Communication Commons^™

"We Say No More:" The Role Of Bodily Trauma And Hybrid Spaces In The March For Our Lives Movement, Haeley Van Der Werf

Theses and Dissertations

The youth-led March For Our Lives is founded on the idea of young people forced into advocacy by unthinkable tragedy. The movement exists in a digital age where the lines between the physical and digital have become increasingly blurred. By using the work of scholars such as Manuel Castells and Henry Jenkins as a foundation to analyze this movement, we can gain a deeper understanding of why MFOL has succeeded and failed in the ways that it has. These noted digital activism academics will be used to explore how collective anger is expressed and created through the use of personal …

Online Information-Seeking And Cancer Screening Intention: An Analysis Of The Health Information National Trends Survey 2022, Rachel Aileen Ford

Theses and Dissertations

Online information-seeking has become common in modern life, including when patients search for health information to make informed healthcare decisions. Previous research into the effect of online information-seeking on health maintenance behaviors has been mixed. This study sought to expand the current literature concerning the online information-seeking habits of cancer patients and integrate the concept of competence to analyze the effect on cancer screening adherence. The study analyzed HINTS 6 data to examine the relationship between online information-seeking and cancer screening intention as well as the relationship between social media habits and cancer beliefs. Results showed support for competence resulting …

Contextualizing Search: An Analysis Of The Impacts Of Construal Level Theory, Mood, And Product Type On Search Engine Activity, Jackson Everitt Carter

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation explores the world of search from the human perspective. While search engine research, both corporate and academic, has seen a growth in relevance in recent years, the relative novelty of the area in the advertising world means that many important questions remain unanswered. This work aims to expand the current state of search engine research by examining the combined impact of mood, construal level theory applications, and product type on search behavior. Additionally, this research seeks to examine psychophysiological responses from these interreacting frameworks using webcam eye-tracking technology, which was developed recently and has not been previously used …

Framing Police Brutality: An Analysis Of Newspaper Coverage Of Walter Scott’S Murder, Shamira S. Mccray

Theses and Dissertations

This research analyzes news articles about the killing of Walter Scott in 2015 to determine how frames changed over time and across platforms. Previous studies have found that news coverage of police violence against Black men has not always been fair. Instead, the narrative of official sources, like law enforcement, prove dominant. These same research articles typically focus on the way national news outlets frame incidents like Scott’s.

But this thesis takes a deeper look at how state newspapers framed Scott’s murder. I analyzed the frames and sources found in nearly 200 articles published by The Post and Courier and …

Words Evaporate, The Images Remain: Testing Visual Warnings In The Context Of Intentions To Vape Among U.S. Adults As An Expansion Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior (Tpb), Carl Arland Ciccarelli

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation applied the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model variables of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, along with the variable of fear to explain individuals’ behavioral intentions to vape. Previous studies have explored the social appeal, intrigue, and potential consequences of vaping among adolescent and college student populations. However, these past studies have largely relied upon focus groups and self-reported data conducted among samples of teen, adolescent, and college student populations. Thus, the aims and designs of these previous vaping studies may have been lacking in construct validity and a theoretical approach from which to explain behavioral …

Exploring The Agenda-Setting Dynamics Between Traditional Newspapers And Twitter During Mass Shooting Event, Yujin Heo

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation is to explore the intermedia agenda-setting interplay between traditional news media and Twitter in the wake of mass shooting incidents. Applying Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling to data sourced from Twitter, national, and local news, the study investigated the distinct coverage patterns and the extent of their reciprocal influence over time. The findings of this study demonstrated that, in the immediate aftermath of a shooting incident, national news outlets exerted a significant agenda-setting influence on both local media and Twitter discourse. However, as time unfolds, a mutually influential dynamic emerged across all media platforms. …

Extreme Persuasion: Analyzing Meaning Creation And Persuasive Strategies Within Extreme Discourse On Alternative Social Media, Naomi Kathryn Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

Despite a long history of counterterrorism strategy, the U.S. has seen a drastic increase in domestic attacks over the past decade. Previous studies have found that, due to increasing content-related restrictions, many individuals who participate in extremist-related discourse have migrated away from mainstream social media and toward alternative social media platforms. This study consists of a comprehensive content analysis based on Multimedia Critical Discourse Analysis theories to study how meaning is created via the combination of text, image, and symbols, as well as how various persuasive narratives and rhetorical appeals are used within extreme discourse on social media. This research …

Green Lighting The Altruistic Influencer, Savanna Rebecca Bagley

Theses and Dissertations

This paper comprehensively examines a new type of social media influencer characterized by altruistic tendencies. Utilizing the popular YouTube channel Vlogbrothers as the case study text for a constant comparative analysis, this research explores how the strategies altruistic influencers use to mobilize their community for good, the characteristics of the altruistic influencers, and how altruistic influencers create community. Through an in-depth analysis of 30 Vlogbrothers videos, the themes of education, community, and shared humanity emerged. Education, shared values, and calls to action are discussed as essential for mobilizing communities in charitable endeavors. Authenticity, quality, accessibility, and solutions-focused action were found …

Architectural And Heritage Experience Through Playful Learning (An Interdisciplinary And Exploratory Action Research Focused On The Egyptian Context), Atheer Ahmed Salama

Theses and Dissertations

“The lack of awareness of the value of heritage and the lack of opportunities to engage in preserving and safeguarding heritage in the public sphere not only puts the heritage in risk of being irremediably lost. It also impoverishes the younger generation’s sense of identity and belonging within its respective socio-cultural continuum, and thus limits its ability to engage and contribute meaningfully to society at large” (UNESCO, 2021). With conducting this research, the researcher believes that heritage-themed analog games may carve the younger generation’s memory of heritage, allowing them to boost their sense of identity and belonging; thus, widening their …

The Role Of Online Discursive Action In Subjects' Emancipatory Repositioning In Egypt: Assault Police Case Study, Christine Saad Guirguis Ma

Theses and Dissertations

The current study's central question is how social change is discursively constructed. I studied an online feminist social movement that sparked in Egypt on Instagram in July 2020 and labeled "Assault Police." Within the critical social theory and feminism framework, I reviewed the literature on (critical) discourse, social change, and social movements. I tried to unravel the complexity around emancipation as a vital concept in the current study. I located and discussed areas of tension and identified a conceptualization that loosens the theoretical entanglement around it. The research problem sought to specify how the online discursive action facilitated desired …

Netflix’S Role In Reshaping The Global Audience’S Perception Of Arabs And Muslims, Menatalla Abbas

Theses and Dissertations

This research study investigates Netflix’s role in reshaping the global audience’s perceptions of Arabs and Muslims. The aim of this study is to understand how Netflix has positioned itself as a powerhouse in the streaming-service industry, and whether or not it has been able to use that power to promote authenticity, diversity, and inclusion. This study employed the triangulation method in order to develop a cohesive understanding of how, and to what extent, Netflix has reshaped the global audience’s perceptions of Arabs and Muslims. A content analysis of four Netflix Original Arabic productions were chosen, consisting of two series: Finding …

Historical Trauma: Literary And Testimonial Responses To Hiroshima, Mariam Ghonim

Theses and Dissertations

The concept of trauma is controversial in literature. While one may be able to come up with ways to describe trauma in fiction, representing historical trauma is a hard task for writers. Some argue that trauma can not be described through those who did not experience it, while others claim that, provided some elements are added, one can represent trauma to the reader. This thesis focuses on twentieth-century historical traumas related to a nuclear catastrophe and explores the different literary and testimonial responses to the catastrophic man-made event of Hiroshima (1945). In this thesis, Kathleen Burkinshaw’s historical fiction The Last …

The Pioneering Efforts Of Ellen Larsen: The First Female Sports Information Director At Brigham Young University, Kiana Schlenker

Theses and Dissertations

Title IX began the change of integrating women's sports into universities, but it was up to each university's athletic administration, external media sources, and public relations practitioners to determine how female athletes and sports were supported and publicized. In 1976, Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah hired Ellen Larsen as its first female sports information director responsible for women's sports. Through her 19 years as a sports information director at BYU, Larsen was an advocate for her athletes and helped pave the way for future female athletic administration roles. While there is plenty of literature on male sports information directors, …

Behavioral And Physiologic Relationships Between Sensory Processing, Attention, And Prediction In Autistic Children: An Eye Tracking Study, Courtney Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence has risen to one out of every 36 children born in the United States being diagnosed. Many individuals diagnosed experience sensory processing difficulties that make life challenging for them and their caregivers. However, there is no clear consensus on why sensory processing issues occur. Previous research has linked attention function to atypical sensory processing. Our study aimed to understand potential underlying mechanisms and correlates of this relationship. We theorized that prediction is a key contributing factor to how attention and sensory processing interact. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between sensory …

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Motivational Speeches In Sports Films, Brenna Seeman

Theses and Dissertations

This paper applies Aristotle's historic modes of persuasion, namely ethos, logos, and pathos, to the motivational speeches found in 20 popular sports films. Through this analysis, major themes concerning how coaches utilized persuasive tactics were found and used to compile a list of important characteristics of motivational speeches. This initial analysis found pathos to be the most effective form of persuasion among motivational speeches in sports films. Because of this finding, a deeper analysis took place with five of the speeches, focusing specifically on how the visual, sound and other thematic elements contributed to the overall pathos of those rhetorical …

The Effects And Reversibility Of Combination Inhaled Corticosteroids On Phonation Threshold Pressure (Ptp) And Phonation Threshold Flow (Ptf) In Ex Vivo Rabbit Larynges, Melanie Elizabeth Blauer

Theses and Dissertations

Although combination inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) are known to cause voice disorders in otherwise vocally healthy individuals, it is unknown whether those adverse effects can be reversed by the cessation of treatment. Quantitative aerodynamic measures such as phonation threshold pressure (PTP) and phonation threshold flow (PTF) can be used to identify the development of, and recovery from, vocal pathologies. We examined the effects and reversibility of ICs on laryngeal aerodynamics. This study was a mid-project investigation as part of a larger ongoing project. The 18 larynges were from rabbits that received ICs, a control condition, or no treatment. Experimental group rabbits …

Emotion, Sensory Processing, And Prosody In Neurotypical And Autistic Young Adults, Annika Henderson

Theses and Dissertations

There is a paucity of research regarding autistic adults, yet as autistic individuals grow to adulthood, they are often met with several barriers because of their differences from the neurotypical (NT) population. Given the demands of adult social interaction, some of the social difficulties experienced by autistic adults are likely related to emotion processing and prosody function. With sensory processing differences added as a diagnostic criterion for autism within the last decade, an investigation into its relationship with emotional processing, another marked difficulty for this population, is warranted. There are logical connections between sensory processing, emotion, and prosody, such that …

Exploring Posttraumatic Growth In Aphasia: A Qualitative Investigation, Camille Williams

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored posttraumatic growth (PTG) in people with aphasia and is the qualitative arm of a larger mixed-methods study. After an initial experimental session, 23 people with aphasia (PWA; 12 females and 11 males) completed a 60-minute semi-structured interview during which participants expanded on previously-given questionnaire responses and then answered five additional open-ended questions about communication in their daily life. Interviews were transcribed orthographically and coded using reflexive codebook analysis. A stakeholder with aphasia was consulted to gain insight from an insider's perspective about whether codes and themes captured the experiences of aphasia. Reflexive codebook analysis revealed two themes. …

The Reversibility Of Effects Of Combination Inhaled Corticosteroids On Sustained Phonation Pressure And Flow In Ex Vivo Rabbit Larynges, Elisabeth Barlow

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the reversibility of the adverse effects of combination inhaled corticosteroids (ICs) on vocal fold health as part of a five-year study. This pilot study tested the hypothesis that the adverse effects of ICs may be induced and then reversed, using a benchtop model and rabbit larynges measuring sustained subglottic pressure and airflow. Eighteen rabbits were assigned randomly to 5 subgroups, including baseline, induction experimental, induction control, reversibility experimental, and reversibility control. Baseline rabbits did not receive any treatment. Both experimental groups, induction and reversibility, were administered Advair until visual-perceptual ratings were noted. …

Microaggressions That Students From Underrepresented Groups Experience In Communication Sciences And Disorders, Samantha Berryhill

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored microaggressions that underrepresented students in Communication Sciences and Disorders experience. Phase I included a survey that was sent out to 276 undergraduate and graduate students at one university with 14 questions. Students were asked to identify with demographic variables, rate their sense of belonging, and discuss microaggressions they had experienced. Phase II comprised of individual interviews with six participants that further explored their experience as an underrepresented student in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Interviews were transcribed and coded using a content analysis. Across the two phases, quantitative, mixed-method, and content analyses were completed. Interviews were transcribed and …

Validating A Predictive Early Kindergarten Dynamic Assessment Of Word Level Reading And Language, Taylor Jordan Cena

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the preliminary psychometrics to revisions to the decoding subtest of the Predictive Early Assessment of Reading and Language (PEARL) dynamic assessment and to further examine the predictive validity of the language subtest of the PEARL. Specific aims were to (a) determine if kindergarten students made gains on the PEARL decoding subtest from pretest to a delayed standard posttest and to a delayed novel posttest, indicating that floor effects were mitigated, (b) to examine if there was variance in the delayed standard posttest and novel posttest scores, (c) to determine if there was …

Examining The Validity Of The Cubed Narrative Language Measures Listening And Reading Subtests, Trevor David Read

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the concurrent and predictive validity of the CUBED Narrative Language Measures Listening and Reading subtests to evaluate their psychometric properties as defined by Deno (2003). Method: Evidence of concurrent validity for the NLM Listening and Reading subtests was examined using data from 1,146 preschool through third grade students. The NLM subtests were compared to similar subtests from other assessments administered at approximately the same time. Evidence of predictive validity was examined using data from these same NLM subtests from 1,512 kindergarten through third grade students, including 71 third grade students for …

Investigating Speech Perception In Children With Speech Delay, Dyslexia, And Speech Delay And Dyslexia, Lauren Marie Spencer

Theses and Dissertations

Perceptual deficits related to phonology in children with speech delay (SD) and children with dyslexia have been identified in separate lines of research. However, there has only been a small number of studies that have investigated the perceptual deficits of children with SD and/or dyslexia in the same study to better understand the overlap of their speech perception abilities. Children with SD have previously shown deficits perceiving speech stimuli that is acoustically sparse, particularly when stimuli contain speech sounds they do not produce correctly. Yet in contrast to children with dyslexia, children with SD are better able to recover linguistic …

Black Autistic Men And Law Enforcement Interaction: Building Understanding Through Communication Training, Veronica Tess Myers

Theses and Dissertations

The primary focus of my project was to develop an autism-specific training to provide the LRPD Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) an understanding about autism and its associated behaviors including sensory processing disorder and temper tantrums versus meltdowns. This was done by way of a two-part exploratory pilot study. This first part is a needs-assessment to discover the experiences Black autistic men have had encountering law enforcement. The second part, my Autism 101 training plan which is based on the needs assessment determined by survey participants (caregivers of black autistic men) and interviews (more specifically community partner interview with Mallory Visser, …

Extracting Narrative Using Gpt-3 From Youtube Videos And Its Visualization, Mayor Inna Gurung

Theses and Dissertations

YouTube, the leading video-sharing social media platform, is home to a vast number of videos, with over one billion hours of content consumed daily. However, with 500 hours of fresh content added to the platform every day, ensuring the quality of the content has become a daunting task, making it challenging to prevent the spread of low-quality information. The manual review of malicious content by moderators is time-consuming and highlights the need for faster analysis and processing tools. This paper proposes a novel approach that utilizes Generative Pre-Trained Transfer-3 (GPT-3), with 175 billion parameters, to extract narratives from YouTube videos. …

Analyzing Blogs About Uyghur Discourse Using Topic Induced Hyperlink Network, Ifeanyichukwu Joshua Umoga

Theses and Dissertations

The Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group that descends from the general region of Central and East Asia. In recent years, the Chinese government has been accused of violating the human rights of Uyghur Muslims by imprisoning them in camps and subjecting them to forced labor, forced abortion, and other harmful treatments. Aside from western news outlets, lot of information is available on blogs regarding the Uyghur issue. The information found in these blogs provide an alternative lens to analyze the Uyghur discourse from non-traditional media outlets. However, it is difficult to show the connection between blogs and how information …

Marxist Analysis Of Social And Economic Narratives In Childrens' Cartoons, Shane Mcgregor

Theses and Dissertations

Using a Marxist framework with a grounding in critical literacy, this study employs a content analysis methodology to analyze 25 episodes of five of the most popular children’s television cartoons in order to understand how these cartoons portray economic and social systems, as well as how the messages these cartoons express would tend to support these systems. In so doing, this research hopes to provide a conceptual framework that educators and parents can use as a guide for demonstration of a critical approach to understanding the curriculum of children’s media inside or outside of the classroom. Educators can modify this …

Multicultural Analysis Of Topic And Emotion Drift On Youtube’S Recommendation System, Ugochukwu Olaitan Peter Onyepunuka

Theses and Dissertations

YouTube serves as a primary information source for many users, with its recommendation algorithm playing a vital role in video discovery and viewership on the platform. It determines what users are exposed to and is responsible for a significant portion (70%) of the content users engage with on the platform. It is therefore crucial to scrutinize recommendation systems to understand potential algorithmic biases that may spread disinformation. Previous studies have shown that the recommendation algorithm favors a small number of videos, creating mild ideological echo chambers. This study aims to investigate the extent to which YouTube's recommendation algorithm spreads disinformation …

Media And Stereotypes On Interethnic Communication: A Study Of Framing African American-Hispanic Romantic Relationships In Film, Franca Titilope Afolabi

Theses and Dissertations

Portrayals of race in the media have received increased scrutiny from scholars over the past many years. While much attention has been paid to news, few analyses have examined film. This study was designed to add to the current study on interracial relationships. By concentrating on the representation of romantic relationships between racial minorities in situational films, this study aims to expand on existing content and examine the portrayal of African American-Hispanic interracial romantic relationships. A content analysis of three interracial films was performed resulting in 68 interactions coded. Results indicate that African American-Hispanic relationships are underrepresented in film compared …

Why Do College Students Have A Linkedin Account And How Do They Use It?, Faith Okeh

Theses and Dissertations

College students increasingly turn to LinkedIn to build their professional networks and find internships and jobs in today's competitive job market. LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals, and it allows users to create profiles, connect with other professionals, and share their work experiences. College students can use LinkedIn to connect with alums, professors, and other professionals in their field. They can also use LinkedIn to research companies and find job postings. In addition, LinkedIn can be used to network with potential employers and learn about career opportunities. This thesis will explore why college students have LinkedIn accounts and …