Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gender Performance And Political Identity At The January 6 Capitol Insurrection, Emma Elise Newton

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The January 6 Capitol insurrection was heavily documented with recorded videos and photos, across legacy and social media. Despite engaging in criminal acts, many participants recorded themselves participating in the attack and posted their videos to Parler, a right-wing alternative to Facebook and Twitter that gained traction among the far-right, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and white supremacy groups. These social media videos detail an interesting rhetorical dynamic at play, one that is not so recognizable in legacy media: performances of sex/gender. Analyzing videos uploaded to a conservative social media landscape provides a lens into performances of gender as it intersects with …

Effects Of Perceived Reach On Ratings Of Media Bias, Quality, And Agreement, Matthew Sedlacek

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The hostile media effect refers to individuals’ tendencies to perceive seemingly neutral news coverage as biased against their stance (Vallone et al., 1985). Research has shown this effect in partisan politics, with liberals and conservatives perceiving bias in information presented from the opposing side. The current study examined the effects of liberal or conservative and small or large audience news source manipulations on liberals’ and conservatives’ perceptions of media bias and the relationship between partisan identity and perceptions of bias. Three hundred and sixty participants read a news article presented with either a Fox News, CNN, PatriotNewsDaily, or The Progressive …

Media Framing Of Marriage Practices In Afghanistan, Hakima Afzaly

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Culturally, in Afghanistan, marriage is given much importance and seen as something that completes life. Through this study, I analyze how marriage practices, such as dowry (Mahr), bride price, and the “virginity ritual,” are described in newspapers and magazines of Afghanistan. In particular, I explore how the popular press, such as 8 Sobh and Khama Press in Afghanistan frame their discussion of marriage practices. The findings from this analysis reveal that newspapers and magazines of Afghanistan frame marriage as an economic issue and a major focus of the articles is on the financial pressure on poor families due to the …

U.S. Presidential Election Portrayed By Foreign Media: Costa Rica And Nicaragua Comparative Study, Emily Neumann

Honors Program Theses

The U.S. presidential election not only grabs a lot of media attention from the United States, but it also catches the attention of media from around the world. How does the foreign media portray the U.S. presidential election? This study seeks to answer a piece of this question through an analysis of media sources in Costa Rica and Nicaragua in the hopes of better informing audiences on the potential frames their media be constructing their information through. The analysis considers the tone, along with the articles’ conversations of policy and personality of the candidates. After selecting 10 articles from each …

Pasting Our Past: Cultural Memory, Family Photographs, And Ephemeral Street Art, Isaac Wilson Campbell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis examines ephemerally pasted vernacular photograph murals positioned as artifacts of cultural memory. The creative method portion of the thesis, in partnership with the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Northern Iowa, and funded through a Cedar Falls Community Betterment grant and an Iowa Arts Council project grant, includes the Spring 2021 production of a series of nine pasted murals of vernacular photographs sourced from the Fortepan Iowa archive. The creative component of the thesis project is a public art exhibition preserved through a photographic record of the installation process, the completed murals, and a framework …

Western Media Coverage Of International News: A Content Analysis Of Associated Press Coverage Of Africa, Adukwu Samuel Atadoga

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study examines how the Western media frames its coverage of Africa and this impact on Westerners’ views of Africa. To develop the hypothesis and provide the data needed to answer the research questions, I reviewed the literature on framing, the determinants of international news coverage, as well as international media coverage. Newspapers were my data sources, and using LexisNexis with the key word “Africa,” I searchedthe online news service of the Associated Press(AP). Thissearch yielded 1,000 articles and was reduced by including only those published between January,2015 and January,2016,and then using random sampling. The final number of articles analyzed …

Effects Of Political Ingroup/Outgroup Rejection On Behavior And Physiology, Hannah Rose Lentfer

Honors Program Theses

Previous research shows that both exclusion and intergroup threat can increase prejudice and biological markers such as cortisol. Exclusion from an outgroup should increase prejudice and cortisol more than similar interactions in an ingroup since it incorporates both exclusion and intergroup threat. Change in cortisol and prejudice was examined in fifty participants who were excluded by either a politically-based ingroup or outgroup. Two t-tests were conducted to examine the change in a) cortisol and b) prejudice as a function of experimental ingroup/outgroup conditions. Additional analyses were also conducted to further explore cortisol changes and similarity. Cortisol increased more in participants …

Aut Is Love, Nathan Selove

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This performance project argues for an alternative view of Autistics and romance. This is done from the perspective of a young adult man on the Autism Spectrum who tells the story of himself and his Autistic wife. The author makes the following arguments with the intent to educate neurotypicals about Autism and to empower Autistics: (1) Autistics are capable of romantic relationships and, as such, Autism is not a barrier to love; (2) Autistics are capable of empathy, especially with other Autistics; and (3) the romantic stories of Autistics must be heard

Chapter one introduces the main arguments and the …

The Food Babe Fearmonger: Transcending Spheres Of Argument Through The Dual Use Of Personal And Pseudo-Technical Expertise, Abigail Shew

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis examines the public figure Vani Hari, aka The Food Babe, and her influence on public dialogue about food, nutrition, and diet. Using the theoretical framework of spheres of argument as originally described by G. Thomas Goodnight, this thesis analyzes Food Babe as an expert within the personal, technical, and public spheres. Both verbal and visual arguments will be considered throughout the analysis of Food Babe as both a personal sphere rhetor and pseudo-technical expert. This thesis argues that Food Babe simultaneously uses personal sphere evidence and argumentative strategies to legitimize herself as a pseudo-technical expert within the technical …

Analyzing Rana Plaza Crisis Discourse From A Postcolonial Perspective: Implications For Identity And Crisis Communication Studies, Mir Ashfaquzzaman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

An inherently managerial commitment, functionalist/positivist theoretical orientation, and Western/U.S. bias characterize the dominant stream of crisis communication research and scholarship in the United States. These characteristics render analysis and assessment of crisis and crisis communication especially in nonWestern settings somewhat limited in scope and coverage. This limitation becomes all the more apparent when crisis is conceptualized as a social phenomenon, not merely an organizational one. Such conceptualization decenters the organization as the sole source of power to initiate crisis response and management, foregrounds the discursive terrain related to a crisis whereby multiple sources compete with their respective realities about the …

An Analysis Of How Public Relations Professionals Use Social Media, Abigail Jen Kreun

Honors Program Theses

This thesis will provide a clear and concise guideline on how to grow a business’s social media presence for public relations professionals in the workplace and individuals who run their business’ social media accounts but who are not trained. Also, it will provide a deeper look into social media training areas where businesses might consider investing. This research will build understanding and knowledge about how to use social media effectively in a public relations career, and also show how public relations theories have adapted to this form of communication.

The Secondary Interview : Ethical Concerns Regarding Social Media Scanning In The Commercial Hiring Process, Christopher Pollpeter

Honors Program Theses

As more and more of our daily lives take place online, it is becoming critical for our society to decide how we deal with ethical issues in an online context. The study of ethics has existed for millennia, but only recently have two people on opposite ends of the globe been able to communicate and collaborate on a project in real time. One of the most prominent places this change has affected the daily lives of Americans is in the world of business.

Initiation Of Communication From Users Of Aac And Preceding Communication Partner's Utterances, Lauren Vaughn Welser

Honors Program Theses

This study examined the effect communication partners’ have on the initiations produced by users of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). The data was reviewed from a larger study; it included transcripts and videos of a set of four students from an elementary school classroom in the Midwest. The students had a wide range of abilities. Both the student and teacher utterances were analyzed for: different types of communication functions, environmental factors and conversational factors. It was hypothesized that the communicative function of the previous utterance and the level of aided input used would affect the number of initiations. The findings …

Age Variation In Nonverbal Cue Recognition In Computer-Mediated Communication, Nathaniel Beyerink

Honors Program Theses

When interacting with someone in a face-to-face setting you not only communicate with spoken words, but with other sorts of communicative tools, such as tone of voice or facial expressions. However, now interlocutors are frequently communicating through channels, such as email, that restrict their ability to use such tools. Therefore, one may wonder how one retains the same level of communication. The purpose of the research reported in this paper was to attempt to attain a better understanding of the ways in which people interpret text-based computer-mediated communication (e.g. texting, instant messaging, and email). More specifically, this study looks at …

Losing Robin Williams: An Analysis Of User-Generated Twitter Content Following The Sudden Death Of A Celebrity, Samantha Mallow

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of my thesis is to examine how people use social media, in this case Twitter, to share content that reflects their attitudes toward the loss of a celebrity and the issue of mental illness. To complete my research, I examined how users of Twitter created content expressing their reactions to the sudden passing of comedian and actor Robin Williams on August 11, 2014. Williams’ death raised mental illness issues that he had faced during his life. After analyzing the data I created a short survey with eight tweets that referred to mental illness. The survey was administered to …

Perspectives On Why The Glass Ceiling Still Exists For Women In Advertising And Media And Tools To Help Shatter It, Olivia Hottle Mossman

Honors Program Theses

This ethnographic study provides current insights into the barriers women experience as they seek executive positions in the media and advertising industries—careers largely held by men. Interviews with women who currently or have previously held management roles in media and advertising companies are analyzed and presented. The knowledge gained from these interviews raises awareness of the lack of women’s voices on the media channels that influence a society’s perception of what is socially and culturally acceptable. This research also counteracts an absence of recent research regarding this topic. As the study evolved, it looked more at the relationships between women …

The Transition Of An Oral Communication Course From Traditional Face-To-Face To The Online Format: A Faculty Perspective, Cydney A. Lovell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to examine instructor experiences regarding their transition from the face-to-face teaching format to the online format of a basic oral communication course. Qualitative interviews were conducted with ten instructors who have transitioned their basic oral communication class to online. Participants were recruited using the Basic Communication Course Directors List Serv and NCA’s CRTNET. Interviews were conducted face-to-face and over the phone using a set of twelve semi-structured interview questions. Participants were instructors from both community colleges and universities. This qualitative study explores all aspects of the transition, including levels of instructor training, the importance …

Finding Community: The Importance Of Intergroup Dialogue Within Diversity Workshops, Joslyn Nycole Aldape

Honors Program Theses

The number of students with diverse backgrounds has increased across universities and colleges nationwide. In fact, some institutions have hired Chief Diversity Officers. According to Jeffery L. Wilson, close to 150 institutions were a part of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE) in 2009 (433). As campuses experience an influx of new demographics, there is an increasing need to discuss diversity issues. The rapidity of this movement has created great conflict on college campuses, such as the hate crime incident that occurred at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) in October 2014. Surrounding the application Yik …

On Body Dumps : The Rhetorics Of Corporeal Narcoterrorism, Evan Mitchell Schares

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Though the exact number is unknown, estimates indicate the trade and movement of narcotics have resulted in over 60,000 murders of Mexican citizens. As a result of the rising narcoviolence, Felipe Calderón, early in his presidential administration, made the “War on Drugs” a top priority. Despite this effort to curb the violence, in 2010 alone, more than 15,200 lifeless bodies have been left across Mexico, most likely by drug cartels. A nascent phrase, body dumps, has risen in journalistic reports describing this conscious relocation of the ruined corpse to highly visible traffic areas. This thesis explores the rhetorical constructions of …

Bridging The Social Media Value Gap Between Fans And Artists, Andrew Teeter

Honors Program Theses

Social media is commonly considered a powerful tool for engaging customers and audiences, but that is only true if social media is done in a proper context. If social media is not executed in that context it may deliver sub-par value to fans, leading to lower financial returns. The purpose of this research is to find that context and determine how musical artists can best bridge the gap between themselves and their fans in the social media heavy 21st century. The goal is to find what expectations fans have for the artists they follow on social media and how the …

Human Trafficking And The Media: Comparing Newspapers' Portrayal Of Victims And Offenders, Brittany Leigh Virkus

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

his study examined the portrayal of victims and offenders of human trafficking in three major newspapers from 2005- 2012. Additionally, this study examined if the age, gender, and legal status effected the portrayal of victims and offenders in the newspapers. Also included is an examination of groups of claims-makers and whether different groups portrayed victims and offenders same or differently. Utilizing a quantitative and qualitative content analysis to analyze the newspapers’ framing of victims and offenders, this research compared the portrayal of its groups. The findings indicated that claims-makers socially construct victims and offenders in ways that may not reflect …

Graphic Communications Industry Trends And Their Impact On The Required Competencies Of Personnel, Sara B. Smith

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The graphic communications industry is far-reaching and touches most people‘s lives on a day-to-day basis. The products affected are as diverse as computers and medical supplies, business cards and billboards, packaging and photos, and a car’s dashboard to the image on a t-shirt. As the current employees are retiring in record numbers, and the technology and business processes in the field are changing at a rapid rate, the need for well-prepared employees is greater than ever. In order to best prepare current students for positions in the field, educators need specific information to guide their curriculum development. This has been …

The Shadow Wars: An Analysis Of Associated Press Coverage Of Drone Strikes In Pakistan And Yemen, Anthony Roth

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to look for the dominant frames found in AP coverage of CIA drone strikes in Pakistan and Yemen, compare this data to public opinion of drone strikes, and to look at how often the AP was covering CIA drone strikes in relation to the total number of strikes taking place. To begin the CIA drone program, framing, determinants of international news coverage, the press and classified information leaks, and press theories will be reviewed. To accomplish the purpose of this study a content analysis was conducted on data obtained from a LexisNexis search. The …

Instructors' Perceptions Of Their Own Effectiveness, Abdullah S. Al-Asmari

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of college instructors regarding the role of credibility and nonverbal immediacy in teacher’s effective behavior in the classroom. It seeks to understand instructors’ perceptions of the importance of nonverbal immediacy and its impact on their credibility. A qualitative method was used to examine the perceptions of instructors. A sample table and two graphs provide numeric indicators to illustrate the study’s results. Participants were selected based on a convenience sampling of twelve instructors from a communication department at a mid-sized Midwestern university. Although the sample is one of convenience, efforts were …

Going Offline: Personality And Its Effects On The Transition Of Online Relationships To The Offline World, Morgan Johnson

Honors Program Theses

Because the internet is a relatively new technology, few studies have researched the correlations between online behavior and personality. As such, this study set out to determine if online friendships and personality are related. In this study differences in personality were examined between individuals who have met their online friends face-to-face and those who have not. A survey was distributed online using the Five Factor Model to measure personality. Participants in this study were recruited from an online community called Nerdfighteria. The results found that the facets of the Five Factor Model of personality were largely found not to be …

Christians, Lesbians, Gays, And Bisexuals: Examining The Roles Of Uncertainty And Religiosity In Christian Attitudes Toward Lgb Individuals, Megan Deanne Wharff Kavanaugh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This thesis examines heterosexual Christian attitudes toward LGB individuals, specifically to determine if there is a relationship between intergroup contact, uncertainty reduction, and supportive attitudes toward LGB individuals among Christian individuals. Participants completed an online survey, which assessed religious beliefs, levels of uncertainty about interactions with LGB individuals, levels of contact with LGB individuals, and attitudes toward LGB individuals. The goal of the research was to identify the current attitudes of heterosexual Christians and the factors that may influence those attitudes. Findings indicate that participants were unsure, but leaned toward valuing the contributions of LGB individuals in society and believing …

Behind The Mask: An Analysis Of Women's Perceptions And Rationale Toward The Purchase And Use Of Anti-Aging Products, Clair Maureen Williams

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

An exploratory study was done to unveil a more contemporary and intimate look at women and aging in U.S. society. This qualitative research explored what women do, if anything, to confront pressures associated with aging. Purposeful sampling was used to homogenize the participant sample for increased richness of data. Criterion was as follows: women, 50’s age range, married with children, Caucasian, from the Midwest, and who currently use one or more anti‐aging products. In total, 17 women of similar status and background participated in this research. Data collection consisted of in‐depth audio taped interviews followed by immediate transcription. The analysis …

Recalcitrant Arguments, Kiranjeet Kaur Dhillon

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

On January 26, 2011, Reuters photojournalist Amr Abdallah Dalsh took an image of a unknown veiled woman gesturing at Dalsh and his camera. Using TinEye, a reverse image search engine, I found that 86 circulations and 22 recirculations of the photo were primarily in the United States. US graphic artist Nick Bygon created one of the recirculations, which primarily appeared on US blogs. The photo achieved this level of circulation in the US because it is consistent with, and therefore legible within the symbolic language, of the liberal democratic order. Similar to “Migrant Mother” and “Tank Man”, the photo is …

Strategic Communication In Women's Rights Organizations: Tools, Challenges And Best Practices, Anastasia Kalinina

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Despite rapid globalization and tremendous expansion of the number of women's rights organizations, international attention to the issues of women and girls remains rather low. While some women's rights networks and organizations leap to prominence, others do not receive recognition and public support. I wanted to know why. I interviewed 13 directors and communication managers of women's rights non-governmental organizations to see how they manage communication. I used a convenience sample that included a wide range of geographical locations and sizes of NGOs. The interviews were held via Skype. I conducted a theme analysis of transcribed interviews. The participants indicated …

Raising Good Soviets: Media Depictions Of Soviet Life And Upbringing Under Khrushchev, Chelsea Miller

Honors Program Theses

Policies on education and upbringing affected almost every individual in the Soviet Union, from the youngest child to the oldest pensioner. These policies reflected the current ideological path of the party and the need to train the children to accomplish the country’s goals. On a more personal level, these policies helped the children evolve into successful adults able to easily enter the workforce. When the public saw that these policies were not being enforced or implemented, they expressed their dissatisfaction. These individuals were able to safely voice their criticisms by pointing out the educational system’s failures within the ideological framework …