloyd Brown

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Americans have seemingly gone mobile. With a mobile communication device - cell phone, smartphone, iPad or other tablet devices - people can send and receive information anytime and anywhere. Meanwhile, government organizations primarily at the federal government level have been encouraged to participate in and engage with the public through the internet. This project uses a media ecology frame to look at whether the increasing mobility of communication made possible through the acceptance and proliferation of wireless technology devices such as smartphones, tablet and laptop computers and e-readers is affecting the relationship between state department of transportation agencies and the …

Bridging The Gap Between Interpersonal Communication Skill Differences In Employees: An Interpersonal Communication Training Curriculum, Denise Marie Crowell

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

The workforce is a social environment where particular skills are essential in order for employees to perform well, have a competitive edge and succeed in their careers. Interpersonal communication is one of the skills needed in every type of workplace setting. The ability to actively and empathetically listen, adapt communication style according to others and situations, confirm others in communication, resolve conflict, manage tone in writing and effectively communicate in a group are all crucial skills for employees that require exceptional interpersonal communication. However, constructivism theory suggests that due to variances in cognition, not everyone is able to communicate interpersonally …

Youth Mentoring: A Guide For Mentors With Practical Application Of Communication Principles To Facilitate Interpersonal Relationships And Youth Development, Erin Camille Wilson

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

As individuals, we believe we have the unique ability to choose our paths and carve out our destiny in America. As we sculpt our path, through a variety of decisions, our relationships often serve as a governing force developing our person along our journey. Due to their influential nature, this project explores the power of mentor mentee relationships as it relates to youth development. Grounded in the theory of transcendence, the social penetration theory and the uncertainty reduction theory, this project investigates youth mentoring and its positive influence on three basic parameters: social and emotional effect, cognitive effect, and identity …

Negotiating Online Identities In Social Media: A Study Of University Students, Christine Elise Benage

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Identity and identity construction are constantly changing areas of study, especially as they relate to communication studies. Online communication is an increasingly common mode of communication, and social media is one of the fastest growing forms of online communication. In social media, individuals create pages that seemingly represent themselves. This representation contains both initial and ongoing negotiation of identity. This study explores how college students, as an active demographic in social media networking, negotiate and manage their online identities. The theory primarily used to study this mode of communication is Computer-mediated Communication theory, which encompasses other theories including social presence …

Texture Mapping With Mudbox And 3ds Max, Joshua Holland

Graphic Communication

The purpose of this study was to determine the intuitiveness of texture mapping and compressibility of files generated using Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 versus Autodesk Mudbox 2012. This will be used by anyone starting to learn how to texture map and who is comparing programs that have the capability to do so. This will save users time in researching which program is better suited for their needs.

This study investigated how Autodesk 3ds Max 2012 and Autodesk Mudbox 2012 compared in mapping textures to 3D models. A basic computer skills assessment test and an intuitive test was administered to twelve …

Photo Manipulation In The Media, Stephanie Coffaney

Graphic Communication

In today’s society there are photos everywhere; they are in magazines, advertisements, newspapers, and books because photos make the text or the story stand out. Some may not know it, but most of these photos have been edited and retouched. This research paper attempted to determine the majority opinion of what types of photo editing was above the tolerable limit, as well as the public awareness of media manipulation. The different levels of photo editing included changing the contrast, removal of blemishes and dust, addition/removal of objects, and addition/removal of main subjects. The results revealed that most people are aware …

Review Of Package Warning Labels And Their Effect On Consumer Behaviour With Insights To Future Anticounterfeit Strategy Of Label And Communication Systems, John Spink, Jay Singh, S. Paul Singh

Industrial Technology and Packaging

This paper investigates and reviews literature regarding a range of topics important to the research question – the themes apply across all the topics. The topics include label and package warnings, including tamperevident features, to review their effect on the consumer behaviour of changing usage or purchase decisions. This information was then applied to gain insight into anticounterfeit product/package efforts. Based on this research, it appears that there is value for brand marketers to enhance their anticounterfeit efforts and consumer confidence by utilizing warning labels and information labels on their labels or packages. Currently, consumer perception of a domestic counterfeit …

Local Marketing: The Benefits And Drawbacks For Large Corporations With Respect To National Food Chains, Marisa Erin Bloch

Journalism

A majority of large corporations, with a special focus on national food chains, put all of their marketing on national and international levels. Most corporations tend to forget about the local aspect of business. The newsletter for California Pizza Kitchen San Luis Obispo was created in order to go against the normal ways of these large restaurant chains, in an attempt to reach out to the community. This paper addresses the need for large corporations, with respect to national food chains, to bring things to a local level. The focus of marketing on a local level is constantly overlooked because …

Social Networks & Political Uprisings, Nima Astyani

Student Works

No abstract provided.

Stepping Out Of The Disney Princess Castle Into The New Girl World With The Disney Divas: A Content Analysis Of Hannah Montana And Wizards Of Waverly Place, Hanna Munoz

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Esplanade Mall, Lauren Baye

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Accounting Methods To Effectively Measure The Performance Of Public Universities' Academic Units And Increase Allocation Efficiency: The Role Of Research Grants, Madeleine Arivett

Honors Capstones

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Information Behavior And Prostate Cancer Knowledge Among African-American Men, Levi Ross, Tyra Dark, Heather Orom, Willie Underwood Iii, Charkarra T. Anderson-Lewis, Jarrett Johnson, Deborah O. Erwin

Faculty Publications

The purposes of this study are to explore cancer information acquisition patterns among African-American men and to evaluate relationships between information acquisition patterns and prostate cancer prevention and control knowledge. A random sample of 268 men participated in a statewide interviewer-administered, telephone survey. Men classified as non-seekers, non-medical source seekers, and medical source seekers of prostate cancer information differed on household income, level of education, and beliefs about personal risk for developing prostate cancer. Results from multiple regression analysis indicated that age, education, and information-seeking status were associated with overall levels of prostate cancer knowledge. Results from logistic regression analyses …

Checkup, Lehigh Valley Health Network

Checkup

No abstract provided.

Pulmonary Endothelial Calcium Entry Following Chronic Hypoxia, Steven D. Menicucci

Biomedical Sciences ETDs

Background and Specific Aims: Chronic hypoxia (CH) induced pulmonary hypertension is mediated in part by endothelial dysfunction, involving reduced intracellular Ca2+ levels and decreased production of endothelium-derived vasodilators and anti-mitogenic compounds. Agonist-induced endothelial Ca2+ entry is decreased following CH due to a derangement in T-type voltage-gated calcium channels (T-channels) and caveolin-1 containing membrane lipid domains that regulate calcium influx in these cells. Considering the importance of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) to agonist-induced Ca2+ entry, we hypothesized that CH impairs pulmonary endothelial SOCE through altered caveolin-1 regulation of T-channels. To test this hypothesis, we addressed the following specific aims: Specific Aim …

Breaking The Mold: Qualitative Action Research Using A Dialogical Method In The Art Classroom For Students With Emotional Disabilities, Michelle Mcleod

Art Education Projects

Abstract

This action research self study explores the use of a dialogical model in the therapeutic art classroom for students with emotional disabilities. The study looks at the use of increased dialogue, collaborative classroom, and self reflection. Ceramics classes of 11th and 12th grade students were chosen for this study. Forgiveness vessels, self portraits, and accessory projects were completed during this study. Data collection methods were made during a six week study almost daily during 40 minute class periods. Observations, interviews, documents, and questionnaires were used to obtain data. Changes that could be made were put into place immediately. Findings …

Sentinels And Entrepreneurs: Advocacy And Development In Brazil, Robin M. Wright

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

This article discusses, firstly, the significance of Sandy Davis’ activism for the international indigenous support movement from the 1970s through the late 1980s, and the strategies that were deployed during the global campaign in support of the Yanomami Indian Park. Secondly, it looks critically at some of the models of support for indigenous peoples being implemented in Brazil today, for the purpose of understanding what has changed in the ways indigenous support organizations develop partnerships with indigenous movements. What has changed in the way indigenous and indigenist organizations in Brazil understand their goals and the means for attaining them? What …

The Mayan People And Sandy (Shelton) Davis: Memories Of An Engaged Anthropologist, J.P. Linstroth

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

The purpose of this essay is to highlight the activism of Shelton Davis and his involvement with the Mayan people during the 1980s. Of particular importance is the portrayal of an immigration hearing of nine Kanjobal Maya defendants in 1983 and the circumstances surrounding the problems of immigration in the state of Florida at that time. The article also explores how Shelton Davis helped save a village of Kaqchikel Maya in the Department of Chimaltenango, Guatemala. Of importance is how to represent varying narratives from three close colleagues of Shelton Davis to an overall conceptualization of the epistemology of narrative …

Quantum Interference Channels, Omar Fawzi, Patrick Hayden, Ivan Savov, Pranab Sen, Mark M. Wilde

Faculty Publications

The discrete memoryless interference channel is modelled as a conditional probability distribution with two outputs depending on two inputs and has widespread applications in practical communication scenarios. In this paper, we introduce and study the quantum interference channel, a generalization of a two-input, two-output memoryless channel to the setting of quantum Shannon theory. We discuss three different coding strategies and obtain corresponding achievable rate regions for quantum interference channels. We calculate the capacity regions in the special cases of "very strong" and "strong" interference. The achievability proof in the case of "strong" interference exploits a novel quantum simultaneous decoder for …

Longitudinal Assessment Of Cognitive And Psychosocial Functioning After Hurricanes Katrina And Rita: Exploring Disaster Impact On Middle-Aged, Older, And Oldest-Old Adults, Katie E. Cherry, Jennifer Silva Brown, Loren D. Marks, Sandro Galea, Julia Volaufova, Christina Lefante, L. Joseph Su, David A. Welsh, S. Michal Jazwinski, Meghan B. Allen, Gloria Anderson, Iina E. Antikainen, Arturo M. Arce, Jennifer Arceneaux, Mark A. Batzer, Emily O. Boudreaux, Lauri Byerley, Catherine M. Champagne, Liliana Cosenza, M. Elaine Cress, Jenny Y. Denver, Andy Deutsch, Devon A. Dobrosielski, Rebecca Ellis, Marla J. Erwin, Mark Erwin, Jennifer Fabre, Elizabeth T. Fontham, Madlyn Frisard, Paula Geiselman, Lindsey Goodwin, Tiffany Hall, Scott W. Herke, Jennifer Hayden

Faculty Publications

The authors examined the effects of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on cognitive and psychosocial functioning in a lifespan sample of adults 6-14 months after the storms. Participants were recruited from the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study. Most were assessed during the immediate impact period and retested for this study. Analyses of pre- and post-disaster cognitive data confirmed that storm-related decrements in working memory for middle-aged and older adults observed in the immediate impact period had returned to pre-hurricane levels in the post-disaster recovery period. Middle-aged adults reported more storm-related stressors and greater levels of stress than the two older groups at …

The Minimal Martingale Measure For The Price Process With Poisson Shot Noise Jumps, Jun Yan

Communications on Stochastic Analysis

No abstract provided.