Communication Commons^™

The Participation Gap: Inequitable Speaking Times In Majority Women Classes, Cat Koenig

Theses/Capstones/Creative Projects

This study examined the participation of men and women in majority women classes. The participation of men and women was recorded in three majority women communication classes from August through October. It was found that even in majority women classes and majors, men still participate and interrupt disproportionately more. This result raises important questions about the continued presence of the chilly climate in the university setting- even in areas traditionally dominated by women. Equitable participation in the university classroom still has a ways to go, but professors may well be the answer to this problem (Farago & Flora, 2022). Prompting …

Public Engagement In Small-Town Planning: A Case Study Of The Wellsville Trails And Active Transportation Plan, Tayli R. Hillyard

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

This thesis presents a qualitative case study of public engagement in the Wellsville Trails and Active Transportation Plan, developed in Wellsville, Utah—a small municipality with limited staff and resources. Drawing from planning literature on effective community participation, the study evaluates outreach strategies based on their reach, feasibility, and replicability. Outreach strategies in the plan’s development included surveys, stakeholder meetings, a public open house, digital tools, and informal conversations. While early outreach efforts, such as the interest survey and personal invitations, generated meaningful input, the process fell short in sustaining engagement, reaching underrepresented groups, and maintaining consistent communication. The analysis highlights …

The Guardian The Month Of December 2025, Wright State Student Body

The Guardian Student Newspaper

News articles from The Guardian for the Month of December 2025. The Guardian is the official student-run newspaper for Wright State University. It has been published regularly since March of 1965.

Interpersonal Communication: A Mindful Approach To Relationships 2nd Edition, Jason S. Wrench, Narissra M. Punyanunt-Carter, Katherine S, Thweatt

Milne Open Textbooks

Interpersonal communication is the way we connect with others. Whether engaging with a spouse, a coworker, a close friend, or a stranger, our daily lives are defined by the messages we send and receive. Interpersonal Communication guides students through the complex landscape of human interaction, helping them navigate relationships in the twenty-first century.

A Mindful Perspective

What distinguishes this textbook is its integration of mindfulness into the study of communication. Moving beyond simple skills training, the text encourages students to engage in mindful awareness and mindful practice. By learning to be fully present, open, and non-judgmental, students develop the …

The Future Is Now: Empowering Society Through Ai Literacy, Jason S. Wrench, Sanae Elmoudden

Milne Open Textbooks

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a futuristic concept—it is the reality of the present. From the algorithms shaping our social media feeds to the generative tools transforming our workplaces, AI has permeated every aspect of modern life. The Future is Now moves beyond the hype to provide a comprehensive roadmap for understanding, navigating, and shaping this technological revolution.

Demystifying the Machine

This textbook serves as a user-friendly guide to the “black box” of AI. It breaks down complex technical concepts—from machine learning and neural networks to large language models—making them accessible to students across all disciplines. By establishing a …

Does Social Media Undermine Trust? Institutional Trust In Civil Society And Governance Institutions, Christianna Sirindah Parr

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

What is the relationship between social media use and trust in civil society and governance institutions? In many parts of Asia, trust in government remains high despite limited political accountability and civil liberties. This study examines whether online political expression reshapes institutional trust in governance institutions and civil society organizations. The analysis considers the dual role of social media as a site for civic engagement and a channel for disaffection with formal authority. Using data from the Asian Barometer, the findings show that political expression on social media is associated with lower trust in governance institutions and higher trust in …

Australian Teen Voices On Age Verification And Age Assurance Measures, Giselle Woodley, Harrison W. See, Brian O'Neill, Lelia Green, Elisabeth Staksrud, Paul Haskell-Dowland

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Age verification and age assurance technologies, including biometrics, facial recognition software and digital identification, have been explored as potential measures to restrict access of young people to social media and sexually explicit media (SEM), including pornography. However, there is limited data regarding how teens targeted by such restrictions feel about such strategies. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Australian teens and pre-teens (aged 11–17), this paper presents their views of age verification technologies, particularly in relation to restricting access to SEM. The participants in this study welcomed improved online protections but were ambivalent about proposed solutions. Age assurance and age verification …

A Thematic Analysis Of What Australians State Would Change Their Minds On Climate Change, Amy S.G. Lee, Kelly Kirkland, Samantha K. Stanley, Abby Robinson, Zoe Leviston, Iain Walker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

What do Australians believe would change their current opinions about climate change? In this study, we used audience segmentation analysis through the Six Americas Short Survey to identify groups of climate opinion holders within a representative sample of Australians. We had 4857 participants tell us what it would take to change their current opinions about climate change and leveraged OpenAI’s Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (GPT) to identify the presence or absence of themes (Nothing, Evidence and Information, Trusted Sources, Action, and Unsure) and subthemes in their responses. GPT performed at near-human levels, proving to be a highly useful tool for thematic …

I Want You To Want Me, Marianne Koleng

be Still

This piece calls to the theme of "attention" through a mixed media piece incorporating collage, ink, and colored pencil. It embraces the nuances of both anatomy and popular music, rock-and-roll, to be specific. The title is taken from the popular song by Cheap Trick, of the same name in an effort to elude to the desire for human attention in a human form.

Investigating The Impacts Of Facial Gestures On Global Participants’ Perception Of The Speaker, Perception Of The Message, Emotional Responses, And Engagement During Video Conferencing, Hanan Mohammed Alghamdi

Theses and Dissertations

Facial expressions play a crucial role in shaping communication and emotional understanding during virtual interactions. This study investigated how facial expressions influence participants’ perceptions of the speaker, perceptions of the message, emotional responses, and engagement during video conferencing across diverse cultural contexts. A hybrid experimental design was implemented using self-administered questionnaires to collect quantitative data and examine cause-and-effect relationships. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three facial-expression conditions Positive (smiling and joyful), Negative (angry or nervous), or Neutral (expressionless) and viewed speakers representing three ethnic backgrounds: White American, Black American, and Middle Eastern. Using a seven-point semantic differential scale, …

Beyond The Csu Ai Initiative Rollout: Exploring The Continued Uses, Gratifications, And Literacy Of Generative Artificial Intelligence Integration At Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Marshall Piros, Kaylie Marrs

Communication Studies

This case study examines the use of ChatGPT on the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (hereafter referred to as Cal Poly or Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo) campus as part of the system-wide CSU AI Initiative. This is a follow-up study to previous work in which the researchers examined AI usage and gratifications during the early rollout of the CSU AI Initiative during Spring 2025. Using a qualitative approach, we used semi-structured interviews (N = 24) to gather in-depth perspectives on AI usage, gratifications, concerns, and definitions of AI literacy from students and faculty. Findings indicate that while …

The Graphic Shift: Leveraging Superhero Graphica To Un-Ban Critical Conversations In The Secondary English Language Arts Classroom, Avery Clason

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis investigates the challenges that books are receiving during an era of social and political turmoil based on their content. Understanding why these books are polarizing for most readers and the general public is in direct connection with finding different books that can harbor the same conversations about dense topics and cultivating connections between students, the text, the world, and themselves. While there has been a search to find alternate books that are not considered "political flashpoints,” there has been limited research into the use of superhero graphica in the ELA classroom, especially in connection to utilizing this genre …

A Word From The Writing Team (December 2025), Pam Walter, Mfa, Laura Deloretta, Phd

A Word From the Writing Team (Newsletter)

No abstract provided.

Entre La Sombra Y El Lienzo: Clea Dessendre Como Modelo De Personaje Secundario Complejo, Lydia Huijbregts Jaen, Antonio Horno López

GDI. Revista de investigación de Género, Diseño e Innovación

Introducción: Este artículo analiza a Clea Dessendre en Clair Obscure: Expedition 33, explorando su versión real y la pintada en el lienzo, y su impacto en la narrativa del juego. Metodología: Se aplicó un análisis narrativo, psicológico y ludológico, integrando teorías de duelo (Kübler-Ross), socialización (Baumrind) y comunicación (DiSC) vinculadas con la jugabilidad. Resultados: Clea-Real encarna disciplina y perfeccionismo; Clea-Pintada, una proyección maternal. El gameplay conecta su psicología con la experiencia del jugador. Discusión: Las identidades paralelas muestran cómo traumas y expectativas moldean personajes complejos. Conclusiones: Clea evidencia cómo la narrativa y la mecánica se fusionan para crear …

Sex, Riots, And Holy Water: How Modern Society Desecrates And Reconsecrates The Sacred, Jodeyah J. Mills

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores how modern societies desecrate and reconsecrate the sacred through rhetoric, ritual, and visual performance. Using three case studies, Nazi Germany’s transformation of Quedlinburg Abbey, the January 6th attack on the U.S. Capitol, and Sabrina Carpenter’s controversial church music video, “Feather,” this project analyzes how sacred meaning is violated and restored in religious, civic, and popular contexts. Drawing on Kenneth Burke’s dramatistic cycle and postsecular theory, it argues that desecration and reconsecration are dialogic acts that expose competing moral vocabularies within culture. Each event demonstrates that even in a secular age, people respond to ruptures of ultimate meaning …

The Long Arc Of Love: A Humanizing Meditation On Enduring Former Student–Teacher Relationships, Cara Morgenson

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

As the title suggests, this is a humanizing meditation on enduring relationships beyond the classroom construct of student-teacher, with a theoretical framing that braids strands of critical theories and pedagogies to consider critical love, authentic caring, and humanization as a liberatory and justice-oriented framework (see del Carmen Salazar, 2013; Freire, 1970/2020; hooks, 1994; Sealey-Ruiz, 2020, 2021; Valenzuela, 1999). In the spirit of multiple and eclectic methods (Nader, 1972), the methodological framing braids (1) critical autoethnography as feminist method (Adams et. al, 2015; Boylorn & Orbe, 2014; Ettorre, 2017), (2) portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Hoffman Davis, 1997), and (3) narrative epistemology in …

African American Women And Blogs: The Allure Of Culture-Specific Beauty Blogs, Kalari Flotree

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

The purpose of this qualitative, multi-case study was to explore the identity-related dress and appearance management implications of culture-specific beauty blog readership. The study was informed by three research questions: (a) Why and how do African American women seek out culture-specific beauty blogs? (b) What roles do African American women assume while engaging with culture-specific beauty blog communities? (c). How do African American women use culture-specific beauty blog content to inform identity-related processes of appearance management and dress?

The sample of this multiple-case study included nine participants, each representing a distinct case. Data were collected through individual, semi-structured, in-depth interviews, …

Brands & Virtual Personas: How Virtual Influencer Types Impact Brand Awareness, Carol Calderon Ambelis

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

As social media continues to shape how consumers interact with brands, virtual influencers (VIs) have emerged as a new type of digital celebrity. While previous research has explored how VIs contribute to brand image and awareness, there has been limited attention on how different types of VIs, both anime-like and human-like, affect consumer perceptions across different markets. This study examines how these two types of VIs impact relatability, aspiration, and brand awareness, with a focus on the differences between luxury and mass market. Using a within-subjects experimental design, this study recruited 574 participants with social media experience using MTurk. The …

‘The Weight That We Carry’: Using Photovoice To Uncover Student Parents’ Experiences In Higher Education, Maria Fatima Rodriguez Velasquez

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Caregiving students carry identities that have historically been marginalized within academia and continue to face limited institutional awareness and support (Lovell, 2020; McCourt, 2018; Yates, 2022). This study analyzes the experiences of student parents at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) to understand how they balance their family and academic responsibilities, the challenges they face, and the communities of support they find within their university experience. Using Photovoice as a method, 22 student parents shared photographs and the narratives behind each image that represented their daily lives inside and outside the classroom. The data analysis, guided by grounded …

The Presentation Of Self In Everyday Digital Life: A Study Of Self- Disclosure And Work Environments, Mackenzie Michelle Skiff

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

The digital age impacts individuals’ lives in many ways. One impact is how and where work is completed across many careers. The work-from-home strategy enables individuals to complete work that is not within a shared space, such as an office. With the absence of this shared space, communication practices within workplaces could be changing. Specifically, self-disclosure while working from home may differ from self-disclosure within the office or hybrid (both in office and remote) work environments. This thesis investigates whether there are differences in self-disclosure practices across three different types of contemporary work environments and offers a digital update to …

Reading The Romance Reader: Booktok, Algorithmic Subjugation, And The Fight For Cultural Legitimacy, Emily Maranto Hill

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

This thesis examines the transformation of romance reader identity through the lens of BookTok, investigating how digital platforms grant cultural legitimacy while simultaneously subjugating community practices to algorithmic control. Romance readers historically developed emotional labor practices, counter-public formation strategies, and fan-driven meaning-making to resist decades of cultural marginalization. Through analysis of TikTok's platform attributes, user behaviors, and the viral Tillie Cole controversy, this study traces how BookTok converts these resistant practices into behavioral data optimized for engagement rather than authentic discourse. The research employs theoretical frameworks including Janice Radway's ethnographic analysis, Shoshana Zuboff's surveillance capitalism, Nick Srnicek's platform capitalism, and …

Adoptive Parents Use Of Social Media To Discuss Adoption Communicative Openness, Hannah Araba Baidoo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adoption communicative openness (ACO) involves dialogue between adoptive parents and their adopted children about adoption-related issues. Through this communication, parents share information about birth families and address adoptees questions to support psychological well-being. Although ACO benefits adoptees, research rarely examines how adoptive parents themselves practice and experience openness. This study explores how adoptive parents discuss ACO with one another on the r/AdoptiveParents subreddit. Using qualitative discourse analysis, it examines how parents describe their challenges, and success surrounding communication openness. The analysis highlights parent’s concerns about when and how to disclose adoption information and the uncertainty that shapes their communication choices. …

Conference Realignment And Coaching Perspectives: Examining Social Support From Coaches To Athletes In The Acc, Big 12, And Big Ten, Brannon H. Timms

All Theses

The purpose of this study is to understand, from a coach's point of view, their perspective on conference realignment and how, if at all, it has changed their relationship with their athletes as it pertains to social support. Findings indicate that coaches expressed awareness of social support needs for their student athletes; notable gaps remain in emotional, esteem, and informational support. Based on the participants' responses, tangible support emerged as the only form of social support provided by these coaches. Coaches also expressed a desire for further legislation regarding NIL to maintain competitive fairness among NCAA athletics. The results underscore …

Chasing The Dream And Buying The Promise In A Conceptual Framework For Consumer Decision-Making, Casey H. Prentice

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

The American dream is a concept that is echoed across our society, and while the data show Americans do not overwhelmingly believe in the dream, marketers continue to pair it and the issue of economic prosperity in their agendas. Through a novel framework that overlaps a deeply studied mass communication theory with a decision-making framework used in marketing, this paper demonstrates a new lens to understand how marketers identify strategies and tactics, build agendas, and make sales by touting the American dream. As separate entities, decision-making models and agenda setting theory are powerful, but together can create an environment that …

Crux: Exploring Imperialism And Resistance Through Role-Playing Games, Devon Gronka

Institute for the Humanities Master's Papers, Projects, and Capstones

This is a game about power. The game is a Role-Playing Game, or RPG. As with nearly all RPGs, the game presents the players with choices about how their characters will interact with each other and with the world around them, and these interactions are woven together to more or less form a plot. However, oftentimes in life there are no good choices available, and there is no win state outside of what we might determine for ourselves.

The game is a social experiment. While playing a game, a player takes in information in a very different manner than when …

“No Man Is An Island:” A Critical Discourses Analysis Of Newspaper Reporting On The Marshallese Community In Northwest Arkansas, Johana Vazquez

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The aim of this study was to examine local newspaper coverage of the Marshallese community in Northwest Arkansas from 1998 to 2017 and analyze discourses that could be attributed to linguistic bias, stereotypes, and Pacific transnationalism. This analysis examines how marginalized immigrants are portrayed in local news coverage using a critical discourse analysis (CDA). The study analyzes the labels and metaphors used in the coverage of Marshallese immigration, adapts the Stereotype Content Model for a discourse analysis, and compares the experiences of Marshallese in the area with larger scholarly work on Pacific transnationalism. The researcher analyzed 11 published pieces from …

Social Media Participation And Scholarly Success In Law, Julian Nyarko, David E. Pozen

Faculty Scholarship

Using a novel dataset on Twitter activity as well as a novel corpus of law journal publications, this paper examines the impact of social media activity on the scholarly success of U.S. law professors. We find that joining Twitter increases citation counts by an average of 22% per year and improves article placements by up to 10 ranks for law professors, relative to a synthetic control group. These positive returns apply across nearly all classes of scholars and are magnified for those who post frequently about their own work. The identified citation boost would be even larger than 22% if …

Communication And Privacy Management Between Female Veterans, Their Military Voluntary Kin, And Biolegal Family Members, Carol Lee Tschampl-Diesing

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Military voluntary kin (MVK) refer to relationships between Service members and/or Veterans that they consider to be “like family,” despite lacking blood or legal ties. The purpose of this qualitative/interpretive communication study was to explore how female Veterans, who are the largest growing population of U.S. Veterans, discursively construct MVK relationships, navigate communication, privacy management, and boundary turbulence with their MVK and biolegal families (BLF). The researcher undertook in-depth interviews with nine female U.S. Veterans who reported having at least one MVK. The researcher posed four research questions, engaging in an interpretive analysis.

Participants described three ways they navigated interactions …

A Certainty-Weighted, Belief-Based Model Of Political Attitudes: A Bayesian Analysis Of American Public Attitudes Toward The Affordable Care Act, Gabriel Miao Li, Josh Pasek, Jon A. Krosnick

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

This study proposes a novel, certainty-weighted account of the process by which political beliefs shape political attitudes. Building upon expectancy-value frameworks, this paper introduces belief certainty as a moderator of belief impact. A Bayesian partial-pooling approach is used to test a model positing how beliefs about what the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act does and does not do relate to overall attitudes toward the law. This analytic method manages the complexity of multiple potentially correlated beliefs and evaluations by imposing a structural constraint to avoid multicollinearity and enable accurate estimation of parameters. Data from a nationally representative sample survey …

State Narrative Dominance In Terrorism Reporting: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Kompas Coverage, Putri Khairunnisa

Journal of Terrorism Studies

This study examines Kompas.com’s news construction of the bombing at the Makassar Cathedral Church on 28 March 2021 by integrating Entman’s Media Framing theory with Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis. Using all news reports published between 28 March and 5 April 2021, the study finds that Kompas frames the event through security-oriented diction, agent–action structures that foreground state authorities as the primary actors, and high-modality statements that minimize uncertainty during the early crisis phase. Intertextual references to previous terrorism cases accelerate the labeling of the perpetrators as part of the JAD network. At the level of discursive practice, reliance on official …