Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

Students As Information Responders – Extending Our Understanding Of Students At A Pwi, Anyiah S. Chambers

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

As school shootings continue to rise across the United States, understanding how students respond to and share information during crises has become a critical concern for higher education institutions. While prior research has examined the role of students as first information responders (FIRs) during emergencies, few studies have investigated how these processes unfold among Black and non-Black students at predominantly white institutions (PWIs). This mixed methods study is a replication and extension of Omilion-Hodges and Edwards (2021), examining how undergraduate Black and non-Black students at PWIs evaluate, construct, and disseminate crisis-related messages, particularly during active-shooter events. Grounded in channel specification …

Black Love, Media Portrayals, And Social Identity, Nigel M. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation explores how media stereotypes about Black relationships influence Black individuals' perceptions, shaping their understanding and expectations of love. Using social identity theory as a foundation, a mixed-methods approach integrates both qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the impact of media portrayals on self-concept and relationship expectations. The quantitative findings investigate connections between media exposure, self-esteem, and partner preferences, revealing how media shapes ideas about ideal relationships and internalized racial dynamics. The qualitative analysis identifies seven themes that define Black Love and seven themes that depict media stereotypes of Black relationships. The study shows that while media often reinforce …

Going Inside A Church Staff Group: A Qualitative Case Analysis Of Team Characteristics, Decision-Making, And Identity, Hillary Rose Hamilton

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Many organizations, including churches, rely on leadership groups to coordinate efforts and fulfill their mission. Guided by the characteristics of highly effective teams, the functional theory of group decision-making, and symbolic convergence theory, this study examines how one church staff group engages in decision-making and enacts identity through socioemotional and task-related communication. This group is unique in that its members each lead different areas necessary for the church’s functioning. Data for this qualitative case-study consists of semi-structured interviews with each group members and five meeting observations. Findings provide insight into the group’s dynamics, decision-making process, and identity. However, of most …

Addressing The "Hidden Crisis" In Doctoral Education: Identifying The (De)Motivating Effects Of Memorable Messages From A Self-Determination Theory Perspective, Alexis A. Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Although PhD students are academically capable, they paradoxically produce alarmingly high attrition rates. For several years, retention rates in PhD programs have averaged between 40% and 70% (Ames et al., 2018; Bowen & Rudenstine, 1992; Cochran et al., 2014; Gardner & GoPaul, 2012; Lovitts, 2001; Rockinson-Szapkiw & Spaulding, 2012). Scholars have presented several potential reasons that PhD students discontinue their studies, none of which include academic ability (Lovitts, 2001; Tucker, 1964; Sverdlick et al., 2018). Framed by self-determination theory (SDT), this study explores the social and communicative components of the doctoral education system by the psychological impact of memorable messages …

Virtual Speeches, Real Fears: Public Speaking Anxiety In The Online Communication Classroom, Timothy J. Bill

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

While universities have explored online course offerings for decades, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated this trend. The foundational communication course—a course that continues to traditionally emphasize public speaking—has felt the pandemic influence to increase opportunities for students to learn public speaking via online instruction. While scholars have learned much about the student experience of public speaking anxiety (PSA) in face-to-face settings, less is known about their experience of PSA in online courses. This dissertation explored the fears students experience when presenting online and how they view the online presentation environment.

Using Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory as a guide, this dissertation employed …

The Information Practices Of Undergraduates Encountering Material Objects As Information Resources In Classroom Learning Tasks, Christopher A. Miller

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Undergraduate students sometimes encounter material objects as information resources in small-group classroom learning activities. Examples include art, artifacts, specimens, and anatomical models. This dissertation sought to identify common features of the students’ information practices in such situations, regardless of the activity’s discipline or content, and to explore how making material information central shapes students’ information practices. The conceptual framework combined theorizations of materiality and information practices. Methods involved video recording students doing a variety of simulated classroom activities with objects, video elicitation, qualitative content analysis, and praxiographic interpretation. The praxiographic interpretive descriptions illustrated how all aspects of the site–material, bodily, …

An Exploration Of Affective Influences Of Mediation And Instructional Delivery Styles In The U.S. Adult Media Literacy Learning Context, Joe Huber

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation explores how varied delivery strategies may influence college student affective learning in a mediated setting. I employed a hybrid-grounded approach to the exploration of student-participant interviews wherein student-participants engaged with one of two online media literacy learning modules. The results of this study illustrate that students at varying points of their epistemological development (Perry, 1968) may face different affective hurdles depending on how media literacy curriculum is presented. We may anticipate that: (1) students who are less epistemologically developed (those featuring dualistic attitudes) may struggle to receive content, especially in the case where a teacher-centric delivery-style is employed; …

The Effects Of Controlling Language And Source Social Group Membership On Resistance To Persuasion, Zane A. Dayton

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Persuasive attempts often fail. One theory that attempts to explain when and why people resist persuasion is psychological reactance theory (PRT; J. W. Brehm, 1966; S. S. Brehm & J. W. Brehm, 1981). According to the theory, people have an inherent desire to maintain their autonomy, or freedom. When they perceive that a persuasive message threatens their freedom, they experience psychological reactance, an aversive motivational state, which motivates them to restore their freedom by resisting the persuasive message. Whereas past studies have demonstrated that various message features (e.g., controlling language) and source characteristics (e.g., social group membership) can, individually, influence …

Cold Calling In The Classroom: Exploring Student Perceptions Of Instructor Communication Using The Face Negotiation Theory, Cynthia Chinazo Nnagboro

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Using face negotiation theory (Ting-Toomey, 1988) as a theoretical framework, this dissertation sought to determine students’ perceptions of instructor communication during classroom discussions where instructors use cold calling tactics. According to FNT, students perceived that self-construal determines their face concern as either self, other/mutual face. Therefore, an instructor must determine the best facework strategies to prevent face loss during classroom discussions to maintain optimal student outcomes in communication satisfaction and motivation to participate. This was accomplished by using 8 hypothetical vignettes, a pilot test and an experiment that measured face threat, face support, student communication satisfaction and motivation, intention to …

The Influence Of Instructor Immediacy Beyond The Classroom: An Experimental Investigation Of Relational Messages During Office Hours, Adam Tristan

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation examines instructor relational messages during office hours. Office hours are one of the few pedological tools where instructors can engage with their students outside the classroom. Office hours, in general, are widely adopted at many US higher education institutions, yet the context is under-researched and, thus, worthy of exploration. According to rhetorical and relational goals theory (Mottet et al., 2006), some students prefer building relationships with their instructors; others prefer task-focused interactions. To acknowledge the students' relational needs while also addressing students’ academic concerns, instructors could employ instructor immediacy behaviors to achieve simultaneous goals. A 2 x 2 …

Communicating Individual And Collective Mindfulness: Understanding Listening And Sensechecking At Work, Leanna Hartsough

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations made workplace changes, which added an additional challenge to employees’ communication. However, mindfulness may help members strengthen their workplace interactions. Mindfulness is an intentional open awareness to the present moment (Shapiro, 2009). The theoretical framework of collective mindfulness includes organizational mindfulness, which is mindfulness from a top-down approach and mindful organizing, which is a bottom-up approach to mindfulness at work. This dissertation extends research on collective mindfulness by including listening, individual mindfulness aspects, and sensemaking to examine how collective mindfulness members make meaning of changes due to COVID-19. I observed 26 meetings and interviewed …

Coordinating Boundaries And Negotiating Mental Health Diagnoses And Disclosure: An Exploration Of Stigma And Communication Privacy Management, Paige Anne Von Feldt

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

For quite some time, researchers have tried to reduce stigma and misconceptions about individuals diagnosed with a mental illness. Researchers have examined stigma towards individuals diagnosed with a mental illness, and the internalized stigma that can result. Additionally, researchers have analyzed the dialectical push and pull that occurs between privacy and confidentiality for self-disclosures. Past research has explored disclosure of a mental illness in the context of family members, psychiatrists, employers, friends, and in academic settings. However, there is a lack of research examining how risk perceptions are affected by internalized stigma, thus impacting young adults’ intentions to disclose their …

Is This Going To Be The End? Understanding Problematic Integration Among Appalachian Patients In Colorectal Cancer Screening Navigation, Audrey Smith Bachman

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is preventable through regular screening; however, incidence and mortality rates in Appalachia are among the highest in the United States. Public health programs and interventions meant to mitigate the higher CRC burden and increase screening rates are ongoing in the U.S. and Appalachia. In continuing the efforts to reduce the burden of CRC in Appalachian communities, this dissertation uses a two-part study to investigate communication practices relative to problematic integration and health beliefs in CRC screening conversations from the perspective of both patients and patient navigators in the region. As part of efforts directed by the Rural …

“It’S The Only Thing We Have”: Whisper Networks Among Women Theatre Actors, Richard Edward Carter

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Women who secretly warn one another via informal communications about men in their environment who may engage in some kind of misconduct are participating in a whisper network. This dissertation employs the narrative paradigm to understand how these networks function in the context of professional actors. Interviews conducted with actors who have worked in a variety of communities were analyzed in order to better understand how whisper networks function as warning systems that must be created because conventional means of protection may not exist or be trusted in their industry.

A Multiple Goals Perspective On Burnout Disclosure And Support Among Attending Physicians, Alison N. Buckley

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Burnout is a common experience among physicians and has been identified as a precursor to substance abuse and suicide ideation. When not addressed, burnout can have many negative personal, relational and professional consequences. Research about the burnout experience is limited due to the taboo nature of the topic. The present study used a multiple goals theoretical perspective to examine how physicians disclose burnout in order to access social support. Attending physicians from various specialties (N = 30) participated in one-on-one interviews and were asked to discuss their burnout experience, conversational goals during burnout disclosure, catalysts and barriers for disclosure, and …

The Consent Of Man: An Examination Of Privacy Awareness, Surveillance, And Privacy Policy (Mis)Use, Will Reilley Silberman

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

The problem of privacy is nuanced, pervasive, and requires an elevated approach. Given the lack of consistency with regard to privacy’s conceptualization and operationalization, research is needed that examines variables related to privacy to better understand how privacy operates in the present day. This dissertation aims to better understand nuances of privacy by gauging knowledge of online privacy, technological affordances related to privacy, and knowledge of surveillance. In this study, human subjects from a large southern University were presented with an opportunity to use a privacy-invasive smartphone application. After doing so, they viewed one of three privacy policies. Finally, they …

An Examination Of Communication Sequencing In Enacted Support Interactions For People With Major Depressive Disorder, Madison Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Social support is integral to helping one manage Major Depressive Disorder [MDD], but enacted social support, or the supportive behavior itself, is not always beneficial. Using a normative theoretical perspective on social support and theory related to sequencing as guiding frameworks, in this thesis I examined common sequential patterns of enacted support between support providers and individuals with MDD. Moreover, I investigated how individuals with MDD evaluated the helpfulness of each of the different sequential patterns. To examine the sequential patterns and how individuals with MDD evaluated their helpfulness, I interviewed 20 participants who had been diagnosed with MDD. The …

Defying The Odds: Exploring The Ways First-Generation College Students Enact Resilience, Paris Lauren Nelson

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This thesis examined the experiences of first-generation college students in the context of higher education. This thesis was framed by the communication theory of resilience to discover how first-generation college students enact five processes of resilience: crafting normalcy, affirming identity anchors, maintaining and using communication networks, employing alternate logics, and foregrounding productive action. First-generation college students face academic preparation, financial, social capital, personal, and college completion adversities that may necessitate engagement in resilience processes. Participants (N = 8) participated in focus groups and interviews where they discussed messages from family, peers, and university faculty and staff involving reactive and proactive …

Conversation Goals, Communication Satisfaction, And Relational Dynamics While Navigating Alzheimer’S Disease: A Pre- And Post-Diagnosis Dyadic Examination Of Family Communication, Elizabeth A. Spencer

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Currently there are more than 16 million unpaid Alzheimer’s disease and dementia caregivers in the United States. These caregivers are often family members of the person living with dementia, and as they navigate the process of giving care to the patient, they must also maintain relationships with each other. Families enter the dementia experience with a history of their relational experiences, and their relational experiences potentially change as they navigate family experiences after the dementia diagnosis. Much existing scholarship examining family communication in the context of progressive Alzheimer’s disease and other related dementias has focused on the perspectives of one …

Shyness In The Classroom: A Study In Nonverbal Communication Codes, Nora E. Radway

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This study examined the experiences of shy, introverted, and apprehensive students in the college classroom. This study was framed by multiple goals theory to discover how these students use nonverbal communication to achieve their task, identity, and relational goals in the classroom. Shy, introverted, and apprehensive students face challenges in the classroom especially when asked to verbally participate or give presentations that their more outgoing classmates may not face. Participants (N = 16) participated in focus groups where they discussed their experiences, perceptions, and feelings about participation in their college courses. Results showed that these students do experience apprehension …

“Standing On The Front Lines And Down In The Trenches With Her”: An Exploration Of The Dialectical Tensions And Competing Goals Of Adult Children Of Mentally Ill Parents, Kelley Hodgson

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Mental illness is a pervasive health epidemic in the United States and worldwide, and available data suggest that mentally ill adults are statistically more likely to be parents than non-parents. The prevalence and continued growth of parental mental illness means that millions of children in the United States have a parent with some form of mental health issues.

This dissertation contributes to and extends existing literature on children of mentally ill parents by exploring 15 adult children’s subjective perspectives on how they navigate the tension-wrought experience of having a mentally ill parent, and how this has implications for the management …

Cat In The Classroom: Understanding Instructor Behavior And Student Perceptions Through Communication Accommodation Theory, Terrell Kody Frey

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Adjusting one’s communication is a fundamental requirement for human interaction (Gasiorek, 2016a). Individuals adapt communication behavior according to the circumstances surrounding the situation, resulting in different patterns and forms of speech relative to spouses, family members, coworkers, or friends. Yet, researchers in instructional communication have not yet substantially applied adjustment as a theoretical lens for understanding instructor-student classroom interactions (Gasiorek & Giles, 2012; Soliz & Giles, 2014; Soliz & Bergquist, 2016). Apart from overlooking this useful theoretical approach, instructional communication scholarship can also be improved by accounting for 1) shifting group identities in higher education that change how instructors and …

Mobile Technology And Classroom Relationships, Joe C. Martin

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This dissertation examines the relational implications of the presence of mobile technology within the basic communication course. To guide the research and interpret the results Mottet, Frymier, and Beebe’s (2006) rhetorical and relational goals theory is utilized. To investigate this phenomenon a survey design was employed, and participants were asked to respond to open-ended, closed-ended, and descriptive questions. Results of this study shed light upon how and when university students use technology, as well as the positive and detrimental results such usage has upon the development and quality of their relationships in the classroom, both with instructors and other students. …

“More Than Just A Box”: The Co-Creation Of Social Identity Within Hispanic-Caucasian Multiethnic Family Systems, Anna-Carrie H. Beck

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Approximately 15% of all new marriages in the United States in 2010 were between spouses that shared different racial or ethnic backgrounds from one another. Socha and Diggs (1999) began to examine race as both an outcome of family communication as well as a factor that influences children's communication development in families because of the social pressure multiethnic families endure to fit a nuclear family model. This study utilized dyadic interviews of eleven multiethnic parent couples (N = 22 individuals; 11 dyads) in order to gain a deeper understanding of Hispanic-Caucasian multiethnic family systems. Communication in families plays a foundational …

Mom To Mom: Online Breastfeeding Advice, Jennifer D. Furkin

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Exploring online support groups has gained more and more popularity in the last decade. Investigating the type of support messages users send each other has broadened the already extensive social support framework built in the last forty years. Mothers utilize online support for various topics, and a very common topic is breastfeeding. The perception of breastfeeding has changed throughout history with shifting beliefs and societal norms coupled with solid facts about its importance in the sustaining of infants. Online breastfeeding support has been previously explored through the categorization of types of support and themes within the interactions. This study extended …

Acculturative Stress And Identity Negotiation: A Dyadic Experience, Ana X. De La Serna

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Institutions of higher education in the United States have long been attractors for international students from all over the world. The number of international students had been constantly growing until the past couple of years. This is a concerning issue because international students play several important roles in higher education institutions. International students bring different points of view that enhance other students’ learning and institutions gain financial benefits from the presence of international students. Thus, it is important to understand how to improve the experience of international students. For the present study I used a phenomenological approach to explore the …

Managing Multiple Goals In Opioid Prescription Communication: Perspectives From Trauma Physicians, Elizabeth T. Adams

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Prescription opioids and heroin account for more than half of all drug overdose fatalities, claiming an estimated 91 American lives every day (Rudd, Seth, David, & Scholl, 2016). The ongoing opioid epidemic represents a tremendous burden to the national economy and healthcare system (Rudd, Aleshire, Zibbell, & Gladden, 2016). In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy proposed action to train prescribers on the proper dispensing of opioids, which are indispensable pharmacologic resources for treating acute pain resulting from trauma or surgery. This study examines the prescribing practices of …

Face Threat Mitigation In Feedback: An Examination Of Student Apprehension, Self-Efficacy, And Perceived Emotional Support, Alexis A. Hadden

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

This experimental study examined the effects of an instructor’s face threat mitigation tactics on student self-efficacy for learning and perceived emotional support from the instructor in a written feedback setting. Participants (N = 401) were randomly assigned to one of four feedback scenarios in which level of face threat mitigation and instructor age and status were manipulated. Student grade orientation and state feedback apprehension were measured prior to being exposed to the feedback scenario. Results indicate that high face threat mitigation is positively associated with student self-efficacy for learning and perceived emotional support from the instructor. Results also revealed …

Adolescent Perceptions Of Nutrition: Identifying Memorable Messages, Audrey S. Bachman

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Research is necessary to uncover ways to improve adolescent nutrition and reduce obesity rates, particularly in the Appalachian region, which has high rates of food insecurity and adolescent obesity. The current study examines rural cultural norms about food, memorable messages adolescents received about nutrition, and the sources of identified memorable messages. Adolescents shared memorable messages during comprehensive, semi-structured, small group interviews in which participants revealed their individual experiences. Thematic framework analysis is used to present the range and nature of memorable messages about nutrition and to develop strategies for future health campaigns and interventions. This qualitative method of sequential inductive …

College Students’ Use Of Social Media To Communicate About Alcohol And Drinking Behaviors, Jenna E. Reno

Theses and Dissertations--Communication

Social networking sites (SNSs) are an increasingly popular channel for communication among college students. Often students disclose more freely via social networking sites than they would in other situations. These disclosures commonly include information about engaging in risky health behaviors (e.g., binge drinking). Study 1 examined students’ impression management goals and self-presentation tactics specifically related to self-disclosures of drinking behavior on SNSs. Findings suggest that students use differing self-presentation tactics across various SNSs in order to achieve their impression management goals and to avoid consequences associated with disclosing about risky health behaviors to certain audiences. Study 2 sought to develop …