Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

“He Will Always Love Me”: Authentic Romance And Reciprocal Love In Otome Games, Elena Yifei Zhao, Nick Bowman

Media Studies - All Scholarship

This study investigates how players construct and articulate emotionally meaningful relationships in otome games. Drawing from 293 open-ended responses from Chinese players, a thematic analysis identified six recurring themes: authentic romance, companionship, shared experience, integration into daily life, game features, and personal growth. The most dominant theme, authentic romance, reveals that players often describe otome boyfriends as emotionally responsive partners who provide validation, support, and affection. Functional descriptions of gameplay mechanics were notably disconnected from other themes (primarily emotional engagement themes). A follow-up analysis of the most popular otome games in the same …

Motivational Interviewing Impact On Provider Burnout, Julie Cook

Graduate Studies Theses and Dissertations 2026

The study of patient–provider communication rarely considers the impact of provider–patient dialogue on providers themselves. This dissertation explores why motivational interviewing (MI) has been shown to reduce burnout among health care providers who use it. Using the empathic communication model (ECM) as a lens, it examines possible explanations for how MI contributes to lower burnout in providers. A mixed‑methods approach was used, consisting of a survey‑based quantitative study and a qualitative study using semi‑structured interviews. The quantitative study surveyed physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Participants were asked questions assessing their knowledge of MI, the types of empathy they experience …

You Are Your Ancestors’ Wildest Dreams: A Journey Beyond The Lens Blueprinting The Influence And Impact Of Media And Podcast Pedagogy On Black And Brown Creatives In Higher Education And Beyond, Diamond N. Morgan Dr.

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

Explores the influence and impact of media and podcast pedagogy on Black and Brown creatives (BBC) in higher education. Grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT), the Black Creative Educational Experience (BCEEs) framework, and the conceptual lenses of sociological and public podcasting, this study examines how podcasting functions as a transformative pedagogical and sociocultural tool for storytelling, identity development, creative expression, and community building within collegiate environments. Utilizing a convergent parallel mixed methods design, the study integrates quantitative survey data from 65 participants with qualitative focus group discussions to provide a holistic understanding of participant experiences across personal, professional, academic, social, …

Community Care During Austerity: Mutual Aid And Online Connection Among Disabled Americans, Maeve J. King

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Amidst a mental health epidemic and rising inequality, online communities offer a medium for peer support networks for disabled Americans. Community care, especially in the form of mutual aid, has increased in popularity since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering troubling increases in eugenics-based messaging and disproportionate economic inequality, disabled Americans in particular have leaned into community care. Previous research establishes social media as a hub for resource mobilization and safe space for members of marginalized communities to connect. This research aims to explore the impacts of social, political, and economic unrest on the development of community care and …

Participation, Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

What does it take to participate in direct, naturally occurring social interaction? Conversation analytic (CA) studies reveal that “participation”—who participates, when, and how—is dynamic and locally, multimodally achieved by the people involved. Particularly in social situations when people are concurrently accessible to one another’s naked senses (Goffman, 1964), co-participation is enabled and performed through embodied and vocal resources including talk, gaze, facial displays, body orientation/posture, proximity, and gestures (e.g., M. H. Goodwin, 1999; C. Goodwin & M. H. Goodwin, 2005; Pillet-Shore, 2010; Sidnell, 2009). Using a multimodal CA lens, this chapter illuminates how “participation” is achieved in real-time, naturally occurring …

Customers' Perceptions Of Customer Service After The Covid-19 Pandemic, Marissa Young

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines how customers perceive customer service after the COVID-19 pandemic, using qualitative data from an open-ended survey to evaluate how expectations, experiences, and the meaning of service have shifted. The findings demonstrate that consumers view customer service as a holistic process influenced by interpersonal communication, operational efficiency, product availability, and pricing transparency. Participants emphasized both positive and negative encounters, stating that the COVID pandemic fostered lowered expectations due to staffing shortages and work stress, while also remaining observant of service inconsistencies. These results relate to theories of service quality, emotional labor, and organization-public relationships by illustrating how crisis …

Per My Last Email: Analyzing Social & Emotional Cues In Digital Workplace Communication, Lauren Hunt

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

As virtual work arrangements expand and email becomes an increasingly central workplace communication tool, the function of virtual communication norms provide valuable insight into workplace email dynamics. This study draws from social information processing theory, expectancy violations theory, and channel expansion theory to model how behavioral and linguistic features associated with virtual communication norms shape email perceptions and downstream conflict. The present research examines key communication features from real workplace email threads. Specifically, I extracted response time, sentiment, and linguistic mimicry (e.g., text length, word use), using Natural Language Processing techniques. Data was collected from 461 participants, resulting in 245 …

Developing Identity After Goodbye: Social Identity Theory And How Adolescent Survivors Navigate Suicide Loss, Elizabeth Susan Lawton

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Adolescents who lose a loved one to suicide, known as suicide-loss survivors, face a disruption to identity development, a life stage defined by identity formation (Adler et al., 2018) and group belonging (Pittman & Richmond, 2008). Suicide bereavement is complicated not only by grief but also by stigma, which can fracture social ties and undermine self-concept. Social identity theory (SIT) provides a framework for examining how young adults, now ages 18 to 30, reconstruct their social identities after experiencing suicide loss in adolescence. Research in other stigmatized contexts shows that adopting positive in-group identities can buffer against stigma and protect …

The Laymen's Conceptualization Of The “Safe Space”, Tiffany A. Nord

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The term "safe space" appears frequently across academic, organizational, therapeutic, and social contexts, yet lacks conceptual clarity. While originating from LGBTQ+ and women's activist movements, contemporary usage has expanded without theoretical development, making it confusing and challenging to effectively implement for researchers and practitioners alike. This two-phase qualitative study examined how individuals define safe spaces. Phase 1 employed an open-ended questionnaire with 62 general population participants. Phase 2 involved semi-structured interviews with 22 self-identified LGBTQ+ individuals. Data were analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory methodology. Findings revealed five core elements: specified setting, enacting responsiveness, allowing candor, perceiving security, and sensing …

Creating A Radical Social Change Campaign To Restore Rational Thinking: A Theoretical Framework, John S. Long

Student Theses and Dissertations

Rational thinking is a skill and mindset that is under siege in modern society, becoming increasingly endangered as we devolve into increasingly hyper-partisan communities rife with echo chambers and confirmation biases. The most basic processes of analyzing issues and facts to develop clearly thought-out and defendable positions have been abandoned in favor of a zealous devotion to toe the party line, no matter the evidence or implications. What we are witnessing firsthand is the fast-approaching culmination of the post-truth era.

One might assume that an issue with such far-reaching implications across our entire society would generate a significant amount of …

The Trust Equation: Users, Companies, And Safety In The Online Dating World, Hayley Solomon

Student Theses and Dissertations

Digital dating platforms have become essential to modern-day relationship formation, yet concerns about user safety, harassment, deception, and accountability have intensified distrust, particularly among women. This study explores (1) how women’s personal experiences of danger shape their perceptions of dating apps’ trustworthiness, (2) how women explain the nature of trust and distrust in these digital environments, and (3) how communication professionals can design messages that promote safety and strengthen trust on dating platforms. Using a qualitative study design, four focus groups with three participants each were conducted with heterosexual cis-gender women aged 18–50 who had used Hinge, Tinder, or Bumble …

Assessing Leadership In Business: A Critical Investigation Of Lorne Michaels, Emily Laput

Honors Scholar Theses

This thesis critically investigates the leadership effectiveness of Lorne Michaels, the executive producer behind the comedic institution Saturday Night Live (SNL). For nearly half a century, Michaels has cultivated a unique and high-pressure environment credited with launching the careers of numerous comedic actors. Drawing upon Kouzes & Posner's Five Principles of Exemplary Leadership framework and peer-reviewed research, this analysis examines the balance Michaels strikes between fostering innovation and exercising strict control. Ultimately, this thesis aims to provide a nuanced understanding of Lorne Michaels' leadership, assessing its effectiveness within the dynamic and often volatile environment of live television production and …

Trust, Influence, And The Two-Step Flow Of Communication: How Msu Jmc Freshmen Navigate Information Networks In The Digital Age, Caroline Blakeman

Honors College Theses

This study examines how Murray State University students in the Journalism and Mass Communications department engage with information and interpersonal trust through the lens of the Two-Step Flow of Communication. Using a quantitative survey, participants reported how they receive and evaluate information across six domains: politics, healthcare, education, international conflict, religion, and campus news. The survey also explored participants’ own perceptions as “opinion leaders” within their social networks. Findings reveal that coworkers, family members, and religious associates were consistently rated as high-trust sources of information. In particular, trust in religious associates showed a notable pattern: participants who expressed higher levels …

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 …

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 …

Exploring Bonding Through Outdoor Recreation In Foster Care Utilizing Attachment Theory, Casandra L. Barnes

Communication & Theatre Arts Theses

As of 2024, there are over 328,000 children in foster care in the United States (AFCARS, 2024), many of whom experience disrupted attachments and trauma that hinder their ability to form healthy relationships. Drawing from attachment theory, this study explores how outdoor recreational activities can facilitate bonding between foster parents and their foster children. Using a mixed method approach this explorative research project consisted of two phases: a pilot study at the Virginia zoo involving foster families participating in a cooperative outdoor activity and completing post event surveys, and semi-structured interviews with foster parents to examine lived experiences of bonding …

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 …

The Greatest Victory: Teaching Strategy And Peace Through Negotiation, W. Chad Austin

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

This article examines how structured negotiation instruction, centered on the Circle of Value framework, enhances the critical and strategic thinking skills of cadets at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Drawing on experiential learning, role-play simulations, and case studies—such as U.S.-China tensions over Taiwan—the article demonstrates how cadets apply integrative negotiation techniques to real-world geopolitical scenarios. The Circle of Value framework emphasizes interest-based negotiation, objective criteria, creative option generation, and the development of mutually beneficial outcomes. Through written analysis, live negotiation exercises, and reflective feedback, cadets build key competencies in communication, decision-making under pressure, and conflict resolution. The paper …

Communication Monographs Fall 2025 Newsletter, Shannon Burth, Srividya Ramasubramanian

CODE^SHIFT Research

No abstract provided.

An Affinity For Alignment: Spontaneous Convergence Of Stance-Taking In Topical Conversations, Carmen Tu, Stacey Zoutis, Steven Brown

Journal of Social, Behavioral, and Health Sciences

Alignment in stance-taking is a foundational behavior in conversation, but few studies have quantified the degree to which conversationalists converge in their attitudes toward a topic. We attempted to quantify this convergence in terms of three parameters related to alignment: intensity (low to high), prevalence (percentage of time in alignment), and content (use of open-ended versus closed-ended statements). To examine the utility of these parameters, we compared the content of conversations between unacquainted dyads in either a free conversation condition or a topical condition in which the individuals were mismatched for their attitude toward the topic to maximize disalignment between …