Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

Communicated Narrative Sensemaking In The Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship, Madison Clara Martin

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Storytelling is a primary form of communication between grandparents and grandchildren that has been shown to strengthen relational bonds and enhance grandchildren’s well-being. However, the specific narrative features and interactional processes involved in grandparent-grandchild storytelling remain underexplored, particularly regarding how they influence well-being and perceptions of generational differences. Guided by Communicated Narrative Sensemaking (CNSM) theory, this study examined the content (story framing) and process (interactional sensemaking behaviors) of grandparent-grandchild storytelling episodes as reported by young adult grandchildren (N = 110). Participants completed an online survey in which they recounted a storytelling episode with a grandparent and reported on individual well-being …

From Trails To Triumph: Documenting Two Decades Of Impact With Adventure Wv, Sean Lowdermilk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research paper and accompanying short film (https://youtu.be/gTnXbvkX0MA) examines the impact of experiential learning through the lens of Adventure WV, an outdoor orientation program at West Virginia University. Using Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory as a foundation for the research, this study explores how outdoor and expeditionary learning fosters personal and professional growth, builds a community, and deepens students' connection to the state and the institution. Through interviews with the program's founder, as well as current students and administration paired with archival footage and modern video, the research highlights Adventure WV's role in student retention, professional development, and student …

A Test Of The Extended Theoretical Model Of Communal Coping Among Graduate Students: Investigating The Influence Of Communal Coping On Graduate Students’ Psychological Well-Being, Rebekah M. Chiasson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to test the extended theoretical model of communal coping (T. Afifi et al., 2020) in a graduate student sample by exploring predictors and outcomes of communal coping processes among 554 graduate students. The extended theoretical model of communal coping specifies that communal coping occurs when individuals within a community—such as graduate students within an academic program—perceive stressors as shared and are willing to take joint action to overcome those stressors. Results of this dissertation provided evidence that graduate students’ academic stress and the severity of individual academic stressors negatively impacted their psychological well-being. The …

Improving Patient Self-Advocacy And Communication With Providers Through Diabetes Self-Management Education: Analyses From A Randomized Controlled Trial, Brenna Owens Kirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Background: West Virginia (WV), a rural state in Appalachia, has the highest type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevalence in the United States. Open communication in the patient-provider relationship is an integral part of comprehensive chronic disease management. This is especially true for patients living with T2DM, a disease that requires many complex, daily self-management activities and is associated with increased emotional distress. However, patients living with T2DM are often reluctant to openly share their concerns regarding self-care with their provider. This study aimed to test the effectiveness of the Diabetes and Hypertension Self-Management Program (DHSMP), a 12-week group lifestyle …

Organizing (Eternal) Identity And Identification: An Upward Glance Into Religious Institutions, Casey M. Stratton

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation disrupts at least two religious spaces: First, scholars religiously adhering to (social) scientific norms, and second, people identifying with religious organizations (i.e., churches). First, we begin constructing a theoretical lens using poststructural ideas offered by Foucault, Derrida, and Bakhtin to read and disrupt (religious) discourse. Second, we complicate organizational identification as a concept, deeming it fixed and fluid—a paradox within religious discourses that endorse Truth and Perfection. Here, we draw from the communication constitutes organization (CCO) approach. Third, we further curate the lens by applying poststructuralism, identification, and CCO in a specific context: The Church of Jesus Christ …

Testing The Theory Of Resilience And Relational Load In The Context Of Empty Nesters, Lauren E. Fellers

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In examining the marital communication of recent empty nesters, the aim of this study was to test the theory of resilience and relational load (TRRL) (Afifi et al., 2016). The postparental period that follows directly after children leave their parents’ places of residence may present unique challenges for married individuals to navigate together. The TRRL offers a potential explanation as to why some married couples demonstrate resilience and flourish through a stressful season while others do not. To test the TRRL in this context, 113 married persons who became empty nesters within the previous 18 months filled out an online …

Empowering Elderpreneurs Scommerce For Genx Consignment Store Owners In West Virginia, Joyita Sarkar

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

In an ever-evolving digital landscape, this research explores Generation X (GenX) consignment store owners in West Virginia and the transformative power of Social commerce (sCommerce). Despite the ubiquity of Social media platforms, little attention has been given to the impact of sCommerce on the consignment store industry. Drawing from the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT), this study examines the factors influencing sCommerce adoption decisions for GenX consignment store owners.

Through qualitative research, this study uncovers untold stories within this entrepreneurial landscape. Purposeful sampling of 11 women and 20-60 minutes of in-depth interviews reveal the …

Relational Turbulence And Identity Gaps Amongst Committed Consensually Non-Monogamous Partners, R. E. Purtell

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate relational turbulence processes and test Relational Turbulence Theory’s (RTT) first five propositions in a sample of 528 committed consensually non-monogamous (CNM) partners as they are experiencing the transition of their committed partner adding a new sexual or romantic partner other than themselves. CNM relationships are those in which at least one partner has multiple sexual and/or romantic relationships with the consent of all parties involved. Generally, the first five propositions of RTT were supported. Specifically, self uncertainty and partner uncertainty positively predicted relationship uncertainty, which in turn predicted biased cognitive appraisals, and …

The Truth-Default, Diagnostic Utility, And The Value Of Contextual Knowledge In Deceptive Interactions, Heath A. Howard

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation describes and reports an experimental study examining the predictions of truth-default theory (TDT). TDT is an expansive, modular theory of deception detection which explains the processes by which people abandon the truth-default state and navigate judgments of message veracity in conversations. The first goal of this study was to test TDT’s seventh proposition, which explains how communicators abandon the truth-default state through trigger events (i.e., actions which prompt communicators to be uncertain about the accuracy of the message) such as decreased sender believability and message coherence. The second goal of this study was to test the predictions of …

Undergraduate Academic Advising Experiences With Confirmation And Supportive And Connected Communication Climate, Sara Pitts

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation examined undergraduate student perceptions of academic advisors use of communication confirmation and supportive and connected communication climate. Additionally, this dissertation investigated if academic advisors use of confirmation behaviors had an effect on student learning, specifically, cognitive learning outcomes, affective learning outcomes, and satisfaction. Focus groups were conducted with 33 current undergraduate students. First and second cycle coding of the data revealed four academic advisor confirming behaviors: (a) recognize students’ experiences outside the classroom, (b) collaborate on educational/career goals, (c) recall prior interactions with the student, and (d) offer praise and positive feedback. Additionally, students identified three disconfirming behaviors …

Is Care In The Air?: A Crisis Ethics Case Study Of American Airlines’ Communication During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lily V. Hicks

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This research proposes a qualitative case study of American Airlines’ communication during the first month of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Data from the airline’s press releases along with its tweets and a sample of organizational responses to those tweets are offered for proposed analysis using the lenses of Situational Crisis Communication Theory, the Applied Model of Care Considerations, and the body of crisis literature on audience coping and emotions during crises. This in-depth look at a unique communication phenomenon will be a fundamental step in examining how airline communication exhibits ethics or lack thereof and is related to people’s emotions …

Language Choice On Psychological Reactance In Instructor/Student Email Exchanges, Christiana Robey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis investigated undergraduate students’ perceptions and interpretations of language cues used within instructor email requests. Guided by Psychological Reactance Theory (PRT; Brehm, 1966; Brehm & Brehm, 1981), this thesis examined whether instructor email requests, containing different levels of powerful language and verbal immediacy cues, would impact students’ willingness to follow through with instructor requests. Two hundred thirty-four undergraduate students participated in the four-condition experiment which consisted of the email manipulation conditions containing varying levels of an instructors’ powerful language (e.g. “must;” Miller et al., 2007) and verbal immediacy (e.g., “our class;” Witt & Wheeless, 2001) cues. After reading an …

Standby Lovers: A Typology And Theoretical Investigation Of Back Burner Relational Maintenance, Dana Borzea

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate the connections between relational maintenance behaviors, theoretical factors, and relational characteristics in back burner relationships. A back burner relationship involves at least one individual who is romantically or sexually interested in a target, but they are not currently involved with the target. Given that back burners maintain communication with each other with the possibility of becoming romantically or sexually involved in the future, Study 1 was concerned with inductively identifying the relational maintenance behaviors used in back burner relationships. Following prior typology methods, participants (N = 86) in Study 1 were …

Exploring The Challenges Of Social Integration Within An Upper-Level Public Relations Classroom, Tabitha Hayley Dyer

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Despite three decades of literature that has explored the gender imbalance of public relations at a professional level, there is a dearth of information addressing if or how these experiences are informed at a collegiate level. Accordingly, this study examines if the gender imbalance impacts students in the upper-level public relations classroom, and the similarities and differences exist between other single-gender dominant programs including nursing and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) using three dimensions (i.e., role strain, teamwork, and overall social environment) as a comparison. Using qualitative in-depth interview data collected from 13 junior- and senior-standing public relations students …

Investigating The Relationships Between Family Communication Patterns, Academic Resilience, And Students’ Classroom Communication Behaviors, Jordan Atkinson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This dissertation served two purposes. The first purpose was to examine the relationships between the two dimensions of family communication patterns (i.e., conversation orientation and conformity orientation) and four student classroom communication behaviors (i.e., out-of-class communication, in-class oral participation, instructional dissent, and students’ motives to communicate with their instructors). The second purpose of this dissertation was to investigate academic resilience as a mediator in the relationship between family communication patterns and student classroom communication behaviors. It was discovered that students’ family conversation orientation was associated positively with their oral participation and the relational, functional, participatory, and excuse-making motives to communicate …