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Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

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Articles 1 - 7 of 7

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Examining The Social Properties Of Oklahoma Agricultural Facebook Pages: A Quantitative Content Analysis, Audrey E. H. King, Quisto Settle Dec 2020

Examining The Social Properties Of Oklahoma Agricultural Facebook Pages: A Quantitative Content Analysis, Audrey E. H. King, Quisto Settle

Journal of Applied Communications

Social media is used by millions of people in the United States, and producers are often encouraged to maintain a social media presence to promote their businesses and agriculture in general. Farmers have deeply entrenched identities. Social identity theory states people self-sort into certain groups. Social comparison and positive distinction are two principles of social identity theory. There is a need to research how agricultural operations are portraying those identities, including how they portray the identities of dissimilar agricultural operations online. This study compared Oklahoma mainstream and alternative producers in a quantitative content analysis of their Facebook pages. The following …


Using Audience Segmentation To Determine Millennial Perceptions Toward Gm Foods, Katherine Burke Ph.D., Courtney D. Boman Ph.D., Jeremy D'Angelo, Jason D. Ellis Ph.D. Dec 2020

Using Audience Segmentation To Determine Millennial Perceptions Toward Gm Foods, Katherine Burke Ph.D., Courtney D. Boman Ph.D., Jeremy D'Angelo, Jason D. Ellis Ph.D.

Journal of Applied Communications

Millennial consumers are an essential population segment who are currently the third highest spenders in grocery aisles. Millennials are often lumped into one homogenous group; however, they are instead a diverse group comprised of unique characteristics. As producers are increasingly adopting genetically modified (GM) crops, it is essential to understand how consumers perceive the technology. Using the Situational Theory of Publics, an online survey was used to capture character traits of millennials and their perceptions toward GM foods. Using non-probability quota sampling (N=386), millennials were asked to answer demographic questions as well as questions related to their level …


Looking For Information: An Exploratory Analysis To Explain Public Information-Seeking Behaviors About Mosquito Control, Shelli D. Rampold, Melissa Cater, Ricky W. Telg Sep 2020

Looking For Information: An Exploratory Analysis To Explain Public Information-Seeking Behaviors About Mosquito Control, Shelli D. Rampold, Melissa Cater, Ricky W. Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

Mosquitoes pose substantial risks in communities worldwide, and the extent and type of such risk may vary across communities and regions. The integrated mosquito management approach integrates multidisciplinary methods into practical strategies tailored to local communities. Reduction of mosquito larval sources via community engagement in at-home mosquito control behaviors is a key component of this approach. Best methods of communicating information to the public to foster knowledge and motivation to engage in local mosquito control efforts. The purpose of this descriptional, correlational study was to describe the Florida public’s mosquito control information search behaviors, as well as examine factors that …


Impacting Agriculture And Natural Resource Policy: County Commissioners’ Decision-Making Behaviors And Communication Preferences, Kati Lawson, Kevin Kent, Shelli Rampold, Ricky W. Telg, Ashley Mcleod-Morin Feb 2020

Impacting Agriculture And Natural Resource Policy: County Commissioners’ Decision-Making Behaviors And Communication Preferences, Kati Lawson, Kevin Kent, Shelli Rampold, Ricky W. Telg, Ashley Mcleod-Morin

Journal of Applied Communications

Elected officials at the local, state, and national levels play key roles in shaping the agriculture and natural resources (ANR) sectors through the development and implementation of ANR policies and regulations. As such, it has become necessary for members of the ANR community to understand the policy formation process and how to communicate effectively with elected officials about ANR policies and issues. However, little research has been conducted at the local level to examine how local elected officials (LEOs) interact with information specific to ANR policies to make decisions. This study was designed to assess the communication and information-seeking preferences …


“You Call That Meat?” Investigating Social Media Conversations And Influencers Surrounding Cultured Meat, Annie R. Specht, Joy N. Rumble, Emily B. Buck Feb 2020

“You Call That Meat?” Investigating Social Media Conversations And Influencers Surrounding Cultured Meat, Annie R. Specht, Joy N. Rumble, Emily B. Buck

Journal of Applied Communications

Cultured meat has yet to reach store shelves but is nonetheless a growing issue for consumers, producers, and government regulators, many of whom have taken to social media to discuss it. Using a conceptual framework of social cognitive theory and issues management, this qualitative content analysis investigated social-media discourse surrounding the topic of cultured meat in the United States by describing the content of the discussion in late 2018 and identifying individual influencers and communities of influencers engaged in the discussion. Data were collected from Twitter using listening platform Sysomos MAP. The thematic analysis revealed eight themes: legality and marketing …


Misleading Or Informing? Examining The Effects Of Labeling Design On Consumers’ Perception Of Gluten-Free Products And Wheat Safety, Kimberly Cantrell, Nan Li, Courtney Meyers, Cindy Akers Feb 2020

Misleading Or Informing? Examining The Effects Of Labeling Design On Consumers’ Perception Of Gluten-Free Products And Wheat Safety, Kimberly Cantrell, Nan Li, Courtney Meyers, Cindy Akers

Journal of Applied Communications

As food products marketed as “gluten-free” become increasingly popular, many consumers start to exclude sources of gluten (e.g., wheat, barley, and rye) from their diets for both medical and non-medical purposes. The grain industry is facing a growing challenge to (re)boost consumers’ confidence in the healthiness and safety of its commodities. Using 561 participants recruited from the Amazon Mechanical Turk workers’ panel, this study implemented a 2 (pretzels vs. potato chips) * 2 (positive- vs. negative- frame) * 2 (wheat image vs. no wheat image) experiment to examine the effects of gluten-free labels on consumers’ perceived healthiness and safety of …


Consumers’ Evaluation Of Animal Welfare Labels On Poultry Products, Rexanna Powers, Nan Li, Courtney Gibson, Erica Irlbeck Feb 2020

Consumers’ Evaluation Of Animal Welfare Labels On Poultry Products, Rexanna Powers, Nan Li, Courtney Gibson, Erica Irlbeck

Journal of Applied Communications

As the public has expressed increasing concerns regarding the humane raising and handling of farm animals, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and industry organizations have developed a series of standards enforcing animal welfare in the poultry industry. Labels and value-added claims were created and defined to differentiate products and to inform consumers’ purchasing decisions. This study identified five labels related to animal welfare that are frequently found on food packages in the U.S. grocery stores, including both the mandatory labels and third-party, voluntary labels. Using a controlled online experiment (N=249), we examined the labels’ effects on consumers’ perception …