Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Communication Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Masters Theses

Discipline
Institution
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 181 - 210 of 574

Full-Text Articles in Communication

All Lives Matter: Media Agenda, Brittany Minard May 2016

All Lives Matter: Media Agenda, Brittany Minard

Masters Theses

This thesis proposal addresses the role that the media play in influencing public opinion with specific attention paid to CNN and Fox News in the way that they covered the shooting of Mike Brown by officer Darren Wilson in August 2014, in Ferguson, Missouri. The research has been divided into several sections starting with an introduction which includes, a statement of the problem being addressed, the significance and purpose of this study, and a section about myself as the researcher. This is followed by a literature review which consists of explaining the Agenda Setting Theory to examine how the media …


Hit After Hit: Examining The Image Repair Strategies Of Johnny Manziel, Lisa Deruiter May 2016

Hit After Hit: Examining The Image Repair Strategies Of Johnny Manziel, Lisa Deruiter

Masters Theses

Over the past decades, the landscape of sports journalism has changed to where now, athletes are often in the news just as frequently for their positive on-the-field play as they are for their negative off-the-field issues. Following these issues, the athletes must find strategies to employ to fix their damaged reputations. This thesis includes a rhetorical analysis of the image repair strategies employed by Johnny Manziel after each of his countless reputation-damaging incidents. The paper examines each of Manziel’s problems in depth, gives an overview of his biography, and includes a thorough review of literature regarding Benoit’s Image Repair Theory …


The Ebola Crisis: A Communicative Response From Samaritan's Purse, Bailie Porter May 2016

The Ebola Crisis: A Communicative Response From Samaritan's Purse, Bailie Porter

Masters Theses

Crisis does not discriminate. It can strike without warning, at any time or place. Managers, organizations, and leaders alike, must be ready at all times to respond to them, whether they are planned for or not. An efficient and quick response is especially necessary when health crises or natural disasters strike, because human life may be at stake. Crisis communication has become more and more important in a world that is daily filled with catastrophes. This study uses W. Timothy Coomb’s situational crisis communication theory as a lens to view the Ebola crisis. The purpose of the research is to …


Adapting Nonverbal Coding Theory To Mobile Mediated Communication: An Analysis Of Emoji And Other Digital Nonverbals, Carley Durante May 2016

Adapting Nonverbal Coding Theory To Mobile Mediated Communication: An Analysis Of Emoji And Other Digital Nonverbals, Carley Durante

Masters Theses

Nonverbal communication has been an area of communication theory studied for decades. Despite more daily communication occurring over mediated communication, there is a lack of research surrounding digital communication, specifically mobile-mediated communication (MMC). While there has been research conducted regarding computer-mediated communication (CMC), specifically studies examining email communication and instant messaging (IM), the mobile conversation is relatively untouched by current scholarship. This paper will streamline nonverbal coding research to set the groundwork for application and translation of nonverbal coding elements to mobile-mediated communication and the text message conversation. Even more specifically, the elements of kinesics, vocalics, and chronemics will be …


The Analysis Of The Social Media Among The Youth In The Catholic Diocese Of Moshi And The Implications For Youth Faith Sharing, Faustine Tarimo Apr 2016

The Analysis Of The Social Media Among The Youth In The Catholic Diocese Of Moshi And The Implications For Youth Faith Sharing, Faustine Tarimo

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study is to examine evangelization in the Catholic Diocese of Moshi in the advent of social media in the 21st century. It investigates the use of social media among youth to find out what social media young people are using and how they are using it to share their faith. It explores the question of whether the use of social media among youth helps them actively in the use in their faith. A survey of 220 youth was conducted across four Vicariates of the Catholic Diocese of Moshi. The results show themajority of the sampled population …


The Role Of Sexual Self-Disclosure In Partner Relational Satisfaction And Uncertainty, Riley Richards Apr 2016

The Role Of Sexual Self-Disclosure In Partner Relational Satisfaction And Uncertainty, Riley Richards

Masters Theses

Sexual communication and sexual self-disclosure (SSD) are often viewed as taboo and uncomfortable when discussed between sexual partners. Prior research has demonstrated a strong connection between SSD and other relational factors in current dating and married partners. To that end, this study uses an Actor-Partner Independence Model (APIM) with current cross-sex sexual and romantic partners to understand how emergent adults experience SSD and the role it plays in their relational satisfaction and uncertainty. Social Penetration Theory (Altman & Taylor, 1973) undergirds this study as a theoretical foundation in fleshing out the ways emergent adults self-disclose about their sexual lives to …


Y U No Ansr? A Chronemics Analysis Of Electronic Communications, Lauren Vorderkunz Apr 2016

Y U No Ansr? A Chronemics Analysis Of Electronic Communications, Lauren Vorderkunz

Masters Theses

This paper explores current literature related to chronemics in electronic communication to show that emailing, texting, and social media should be studied in order to understand how one’s self-esteem is affected by these forms of communication to bring about a greater awareness. This research describes a sample study of college students’ reactions to response times using a mixed methods approach, specifically an explanatory sequential model. Through an evaluation of Zimbardo’s (1999) time perspective studies, peer reviewed journal articles, and computer-mediated communication chronemic studies, this paper provides an argument that response times in electronic communications indicate priority and hierarchy between communicators …


Culture For Sale: The Appropriation Of Japanese Style Tattoos Through Transculturation, Evan Lohmann Jan 2016

Culture For Sale: The Appropriation Of Japanese Style Tattoos Through Transculturation, Evan Lohmann

Masters Theses

Japanese style tattoos onto the bodies of celebrities in the United States articulate a lack of awareness towards this ancient art form through their appropriation of historically inaccurate images. The prominence of these celebrities in magazines circulated within the United States act as powerful mediums which may lead to the commodification of certain Japanese symbols in capitalistic societies like the United States. I use post-colonialism, Orientalism, transnationalism and hyper identification as the theoretical framework and semiotics as the methodology in order to examine fourteen magazine covers that showcase celebrities in the United States sporting noticeable Japanese style tattoos. The overall …


Relationally Managing Weight Loss, Clinton L. Brown Jan 2016

Relationally Managing Weight Loss, Clinton L. Brown

Masters Theses

Previous research emphasizes the link between social support and weight loss. However, scholarship has failed to explore how family members enact support during an individual's weight loss attempt and how participation in a weight loss program impacts family communication about dietary choices. This project examines how family members enact support for individuals in a weight loss program and how as a result of participating in a weight loss program family members renegotiate relational norms and rules regarding dietary behaviors. Thirteen individuals (n= 13), eleven (11) females and two (2) males enrolled in a medically supervised weight management program journaled about …


The Impact Of Social Media On The Grieving Process, Resa Ware Jan 2016

The Impact Of Social Media On The Grieving Process, Resa Ware

Masters Theses

In 2015 the Pew Research Center reported that 72% of adult Internet users are on Facebook and it continues to be the most used social networking site in the world (Duggan, 2015). Facebook is a source of social expression, connections, and support for others. It is becoming much easier to express feelings such as grief in an online setting. In fact, the online expression of grief has been found to empower individuals who feel that traditional grieving practices are ineffective (Carroll & Landry, 2010). The purpose of the current study was to explore the impact of social media (i.e. Facebook) …


Shame On You: An Analysis Of Guilt-Based Advertising Strategies Directed At Parents, Jamie M. Alexander Jan 2016

Shame On You: An Analysis Of Guilt-Based Advertising Strategies Directed At Parents, Jamie M. Alexander

Masters Theses

This thesis examines print advertisements in Parents, a popular parenting magazine, for a period of two years. This study uses critical discourse analysis to find meaning in these print advertisements. Through this analysis, three prominent themes were found in the two-year data collection period. The first of which is the #1 Recommended, a theme that highlights the cultural importance of using only products that have been recommended by medical professionals or hospitals, thereby emphasizing the social power of such persons or establishments. The second is comfort, care, and the good stuff, a theme that highlights a maternal desire to …


How The Internet Is Used By The Millennial Generation And Its Impact On Family Interaction, Kendra Myers Jan 2016

How The Internet Is Used By The Millennial Generation And Its Impact On Family Interaction, Kendra Myers

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine how Internet technology is used by the Millennial Generation and how it impacts family interaction. A questionnaire developed by the author was posted online and the final sample consisted of 92 participants, 13 men and 79 women. The average age of the participants was 27.97 (SD = 4.46). Findings showed that that the Millennial Generation used the Internet multiple times a day and for many reasons which were sorted into six distinct themes: 1) research/information seeking, 2) work, 3) social media/communication (besides email), 4) academics, 5) email, and 6) personal/entertainment. …


Yik Yak Posts: A Discourse Analysis, Snehal Ravindra Shirke Jan 2016

Yik Yak Posts: A Discourse Analysis, Snehal Ravindra Shirke

Masters Theses

"Anonymity and geolocation create a unique environment for users to communicate with each other. Discourse analysis was conducted to study the posts made on Yik Yak, an anonymous social networking mobile application to understand the communication patterns on an anonymous platform and the posts about taboo topics. The posts were analyzed specifically for patterns on taboo topics and how students interact on the anonymous platform on a particular campus (Missouri S&T campus). Student research assistants coded the collected posts into the pre-defined taboo categories namely sexual activity, non-sexual bodily functions, sexual orientation, mental/emotional health, and "other" taboo topics. I found …


My Friendship Story: Tanzanians’ Tales Of Friendship Analyzed Through Knapp’S Relational Model, Dorcus Nakalembe Jan 2016

My Friendship Story: Tanzanians’ Tales Of Friendship Analyzed Through Knapp’S Relational Model, Dorcus Nakalembe

Masters Theses

From both theoretical and practical considerations, there is a critical need to study friendship development processes within different sociocultural worlds, because today’s world has become a crossroads for a diversity of cultures. To date, research in friendship development mainly addresses cognitive and psychological implications to the process and rarely gives attention to the stages/ processes individuals of different sociocultural backgrounds experience as they build friendship. The present study aimed at comparing friendship development in a non-Westernized group to the stages of relational development suggested by a Western psychological theoretical framework. Tanzanian friendship experiences were analyzed through Knapp’s Relational Model to …


Dairy, Democracy, & Pr: A Political Economic Analysis Of Associated Milk Producers, Inc. 1988-1989, Anna L. Percival Jan 2016

Dairy, Democracy, & Pr: A Political Economic Analysis Of Associated Milk Producers, Inc. 1988-1989, Anna L. Percival

Masters Theses

This paper, using a political economic approach, explores the communication techniques used during a second-wave of consolidation in the dairy industry in the 1980s. After providing a historical context of the dairy industry and its connections with federal policy, this paper follows the story of a large dairy cooperative: Association Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI) and how it influenced public policy and consumption through interconnected dairy organizations like the National Milk Producers Federation and by using a political action committee. This paper provides an example of Carey's (1997) treetops propaganda by way of the powerful political action committee C-TAPE and the …


The Color Of The Year: A Textual Analysis Of Pantone’S Color Communication Techniques Through The Application Of Barthes’ Semiotic, Kyung Lee Dec 2015

The Color Of The Year: A Textual Analysis Of Pantone’S Color Communication Techniques Through The Application Of Barthes’ Semiotic, Kyung Lee

Masters Theses

This research analyzes the content of Pantone’s color of the year in 2000, 2002, 2009, 2014 and 2015 utilizing Barthes’ semiological system from a communication perspective. This study scrutinizes the announcement of Pantone’s color of the year as well as its color story to discover the purpose and the effectiveness of the verbalized nomination. The result reveals the significance of the semantic nature, which directs individuals’ viewpoint and creates a new connotation to alter their preconception. Also, Pantone’s color of 2014, Radiant Orchid, verified that the consolidation of the visual image and verbal content can maximize the influences that the …


The War On Drugs: An Analysis Of The Rhetoric According To Richard Weaver’S Theory Of Ultimate Terms, Cristina Peniche Dec 2015

The War On Drugs: An Analysis Of The Rhetoric According To Richard Weaver’S Theory Of Ultimate Terms, Cristina Peniche

Masters Theses

The language associated with President Nixon’s ‘war on drugs’ has sparked considerable debate in the political struggle against narcotics' abuse and crime, as well as within scholarly research. There is a language associated with the debate and it reflects the primary considerations of policy makers- economics, criminal behavior, and morality. The present study discusses these qualities as well as the rhetorical ideas of Richard Weaver, specifically his theory of ultimate terms. Then, discussions within research show the discontent that scholars bear towards narcotics'-related language. Specifically, there is concern that the rhetoric may stigmatize certain populations and hinder better outcomes. As …


Christian Chicken Vs. Mainstream Media: A Case Study Analysis Of Chick-Fil-A’S Stance On Traditional Marriage Using Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Christiannn Mcnew Dec 2015

Christian Chicken Vs. Mainstream Media: A Case Study Analysis Of Chick-Fil-A’S Stance On Traditional Marriage Using Situational Crisis Communication Theory, Christiannn Mcnew

Masters Theses

A crisis can strike an organization at any moment and it is the responsibility of the organization to be prepared with a plan of action. This thesis will explore crisis management, using Timothy Coombs’ crisis management strategies, of Chick-fil-A and then COO Dan Cathy to see if those two parties implemented crisis strategies in a way that benefited the organization following Cathy’s statements in support of the biblical definition of family. Since many interpreted these comments as anti-gay sentiments from Chick-fil-A itself, crisis struck the organization Cathy represented. This thesis will also look at the idea of social activism in …


Cultural Influence Of Storytelling: An Examination Of The Use Of Narratives In Political Campaigns, Charla Bansley Nov 2015

Cultural Influence Of Storytelling: An Examination Of The Use Of Narratives In Political Campaigns, Charla Bansley

Masters Theses

Television has changed political discourse. The thirty second commercial has replaced typography and rhetoric. After losing the popular vote in 5 of the last 6 presidential elections, the Republican National Committee concluded that the GOP has lost the ability to persuade. Walter Fisher's Narrative Paradigm states that meaningful communication is in the form of storytelling, which enables public discourse to observe not only differences, but commonalities. In a postmodern culture that does not believe in absolute truth, this study asked the following question: Are conservatives still using statistics and facts to communicate conservative principles? The rhetorical research conducted here examined …


A Study Of Motivation And Assimilation: Examining Asian International And American College Students' Employment On Campus, Yasa Guo Jun 2015

A Study Of Motivation And Assimilation: Examining Asian International And American College Students' Employment On Campus, Yasa Guo

Masters Theses

The author researched the topic of this thesis from six different aspects: Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, international students, student employment, motivation, Cultural Intelligence Theory, and cross-cultural adaptation. There are twenty participants that participated in this research. Among them, ten are Asian international students and ten are American students. All students have been a student at a private Christian university and working for at least one semester. The researcher developed twelve questions related to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs for all participants and nine questions related to Cultural Intelligence Theory to only Asian international students. The research methodology of this thesis is …


Entertainment Assembled: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, A Case Study In Transmedia, Drew Menard Jun 2015

Entertainment Assembled: The Marvel Cinematic Universe, A Case Study In Transmedia, Drew Menard

Masters Theses

As technology has made the world smaller, with media consumption increasing exponentially, consumers expect their entertainment worlds to be larger. With one of the most successful film franchises of all time to its name, Marvel Entertainment is not only a leader in the box office, it is an innovator in its use of world building in storytelling. It is no secret that the films that make up the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) are set within the same fictional universe. Furthermore, Marvel has incorporated a serial television series into this grand narrative and incorporated secondary elements, including short films and comic …


Prohibit, Tolerate, Or Prefer: A Content Analysis Of Agenda-Setting And The Lgbt In Msnbc And Fox News, Ashley Elizabeth Wiktorek Jun 2015

Prohibit, Tolerate, Or Prefer: A Content Analysis Of Agenda-Setting And The Lgbt In Msnbc And Fox News, Ashley Elizabeth Wiktorek

Masters Theses

Social movements have one common theme. A common theme of change. The lesbian gay bisexual transgender [LGBT] movement is no different. With change happening all around us, the LGBT movement is slowing trying to gain a voice and make its objectives known to society and in turn demand society accept the movement's specific desire for change. The LGBT movement has an agenda; however, the media also portrays another agenda about information and issues presented on the LGBT movement. In this analysis, the LGBT movement research surrounding agenda-setting theory will be reviewed. The purpose of this study is to analyze numerous …


The Buck Stops In Benghazi: A Practical Application Of The Dramatistic Pentad And Interpersonal Deception Theory, Robert Taylor Kirk Jun 2015

The Buck Stops In Benghazi: A Practical Application Of The Dramatistic Pentad And Interpersonal Deception Theory, Robert Taylor Kirk

Masters Theses

This study sought to determine whether or not the rhetoric of the Obama administration in response to the attacks on the consulate in Benghazi provided motivation for deception in Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This was done by utilizing Burke's dramatistic pentad to frame the events of the attack the responsive rhetoric to lay the foundation for a qualitative analysis that was conducted using criteria distilled from Buller and Burgoon's Interpersonal Deception Theory. This study posed two research questions. The first research question sought to determine through the use of the pentad whether …


A Dramatistic Look At Motive And Egypt’S 2011 Revolution, Blair J. Cook Jun 2015

A Dramatistic Look At Motive And Egypt’S 2011 Revolution, Blair J. Cook

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the primary motivating factors in the protestors whose demonstrations resulted in the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt’s 2011 revolution. The methodology is rooted in Kenneth Burke’s Dramatic Pentad. The elements of the pentad were observed in 29 articles from Daily News Egypt which were published between January 18 and February 18, 2011. Then the most prominent ratios were examined. Finally, the Guilt-Redemption Cycle was observed in the actions of the protesters. This methodology yielded the motivation of the protesters in Egypt’s 2011 revolution. It was discovered that the protesters had determined …


Examining The Effects Of Robot-Enacted Guilt Appeals In A Human-Robot Negotiation, Brett Stoll May 2015

Examining The Effects Of Robot-Enacted Guilt Appeals In A Human-Robot Negotiation, Brett Stoll

Masters Theses

Social robotics is a quickly evolving and expanding field in which significant contributions may be made by the communication discipline. Prior research has demonstrated the successful employment of robots throughout varying contexts such as work team decision-making, education, and healthcare. The purpose of this study is to expand upon existing research and generate an understanding of how robots may be used in competitive communication environments. The study highlights face negotiation theory (FNT) and the computers are social actors (CASA) paradigm to frame predictions and understanding of how humans interact with robots in a negotiation context. The researcher uses a 2 …


Zambians’ Perception Of The Press: The Case Of Online News Media – Zambian Watchdog And Zambia Daily Mail (2014-15), Francis Chishala Apr 2015

Zambians’ Perception Of The Press: The Case Of Online News Media – Zambian Watchdog And Zambia Daily Mail (2014-15), Francis Chishala

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.


Citizens Of The World: An Autoethnography Of Couchsurfing And Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Anderson Santos Feb 2015

Citizens Of The World: An Autoethnography Of Couchsurfing And Uncertainty Reduction Theory, Anderson Santos

Masters Theses

This study examines through an autoethnography the culture of couchsurfing and the process of hospitality networks through computer mediated communication in five European countries during three months of 2012. Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs as a framework the study was divided into five topics and analyzed using Uncertainty reduction theory. The study found that couchsurfers have needs and prioritize these needs as The hierarchy of needs predicts. CouchSurfers also employ uncertainty reduction strategies similar to those used within computer mediated communication when choosing their host. Over 20 hosting experiences have been analyzed in this study. The field data was collected …


"I'M Very Much Myself": The Construction And Communication Of Asmrtist Identities, Victoria S. Weinberg Jan 2015

"I'M Very Much Myself": The Construction And Communication Of Asmrtist Identities, Victoria S. Weinberg

Masters Theses

YouTube is an online space where people can form a self-presentation strategy and construct an identity through a personal channel. The Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) is a physiological response that has been described as "tingles." Individuals on YouTube have created a multitude of ASMR videos to induce these feelings. In these videos, the creators tend to whisper into the microphone, softly touch the camera with their hands or props, or act out a particularly relaxing situation, such as a massage or haircut. This study examines ASMR videos and ASMR content creators as they construct and communicate their identities through …


Branding A Cohesive Identity: The Case Of Northern Illinois Alliance, Ashley Gocken Jan 2015

Branding A Cohesive Identity: The Case Of Northern Illinois Alliance, Ashley Gocken

Masters Theses

This paper reflects upon a communication action plan that was developed for Northern Illinois Alliance. After examination of its current communication, competitor communication, research from Adayana (a research firm), and discussions with NIA's general manager, it was determined that NIA suffers from a lack of cohesive organizational identity and overall branding. Therefore, organizational identity and branding were used as the framework for the communication action plan. The paper outlines data collection, reasoning for the proposed tactics within the communication action plan, and an overall evaluation from NIA's general manager.


Stepping Out From The Crowd: (Re)Branding Jamaica's Tourism Product Through Sports And Culture, Thelca Patrice White Jan 2015

Stepping Out From The Crowd: (Re)Branding Jamaica's Tourism Product Through Sports And Culture, Thelca Patrice White

Masters Theses

Branding and marketing, in a world where much emphasis is placed on commercialism, are inextricably linked, and carry significant weight. Brands, as we have come to know them, are seemingly ubiquitous, and represent an omnipresent way for many businesses to communicate vital information about their products to existing, as well as, prospective customers. However, while many persons consider branding to be directly related to huge corporations, branding has expanded its repertoire to include nations. While many scholars of marketing and branding have placed keen attention on the branding of corporations, very little attention has been placed on the branding of …