Digital Commons Network^™

The Role Of Geography, Demographics, Bandwidth Speed And Internet Availability In Rural West Virginia Communities: A Multiple Case Study Of The 2012 Cards Of Hope Fundraiser, Rebecca Diehm

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Today, social media has become a popular public relations tool in the promotion of campaigns and fundraisers. While this new addition may be a key tool in the promotion of certain fundraisers and campaigns, this study was designed to focus on what public relations methods successfully promote events, campaigns and fundraisers in rural areas, such as those in West Virginia. The objective of this master's thesis is to support the notion that press releases are still the foundation of public relations methods not only in West Virginia, but in rural communities throughout the United States. In order to support this …

How Do They Think Differently?: A Social Media Advertising Attitude Survey On Chinese Students In China And Chinese Students In America, Anan Wan

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This study explored whether Chinese students in both China and in America had different attitudes toward social media advertising, and how their attitudes are different, through a survey of Chinese students in these two countries. The survey determined how they used social media, whether the different social media networks in the two countries affected their social media use, and what their attitudes are about social media advertising in terms of sources, content, and level of trustworthiness. It also tested the relationship between the students' the social media diet (amount, frequency, and duration) and attitude toward social media advertising.

The Effect Of Contextual Variables On Intraspecific Interactions And Space-Use In Meadow Voles, Microtus Pennsylvanicus, Christian Thomas Vlautin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The outcomes of social interactions may depend on the circumstances of the encounter. Using a variety of social and environmental cues, I tested the hypothesis that the responses of meadow voles to conspecifics would be affected by the context in which that encounter occurred. Chapter two describes experiments showing that unlike long-photoperiod (LP) voles, which prefer the top-scent donor to the bottom-scent donor of an over-mark, only some short-photoperiod (SP) males showed such preferences, and no SP females preferred the top-scent donor to the bottom-scent donor of an over-mark. Chapter three details experiments demonstrating that periods of food deprivation did …

Target Advertising Effects On Campaign Success, Anna Gaudio

Senior Honors Theses

Nearly every company and organization advertises to increase awareness, reach sales goals, and build brand loyalty. However, due to the pervasive nature of advertising, reaching an audience has become more difficult and less successful. An increasing number of marketers are relying on detailed, targeted advertising to reach the most likely consumer of a particular brand, service or idea.

First, past research and marketing information is analyzed and explained. Next, a study was conducted to determine how marketers utilize targeting methods and practices. Ten advertising professionals were asked open-ended questions regarding budget, direct marketing, technology and social media. The results showed …

Portraying Sense Of Community Through Communication: How To Maximize The Benefit Of Social Media For A Community Agency, Julia Walter

Honors Theses

Perceptions of social media networks are changing rapidly. Their purpose, function, effectiveness, and relevance are being widely debated while their global popularity and societal influence escalate. While individuals used the networks to share, manage, and change their personal lives, organizations jumped at the chance to benefit from low-cost public relations, advertising, and market research. Many organizations speedily adjusted their communication strategies to access these low-cost resources. Due to historical marginalization many nonprofit community agencies were slower to integrate this new media costing them the opportunity to compete for audience attention on level with the private industry. Neglecting to integrate these …

The Cowl - V.77 - N.20 - Apr 11, 2013

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 77 - No. 20 - April 11, 2013. 28 pages.

A Review Of “Music And Movement” Therapies For Children With Autism: Embodied Interventions For Multisystem Development, Sudha M. Srinivasan, Anjana N. Bhat

Open Access Author Fund Awardees' Articles

The rising incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) has led to a surge in the number of children needing autism interventions. This paper is a call to clinicians to diversify autism interventions and to promote the use of embodied music-based approaches to facilitate multisystem development. Approximately 12% of all autism interventions and 45% of all alternative treatment strategies in schools involve music-based activities. Musical training impacts various forms of development including communication, social-emotional, and motor development in children with ASDs and other developmental disorders as well as typically developing children. In this review, we will highlight the multisystem impairments of …

The Relationship Between The Perceived Level Of Contribution Of Virtual Team Members And Their Energization Source As Described By Jung's Typology, Edward Carl Bartone

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

The increasing use of virtual teams as a result of advances in technology has altered the manner in which team members communicate and interact (Holton, 2001). The media-rich faceto- face team environment has frequently given way to asynchronous communication, using tools such as emails and discussion threads (Ohler, 2004). This study focused on the role of personality type in the emerging academic asynchronous environment; specifically, it explored the relationship between the Jungian dimension of energization (introversion vs. extroversion) of a team member and the perceived level of contribution of that team member to a team in an academic asynchronous virtual …

Using Information To Manage Uncertainty During Organ Transplantation, Anne M. Stone, Allison M. Scott, Summer Carnett Martin, Dale E. Brashers

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Because I Said So: Constructing Identities In Argentina's Dirty War, Danielle N. Olean

Honors Theses and Capstones

No abstract provided.

The Role Of The Pastor As The Primary Worship Leader In The Local Church, Roger Holliman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this project is to encourage pastors to embrace their role as the principle worship leader, rather than to accept and believe "I am not the worship leader." This thesis project investigates and examines a senior pastor's theological duty and obligation as the worship leader of his or her church, and provides the biblical mandate and approaches for how to do this effectively and as a team leader. Through personal interviews of six pastors, plus current research on the topic of worship, this thesis provides instructions on how senior pastors may implement strategies to enhance their understanding of …

Analysis Of Propaganda Structure: Developing The Interpersonal Paradigm Of War Propaganda, Virginia Camille Zimmerman

Master's Theses and Doctoral Dissertations

This communication research analysis examines the ways in which the interpersonal theory, Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT), combines with the 19 Principles of Propaganda to lend insights in to current war propaganda and the ways in which we can use URT to make sense of war propaganda messages. Propaganda has evolved due to technological advancements made in media such as television and internet. We may better understand the process and function of propaganda if we examine it from an interpersonal communication standpoint. Here in a textual analysis of past propaganda and propaganda of today illustrates the evolution that has occurred. Through …

Towards A Consummated Life: Kenneth Burke's Concept Of Consummation As Critical Conversation And Catharsis, Cherise Marie Bacalski

Theses and Dissertations

Consummation was the one term about which Kenneth Burke wasn't particularly long-winded - odd considering his claim that it was the apex of his theory of form. Perhaps Burke never explained exactly what consummation was because he himself was never clear on the subject, as he told John Woodcock in an interview toward the end of his career. Burke began conceptualizing his theory of form early on - in his 20s - and published it in his first critical book, Counter-Statement, in 1931. At that time, Burke's theory of form had already taken one evolutionary step - from self-expression, with …

Souls4soles/Running Warehouse 2013. An Application Of Communication Principle In Non Profit Event Planning, Vianna Hochstrasser

Communication Studies

I wanted my senior project to revolve around something that would not only hold personal interest but also make a difference within others lives. We decided to put on an event utilizing Soles4Souls, a charity that helps donate old athletic shoes to adults and children in need around the world.

To begin this charitable effort we would work with San Luis Obispo’s Running Warehouse. Our set goal would be to persuade people to attend our event at Running Warehouse. The price of admission would be one dollar, and a pair of old running or athletic shoes. The money would help …

The Cowl - V.77 - N.16 - Feb 28, 2013

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 77 - No. 16 - February 28, 2013. 28 pages.

Are We Becoming More Socially Awkward? An Analysis Of The Relationship Between Technological Communication Use And Social Skills In College Students., Cecilia Brown

Psychology Honors Papers

This study examined the relationship between the use of technological communication and social skills in college students. A total of 112 male and female undergraduate students at Connecticut College were surveyed about their social skills, social anxiety, technology use, and technology preference. Sixteen of these participants returned to participate in a conversation taking place in a lab setting that was observed by the researcher, in order to evaluate non-verbal social skills. We predicted that participants who used technological communication more frequently or preferred it to face-to-face communication, would have lower social skills and high social anxiety. In addition, women were …

You Can't Put Old Wine In New Bottles: The Effect Of Newcomers On Coordination In Groups, Matthew Mccarter, Roman M. Sheremeta

Business Faculty Articles and Research

A common finding in social sciences is that member change hinders group functioning and performance. However, questions remain as to why member change negatively affects group performance and what are some ways to alleviate the negative effects of member change on performance? To answer these questions we conduct an experiment in which we investigate the effect of newcomers on a group's ability to coordinate efficiently. Participants play a coordination game in a four-person group for the first part of the experiment, and then two members of the group are replaced with new participants, and the newly formed group plays the …

The Cell Phone Calling And Texting Behaviors Between Close Relationship Partners, Stephanie Kownacki

Theses & ETDs

The calling and texting behaviors of college students were studied using information about the participants' communication partners, age and sex demographics, and reasons for communication mode choice. Additionally, an examination of the validity of self-reported communication data was conducted via comparisons with actual calling and texting logs. Students completed a survey asking about their perceived communication with four close relationship partners (parent, sibling, intimate partner, and best friend). Also, the survey collected data on the age and sex of both interlocutors, the physical distance between them, and reasons why the participant would choose to call vs text, or text vs …

Communication Metaphor Of Patient Prognosis In The Spirit Of Hope, Dory Hanks

Theses and Graduate Projects

Prognosis for terminally ill patients is intended to serve the purpose of educating patients on the expected clinical outcome of their illness. This information is generally communicated to a patient by their primary physician when options for fufiher treattnent or "cure" are limited. Learning a prognosis may be helpful to some patients, while burdensome to others. A review of the literature reveals many barriers to effective communication of prognosis. The purpose of this project is to develop a metaphor for enhanced communication of prognosis to be used by hospice nurses that incorporates a caring perspective on living with hope during …

Communication Of Emotion In Music, Jesse Paul Huhnerkoch

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The communication of emotion in music has been shown to be dependent on musical structure and emotional prompting with lyrical messages. This study seeks a new approach to researching the communication of emotion in music by creating musical samples that are based upon the sound wave frequency parameters of emotive speaking. An electronic survey containing six different emotive musical samples was conducted to gather listener interpretations of the intended emotional quality. Further research is needed to properly distinguish the parameters of emotive frequencies in order to provide for exposure of the functionalities of this phenomenon.

Exploring Motivation Through Athlete Communication, Tye G. Davis

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

The current study examined the communication ecology of athlete motivation. Furthermore, gender differences in communication ecologies were evaluated, as were variations in communication tendencies for highly and lowly motivated athletes. Findings suggest that teammates and parents are strong motivators for athletes. Mass media were associated with athlete motivation while social media were not. Gender differences were found with males reporting being more motivated by mass media than females, while females were more strongly motivated by their parents and friends. There were significant differences found in the communication ecologies of highly motivated athletes compared to less motivated athletes. Athletes who were …

Learning Context Matters: Communication Strategy Development Through Spanish Interaction, Sonya Hildebrand

Lewis Honors College Capstone Collection

University studies in the Spanish language are often times confined to the classroom. However, more and more programs have been implementing civic engagement in the Hispanic community into the curriculum to create a service-learning experience. This study sought to determine the effectiveness of service-learning in enhancing communication techniques. Twenty undergraduate students at the University of Kentucky were surveyed at the onset and the conclusion of one semester while simultaneously serving the Hispanic community. The students, on average, increased the frequency of communication techniques after a semester of service-learning. Students who participate in a service-learning program often times see a result …

Women Who Stutter : Experiences Of Developing Self-Management And Quality Of Life, Katherine Milton

Theses : Honours

Background and Purpose: Research suggests that stuttering can impact an individual’s quality of life and how they perceive themselves in interactions with others. As a larger proportion of adults who stutter are men, limited research is available regarding the specific experiences of women who stutter (WWS). Existent literature regarding WWS was mainly published in the 1970s -1980s and may no longer represent current issues. This study aimed to explore the current influences on quality of life, perception of stuttering, self-management strategies, and gender issues experienced by WWS.

Methods and Procedures: This grounded theory study used a convenience sample of eight …

Media Preferences That Facilitate Interpersonal Communication Regarding Sexual Health: Racial Differences Among College-Aged Females, Rasheeta Chandler, Versie Johnson-Mallard, Kevin Kip, Mary Evans

Nursing Faculty Publications

Young women are increasingly diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV. The aim of this study was to test various types of mass media and their associations with interpersonal communication about sex and HIV or AIDS among female college students, stratified by race. The study used a nonexperimental cross-sectional design and an electronic survey. The sample consisted of female college students (N = 776) at a 4-year public university in the southeast. We found that the race of college women influenced their preferred media source for reception of information about sex and HIV/AIDS, which subsequently either motivated or …

A Nudge In The Right Direction With A Stick The Size Of Cms: Physician-Patient Communication At The End Of Life, Katherine B. Ledden

Saint Louis University Journal of Health Law & Policy

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Acculturation On Bosnian Refugee Adult Child Mate Selection, Emina Herovic

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Forced by the atrocities of war from their native country, Bosnian families came to United States seeking refuge and a new life. Immigrating to a new country, however, involves the process of acculturation which can dilute many native practices. Like many refugees that immigrated, Bosnians sought to adapt to the American way of life, while keeping their traditional ethnic customs, practices, and religion (Val & Iain-Walker, 2003). Many Bosnian refugee parents worked to keep the Bosnian practices prevalent in their first and second generation Bosnian American children. By doing so, Bosnian parents imbedded into their children the original customs, practices, …

Professional Women And Cognitive Dissonance, Amber T. Lewis

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Women and their work is a topic ofinterest in various fields ofacademia. Numerous research articles discuss a range oftopics as it relates to the unique experiences women endure to earn wage. However, the primary focus ofmost articles is grounded in the analysis ofhow women compare to men. This qualitative study utilizes the work experiences of women to help identify and define any sense ofcognitive dissonance of working women and whether or not the likelihood ofdissonance changes depending on their chosen career tracks. In this study the interview responses of working women are considered in conjunction with research articles to determine …

Paralinguistic Cues And Their Effect On Leader Credibility, Monte Brian Reid

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Paralinguistic cues are powerful non-verbal communication elements that have the ability to make even good news sound horrible or bad news more palatable. Drawing upon the hermeneutical phenomenology communication theory of Dilthey (1961) and Shannon’s (1949) communication channel model, this thesis targeted the six primary paralinguistic cues of fluidity, articulation, sonority, tempo, emotion, and dynamic intensity to discover how these cues interact and affect the credibility and palatability of a leader’s message. To facilitate remembrance of these cues, the acronym F.A.S.T.E.D. was coined and used. Three different groups consisting of managers, non-managers, and media and public relations professionals were surveyed …

The Influence Of Communication Strategies On Charitable Races, Vicky Jean Daniels

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Charitable races are happening all over the United States. These races are a competitive way for charities to receive funds to help support their causes. However, not all charity athletic events and races are promoted equally. This success or lack thereof is in part due to how the events’ messages are communicated and perceived by potential attendees. This study interviewed experts in the field of marketing charitable events, and surveyed participants of charitable events to see what communication strategies most influenced their decisions to attend. The study highlighted the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series, which has been very successful for …

Intergenerational Farm Family Communication And Succession Planning, Cayla M. Waters

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis studies intergenerational communication in farm families during the succession planning process. The research focuses on intergenerational relationships between fathers and sons. Due to the lack of research on intergenerational communication in farm families, this thesis examines the role communication plays in this relationship, and how communication affects the succession planning process of passing down the family farm. Communication accommodation theory is used to understand the communication processes taking place within the father-son relationship. The research methods used to gather information for this study are focus groups. The focus groups are made up of 3 father/son pairs who are …