Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of Exemplars In Audio-Based Media To Increase Behavioral Intent In Adopting Preventive Skin-Cancer Behaviors, Christine M. Lemme

Master of Arts in Communication

Skin cancer is a growing concern in the young-adult population due to the popularity of indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanning and the acceptance of numerous myths that skin cancer is not a major health concern. This thesis aims to look at the use of media exemplar perceived to be similar and credible to the target population in order to persuade the target population to adopt preventative skin-cancer behaviors. College students of both genders and various ethnicities (N = 170) were surveyed after listening to different radio exemplars on skin cancer. Results indicated that similarity and credibility play a key role in …

Coping Mechanisms Of Children With Atopic Dermatitis, Whitney A. St. Mary

Honors Theses

This was a qualitative study that explored the lived experience of parents who had children with atopic dermatitis, otherwise known as eczema. The study had seven volunteer participants and the objective of this study was to determine any coping mechanisms used to overcome the negative aspects of atopic dermatitis. Volunteers were obtained from the Oak Grove Family Clinic. Phone interviews were then conducted and the participants were asked a series of eight questions. After the interviews concluded the researcher then transcribed the interviews and determined common themes from parents’ responses. All of the parents discussed how using unscented lotion, preventing …

A Correlational Study Of The Handoff Communication Process As A Result Of Variation In Staffing Levels, Rebecca Leigh Cook

All Theses

The patient handoff is an intricate process that takes on many forms within the healthcare domain. One incredibly common, yet complex handoff is that from the Emergency Department (ED) to the respective floor unit for the extended care of a patient upon hospital admission. While the specifics of the protocol for this process vary between institutions, the importance of a successful handoff for patient safety is universal. This study will examine the effects of the variation in staffing levels on the effectiveness of communication handoff process.

Seriously Playful And Playfully Serious: The Helpfulness Of Humorous Parody, Michael Richard Lucas

All Dissertations

In the following work I create and define the parameters for a specific form of humorous parody. I highlight specific problematic narrative figures that circulate the public sphere and reinforce our serious narrative expectations. However, I demonstrate how critical public pedagogies are able to disrupt these problematic narrative expectations. Humorous parodic narratives are especially equipped to help us in such situations when they work as a critical public/classroom pedagogy, a form of critical rhetoric, and a form of mass narrative therapy. These findings are supported by a rhetorical analysis of these parodic narratives, as I expand upon their ability to …

The Cowl - V.79 - N.22 - Apr 9, 2015

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 79- No. 22 - April 9, 2015. 21 pages.

Troubles Musculosquelettiques Et Santé Psychologique : Démarche De Soutien Aux Activités De Prise Et De Répartition Des Appels D’Urgence 9-1-1, Georges Toulouse, Louise St-Arnaud, Mariève Pelletier

Rapports de recherche scientifique

La présente étude constitue un prolongement des recherches antérieures ayant pour objectif de réduire les risques psychosociaux associés aux troubles musculosquelettiques et de santé psychologique chez les préposés des centres d’urgence 9-1-1. Elle se fonde plus précisément sur la précédente recherche (Toulouse et coll., 2011) dont les résultats suggéraient la nécessité de mieux soutenir les préposés aux prises avec des situations d’appels difficiles. En effet, les résultats montraient que les situations, qui génèrent une charge de travail ou une charge cognitive plus élevée sont corrélées à l’augmentation de l’intensité des douleurs au cou et aux épaules, alors que les douleurs …

A Teacher’S Toolbox For Building Communication - Among Professionals Who Service Students With Moderate To Severe Disabilities, Bingta E. Francke

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The purpose of this project is to observe and document the communication and collaboration between new special education teachers and veteran support staff; culminating in the creation of a resource, describing effective communication skills and strategies. A quick-reference communication guide will be designed according to the feedback gathered from the professionals within the education field as well as from special education teachers. The data included is applicable to seasoned teachers being relocated to new sites, as well as individuals new to the teaching profession. Initial implementation and access to the guide will be available through the local County Office of …

Organizational Communication: Perceptions Of Staff Members' Level Of Communication Satisfaction And Job Satisfaction, Priti Sharma, James Lampley, Donald W. Good

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this research study was to explore the topic of organizational communication in higher education and examine staff members’ perceptions about their level of communication and job satisfaction in their workplaces. This study was also designed to test the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction by analyzing the significance of different dimensions of Communication Satisfaction with the view that satisfaction is multifaceted.

The results of the study indicated that gender differences and the number of years in service do not seem to make a significant difference in the level of satisfaction among staff members, but the level …

Architecture As Communication: A Study Of The Role Of Form, Function And Context In Evoking Meaning, Priyanka Sondhi

Theses

The aim of this thesis is to understand and design an architecture that includes as part of its program, the function of communication of a certain encoded idea(s) through the public's everyday interaction with it. This thesis is divided into two parts - exploration and design project. The exploration part studies the methods and history of communicating meaning through architecture. Based on this study a design project was defined which included picking an appropriate site, identifying the meaning to be communicated for the site context, studying the context for such communication and designing a building program and form.

Rochester, being …

The Cowl - V.79 - N.20 - Mar 19, 2015

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 79 - No. 20 - March 19, 2015. 20 pages.

Mexican / Mexican American Foodways As Communication Of Cultural Identity, Charity Jo Mendoza

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines Mexican American foodways to determine if and how cultural identity is formed, performed, maintained, and negotiated through the lens of food. Foodways are a salient marker of cultural identity. While language of origin sharply decreases after the first generation, foodways can last for generations. An ethnographic examination of Mexican/Mexican American women preparing food provides insightful descriptions of family life and interpersonal processes that are useful for understanding and appreciating the culture of Mexican Americans and Mexican American identity. The communication theory of identity is applied to allow for examination of multiple layers of identity and identification of …

Table Talk: Empowering Alive Conversations, Jeanine Judd, Beverly Anne Richardson

National Youth Advocacy & Resilience Conference

Are the skills of conversation becoming lost in today's fast-paced and technology-enhanced world? Table Talk is an instructional framework created to teach elementary students how to communicate and collaborate effectively. Just as technology's ubiquitousness and society's rapidness have sustained, Table Talk seeks to empower students to overcome barriers to successful and productive adult lives.

Using A Communication Perspective To Teach Relational Lawyering, Susan L. Brooks

Nevada Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Silencing Our Elders, Debra Lyn Bassett

Nevada Law Journal

Lawyers, and the practice of law generally, tend to focus on words and speech. As wordsmiths, lawyers take great pains to choose the precise word that reflects the specific meaning they wish to convey, and they pride themselves on their ability to persuade, especially in the contexts of oral advocacy in the courtroom and negotiation. Lawyers, correctly, view words and speech as powerful. But there is another powerful tool in a lawyer’s arsenal that receives virtually no recognition or attention: silence. As a general matter, Americans tend to be uncomfortable with silences, and thus rush to fill them. This general …

Encouraging Greater Student Inquiry Engagement In Science Through Motivational Support By Online Scientist-Mentors, Stephen C. Scogin, Carol L. Stuessy

Faculty Publications

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) call for integrating knowledge and practice in learning experiences in K-12 science education. PlantingScience (PS), an ideal curriculum for use as an NGSS model, is a computer-mediated collaborative learning environment intertwining scientific inquiry, classroom instruction, and online mentoring from scientists. With implementation in hundreds of classrooms across the United States, science teachers have noted PS as successful in motivating their students to engage in classroom inquiry investigations. To investigate the role of the online scientist-mentors in motivating students in the PS learning environment, we used self-determination theory (SDT) to guide a multiple case study of …

The Cowl - V.79 - N.16 - Feb 5, 2015

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 79 - No. 16 - February 5, 2015. 20 pages.

Telling Stories, Saving Lives: Creating Narrative Health Messages, Lauren B. Frank, Sheila T. Murphy, Joyee S. Chatterjee, Meghan B. Moran, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increasingly, health communication practitioners are exploring the use of narrative storytelling to convey health information. For this study, a narrative film was produced to provide information about the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer prevention. The storyline centered on Lupita, a young woman recently diagnosed with HPV who informs her family about HPV and the availability of the HPV vaccine for her younger sister. The objective was to examine the roles of identification with characters and narrative involvement (made up of three dimensions: involvement, perceived relevance, and immersion) on perceived response efficacy, perceived severity, and perceived susceptibility to HPV and …

It-Enabled Coordination In Electronic Markets: An Experimental Investigation Of The Effects Of Social Communication On Group Buyers, Alexander Pelaez

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Coordination, and the mechanisms by which coordination occurs, represents a significant area of study for economic research, and information technology. Technology enhances communication in both speed and quantity of information and when aligned with appropriate tasks can improve decision-making and task performance. Examining the effect of technology based coordination mechanisms on market platforms provides insight into outcomes as represented by buyer surplus and task completion as well as behaviors, such as network structure and emotional attitudes in economic experiments. Drawing on theory from economics and information systems, larger buyer groups should be able to obtain better prices and extract higher …

The Cowl - V.79 - N.15 - Jan 29, 2015

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Vol 79 - No. 15 - January 29, 2015. 20 pages.

The Influence Of Social Media Technology On Generation Iy's Ability To Communicate Face To Face In Their Academic Careers, James Howard Henry

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

This thesis investigates how Generation iY students perceive that social media and / or texting technology has influenced their ability to track and comprehend the subtleties of face-toface communication within an academic setting. Generation iY is defined as those born between the years 1982 to 2004. Also involved in this study are members of the faculty and staff that teach Generation iY. The theories being applied and examined in this study include, Postman’s Technology Ecology, McLuhan’s Media Ecology, and Ong’s Orality and Literacy. These theories while addressing different aspects of technological change, all agree that the change is all encompassing …

Challenges To Increasing Usage Of New Technology In An Aging Workforce, Leslie Ann Yuenger

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Explanatory qualitative research has primarily focused on resistance to information and communication technologies (ICT) due to age of the user, computerphobia, lack of trust in computer usage, socio-economic barriers, organizational politics, and non-alphabetical language. Global organizations are utilizing ICT as their primary means of communicating with their workforce. Human communication has evolved as man has evolved and in today’s world communication is via multiple mediums. Verbal, Face-to-Face, non-verbal, written and electronic communications may all take place between one pair of individuals and their circle of friends, family and total strangers. Social Information Processing (SIP) theory by J. B. Walthers was …

Effects Of Alternative Framing On The Publics Perceived Importance Of Environmental Conservation, Amanda E. Sorensen, Daniel Clark, Rebecca C. Jordan

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

Effective communication of science to the general public is important for numerous reasons, including support for policy, funding, informed public decision making, among others. Prior research has found that scientists participating in public policy and public communication must frame their communication efforts in order to connect with audiences. A frame is the mechanism that individuals use to understand and interpret the world around them. Framing can encourage specific interpretations and reference points for a particular issue or event; especially when meaning is negotiated between the media and public audiences. In this study, we looked at the effect of framing within …

Say What?: The Power Of Language And Communication Demonstrated In Chuck Palahniuk’S Lullaby, Brittany Krantz

Faculty Publications

Throughout Lullaby, Palahniuk manipulates traditional communication by obscuring the roles of speaker and recipient with the culling song, a poem that causes instant death to those who hear it. Despite the obvious incorporation of magic and fantasy, the novel reflects genuine aspects of linguistic functions and indicates authentic applications for the use of language and speech acts in the actual process of communication. The author highlights the impact that language bears upon one’s psyche, as individuals’ thoughts often transpire into words, and consequentially, into threatening actions that jeopardize others’ well-being. Palahniuk’s manipulation of traditional communication is that victims do not …

Manager Perspectives On Communication And Public Engagement In Ecological Restoration Project Success, Caroline Gottschalk Druschke, Kristen C. Hychka

New Hampshire EPSCoR

We look to a particular social-ecological system, the restoration community in Rhode Island, USA and the rivers, wetlands, marshes, and estuaries they work to protect, to draw connections between communication, community involvement, and ecological restoration project success. Offering real-world examples drawn from interviews with 27 local, state, federal, and nonprofit restoration managers, we synthesize the mechanisms that managers found effective to argue that the communication employed by resource managers in each phase of the restoration process, in prioritization, implementation, and monitoring, and for garnering broad-based support, shapes the quality of public engagement in natural resources management, which, in turn, can …

Teacher Perceptions Of The Impact Of Digital Photo Stories On Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Julia J. Conn

Education Dissertations and Projects

This study employed a qualitative method, multiple case study design to examine teacher perceptions of the impact of digital photo stories used as an instructional strategy with students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Five highly qualified teachers of students with ASD from four public schools in a western North Carolina school district participated in open-ended interviews before and after creating and completing a digital photo story utilizing a digital photo-story tool with students with ASD.

The guiding question for this study was “How does the use of digital photo stories as an instructional tool impact teacher perceptions of students with …

Comparing Business Law In Online And Face-To-Face Formats: A Difference In Student Learning Perception, Mary Catherine Cleaveland, Cristen Dutcher, Kathryn Epps

Faculty Articles

This paper extends the body of research investigating potential differences in face to face and online delivery of a business law course. Using a unique survey, it investigates student perceptions of their learning and understanding of key course concepts, as well as student satisfaction with the course and course instruction. Further, the paper explores the specific characteristics of online versus face to face students that may impact their satisfaction.

Dialogic Constructions Of Monogamy: The Discursive Struggles Of Mono-Normativity And Mono-Realism, Stephanie K. Webb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Through the lens of relational dialectics theory (RDT; Baxter, 2011), this study examines the various discourses of monogamy and works to understand how monogamy is granted power through communication. Data for the study was gathered via qualitative surveys. A contrapuntal analysis identified two competing discourses: (1) the discourse of mono-normativity and (2) the discourse of mono-realism. The discourse of mono-normativity is taken for granted as the ordinary way to conduct romantic relationships. As such, it is granted power and idealized. The discourse of mono-realism disrupts the discourse of mono-normativity, as it challenges the idealization of monogamous romantic relationships. The discourses …

The Effect Of Marriage Verses Cohabitation On Sexual Communication In Latino, African American, And Caucasian Adults, Erin Koosed, Danielle Mahaffey, Mckenzie Rand, Elizabeth Wagner, Dr. Heesoon Lee

International ResearchScape Journal

This study focuses on the effect of communication on sexual relationship satisfaction when comparing cohabiting couples with married couples. Communication is an important part of relational and sexual satisfaction. Research was conducted using scholarly journal articles and quantitative data from questionnaires. Fifty-four questionnaires were completed by males and females that were at least forty years, married or cohabitating, and identified as Latino, African American, or Caucasian. The data from the questionnaires found that both heterosexual and homosexual couples in domestic partnerships had better sexual communication than those who were married. People from diverse backgrounds can relate to the data collected …

Lights, Camera, Emotion!: An Examination On Film Lighting And Its Impact On Audiences' Emotional Response, Jennifer Lee Poland

ETD Archive

The current study examined the impact of three film lighting styles on participants' emotional responses. The light styles - High Key, Low Key, and Available Light ́⁰₃ were selected based on Film theory. Thus, this study combines Media Effects and Film literature to empirically study the impact of structural elements of film on media audiences. An experiment was conducted manipulating three levels of lighting. The According to film theory, a film presented in high key will cause audiences to feel higher levels of uplifting emotions such as happiness, joy, or humor, a film in low key will cause more feelings …

Effects Of Alternative Framing On The Publics Perceived Importance Of Environmental Conservation, Amanda E. Sorensen, Daniel Clark, Rebecca C. Jordan

Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit: Staff Publications

Effective communication of science to the general public is important for numerous reasons, including support for policy, funding, informed public decision making, among others. Prior research has found that scientists participating in public policy and public communication must frame their communication efforts in order to connect with audiences. A frame is the mechanism that individuals use to understand and interpret the world around them. Framing can encourage specific interpretations and reference points for a particular issue or event; especially when meaning is negotiated between the media and public audiences. In this study, we looked at the effect of framing within …