Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

Beauty Isn't Always Better: How Salesperson Attractiveness Affects Consumers' Approach Behaviors, Veronica L. Thomas, Stephanie M. Mangus, Dora E. Bock

Marketing Faculty Publications

This research examines how a consumer's committed romantic relationship influences their decision to approach an attractive salesperson in a retail environment. To date, the majority of research espouses the benefits of salesperson attractiveness in enhancing consumers' perceptions of the salesperson and the represented retailer. This is problematic because it creates a managerial bias toward attractive salespeople and, as we propose, provides an incomplete view of the effect of salesperson attractiveness on consumers' behavior. Drawing on the interpersonal relationship literature on commitment, we propose that consumers in committed relationships activate relationship-maintenance motives that override the beauty bias when a salesperson's attractiveness …

Impact Of Instagram Flyers In Higher Education: Within Resident Assistant Program Attendance Marketing, Mary J. Mcdonald

Liberal Studies (MA) Final Essays

This exploratory pilot study examines whether posting Instagram digital flyers affects Resident Assistant (RA) program attendance in the higher-education Housing and Residence Life (HRL) context. Instagram has emerged as a dominant channel of communication among Generation Z (1997-2012). As a result, higher education institutions have increasingly used social media to prompt student engagement and foster belonging, in hopes of strengthening retention. Using a quasi-experimental matched comparison design, attendance data from the 2024 academic year without Instagram flyers were compared to the 2025 academic year with Instagram flyers. The independent variable was the implementation of Instagram digital flyers, and the dependent …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 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 …

Call For Editor, Volumes 39-41 (2027-2029), Angela M. Hosek

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Call For Manuscripts For Volume 38, Angela M. Hosek, Elina Nikolskaya

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Forum Response — Beyond Gatekeeping: Narratives And Infrastructures For Inclusive Foundational Courses, Sergio Fernando Juárez, Ana Isabel Terminel Iberri

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.

Reimagining The Basic Course: Integrating Asian And African Storytelling Traditions In Public Speaking Pedagogy, Dious Joseph

Basic Communication Course Annual

Public speaking courses often reflect Eurocentric rhetorical traditions, focusing on argumentation, logic, and individual presentation styles. This essay proposes a redesign of public speaking curriculum by incorporating storytelling traditions from Asian and African cultures. These traditions emphasize communal narratives, moral lessons, and audience engagement through relatable stories, offering a richer, more inclusive approach. The essay contrasts the communal and narrative-focused traditions of Asian and African storytelling with Western argumentation and rhetoric. It advocates for integrating these storytelling techniques into public speaking courses to make them more representative of global perspectives, benefiting both international and domestic students. Such integration would prevent …

Is Seeing Believing? Comparing Students’ Mediated Social Learning About Public Speaking Anxiety Using Audio-Only Or Audio-Visual Instruction, Peter B. Gregg

Basic Communication Course Annual

This study examines how mediated instruction affects public speaking anxiety (PSA), self-efficacy, and motivation. Grounded in social cognitive and multimedia learning theories, 137 students viewed or listened to a brief lecture on PSA control. Results showed significant improvements in self-efficacy, reduced PSA, and increased motivation, with no significant differences between audio-only and audio-video formats. These findings suggest that audio-only instruction can be as effective as video-based content, offering an accessible alternative for diverse learners. The study highlights the value of brief, mediated interventions for improving public speaking outcomes in both traditional and online learning environments.

Reimagining "Public Speaking" Projects: A Creative And Inclusive Experience, R. Brandon Anderson, Jennifer A. Butler

Basic Communication Course Annual

This article advocates for an inclusive approach to public speaking instruction by incorporating Universal Design for Learning (UDL). We describe an alternative assignment—“Telling Your Story”—that emphasizes narrative and multimodal expression through a gallery walk format. Designed to support neurodivergent students while benefiting all learners, the assignment reframes traditional speech models and offers a flexible, creative way to enhance public speaking skills. We argue that inclusive design should be viewed as pedagogical best practice, not merely accommodation.

Basic Course Forum Introduction, Angela M. Hosek

Basic Communication Course Annual

No abstract provided.