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The Heart Of The Matter: The Function And Relational Effects Of Humor For Cardiovascular Patients, Nicholas Lee Lockwood

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study examined the possibility that cardiovascular patient health is enhanced by the intentional communication of humor and associated increases in relationship satisfaction. In an effort to study the relationship between these variables it was predicted that relationship satisfaction mediates the effects between humor functions and health. Questionnaire data was collected from members of two national support groups for patients of cardiovascular disease. Findings support humor functions distinguished in previous studies and support the hypothesis that relationship satisfaction mediates health. Specifically, distancing humor negatively predicted relationship satisfaction and health. These findings offer new insight into the variability of humor effects.

Sustaining Voice Through Leadership: How Do Deaf Leaders Sustain Voice In Challenging Dominant Systems, Darlene Goncz Zangara

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The vehicle in communicating cultural identity, recognition, and justice is voice. Reclaiming or sustaining one's voice is to stand up for what one believes in, or to preserve one's identity and place in society. The deaf individual or any other marginalized individual is expected to proceed through a series of deliberations to determine favorable actions that will be persuasive, with the goal of embracing the voice of the marginalized. The deaf individual's voice or meaningful intentions will need to be effectively interpreted into mainstream American society's language and paradigms. This requires one to reconstruct the meanings and mediate the facts …

What Now? What Next? A Narrative Analysis Of Cross-Cultural Adaptation And College Student Retention, Jason Matthews Martin

University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations

First year college student retention is important to colleges and universities nationwide (Bean, 2005). Most of the research on retention focuses on self-report data collected from students after they withdraw from the institution. The present study focuses, instead, on student stories about school, as well as at and about “home” during their first semester.

The experiences of students who transition from high school to college are sometimes likened to those of individuals who enter a new culture for the first time. Thus, this dissertation is grounded in cross-cultural adaptation theory (Kim, 1988, 2001), which posits that successful adaptation occurs via …

Crisis Management Post Hurricane Katrina: A Qualitative Study Of A Higher Education Institution's Administrators' Response To Crisis Management, Steven Lee Mccullar

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

From campus shootings to mass prolonged campus closures in the Gulf Coast due to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the past decade has seen an increase in high profile crises at higher education institutions. Louisiana State University was one of the institutions impacted by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. After the experience, university administrators created an Emergency Operation Center and a new plan for how to handle campus crises. In 2008, LSU administrators had an opportunity to test their full scale plan with the landfall of Hurricane Gustav. In this study, university administrators from LSU were interviewed about their experiences …

Mentoring Experiences Among Female Public Relations Entrepreneurs: A Qualitative Investigation, Sabina Gaggioli

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study expands from current mentoring literature within the mass communication field in understanding how mentoring can contribute to the successful careers of public relations entrepreneurial women. While many scholars indicate that mentoring is effective for women, the present study describes how mentoring has affected the women participants' public relations careers and personal lives. In-depth interviews focused on following five research questions: What have been the key contributing factors in the success of public relations women entrepreneurs? How has mentoring helped the women participants achieve their goals in a public relations career and in starting their own company? Which …

One Love: Explicit Monogamy Agreements Among Heterosexual Young Adult Couples At Increased Risk Of Sexually Transmitted Infections, Jocelyn T. Warren, S M. Harvey, Christopher R. Agnew

Department of Psychological Sciences Faculty Publications

HIV prevention strategies among couples include condom use, mutual monogamy, and HIV testing. Research suggests that condom use is more likely with new or casual partners, and tends to decline as relationships become steady over time. Little is known, however, about explicit mutual monogamy agreements and HIV testing within heterosexual couples. This study used data from 434 young heterosexual couples at increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) to assess (a) couple concordance on perceptions of a monogamy agreement, sustained monogamy, and HIV testing; and (b) the associations of relationship and demographic factors with monogamy agreement, sustained monogamy, …

Perspectives On Choral And Solo Singing: Enhancingcommunication Between Choral Conductors And Voice Teachers, Matthew August Ferrell

Open Access Dissertations

Concepts of choral and solo singing diverge among the masses of pedagogues, teachers, and conductors who have differing opinions about healthy vocal technique and training. These differences have generated tension within some university music programs, with choral faculty and voice faculty sometimes on opposing sides. This document presents answers from professional singers who engage in choral and solo singing while maintaining a healthy vocal technique. All subjects interviewed for this document were asked to speak in detail to vocal adjustments made to sing in different styles. In addition, they were asked to identify any vocal faults that may arise from …

Faculty And Student Expectations And Perceptions Of E-Mail Communication In A Campus And Distance Doctor Of Pharmacy Program, Pamela A. Foral, Paul D. Turner, Michael S. Monaghan, Ryan W. Walters, Jennifer J. Merkel, Jeremy Harris Lipschultz, Thomas J. Lenz

Communication Faculty Publications

Objective. To examine faculty members’ and students’ expectations and perceptions of e-mail communication in a dual pathway pharmacy program. Methods. Three parallel survey instruments were administered to campus students, distance students, and faculty members, respectively. Focus groups with students and faculty were conducted. Results. Faculty members perceived themselves as more accessible and approachable by e-mail than either group of students did. Campus students expected a shorter faculty response time to e-mail and for faculty members to be more available than did distance students. Conclusion. E-mail is an effective means of computer-mediated communication between faculty members and students and can be …

Doctoral Program Quality And Scholarly Productivity, Steven G. Shenouda

Open Access Dissertations

The present study was undertaken to examine the relationship between the reputation of doctoral programs in Interpersonal Communication and the degree of research productivity associated with the faculty offering the program. Authors, institutional affiliation, number of authors, position of article, and related information for every article published in Communication Monographs and Human Communication Research from 1994 through 2004 were recorded. Based on this analysis, productivity factors were calculated for faculty of every Ph.D. program in the National Communication Association (NCA) reputational study (2004) focused on Interpersonal Communication. Data analysis was conducted to explore possible statistical associations between quality assessments of …

Still Flying: The Communicative Constitution Of Browncoat Fandom As Culture, Jonathon Nicholas Lundy

Boise State University Theses and Dissertations

In contemporary western culture, fandom is common. Many academics and members of the general public alike conceive of fandom as outside the norms of spectatorship; to be a spectator is to enjoy an interest individually and passively. However, others contend that fandom is a more significant cultural achievement.

This study qualitatively investigated how Browncoats, or fans of the cancelled television series Firefly , communicatively construct their fandom culture. Methods included participant observation, semi-structured interviews, data analysis through Grounded Theory, and a comparative thematic analysis of the original Firefly source texts and Browncoat cultural data in order to discover meaningful themes …

The Experiences Of Expatriate Teachers In International Schools: Five Ethnographic Case Studies, James S. Anderson Edd

Dissertations

An increasingly global economy has produced a growing demand for teachers to work in international schools. However, data about teachers who elect to move abroad and work in international settings are limited. The lack of research in this area is surprising, given the relatively large number of expatriate teachers who work in international schools. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of how expatriate teachers perceive their experiences in international schools and the role that these perceptions may play in their decisions to continue at a school or to seek other employment. In order to explore …

Mother And Daughter Communication About Sexual Health In Rural Kenya, Jessica Velcoff

College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations

The present study focused on young women, and the manner in which communication with their mothers may facilitate decreased sexual risk behaviors in rural Kenya. With regard to sexual behaviors, Hutchinson and Wood (2007) developed the parent-based expansion of the theory of planned behavior (PETPB). The PETPB is a theoretical framework that builds upon the theory of planned behavior, to include the influence of parents in understanding adolescent sexual risk behavior. The present study was guided by the PETPB and explored communication, knowledge of sexuality and sexual health, and preventative behaviors among rural secondary school aged Kenyan young women (15 …

Engaging Rural Community Members As Problem Solvers: Application Of Health Communication To Improve The Quality Of Health Care In Southwest Uganda, Tesfa N. Alexander

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Using communication theories and anthropological models, I analyze the narratives of community members who are caretakers of children ages 5 and under in Southwest Uganda to situate rural community members as problem solvers whose insights can be used to inform sustainable and effective public health strategies that can lead to improved health outcomes. Throughout my analysis, I uncover themes and concepts from community members' narratives that demonstrate that health-seeking behaviors of rural community members are largely shaped by perceptions of interpersonal and social trust in local health care practitioners. Additionally, an analysis of discourse from patient-provider interactions in biomedical and …

America's P.R.I.D.E.: Entertainment Education As A Health Communication Intervention Strategy For Middle School And High School Students, Elizabeth Stephens

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

The purpose of this dissertation research was to study the ways that members of the P.R.I.D.E. club at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee used entertainment-education communication strategies in their presentations and the interpersonal persuasive strategies members used when talking with peers about substance abuse. Participants in this study were members of the P.R.I.D.E. club and ranged in age from 14-years-old to 18-years-old. My research questions examined how P.R.I.D.E. incorporated constructs of entertainment-education (emotional involvement, identification with characters, self-efficacy, perceived realism, and fear appeals) into their presentations to persuade peers to abstain from using alcohol, tobacco, and drugs, and examined …

Coaching Efficacy With Academic Leaders: A Phenomenological Investigation, Deanna Lee Vansickel-Peterson

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The purpose of this psychological phenomenological research was to understand the efficacy of life coaching from the perspective of academic leaders. To date, not one investigation or attempt has been made towards the above stated purpose. This study includes a theoretical overview and a review of the coaching literature from Socrates (469-399 BC) to current day Humanistic theory presented in part by Roger (1902-1987). This process included data collection from five academic leaders who have been coached for at least two years. Levels of analysis of 365 statements, quote and/or comments produced finding of efficacy in life coaching with academic …

The Cowl - V. 75 - N. 10 - Nov 18, 2010

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 75 - Number 10 - November 18, 2010. 36 pages.

Developing Communication Skills For The General Practice Consultation Process, Jørgen Nystrup, Jan-Helge Larsen, Ole

Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal

Medical curriculum revisions all over the world in the last 20 years have increased the numberof teaching hours in communication skills. This article describes a concrete communication skills teaching programme focused on general practice. Since the spring of 1992, more than 2,000 physicians from Denmark,Sweden and Finland have attended courses within this programme in Kalymnos, Greece. The training mainly takes place in groups of 8 doctors and 1 supervisor. The skills training is based on video feedback using the Window Supervision Method described here. We have identified several classical pitfalls for the doctor which this training programme seeks to address. …

The Cowl - V. 75 - N. 8 - Nov 4, 2010

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 75 - Number 8 - November 4, 2010. 36 pages.

A Proposal To Develop Christian Leaders For South Africa's Kingdom-Focused Church, Roney Lucas Ndala

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

My proposal centers around developing Christian leaders to believe in themselves and aspire to building kingdom- focused churches in line with the Great Commission. With the alarming growth of churches in South Africa it is imperative to focus attention to the development of leaders who will align and focus the growth to the kingdom. The purpose of this project is to introduce leaders to the concept of kingdom- focused churches that will move people within the ministry of the growing church. The project reviews some principles of a healthy growing church and the need for alignment during this growth stage. …

The Cowl - V. 75 - N. 6 - Oct 21, 2010

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 75 - Number 6 - October 21, 2010. 36 pages.

Library Scavenger Hunt Assignment, Kristen Norwood

Information Literacy Resources for Curriculum Development

No abstract provided.

The Bald Soprano

Taylor Theatre Playbills

The playbill for Taylor University’s Fall 2010 performance of The Bald Soprano by Eugène Ionesco.

The Bald Soprano: An Anti-Play follows the events of a traditional couple who invite over another couple, and are later joined by their maid and the maid’s lover. The characters engage in meaningless banter that becomes even more nonsensical as time goes on.

In this adaptation the actors play the actresses’ roles and the actresses play the actor’s roles.

The Cowl - V. 75 - N. 3 - Sept 23, 2010

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 75 - Number 3 - September 23, 2010. 32 pages.

Gender Bias As Evidenced On Political Blogs In The 2008 Presidential Election, Lori Ann Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

Political blogs played a significant role in the 2008 presidential election serving not only as news sources on the latest political coverage, but also as communities where people expressed political opinions, interacted with others who shared similar beliefs, as well as attempt to persuade and influence the audience members, often making calls to action. A rhetorical analysis, drawing from gendered mediation and frame theory, of 183 political blog posts revealed that gendered mediation was quite common on blog posts in the 2008 presidential election. Further, the mediation was often followed by gendered discourse that was much more blatant in content …

Students Say The Darndest Things! A Conversation Analysis For Teaching Assistants In The First-Year-Writing Classroom, Meredith Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

Teaching writing is about more than just the writing itself. It's about effective communication between students and teachers, which should create a positive and productive writing environment. However, within conversations, challenges of authority are likely to occur. This project discusses the pitfalls of communication between teaching assistants and students in the first-year-writing classroom. These pitfalls are defined as discourse violations, and are further explained and analyzed using concepts of language theory. Case studies of discourse violation scenarios are presented for discussion. Each scenario illustrates various types of discourse violations, and creates an awareness of the need for classroom management. Ultimately, …

Communicative Facework In Marital Dissolution And Post-Dissolution Processes, Brandi N. Frisby

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Divorce affects nearly 24,000 adults (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2008) and one million children yearly (Amato, 2000), often with negative consequences for those who are involved (Amato, 2000; Kiecolt-Glaser & Newton, 2001). Unlike previous research which focused on predictors of divorce, this dissertation (2 studies) focused on the communicative processes that occur when divorce is initiated and in turning points which comprise the interactions in post-divorce relationships. In study one, participants (N = 69) reported on the conversation where the decision to divorce was made, the face threats and facework which were communicated during that conversation, and the individual …

Students' Perceptions Of Classroom Justice And Their Use Of Politeness Strategies, Charles K. Rudick

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this study was to investigate how students' use of politeness strategies differed based on their perceptions of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice when they engaged in a face threatening act (FTA) with their instructors. Participants included 76 undergraduate students enrolled in undergraduate communication courses at a large mid-Atlantic university during the summer. Results revealed that students engage in all types of politeness strategies when speaking with their instructor, with students reporting the bald-on-record strategy the most frequently. However, students' use of politeness strategies did not significantly differ based on their perceptions of distributive, procedural, and interactional justice. …

Differences In Interpersonal Skills Between Engineering And Organizational Leadership And Supervision Majors, Anuj A. Mhaskar

Purdue Polytechnic Directed Projects

This study explored the differences in interpersonal communication skills – assertiveness and conflict management in particular between students with a senior academic standing in the college of engineering and the department of organizational leadership and supervision at Purdue University, West Lafayette. The Rathus Assertiveness Schedule and the Putnam-Wilson OCCI were used to measure assertiveness levels and conflict management styles in students. Results from the study indicated that there is no significant difference in assertiveness levels or the use of conflict management styles between the two majors. However, significant differences in assertiveness levels and the control scale of conflict management were …

Craft As A Form Of Mindful Inquiry, Louise Valentine, Georgina Follett

DRS Biennial Conference Series

In this research project ‘Communication of Craft Practice’ is the subject and the problem is one of transparency of the intellectual act and accessibility to the embodied knowledge. Why? The skill of coherently expressing the intellectual and personal voice within the development of craft practice is usually missing. There is a gap in our knowledge. The methodological framework is Mindful Inquiry which is a synthesis of critical social science, hermeneutics, phenomenology and Buddhism (Bentz and Shapiro, 1998).The research involves working directly with professional practitioners to embark on a series of creative journeys from which craft as an experience, process, product …

Understanding Team Design Communication Through The Designer’S Eye: A Descriptive-Analytic Approach, Chrysi Rapanta, Luca Botturi, Andreas Schmeil

DRS Biennial Conference Series

The present study is an example of an empirical design research project based on design teams. Our main goal is to describe, understand and analyze the communication processes which take place inside a design team working on a design project for a short period of time. This paper presents the main observations and results of two case studies based on two design fields: Architecture and Graphic design. The paper’s contribution lies on the methodology used, combining qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis, and involving the designers’ point of view at various steps of the research process. In this way, we …