Digital Commons Network^™

The Embrace - Design For Elderly, Meng Liu

Theses

The elderly requires special care, especially those who live in China and living alone. This age group faces physical, mental and emotional challenges, one of which is loneliness. This paper explores the help people age 65-75 in China need to reduce their loneliness due to their children living away from them. The proposed solution is to encourage them to meet new people and keep them busy; then reducing their isolation. One such solution, a bench, is designed to curb the loneliness of elders by providing a platform to connect with each other and promoting their health through physical exercise, comfort, …

Patient-Centeredness In Electronic Communication: An Evaluation Of Patient-To-Healthcare-Team Secure Messaging, Timothy P. Hogan, Tana M. Luger, Julie Volkman, Mary Rocheleau, Edith Nourse Rogers Memorial Veterans Hospital, Anna M. Barker, Kim M. Nazi, Thomas K. Houston, Barbara G. Bokhour

Communication Faculty Journal Articles

Background: As information and communication technology is becoming more widely implemented across health care organizations, patient-provider email or asynchronous electronic secure messaging has the potential to support patient-centered communication. Within the medical home model of the Veterans Health Administration (VA), secure messaging is envisioned as a means to enhance access and strengthen the relationships between veterans and their health care team members. However, despite previous studies that have examined the content of electronic messages exchanged between patients and health care providers, less research has focused on the socioemotional aspects of the communication enacted through those messages.

Objective: Recognizing the potential …

Improving Communication In A Virtual Team: A Quality Improvement Project, Deepali Addagarla

Master's Projects and Capstones

Problem: Data analysis based on two surveys revealed team communication, interdependence, technology interfaces, and integration as the quality gaps in the Virtual Surveillance Team. When compared with traditional in-person teams, a virtual working team faces different types of communication challenges.

Context: The virtual surveillance team in the regional quality department at Oakland monitors both Advance Alert Monitor (AAM), a statistical model developed by the Kaiser Permanente (KP) Division of Research (DOR) that is used to predict an individual’s likelihood of deterioration, and eHospital care gaps for Kaiser Foundation Hospitals in Northern California (KFH, NCAL). The latest evaluation from DOR of …

Development Of Semantic Reference For Location Symbols By Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops Truncatus) Using A Two-Way Communication Keyboard, Alyssa Taylor

Master's Theses

The ability for humans to communicate with another species has been an aspiration and well documented. One example is through training animals to make associations between a designated cue and conditioned response (Pryor, 1986). Two-way communication, however, in which both species can express wants/needs has been predominantly pursued with apes and dolphins. Studies conducted by Louis Herman demonstrated the capabilities of dolphins to comprehend complex semantic and syntactic commands in an artificial language system (Herman, Richards, & Wolz, 1984). Researchers working with primates have used American Sign Language, a computer keyboard system with discrete lexigrams, and a portable lexigram keyboard …

Marital Satisfaction In Terms Of Communication, Conflict Resolution, Sexual Intimacy, And Financial Relations Among Working And Non-Working Wives, Theda Renanita, Jenny Lukito Setiawan

Makara Human Behavior Studies in Asia

One of the signs of a successful marriage is marital satisfaction of both husbands and wives. However, in the current era, addressing the role of wives who work outside the house hold has been a challenge for some married couples. The aim of this study is to examine the influences of communication, conflict resolution, sexual intimacy, and financial relations on the marital satisfaction of working and non-working wives. The study was conducted on a total of 144 subjects consisting of 90 full-time working wives and 54 non-working wives. Data collection was conducted through questionnaires. Results of linear regression analysis showed …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Augmentative And Alternative Communication To Facilitate Communication Among Preschool Students With Disabilities, Honey Meadows

Doctor of Education in Special Education Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore how preschool educators perceive augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and how those perceptions influence AAC utilization in preschool classrooms. Specifically, this investigation focused on gaining better understandings about educators’ views, beliefs, and attitudes about AAC utilization to facilitate communication. Semistructured, open-ended interviews, classroom observations, and document review were the data collection sources used. Findings suggest that preschool special educators value the use of AAC and understand the basic human right for all students to participate. However, special education teachers and special education paraprofessionals perceive their roles and responsibilities, as communicative …

The Uses Of Community In Modern American Rhetoric, Cody Ryan Hawley

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the functions of the term “community” in American social and political rhetoric. I contend that community serves as a god-term, or expression of value and order, which rhetors use to motivate actions, endorse values, include/exclude persons, and compensate for modern losses. Informed by the philosophy of Kenneth Burke, I explore the general features of “rhetorics of community,” including community’s ambiguity and status as an automatic good, the relationship between community and modernity, the myth of communal loss, and the uses of community as a site of political unity and contest. I analyze the writings of John Humphrey …

Testing The Relationship Between Dialect Density And Social Interaction, Madeline Marita

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With over 1300 international students from more than 70 countries, Western Kentucky University prides itself on being a diverse, welcoming community. However, many international students have a tendency to associate with other international students with similar dialects rather than with English-speaking students from the United States. This research explores the relationship between dialect density (how strongly a dialect or accent is expressed) and social interaction of individuals from the international student population on Western Kentucky University’s campus. Results revealed that the international students who had the mildest self-perceived dialect density had high self-perceived social interaction scores. Results also indicated that …

Broadening The Focus: Women's Voices In The New Journalism, Mary C. Wacker

Master's Theses (2009 -)

The New Journalism Movement chronicled a decade of social turbulence in America by breaking the rules of traditional journalism and embracing narrative elements in the writing and publication of literary nonfiction. The magazine publishing industry was controlled by men, and the history of this transitional time in journalism has been chronicled by men, neglecting to recognize the significant contributions of women working in their midst. This study shines a light on the historical narrative that defines our understanding of the significance and key contributors to the New Journalism Movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s. To better understand the …

The Impact Of Social Media Usage On Employee And Organization Performance: A Study On Social Media Tools Used By An It Multinational In Malaysia, Grace Shalini A/P Radhakrishnan, Abdul Basit, Zubair Hassan

Journal of Marketing and Consumer Behaviour in Emerging Markets

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of social media usage on employee and organization performance. The research was done on one multinational IT Company. Social media usage was measured using knowledge sharing, decision making and communication. Organizational performance was measured using employee and organization performance. Questionnaires were developed and the items were measured using a Likert scale ranging from 1 to 5. This research takes on an explanatory approach and the sample consisting of 206 employees working in call center departments was recruited. The data was analyzed using SPSS 21 and AMOS 22 software. The results …

Integrated Literature Review Of Communication Methods Of Patients With Dementia, Hui-Ling Wang

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This study reviewed systematic and meta-analysis research on the methods of communication in patients with dementia. This study aimed to identify the interventions that can improve communication between these patients and the health care professionals who care for them.

End-Of-Life Communication And Treatment Decision Making: The Most Enduring Challenge In Healthcare, Mi-Kyung Song

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

This presentation will discuss the phenomenon of end-of-life communication and treatment decision making as the most enduring challenge in healthcare and an evidence-based approach to improve patient and family outcomes.

Systemic Social Media Regulation, Frank Fagan

Duke Law & Technology Review

Social media platforms are motivated by profit, corporate image, long-term viability, good citizenship, and a desire for friendly legal environments. These managerial interests stand in contrast to the gubernatorial interests of the state, which include the promotion of free speech, the development of e-commerce, various counter terrorism initiatives, and the discouragement of hate speech. Inasmuch as managerial and gubernatorial interests overlap, a self-regulation model of platform governance should prevail. Inasmuch as they diverge, regulation is desirable when its benefits exceed its costs. An assessment of the benefits and costs of social media regulation should account for how social facts, norms, …

Communicating With Hospitalised Children And Families In Managing Medications: Examining Possibilities For Engagement, Elizabeth Manias, Sharon B. Kinney, Fiona H. Newall, Noel E. Cranswick, Allison Fiona Williams, Ian C. K. Wong, Ellie Rosenfeld, Carlye Weiner, Narelle Borrott

International Nursing Research Congress (INRC)

Children are very vulnerable and particularly susceptible to experiencing medication errors. Engaging with children and their families has been recognised as an important way of promoting patient safety. This paper reports on hospitalised children's and their families'communication with health professionals about managing medications to examine possibilities for improved engagement.

Communication And Trust In Virtual And Face-To-Face Teams, Anthony Lee Baker

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Virtual teams (VTs) accomplish shared goals by relying on technology-mediated communication to counteract geographic disparities. Rapid advances in technology have led to the near-ubiquity of VTs within modern organizations, but gaps in existing research designs afflict extant empirical VT research. This experiment evaluates the constructs of trust, communication, and effectiveness in VTs. Two-hundred six participants (103 teams) completed an interdependent task either face-to-face, mediated by a videoconferencing telepresence robot, or mediated by a voice call. I collected measures of cognitive trust, trust propensity, communication quality, and team effectiveness, and conducted in-depth communication analyses. Results suggest that while virtual teamwork does …

Non-Verbal Communication Skills Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Shamma Alokla

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate how special education teachers implement evidence-based practices for non-verbal communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study interviewed six early childhood special education teachers from preschools in the Southern California. According to the teacher interviews, joint attention deficits in children with ASD were overcome using visual aids, toys, and basic sign gestures. Peer tutoring, functional communication training and drawing were found to improve nonverbal communication skills. In addition, children with ASD regularly played with their typically developing peers. In conclusion, a co-teaching model can benefit children with ASD and …

A Communication Guide For Ex-Offenders, Richard Anthony Contreras

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Incarceration rates and the release rate of ex-offenders into the community are both increasing. Studies have shown, on a consistent basis, that, while incarcerated, ex-offenders experience lower literacy levels than the general population, suffer emotional and mental distress from a harsh prison life, and suffer from the negative effects of public perception. Ex-offender anger abounds. These factors interfere with an inmate’s ability to communicate effectively. Notwithstanding, upon release from custody, how do we help such ex-offenders communicate? Many handbooks exist to help former inmates. However, the vast majority only offer assistance with locating government social services agencies, obtaining documents, and …

Beyond A Checklist: Development Of A Music Therapy Method For Use With A Population With Developmental Delays And Physical Disabilities, Andria Thomas

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

Music therapy has long been used within school settings, particularly within special needs populations. Until the late 1970s students with special needs were usually institutionalized with the belief that they were incapable of continued learning. Since then, music therapy has become a useful clinical medium to assess and aid in treating speech deficits, various cognitive impairments, and physical rehabilitation. This capstone thesis centered on how individuals with significant cognitive and physical impairment interact, communicate, and participate in everyday situations, specifically within a music therapy group setting. Overall, the observations show the usefulness of assessment as a music therapy tool as …

Understanding Lists: Umberto Eco's Rhetoric Of Communication And Signification, Susan Mancino

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This project, Understanding Lists: Umberto Eco’s Rhetoric of Communication and Signification, begins and ends with an observation and warning suggested throughout Eco’s work: lists are the origin of culture and the Internet as the Mother of All Lists threatens to end culture. To understand this warning, I turn to Eco’s work on lists, contextualized within a 2009 exhibition at the Musée du Louvre and in an illustrated collection, The Infinity of Lists. This project offers an analysis of Eco’s understanding of lists concurrent to his commentary on the social and cultural implications of the algorithmic-obsessed Internet age. To understand …

The Impact Of English Language Study On Intercultural Sensitivity, Ethnocentrism, And Intercultural Communication Apprehension Among Chinese Students, Yiran Dong

Master of Arts in Communication

Because of globalization, internationalization and diversification, abetted by the rapid development of science and technology, geographic distance is becoming a less influential factor in communication. As more and more international students go to study in different countries all over the world, it is inevitable for native students to communicate and interact with those students from different cultural backgrounds. Under such circumstances, it is vital to understand the factors that contribute to students’ intercultural sensitivity and the impact of intercultural sensitivity on ethnocentrism and intercultural communication apprehension among Chinese students (in the case of this study) for the sake of developing …

An Exploration Of The Rapid Prompting Method For Students With Autism, Shea Manship

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

The Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) was created by Soma Mukhopadhyay as an attempt to provide a way for individuals with autism to learn and communicate. The method has been said to give students with autism a means of communication. A facilitator quickly provides verbal prompts to the individual, who then spells out messages on a letter board or a keyboard. Very little research has been done on RPM, and it is not considered an evidence-based method. Many professionals believe that RPM is not a valid method of communication, largely due to the striking similarities it has with Facilitated Communication (FC). …

Climate Communication Through A Community Perspective, Kathryn Mcgee

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This project utilized psychology and science communication strategies to develop creative, locally framed climate change messaging. Through an online survey of 300 Gloucester County, VA residents, community themes of place attachment, environmental connection, risk assessment and climate change acceptance were recorded. Using the results from the survey I created a website, https://guidinggloucester.wixsite.com/home, which serves as an avenue for communicating with Gloucester residents. The website displays the results of the survey, explains climate change information that is relevant to Gloucester County, and gives examples of local actions to help increase engagement in climate solutions. In addition to the website, I …

Standardized Patient Handoff Tool, Matthew Marten

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Patient handoffs are defined as the transmission of information and accountability between teams and individuals. These handoffs can be periods of increased risk for the patient and increased errors among anesthesia providers and PACU nurses (Segall et al., 2012). The Joint Commission recommends healthcare providers improve patient handoff as a national goal (Robins & Dai, 2015). The purpose of this nursing doctoral project was to determine if using a standardized patient handoff tool could improve communication and satisfaction between anesthesiologists, CRNAs, and PACU nurses. A review of the current literature supported the need for a standardized patient handoff tool for …

“We Make Death Look Pretty”: A Qualitative Study Analyzing Reported Effects Of Compassion Fatigue On Hospice Nurse-Patient Communication, Katherine Harville

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Rationale: Compassion fatigue is present in multiple nursing fields, but hospice poses a significant threat to nurses working within that specific environment. This is due to their consistent proximity with patient suffering, death and dying, and constant communication with patients regarding their death. The hospice nurse-patient relationship requires a deeper connection between nurse and patient which often results in consistent emotional labor for hospice nurses, further amplifying the threat of compassion fatigue. While the effects of compassion fatigue can manifest in many forms, it is typically characterized by a nurses’ decline in job satisfaction, which they do not tend to …

Diverse Students’ Perceptions Of The Proactive Circle Process In A Restorative Practice Intervention, Shana M. Little

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

Restorative practices have been introduced as a school wide intervention to reduce the cultural disparity in school discipline. The purpose of this intervention is to promote healthy student-teacher relationships. The research on restorative practices as an intervention for minority students has shown to be effective, through school discipline data and teacher report. The current study used individual interviews with high school students to explore their perception of restorative practices, specifically proactive circles, and its effectiveness. Results showed cultural differences in student’s understanding or perception of proactive circles. Additionally, participants believed proactive circles helped or improved their communication skills and social …

Elements Of Creativity: A Study Of The Dimensions That Make For An Effective Advertisement, Amanda Johnson

Senior Honors Theses

The advertising world is made up of many facets, such as creativity, networking, and thought leadership. At the center of these processes lies advertising creativity, a term used to describe an ad or element of an ad that is particularly novel and noteworthy. The contents of this thesis address the challenges academics and professionals have with establishing criteria to measure creativity, while considering the value of evaluating creative ability through a variety of processes. To do this, three case studies of award-winning advertisements were conducted in order to develop a profile of an effective ad. Results indicate that successfully creative …

Instagram Use And Its Effect On Well-Being And Self-Esteem, Briana Trifiro

Master of Arts in Communication

Over the last ten years, social media has become an integral facet of modern society. In particular, image-based social networking sites such as Instagram have become increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults. However, despite this proliferation of use, the literature remains divided regarding the potential impacts of social media, particularly in regards to image-based platforms. The present study sought to analyze the relationship between social media usage patterns and its subsequent effects on user self-esteem and well-being. However, the study’s results show that, despite the existing literature, intensity of Instagram use serves as a mediating variable in this relationship. …

Relationships Of Moral Distress Among Interprofessional Icu Teams, Heather Vincent

Dissertations and Theses (Open Access)

Background: Moral distress is the psychological response to knowing the right action required by a healthcare professional but being unable to act upon the right course of action due to internal, external, and institutional constraints.

Purpose: The study investigated: 1. the level of moral distress among interprofessional healthcare providers working in four ICUs of a single academic hospital as measured by the 21-item Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R), 2. the differences in moral distress among interprofessional healthcare providers based on demographic characteristics and rankings of clinical scenario on the MDS-R.

Method: Descriptive, cross-sectional design using survey methodology.

Outcomes: Significant differences in …

Teachers’ Response To Infants’ Nonverbal Communication And Use Of Response To Facilitate A Dialogue, Stephanie Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beginning with birth, typically developing children use strategies to communicate, and the functions of their language change with maturation and interaction. Since communication cannot exist if both parties do not participate, it is important to not only study the ability of the child, but also the behavior of the adult. Numerous studies have examined the behavior of the parent or other domestic adult, but few have included the study of teacher behaviors.

This study investigated teachers’ response to four types of nonverbal communication attempts made by infants. The gestures included: deictic, affect signaling, object-related, and conventional. The type of response …

Patients’ Perceptions Of Patient-Centered Care And The Hospital Experience Pre- And Post-Discharge, Cheryl Smith

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Florence Nightingale used the principles of patient-centered care as the foundation for nursing practice. Today, patient-centered care delivery is part of the healthcare reform process that extends interprofessionally throughout all settings of healthcare in the United States (U.S.). Patient satisfaction measurement is one primary determinant of effective patient-centered care. The standardized Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey and methods is a nation-wide tool used to measure patient satisfaction. However, this method of patient satisfaction assessment relies on recollections of patients’ hospital experiences and requires accurate memory and recall. This study sought to examine the effect of …