Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Interdisciplinary Major In Sports Media And Communication, Joanna Burkhardt

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Determinants Of Multitasking Behavior Among Young Adults During Group Meetings: Attitudes On Norms, Polychronicity And Multicommunicating, Samantha Okegbe

ETD Archive

Research on the influence of multitasking behavior on efficacy of outcomes is mixed. Many researchers consider multitasking to enhance individuals’ productivity when it is managed properly, and others argue that it is detrimental in some cases. This study is about understanding multitasking behavior of young adults during group meetings. Group meetings are an integral part of communication practices in organization. Group meetings are essential for training, planning, and completing a task that requires participation from all members of a group. One of the norms in group meetings is the expectation to focus on task at hand and pay attention to …

Social Aspects Of Food-Sensitive Adults, Jean Elizabeth Duane

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

People living with food-related illnesses find themselves subjugated by commonly held ideologies causing awkwardness in social situations. The current study is a qualitative analysis addressing how people with celiac disease (CD) navigate social situations in light of dominant beliefs that influence behaviors. Initially, I identify macro-level patriarchal, religious, sexist, ableist and etiquette-related commensality ideologies that disadvantage those with CD. Drawing from the communication narrative sense making (CNSM) theory that supports storytelling and memorable messages as a sense-making tool for individuals diagnosed with chronic illness and their family members, this work highlights retrospective stories and memorable messages from 20 randomly selected …

Perspectives Of Caregiver-Survivor Dyads Following Tbi: A Case Series, Shayleen Brennan

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is trauma to the brain triggered by an external force that causes the brain to crash violently against the skull and disrupt normal functioning. Following a TBI, the survivor often faces challenges that compromise independence. These can include challenges in communication, cognition, and overall physical functioning. Resultantly, reliance upon the individual’s loved ones as both advocates and caregivers is essential to functional recovery. This qualitative study investigates the experiences reported between both survivors and their primary caregivers. Using a qualitative approach, exploration of the convergent and divergent perspectives between survivors and caregivers post-TBI were researched. …

Factors And Considerations For Change At James Madison University, Robert P. Zaepfel Jr.

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

The objective of this qualitative case study was to develop a thematic change model and taxonomy of change factors specifically designed for higher education practitioners at James Madison University (JMU). This research will provide resources to guide future institutional change at JMU while focusing on the practical nature of applying resources and techniques to facilitate organizational change. This study will bridge the gap between academic research and practitioner application by creating a cyclical theoretical framework grounding the exploration of complex higher education change dynamics at JMU. Individual interviews focused on recent change events were conducted with participants identified through the …

Communicating Across Age Lines: A Perspective On The State Of The Scholarship Of Intergenerational Communication In Health Sciences Libraries, Jenessa Mcelfresh, Rachel Keiko Stark

Publications

The purpose of this study was to review the existing literature on intergenerational workplace communication to identify trends or research pertaining to medical or health sciences library employees. Although the authors found no published literature that explicitly addresses intergenerational communication in health sciences libraries, it is worthwhile to explore the literature in related fields to identify applicable points of comparison to the experiences of health sciences librarians. This includes intergenerational communication research in management and leadership studies and medical literature, and the exploration of other intergenerational issues in the library literature.

The Effect Of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems On The Vocal Folds, Hilary Gayle Sample

ETD Archive

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) are non-combustible tobacco products that are rapidly gaining in popularity worldwide. ENDS are marketed as safer alternatives to cigarettes; however, very little research is available to support or deny these claims. ENDS aerosol is inhaled over the vocal folds and into the lungs consistent with cigarette smoke. The larynx is among the primary locations affected by smoking; therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the effect, if any, of ENDS on the larynx. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the laryngeal appearance and function of seven ENDS users as compared to four cigarette …

The Cry Of A Revolutionary Spirit: Reactions To The Goals Of Three Movements From Revolutionary Groups Within The United States Of America, Dennessa D. Gooden

ETD Archive

This thesis explored the power of verbal and non-verbal communication through revolutionary movements in the United States of America. The research focused on the overall question of whether people in America still support key U.S. revolutionary movements (as expressed by three U.S. revolutionary groups--the U.S. Founding Fathers, the Black Panther Party, and the Black Lives Matter group). These three revolutionary movements had similar goals and verbal messages, but there were three very different reactions among people in the United States of America. Overall, it was found that people in the Unites States generally do support the goals of these three …

Cognitive Processing And Climate Change: The Impact Of Political Ideology On Processing Climate Change Information, Quinn Massaroni

Master of Arts in Communication

This study addressed information processing for climate change messages from representatives of a political party. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the political ideology of a message source and message sender and its impact on perceived hazard characteristics, negative affective response, and information processing behavior. Hypothesis 1 and Hypothesis 2 posited that when the source and message receiver have the same political ideology, the receiver will experience heightened levels of concern about climate change. Hypothesis 3 and Hypothesis 4 posited that, regardless of the message source, participants are more inclined to heuristically process information. Research …

Trends In American Newspaper Coverage Of Autism, Allison Miller

Master of Arts in Communication

The public's understanding of disabilities is cultivated via several media resources, including news media. Disability scholars often cite negative representations of disabilities in mass media, yet analyses of newspaper journalists' coverage of autism remain scarce. The present study explores the frames, stereotypes, stigmatizing cues, and individuals cited in news coverage of autism through a content analysis of The New York Times and USA Today coverage of autism from 2013-2016. The findings revealed that episodic frames are consistently utilized to discuss autism. References to abnormal social tendencies and coupling autism with adverse circumstances were the most common stereotypes in newspaper coverage. …

Changes In Student Definition Of De-Escalation In Professional Peace Officer Education, Pat Nelson

Criminal Justice Department Publications

Since the release of the 21st century policing report in the United States, the techniques of de-escalation have received a lot of attention and focus in political systems, policy changes, and the media. The challenge in professional peace officer education is that there is a vast range of defining de-escalation and understanding the various techniques involved, many of which are based on popular media. This research surveyed professional peace officer education university students on their definition of de-escalation and the techniques associated with de-escalation before specific communications coursework was completed. The students were then surveyed after the communication coursework was …

Self And Communication In Long-Term Romantic Relationships, Farshad Michael Sadr

Online Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to further our understanding of how individuals in heterosexual romantic relationships resolve conflict and why the identified persuasion attempts are occurring. This study proposes a two-pathway model of how socialization predicts conflict communication strategies through self-construal and relationship goals. It is hypothesized that a) gender socialization and romantic relationship power influence the dominate type of self-construal an individual holds, b) parenting goals are more strongly predicted by relational interdependent self-construal than physical self-construal and that mating goals are more strongly predicted by physical self-construal than relational interdependent self-construal, c) direct conflict communication strategies are …

Policy Knowledge Communication In Nursing, Curtiss John Vavra

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Evidence-based practices in nursing improve patient outcomes, decrease healthcare costs, and can be implemented with policies and procedures. However, there is limited literature describing how nurses acquire policy knowledge, the dissemination of which may require a significant investment of resources by a hospital. The purpose of this study was to learn more about how nurses obtain policy knowledge. Rogers's diffusion of innovations theory guided the examination of communication channels and how they relate to the formation of policy knowledge. The research questions were designed to gather information on the relationship of policy communication channels, demographic factors, and the frequency of …

Exploring How Divorce-Related Communication Affected Relationships Between Same-Sex Parents And Their Offspring, Madonna Siao

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Communication styles used during divorce-related conversations may negatively influence the quality of parent-child relationships. Researchers have not examined how communication styles used in divorce-related communications affect parent-offspring relationships in same-sex parented families. The purpose of this generic qualitative study was to examine offspring perceptions of how divorce-related communication styles affected relationships between the children and their same-sex parents. The research question for this study addressed how the perceived communication styles of same-sex parents in divorce-related conversations influence the parent-offspring relationship. Principles from communication privacy management theory provided the conceptual framework. Two 21-year-old females whose same-sex parents dissolved their relationships participated …

A Study Of Rural Nonprofit Board Communication And Collaboration, Angela-Janine C. Crawford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This case study explored the perceptions, experiences, and significant internal communication and collaboration problem(s) faced by a rural nonprofit board of directors experiencing a growth transition. Specifically, this study addressed (a) how a rural nonprofit's board members perceived their communication and collaboration skills and practices, and (b) the training needed to improve board communication and collaboration policies and practices. Ten rural area study participants shared their experiences and made recommendations for board communication and collaboration training. Exploring the perceptions, understandings, and capacities of the rural nonprofit board members revealed how specific communication and collaboration policies and practices affected their organization's …

Supply Chain Managers' Reverse Logistics Strategies To Control Cost Through Risk Mitigation, Lawrence A. Reeves

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Supply chain managers in the food and beverage industry face significant challenges regarding the use of effective reverse logistics strategies to reduce supply chain disruptions, control risk, and reduce costs. Through the lens of resource dependence theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore reverse logistics strategies used by supply chain managers in the United States to control cost through risk mitigation. Participants in this study included 5 supply chain managers in the food and beverage distribution industry in the state of Georgia who implemented successful reverse logistics strategies to control cost through risk mitigation. Data were …

Disaster Legal Tech: Strategies For Providing Legal Information To Survivors, Jeanne Ortiz-Ortiz, Jessica Penkoff

Touro Law Review

No abstract provided.

Gender Negotiation Among People In Poly/Consensual Non-Monogamous Relationships, Vanessa Rijo - Sánchez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

In the United States, people are encouraged and even coerced by social forces to behave and interact according to rigid social mores that tend to privilege individuals from a specific gender, racial, and class backgrounds. As many theorists have stated, sexual, gender, and racial minorities navigate their lives experiencing oppression at different levels and at the intersections of different systems of inequality. The marginal social location of these identities often results in people re-defining the social meanings through which they construct their social lives. Although much research has been devoted to investigating the different ways in which people resist the …

Gay Men And Satisfaction With Health Care Interactions, Michael Huggins

Theses and Dissertations--Nursing

The purpose of this research was to determine relationships among depression, anxiety, self-rated physical and mental health, self-advocacy, internalized homophobia, and quality of patient-provider communication to satisfaction with health care interactions. These were measured while controlling for select demographic variables: age; ethnicity; urban or rural domicile; relationship status; household income; highest educational attainment; health insurance; disclosure to health care provider as a gay man; reason for last healthcare visit; and, general health self-rating. The specific aims of this study were to: 1) identify general characteristics of gay men in this sample; 2) examine how levels of satisfaction with health care …

Knowledge Sharing And Customer Relations In Mobility, Katie Dyretha Moore

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

After the events of September 11, 2001, inadequacies in how government organizations and agencies shared knowledge and communication with defense mission partners became readily apparent. A reasonable U.S. government information technology expectation is the integrated use of mobile phones across organizations and agencies. Yet, it is difficult to meet this expectation, as the provisioning process for mobile devices can be different for each government organization or agency. The Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology does not set provisioning standards, and organizations and agencies determine policies tailored to their particular needs. Using Schein's theory on organizational culture, the …

Successful Strategies For Retaining Profitability In An Education-Sector It Project, Cassandra Romae Middleton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many information technology (IT) project managers (PMs) and other business leaders lack effective strategies for enhancing communication among their project team members, thereby reducing profitability and organizational cohesion. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore communication strategies that IT PMs used to successfully complete IT mobile device projects. The conceptual framework for this study was McQuail's mass communication, Craig's communication, and Deming's profound knowledge theory. Purposive sampling method was used to identify 6 successful IT PMs and leaders who worked at 2 leading educations settings located in southeastern South Carolina. Data gathered from the semistructured interviews and …

The Green Web: Evaluating Online News Communities And Their Environmentalism, Stian Himberg Roussell

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

In the past news and media were disseminated through channels that were difficult for consumers to communicate with. Now a new form of news dissemination is taking place on the internet where communication between consumers and producers exists. Crowdsourced social media sites, where users elect and vote on articles and comments to represent a topic, are creating new forms of news dissemination, which heavily alters media content, and community discussions. This study was conducted in order to better understand how crowdsourced social media platforms affect users’ perception of environmental topics, issues, and problems. It focuses on the crowdsourced social media …

Sleep, Communicative Ability, And Diet As Predictors Of Aggression In Autism Spectrum Disorder, Rafat Omar

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

Aggression is a common behavioral issue in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Aggression is often treated with evidence-based behavioral treatments, such as applied behavioral analysis and functional communication training. Another form of intervention that has grown in popularity is to alter the child’s diet. The most popular dietary intervention, the autism diet, has been used as a form of behavior management by parents and guardians for children diagnosed with ASD to address aggressive behavior; however, its use has not been strongly supported by research. The authors proposed that a more beneficial way of understanding aggression in ASD is to …

Evaluation Of A Picture Exchange Communication System Program For Children With Autism, Jessica Rachel Mark

PCOM Psychology Dissertations

The current study examined the effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) as a functional communication training (FCT) program implemented by a local community agency specializing in autism diagnosis and treatment in developing communication skills among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Conducted using archival data, this study used a within-subjects repeated measures research design to determine if PECS improved the overall communication skills of enrolled participants at the agency, as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Third Edition (Vineland-3) and the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC). Individual growth on communication goals was measured by comparing goals concerning …

The Deaf & Law Enforcement Listening Though Deaf Eyes: A Grounded Theory Approach, John L. Garner

Theses and Dissertations

This paper examines the perceived and practical schism between deaf society and the police when the deaf attempt to obtain police services. The paper challenges current police culture and operating procedures, which tend to marginalize deaf society and largely ignore the mandates contained in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This qualitative research project is focused upon perceived law enforcement practices and culture through a multi-layered study of police customs, law, policy, and standard operating procedures as experienced, perceived, and reported by deaf individuals.

A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to examine the way law enforcement is perceived by …

The Generation Z Handbook: A Grounded Theory Approach To Motivation In The Workplace, Justin Mahutga

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Organizations must develop human capital to remain competitive in today’s economic landscape (Crook, Todd, Combs, Woehr, & Ketchen, 2011; Noe, 2017). Motivation is one aspect of human capital development that organizational research has difficulty understanding (Kovach, 1980), and given the recent introduction of Generation Z into the workforce (Ferri-Reed, 2016), this thesis seeks to understand the process of organizational motivation for Generation Z from a communication perspective. By applying grounded theory methods to 13 interviews, I illustrate several exploratory relationships within an emergent framework to describe the process of motivation for Generation Z participants. Primarily, subjects demonstrate that through the …

Uncork Your Creativity, Kayla Pretzer

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Architectural Justice Gallery and Cafe is a unique, redefined space in Strongsville that strives to create an artisan living experience by encouraging customers to shop, dine and be inspired. The cafe is a flagship location of Architectural Justice, an interior design shop in Medina. In order to showcase the diverse aspects of this new location and attract more customers to the business, the owners wanted to host another pop-up event in their space. Due to the fact that Architectural Justice Gallery and Cafe is already known for their culinary and crafting classes, the owners requested that ‘Uncork Your Creativity’ be …

Volunteer Tool Kit, Lydia Brooks

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The Williams Syndrome Association is a nonprofit organization that helps raise funds and awareness about Williams syndrome. Williams syndrome is a disorder that is not very well known and has a lot of unique challenges associated with it. Individuals with Williams syndrome have serious health concerns and tend to be extremely friendly, outgoing, and empathetic. The Williams Syndrome Association is dedicated to raising funds to aid research, creating awareness for the disorder, and providing support to families that are affected by the disorder. The association recruits volunteers to put on an annual Walk for Williams Syndrome in their area. These …

Pedagogical Tools In Our Briefcases: Teaching The Business And Professional Communication Course, Suzy Prentiss, Justin Walton

Journal of Communication Pedagogy

As a practical and applied course, Business and Professional Communication is an excellent opportunity to blend theory and practice, prepare students with the knowledge and skills they will need in the “real world,” and continually innovate and experiment to meet the ever-changing communication needs of the workplace. Whether filled with students majoring in communication, business or another discipline, as a General Education or sequenced class, the Business and Professional Communication course is a worthwhile and value-added course that is both challenging and rewarding to teach.

Social Networking Sites And Indian Students: A Study On The Usage Pattern, Dhanyasree V.K., Jaideep Sharma

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Social networking has become an inevitable part of our routine life. Such media open up a wide variety of tools that facilitate communication with fellow beings. This study tried to understand the use of social networking sites by the youth; especially the engineering students. Data was collected through survey method using a structured questionnaire. The results show that students keep profiles on multiple social networking sites, but use only one site actively. Majority of the students use them at least once a day, major purpose of visit being keeping in touch with their existing friends and finding old friends. Chat …