Communication Commons^™

"Everybody Goes Down": Metaphors, Stories, And Simulations In Conversations, L. David Ritchie

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

Recent work has shown that many problematic aspects of metaphor use and comprehension can be resolved through an account that includes both relevance and perceptual simulation. It has also been shown that metaphors often imply stories, and that stories are often metaphorical. Previous research on narratives has focused primarily on stories that appear either in formal literature or in structured interviews; this essay focuses on stories that occur as an integral part of conversation. It extends recent work on metaphor comprehension to show how use and comprehension of stories in natural, informal conversations can be usefully analyzed in terms of …

A Study On How New Media Is Impacting On The Irish Public Relations Industry, Ciara Murphy

Theses

This thesis looks at how new media is impacting on the public relations industry in Ireland. It attempts to identify if Irish practitioners believe that the Internet is an important tool for two-way communication purposes, to identify the implications of new media on the practice of public relations, to determine how new media is impacting on the mass media in Ireland and to determine how social media is currently being implemented by PR practitioners in Ireland.

The study attempts to fill a gap in public relations research and professional literature because there is no organising framework that merges new technologies …

Marketing The Academy: A Theoretical Analysis Of Consumption, Identity, And The Branding Of Contemporary Universities, Anthony David Frost

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Consumer culture has long presented ethical issues for the academic world. As the nature and processes of consumer culture have become more integrated with the operation of universities, the debate has escalated. Over the past 15 years, institutions have made increasing use of sophisticated marketing techniques and, while many administrators applaud their use to define, grow, and protect a school’s reputation, many critics have decried what they see as nothing more than crass commercialism. This study is an examination of the development of consumer culture after World War II, when large numbers of students entered post-secondary school. Critical analysis is …

Index Of Titles And Authors, Volumes 1-21

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Competent Public Speaking: Assessing Skill Development In The Basic Course, Judy C. Pearson, Jeffrey T. Child, Liliana L. Herakova, Julie L. Semlak, Jessica Angelos

Basic Communication Course Annual

Effective public speaking skills are essential for a successful life. The authors provide an overall assessment of the basic public speaking course by examining fifteen student attributes divided into three categories (course engagement characteristics, dispositions, and demographics) hypothesized to affect learning and public speaking skill development in the basic course. A four-step hierarchical multiple regression tested two research questions (N = 709). Course engagement characteristics improved students’ public-speaking grade averages, but dispositions did not. The effects of demographic characteristics, particularly biological sex, were not eliminated after controlling for course engagement and dispositional factors (twelve variables). Implications and limitations of the …

Getting On The "E" List: E-Mail Use In A Community Of Service Provider, Craig R. Scott, Laurie K. Lewis, Scott C. D'Urso

College of Communication Faculty Research and Publications

This case examines how a community of organizations providing service to people experiencing homelessness made use of an electronic mail list. Current economic conditions have encouraged organizations in various sectors—including nonprofits—that might normally compete for scarce resources to collaborate with one another to increase their chances of survival. One set of tools likely to be of value in such relationships includes various online discussion technologies. An examination of this community’s email list use over a three-year period suggests a somewhat complex picture regarding technology use. More specifically, some issues both constrain and enable use. Additionally, seemingly basic and minimal uses …

The Bison: 2010, Howard University

Howard University Yearbooks

This digital object was funded in part through a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The digitalization of this object was part of a collaborative effort with the Washington Research Library Consortium and George Washington University.

Acceptance, Communication Mode And Use Of Audio Computer- Assisted Self Interview Using Touchscreen To Identify Risk Factors Among Pregnant Minority Women, Jutta S. Thornberry, Kennan B. Murray, M. Nabil El-Khorazaty, Michele Kiely

Publications and Research

This paper evaluates the acceptability, communication mode and use of audio computer-assisted self-interview (A-CASI) among minority pregnant women receiving prenatal care in six Washington, DC sites. A total of 2,913 women were screened for demographic eligibility (18+ years old,gestation, Black/African-American or Hispanic) and risk (smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression, intimate partner violence). Questions were displayed on touch screen laptop monitors and heard through earphones. The mean length of time to complete the screener was almost 6 minutes.

A-CASI experience, which included difficulty in using the computer, acceptability (enjoyment), and preferred communication mode, was compared across sites, the eligibility and …

Is The Internet Colorblind?, Courtney Marshall

The University Dialogue

No abstract provided.

Similarities And Differences In Self-Disclosure And Friendship Development Between Fact-To-Face Communication And Facebook, Pavica Sheldon

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This research identified the patterns of self-disclosure between face-to-face and Facebook friends’ interactions. A survey of 317 participants was conducted to compare the hypothesized relationships among social attraction, self-disclosure, predictability and trust in three types of relationships: recently added Facebook friend, exclusive Facebook friend, and an exclusive face-to-face friend. Data was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), t-tests and correlations. Results indicated that individuals reporting high levels of social attraction also reported having greater self-disclosure with their latest added Facebook friend, exclusive Facebook friend and an exclusive face-to-face friend. This supports a theorem of Uncertainty …

Learning To Communicate In Multi-Disciplinary Teams, Stephanie Christopher

College of Professional Studies Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

A Critical Analyses Of How The Hse’S Communications And Public Relations Department Responded To The Swine Flu Pandemic In The Southern Region Of Ireland., Suzanne Mccarthy

Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to analyse how the HSE South handled the Swine Flu pandemic. This was largely focused on how the HSE communicated with their publics as well as how they carried out such a large public information campaign. It is also important to understand how the public felt about the management of this pandemic. This thesis was dependant on interviewing various individuals from relevant backgrounds. This included PR and communication personnel employed by the HSE, representative of the media and health care professionals who deal directly with different communities within the general public. The objectives of …

Applying The “Contextual Integrity” Model Of Privacy To Personal Blogs In The Blogoshere, Frances Grodzinsky, Herman T. Tavani

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

In this paper, we analyze some controversial aspects of blogging and the blogosphere from the perspective of privacy. In particular, we focus on Helen Nissenbaum’s theory of privacy as “contextual integrity” and apply it to personal blogs, in general, and the case of the “Washingtonienne” blogger, in particular. We examine the question of whether personal blogs that are not password protected can be considered “normatively private contexts” according to Nissenbaum’s principles of privacy. We argue that they cannot. Using Nissenbaum’s original model, we conclude that privacy expectations for those who disclose personal information in such blogs are unrealistic. We also …

The Corporeal Idea, Brian A. Shaw

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

The act of transforming the ever elusive idea to the glorified art that appears on the “silver screen” is neither glamorous nor easy. I find the process often misrepresented in the eyes of the common viewer, and until the last four years of my undergraduate career, I saw through those same skewed eyes. The art of filmmaking is in its very essence a battle of wills and a test of endurance. It takes more than a great idea to breathe life into a project. It takes perseverance, preparation, cooperation, and most of all, a lot of luck! My experiences as …

Raising A Ghost Town, Bethany Truax

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

This video documents the town of Oakwood Acres in McKee, KY. Oakwood Acres is a 1920's era town built completely by eighty-eight year old McKee resident, Travis Sparks. With no blue-print, Sparks created the entire town by hand. Currently there are twenty-two buildings on site, including a farm house, blacksmith shop, general store, school house, doctor's office, service station, and a church. Raising a Ghost Town looks at the motivation behind Oakwood Acres and how it continues to grow. In three segments the video moves from an over view of the town, to Sparks tour guide, to the future Oakwood …

Films And Tv: Viewing Patterns And Influence On Behaviours Of College Students, Akhila Vasan

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report, the result of a project undertaken as part of the Health and Population Innovation Fellowship administered by the Population Council, presents findings about the influence of films and television, as well as that of friends and the family, on the behaviors of college students in south Karnataka, India. This report adds to the growing body of evidence, particularly in India, of the importance of films and TV in young people’s lives. Apart from indicating media consumption patterns, the study also indicates the possible pathways in which ideas from films are translated or not translated into action. As a …

Greenstar Social Marketing Private-Sector Activities In Paiman Project: Process Evaluation Of Greenstar Social Marketing Initiatives To Improve And Expand Maternal And Newborn Health Services And Coverage, Munir Afridi

Reproductive Health

The Population Council provided support for this process evaluation of Greenstar Social Marketing which established a healthcare private provider network (GoodLife clinics) primarily in the urban areas in 10 districts of the PAIMAN project in Pakistan. This network provides maternal and newborn health and reproductive health and family planning services and products. The information collected in this survey points to areas where Greenstar strategies are close to being fully met as well as to areas where the strategies are not being met. The detailed findings should allow Greenstar to focus on those areas most in need of attention: all groups—provider, …

Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facilty 2009 Annual Report, Issue 8, Nebraska Biomechanics Core Facility

Biomechanics Annual Report

April 2009 - March 2010

This issue features Announcements, Featured News, Projects, Collaborations, Visitors, Awards, Publications, and Support.

Intercultural Competence For The Nutrition Professional, Cynthia S. Klement

Senior Honors Theses and Projects

Diversity training for nutrition care professionals is essential in order to provide patients with culture-specific strategies that allow them to succeed with their health program. Nutritionists are faced with the challenge of understanding the dietary preferences of their cross-cultural patients, as well as appreciating a patient's religious beliefs regarding dietary selections by identify foods that will or won't support a prescribed nutritional program. Knowledge of intercultural nonverbal and verbal behaviors is becoming increasingly necessary, as is who ultimately makes medical decisions for the patient.

Staying Objective: The Effect Of Corporate Public Relations On Video Game Journalists, Benjamin Jenkins

LSU Master's Theses

The video game industry makes more than $10 billion a year in the United States alone. It is a young and booming medium. Growing alongside the video game business is the video game media, a niche form of journalism comprised mostly of gaming websites and a few reporters in traditional media. This thesis examines the young gaming news industry through in-depth interviews conducted with six journalists from various news outlets. The research focused on two things: if game journalists followed the same norms and routines as news journalists and if game companies were able to influence what game journalists wrote …

A New Focus For A University: Designing A Web Site To Feature Community Service, Andrea Louise Clesi

LSU Master's Theses

This research used focus groups and usability testing to determine how a major land-grant university should design a Web site that would feature the community service work of faculty and staff, students and alumni, also referred to as stakeholders. University public relations professionals planned to launch an interactive Web site as part of the university’s sesquicentennial celebration in 2010, but had concerns that the Web site would not attract stakeholders. The research sought to answer the following questions based on uses and gratifications and impression management theories: What uses and gratifications, if any, do social networking sites provide stakeholders? Does …

Front Cover

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Title Page

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Editorial Board

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Contents And Abstracts

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

A Life Of Scholarship And Service To The Communication Discipline: Celebrating Lawrence W. Hugenberg, Jeffrey T. Child

Basic Communication Course Annual

A tribute to the Basic Communication Course Annual's founding editor, Lawrence W. Hugenberg, who died on August 11, 2008.

Assessing Preemptive Argumentation In Students’ Persuasive Speech Outlines, Kevin R. Myer, Ryan R. Kurtz, Jamie L. Hines, Cheri J. Simonds, Stephen K. Hunt

Basic Communication Course Annual

The purpose of the present study was to determine if critical thinking skills, a key component of basic communication course pedagogy, can be assessed through students’ use of preemptive argumentation. Persuasive speech outlines were coded to determine if preemptive argumentation was present in students’ speeches and to determine the quality of preemptive argumentation. The results indicated that the majority of outlines contained preemptive argumentation. However, of those speeches containing preemptive argumentation, the majority of outlines employed low-quality preemptive argumentation. Finally, the findings revealed that the quality of preemptive argumentation employed in the persuasive speech outlines did not predict the students’ …

The Influence Of Instructor Status And Sex On Student Perceptions Of Teacher Credibility And Confirmation Across Time, Roxanne Heimann, Paul Turman

Basic Communication Course Annual

Universities continue to rely heavily on graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) to teach many of their entry level courses, with limited research emphasizing student perceptions of GTAs. With this in mind, the purpose of this investigation was to assess the combined influence of instructor status (GTA vs. Professor) and sex on student perceptions of teacher credibility and confirmation behaviors across time. Results from the repeated measures analysis indicated interaction effects for instructor sex and time, whereby female instructors (regardless of their status) were perceived to have higher levels of character, trustworthiness, and perceived caring. Three-way interaction effects emerged for instructor confirmation …

(Re)Constructing Ell And International Student Identities In The Oral Communication Course, Richie Neil Hao

Basic Communication Course Annual

There have been numerous studies (e.g., Dick, 1990; Ferris, 1998; Jung & McCroskey, 2004; Yook, 1995; Yook & Seiler, 1990; Zimmerman, 1995) that discuss the obstacles that English Language Learners (ELL) and international students face in oral communication classrooms. Although these studies provide teaching strategies that can be employed to better serve ELL and international students, they also reinforce stereotypical student identities. By exploring and engaging in critical communication pedagogy (Fassett & Warren, 2007), I problematize some of the foundational studies that construct ELL and international student identities as “at-risk” in oral communication classrooms and offer possibilities by specifically advocating …

Student Evaluations For The Online Public Speaking Course, John J. Miller

Basic Communication Course Annual

Despite criticisms raised about online public speaking classes, the growth of these online courses cannot be denied. This essay attempts to develop student course evaluations aimed at reflecting the unique characteristics of online instruction to assist instructors with improving their online pedagogy. Just as instructors seek to improve classroom instruction, they should likewise seek to improve online instruction through the realization and acceptance that online instruction is not simply course development, but the ongoing interactions between the student and instructor in the context of two significant differences between a traditional classroom and online instruction: (1) student-centered-controlled learning and (2) instructor-student …