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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Qualitative Study Of Media Dependency Theory On Tiktok Citizen Journalists, Jaron David Paschke Dec 2023

A Qualitative Study Of Media Dependency Theory On Tiktok Citizen Journalists, Jaron David Paschke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the problem with depending on citizen journalism for news updates on TikTok during Hurricane Ian. To accomplish that, three types of qualitative content analysis were deployed to answer three separate but related research questions. First, a conventional content analysis was used to determine if the communicative roles of citizen journalists differed from their mainstream media counterparts during a crisis. Second, a summative content analysis was used to determine how effective crisis communications from citizen journalists were when compared to those produced by the mainstream media. Lastly, a directed content analysis was used …


A New Mother’S Cry: Analyzing Traditional Social Support Versus Online Social Support In Relation To The Postpartum Crisis, Emily Hughes Dec 2023

A New Mother’S Cry: Analyzing Traditional Social Support Versus Online Social Support In Relation To The Postpartum Crisis, Emily Hughes

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The present study examines the gap that remains involving the transition from traditional to online social support that many mothers have participated in and how this change in communication methods during postpartum recovery may contribute to mental health disorders. This qualitative study aims to examine the differences in lived experiences among mothers regarding in-person and online forms of social support and how these experiences may impact a new mother’s mental well-being. Based on previous research, the present study hypothesizes that a more significant amount of online social support compared to in-person support will result in a detriment to a new …


A Content Analysis Of Non-Profit Organizations Social Media: Through The Lens Of Compliance-Gaining & Persuasion, Meredith Diene Kiljan Dec 2023

A Content Analysis Of Non-Profit Organizations Social Media: Through The Lens Of Compliance-Gaining & Persuasion, Meredith Diene Kiljan

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Non-profit organizations utilize social media platforms like Instagram to reach the community, fundraise, convey their mission and vision, establish themselves, and educate others. This study examined whether the communication artifacts of selected nonprofit organizations employed Cialdini's (2021) compliance-gaining strategies through an eight-week qualitative digital content analysis on Instagram to address the problem of understanding how non-profit organizations use Instagram tools to influence and persuade their audience. Compassion International (@compassion), CARE (@careorg), and Direct Relief (@directrelief), the three non-profit organizations chosen in this study, demonstrated the usage of Cialdini’s (2021) compliance-gaining strategies within their digital media communication strategy. Non-profit organizations operate …


The Power Of The “Like”: A Quantitative Study On The Facebook Emoji As Social Support, Lina Rawlings Dec 2023

The Power Of The “Like”: A Quantitative Study On The Facebook Emoji As Social Support, Lina Rawlings

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study aimed to evaluate how receiving a Facebook “like” correlates to the perception of social support and how much this correlation is moderated by the age and gender of the users. The social information processing theory guided the study, providing a framework to explain how communicators adapt to the restriction of nonverbal cues by creating surrogates to maintain interpersonal relationships in computer-mediated communication circumstances. For the central research question, findings revealed that receiving a Facebook “like” positively correlates with perceptions of social support from Facebook friends and family. While no significant correlation was found between the gender of …


Erosion Of Credibility: A Mixed Methods Evaluation Of Twitter News Headlines From The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, And Usa Today, Melinda M. Skrbin Nov 2023

Erosion Of Credibility: A Mixed Methods Evaluation Of Twitter News Headlines From The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, And Usa Today, Melinda M. Skrbin

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

To entice and commodify social media news consumers, contemporary news organizations have increasingly relied on data analytics to boost audience engagement. Clicks, likes, and shares are the metrics that now guide the editorial process and shape decisions about content and coverage. As such, news headlines are regularly manipulated to attract the attention of those who quickly scroll through social media networks on computers and smartphones. However, few studies have examined the typologies of news content most likely to be manipulated in social media news headlines or the impact of news headline manipulation on news source credibility. For this research, source …


The Influencer Effect: Exploring The Persuasive Communication Tactics Of Social Media Influencers In The Health And Wellness Industry, Deborah Marie Deutsch Nov 2023

The Influencer Effect: Exploring The Persuasive Communication Tactics Of Social Media Influencers In The Health And Wellness Industry, Deborah Marie Deutsch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

With the emergence of social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok, social media influencers (SMIs) have been a growing source of information in the health and wellness industry. Through their creative, informative, and appealing content, SMIs have the innate ability to reach and attain a large following on social media platforms. The purpose of this study is to ascertain an understanding of the persuasive tactics employed by SMIs in the creation and dissemination of information in the health and wellness industry. Using the theoretical framework of Aristotle’s Rhetorical Appeals and Fisher’s Narrative Paradigm, this qualitative study seeks to examine …


Communication And Community: The Impact Of Closed Facebook Groups On Athletic Trainers, Allison M. Schwartz-Strickland Nov 2023

Communication And Community: The Impact Of Closed Facebook Groups On Athletic Trainers, Allison M. Schwartz-Strickland

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative research study will use semi-structured interviews to explore the motivations of athletic trainers using social media for professional collaboration. The socio-psychological tradition is used to frame the study. Communities of practice, uses and gratification theory, and the Wisdom of the Crowd model are used as the guiding theoretical perspectives as they provide a framework for understanding how and why athletic trainers use social media. This qualitative study sought to show the impact of closed Facebook Group participation on athletic trainers. How athletic trainers understand patient privacy laws when participating in closed Facebook groups for athletic trainers will also …


Communication For Personal Relationships: A Qualitative Study On Taylor Swift's Music Videos And Message-Design Logics Theory, Matthew Magliocca Nov 2023

Communication For Personal Relationships: A Qualitative Study On Taylor Swift's Music Videos And Message-Design Logics Theory, Matthew Magliocca

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This dissertation focuses on Barbara O’Keefe’s message-design logics theory and Taylor Swift’s music videos on YouTube. The first chapter provides background information and study elements for the project, focusing on the scholarly area of communication, the problem statement, the purpose statement, research questions, and definitions. The second chapter reviews the relevant literature associated with message-design logics theory and music videos on YouTube. The third chapter discusses the dissertation’s methodology, focusing on the study’s approach, framework, setting, instruments, procedures, analyses, and trustworthiness. The fourth chapter features the results of the research questions about Swift’s music videos and message-design logics theory. The …


Evaluating Biblical And Theological Training In The Developing World Through The Lens Of Communication Infrastructure Theory, David Keep Oct 2023

Evaluating Biblical And Theological Training In The Developing World Through The Lens Of Communication Infrastructure Theory, David Keep

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Research that shows the impact of training throughout the developing world is positive and limited. Informed by Communication Infrastructure Theory (CIT) and framed within the Cybernetic tradition, this study expands communication research to understand the impact of biblical and theological training among marginalized people in San Gabriel Mixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. Through semi-structured interviews and direct observation, this qualitative research study shows how the curriculum developed by Shepherd’s Global Classroom (SGC) and deployed through Ezra Biblical Seminary in San Gabriel works to equip believers and church leaders in their developing-world context. The storytelling network of CIT is examined and discovered to …


An Exploration Of Defensive Mediatization Strategies And Motherhood Media Decision-Making, Emily B. Young Oct 2023

An Exploration Of Defensive Mediatization Strategies And Motherhood Media Decision-Making, Emily B. Young

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This quantitative study focused on media-related decision-making in motherhood, with mediatization theory serving as a framework for the research. The study began with an overview of recent changes to motherhood and family media use. The purpose of this study was to explore the problem of how mothers make decisions about their children’s media use. After providing a basic overview of the changes to motherhood and family media use, as well as establishing the purpose and problem for the study, the literature on relevant topics for this study was discussed. Primarily, the literature review focused on mediatization theory. Next, the survey …


How The Input-Process-Output Model Affects The Decoding Of Internal Strategic Financial Communication By Non-Financial Branch Managers, Andrew James Schell Oct 2023

How The Input-Process-Output Model Affects The Decoding Of Internal Strategic Financial Communication By Non-Financial Branch Managers, Andrew James Schell

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore how non-financial branch managers at US mortgage companies processed the decoding of internal strategic financial communication (ISFC) when the message was encoded by the language of numbers (LON). The LON includes Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). A non-financial branch manager is an individual who manages a mortgage company branch office and may not possess LON decoding proficiency. This lack of LON decoding proficiency could result in ISFC decoding errors, potentially resulting in unintended financial consequences. Financial miscommunication is connected to the failure of over 50% of new small businesses each …


Self-Image As A Micro Reality: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Social Media Influencers And Adolescent Followers, Jessica Amanda Consterdine Sep 2023

Self-Image As A Micro Reality: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Social Media Influencers And Adolescent Followers, Jessica Amanda Consterdine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study aimed to investigate content depicted by social media influencers and examine how its engagement aligns with the theoretical components of social comparison theory, providing an understanding of how adolescents view self-image. The parasocial relationships between social media influencers and adolescent followers on Instagram were investigated by exploring how the relationship dynamic is challenged with paid endorsements, envy by followers, and strategic communication. Incorporating content analysis with thematic analysis from the most popular social media influencers on Instagram, findings revealed a relationship between hashtag usage and the adolescent creation of self-image micro realities. The analysis demonstrated a strong correlation …


A Case Study On How Hbcus Use Social Media To Reduce Uncertainty Of Covid-19, Kelsey Anne-Gabrielle Armstrong Aug 2023

A Case Study On How Hbcus Use Social Media To Reduce Uncertainty Of Covid-19, Kelsey Anne-Gabrielle Armstrong

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study aims to understand how HBCUs use social media to deliver crisis communication messages to students about COVID-19 and how the HBCU culture impacts student perspectives. The theory guiding this study is uncertainty reduction theory (Berger & Calabrese, 1974), as it explains the communication strategies used to reduce uncertainty during a crisis. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews and content analysis. Data analysis strategies included deductive and inductive coding and directed content analysis. The study results provide insight into how the HBCU culture impacts the perspective of an HBCUs response to COVID-19 and overall crisis communication messaging …


Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Words Will Never Hurt Me...Until I See Them: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Trolls In Relation To The Gricean Maxims And (Im)Polite Virtual Speech Acts, Angelika C. Smith-Jones Aug 2023

Sticks And Stones May Break My Bones But Words Will Never Hurt Me...Until I See Them: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Trolls In Relation To The Gricean Maxims And (Im)Polite Virtual Speech Acts, Angelika C. Smith-Jones

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The troll is one of the most obtrusive and disruptive bad actors on the internet. Unlike other bad actors, the troll interacts on a more personal and intimate level with other internet users. Social media platforms, online communities, comment boards, and chatroom forums provide them with this opportunity. What distinguishes these social provocateurs from other bad actors are their virtual speech acts and online behaviors. These acts aim to incite anger, shame, or frustration in others through the weaponization of words, phrases, and other rhetoric. Online trolls come in all forms and use various speech tactics to insult and demean …


Together Alone: The Effects Of Phubbing In A Romantic Partnership, Stephanie Elease Ligon-Tucker Jul 2023

Together Alone: The Effects Of Phubbing In A Romantic Partnership, Stephanie Elease Ligon-Tucker

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Partner phubbing has been defined as an individual distracted by their phone or someone who would rather be on their phone than interact with the people in front of them. In most romantic partnerships, phubbing is directly connected to relationship satisfaction and can be linked to how frequently phubbing occurs in the union. Several research studies provide qualitative data on how phubbing negatively influences romantic relationships. 97% of the population admit that phubbing has lowered the connection quality with their partner. Phubbing can lead to jealousy, declining mental health, partner surveillance, conflict, separation, reciprocal phubbing, and adaptation. This research aims …


Developing Interpersonal Relationships Between Deaf And Hearing People Using Instagram, Kimberly Ann Erskine Jun 2023

Developing Interpersonal Relationships Between Deaf And Hearing People Using Instagram, Kimberly Ann Erskine

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this ethnographic study was to understand how deaf and hard of hearing individuals use Instagram to interact with and develop interpersonal relationships with hearing individuals. The researcher used her personal experience as a member of the deaf and hard of hearing community to connect with members of the researched population on a personal level. The theories guiding this study were Elihu Katz’s uses and gratifications theory, Joseph B. Walther’s social information processing theory (SIPT), and Sandra Ball-Rokeach and Melvin DeFleur’s media dependency theory. These theories were applied to help the researcher gain a better understanding of the …


Communicating Indirect Feelings: American Stories Of Indirect Experiences, Susan Hess Lawson May 2023

Communicating Indirect Feelings: American Stories Of Indirect Experiences, Susan Hess Lawson

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The words people use to describe indirect human experiences and how narratives play a role are examined within qualitative research. The problem is that some people have difficulty communicating indirect experiences, and few studies have examined the issue. The purpose of this qualitative narrative research study was to examine how people who encountered indirect communication in their lived experiences can communicate the indirect experiences and messages they received. The theory guiding this study is the indirect communication theory as it relates to Communicating Indirect Feelings (CIF). The definition of CIF is how people attempt to communicate indirect feelings for shared …


The Semiotics Of Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Publicly Accessible Information, Laura Elizabeth Zhao May 2023

The Semiotics Of Type 1 Diabetes: A Qualitative Content Analysis Of Publicly Accessible Information, Laura Elizabeth Zhao

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to explore the content and semiotic structure of publicly accessible type 1 diabetes information and assess what content is tailored to the adolescent and young adult population. As an effort to enhance adolescent and young adult self-management practices and outcomes, this research aimed to better understand what information is accessible to the type 1 diabetes community and the ways in which it is categorized. Framed by Greimasian semiotics, ten peer-reviewed sources were selected and coded using frequency and thematic analysis. This comparative process identified five themes including Management, Staying Alive, Type 1 …


Slava Propahandi (Glory To Propaganda): A Content Analysis Of Propaganda In The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine, Melanie Gardner May 2023

Slava Propahandi (Glory To Propaganda): A Content Analysis Of Propaganda In The 2022 Russian Invasion Of Ukraine, Melanie Gardner

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This qualitative study conducted a content analysis to examine the media framing and agenda setting that online news media outlets underpinned to portray President Zelensky and the Ukrainian military as heroes in their battle against the Russian military invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The media framing and agenda-setting of the news media coverage of the Russian invasion, as well as the utilization of multiple social media platforms by the Ukrainian military and President Volodymyr Zelensky, signifies a shift in the utilization of popular media for propaganda purposes. There is research on the broader topic of the successful use of propaganda …


Cultural Health Literacy: A Case Study Of Somali Refugee's Information-Seeking Behavior And Health Communication Praxis, Andrea Mckinnon Apr 2023

Cultural Health Literacy: A Case Study Of Somali Refugee's Information-Seeking Behavior And Health Communication Praxis, Andrea Mckinnon

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This case study examines Somalian refugees who have sought health information from a trusted source and how it affected their health decision. Health literacy, the ability to find, understand, and use health information and make health decisions, is an understood barrier to achieving optimal health. Social determinants affect an individual’s ability to access and appropriately use the information for decision-making. The communication inequality theory states that health disparities occur when communication inequalities transpire across the communication continuum, and inequitable access to learning manifests within specific individuals or groups. Research data was collected using a sociodemographic and SNS use questionnaire and …


Effects Of Emr On Community Health Center Communication, John M. Boyke Apr 2023

Effects Of Emr On Community Health Center Communication, John M. Boyke

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems impact healthcare communication in a significant number of ways. The physical presence of the EMR in the examination room can negatively impacts patient-provider communication. This research examined the impact of EMR on patient-provider communication within the microcosm of the community health center. The data for this research was collected via a quantitative survey using a random sample of 513 (10%) of the 5,101 patients of the Northwest Community Health Center (August 2021 to August 2022). These participants were at least 18 years of age and had seen their medical provider in the previous 12 months. …


Thematic Analysis Of Food Safety Literature: The Fda Food Code And State Legislation, Sabrina Nicole Backlund Apr 2023

Thematic Analysis Of Food Safety Literature: The Fda Food Code And State Legislation, Sabrina Nicole Backlund

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

One of the most important purposes of communication is to warn people of environmental dangers. More specifically, communication can identify risks associated with food safety. The government and food safety experts are to provide information on these dangers. This study aims to determine whether these entities use consistent language to communicate these dangers. The reader will first take a journey through relevant communication concepts and an introduction to food safety. This qualitative applied communication analysis uses MAXQDA software to ascertain similarities in word choice between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food code and state legislative material. This comparison uses …


The Communication Culture Of Flourishing Churches, Ronald Drake Jenkins Apr 2023

The Communication Culture Of Flourishing Churches, Ronald Drake Jenkins

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This study provides qualitative phenomenological observations that analyze and describe communication styles in ten flourishing churches. Practicing Christians contribute significantly to our society and culture. The primary goal of this study was to investigate the communication cultural themes within healthy and flourishing churches. The parameters of this study were limited to ten churches found on the Outreach Magazine Top-100 largest and fastest growing churches in America. Each of these churches was visited one time during a Sunday morning service. During this process, this researcher was a participant observer, examining and flourishing themes in real-time while observing the ten churches. People …


Effective Communication In The Virtual Environment, Michael Binda Mar 2023

Effective Communication In The Virtual Environment, Michael Binda

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Technology has helped change the way we communicate. The onset of COVID-19 has accelerated the use of technology to communicate. The virtual environment has allowed organizations and stakeholders to communicate utilizing technology regardless of proximity, time, and distance to continue moving the organization forward. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand effective communication strategies for organizations to adopt and share in order to gain support and engagement from a growing audience of those attending virtual meetings. Organizations and leaders when communicating with consistency, clear, transparent, and authentic communication were the drivers on what leaders and subordinates feel constitutes …


Gender Roles In Super Bowl Commercials: A Qualitative Longitudinal Content Analysis From 2013-2022, Christa Loree Havenhill Feb 2023

Gender Roles In Super Bowl Commercials: A Qualitative Longitudinal Content Analysis From 2013-2022, Christa Loree Havenhill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

Although numerous studies have examined gender stereotypes in advertising, relatively few have investigated the communication of gender roles in Super Bowl commercials. The Super Bowl attracts the largest televised audience in the United States; thus, it holds the power to shape, influence, and reinforce attitudes and beliefs. Through a sociocultural lens, this qualitative study examines the communication of gender roles in Super Bowl commercials across a 10-year period from 2013 to 2022. Utilizing a longitudinal content analysis design, 279 Super Bowl advertisements from 2013, 2016, 2019, and 2022 were analyzed. The problem addressed is how the depiction of gender roles …