Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons^™

The Abcs Of Rapport, Sharon K. Ferrett

Trade & Scholarly Monographs

In a world that often talks more than it listens, The ABCs of Rapport is a practical and heartfelt guide to creating meaningful connections, one conversation at a time. This book offers tools, tips, and strategies to help you really listen, communicate effectively, and bridge the distance between yourself and others. More than a communication manual, it’s an invitation to shift how you perceive people, and to see everyone as part of our shared humanity. Whether you’re talking with a child, partner, friend, neighbor, or coworker, The ABCs of Rapport helps you build understanding and connection, even in hard conversations. …

Sealing The Deal: A Case Study Of A Private, Southeastern, Regional College’S Student Onboarding Practices, Alicia R. Gaston, Kristen Meyer, Tyler Ogden, Jennifer Perkinson, Casey Yocum Michaels

Doctor of Education Capstones

Each year, higher education institutions offer support to new, incoming students through an onboarding process that requires dedication and collaboration across multiple departments. Offering streamlined guidance and clear communication throughout the onboarding process is essential to ensure incoming students understand action steps without becoming overwhelmed with new terminology, processes, and environments. This explanatory case study is set to understand the current communication practices and technology use across onboarding departments at Brightside College – also referred to as Brightside or BC (pseudonym). The research team aimed to understand Brightside's onboarding staff's perspective of current processes and practices. With emphasis on the …

What We Owe Each Other: An Examination Of Social Exchange Theory And Public Perception Of Healthy Relationships, Sarah R. Korbich

West Chester University Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Final Projects

This study uses prior literature on social exchange theory and uses various frameworks to examine the public’s perception and comprehension of SET through examining user-generated content on TikTok. Social exchange theory is based upon the idea that when interacting with other persons, you are exchanging rewards and costs. This study was guided by two questions that explore how social exchange is generalized and understood by the public, and how well the public’s ideas of positively contributing to a healthy relationship aligns with operational measures of SET. This study’s intention is to encourage SET’s usage in application to relational contexts as …

Exploring The Connections Between Social Media Posts About Intimate Partner Violence And Their Influence On Women’S Physical And Mental Health, Joanna Lynn

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) can happen to anyone and is considered a common occurrence in the United States (U.S. Department of Justice, 2025). Social media platforms have allowed individuals to post about their IPV experiences, but such posts can be met with negative comments that are not beneficial to the survivor. This study explores how social media posts regarding IPV affect an individuals’ mental and physical health through a quasi-experimental design. Three out of the four groups of participants were exposed to a mock Instagram post that included the same caption and photo for a supportive, unsupportive, and neutral condition. …

You Go, I Will Wait, Rasim Bayramov

Theses and Dissertations

On the other side of the coast, a hand is waiting. On the other side of the shore, someone is waiting for you to come. This space between you and them is an asymptote. The more you wait, the colder the pan is to the hand. But the salt of the sea will cover and warm your hand. There’s much to play with while you wait. The destination is only a promise, a figure disillusioned. Waiting spaces are enchantingly altering

in their premise. A bureaucratic fantasy with no avail and no ending. Systematically accumulated levels of power and control lies …

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 …

Cultural Identity In Mental Health Services And Helpseeking Behaviours Among African International Students, Mark Ofosu Asirifi

Theses and Dissertations

Acculturation stress impacts international students’ psychological well-being and academic success, yet research on African students remains limited. For African international students, this stress is intensified by cultural stigma surrounding mental health services, deterring help-seeking due to fears of judgment and ostracization. This identity negotiation complicates their willingness to access support, reinforcing cultural barriers to mental health care. This study explores how cultural identity shapes the mental health perceptions and help-seeking behaviors of African international students in the United States. Grounded in the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) and the Health Belief Model (HBM), the research examines how acculturative stress, stigma, …

“Money Is Just A Tool, Not The Goal”: Examining Messages That Parents Tell Their Children About Money, Hannah Delorto

Theses and Dissertations

Parental communication plays a crucial role in a young person's development of financial knowledge and behaviors, such as budgeting, saving, investing, retirement preparation, consumer skills, and avoiding excessive debt. This research focuses on emerging young adults aged 18-25, who are a vulnerable group of spenders. Participants shared memorable messages they received about money and rated the messages for positive or negative affect. Then, they answered questions measuring their financial literacy, perceived financial wellbeing, attitude about the importance of money. Four major themes were represented in the data of memorable messages: daily habits, long-term goals, family finances, and the meaning of …

"I'Ve Never Felt A Pain Like This" A Dialogic Analysis Of Parent-Child Estrangement Narratives On Reddit, Grant W. Lane

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

How do adult children estranged from their parent(s) create meaning and make sense of their estrangement in Reddit posts on the subreddit r/EstrangedAdultChild? This study analyzed Reddit posts written by estranged adult children for a presumed audience of other estranged adult children. Using relational dialectics theory (RDT) as a lens for analysis, this research examined the competing discourses that influence the meaning-making and sense-making processes of estranged adult children in their posts when the intended audience is fellow estranged adult children. Seventy-four posts from r/EstrangedAdultChild, authored by adult children who self-identified as estranged from at least one parent, were collected …

Love At First Words: A Communication Competency Approach To Romantic Relationship Initiation, Grace E. Wiegand

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Initial interactions are essential to romantic relationship formation, and both parties must desire a second interaction after an initial encounter for the relationship to advance. Many studies have explored the communication styles and tactics that are effective in a person desiring a second interaction from a dating initiation scenario. However, existing research has yet to explain why some communication strategies do or do not result in second interactions. The current study seeks to examine this phenomenon further, testing the extent to which perceived partner communication competence influences a person to want to see another again after an initial interaction. In …

Applying Engagement Journalism Methods To Reach Young People In The South Bronx, Christine M. Zeiger Mrs., Judith Marks

Capstones

During the fall of 2024, engagement journalism students Christine Zeiger and Judith Marks met with more than 60 teens in the South Bronx. They also distributed digital questionnaires, which garnered 26 responses from teens and adults between the ages of 14 and 22. These questionnaires were distributed after in-person sessions we organized to gather feedback on topics we wanted to learn about more deeply.

The project’s initial goal was to understand how South Bronx teens and young adults were engaging with the November elections and use their feedback to inform election coverage for the Mott Haven Herald and Hunts Point …

Heads Above The Parapet: Personal Motivation And Professional Practice Among Northern Ireland's Community Of Grassroots Peace Practitioners, Ann C. Kelleher Dr., Anna Leon-Guerrero Dr., Maureen Hetherington Ceo Retired

Peace and Conflict Studies

Members of the Northern Ireland’s grassroots peace practitioner community have sustained their careers-long dedication to constructive local engagement across the deep historical divide throughout the decades of The Troubles, the post-agreement era, and up to the present. An exploration of their development as individual practitioners and as a community of practice will contribute to our understanding of grassroots level peace-building.

Based on 29 in-depth interviews with Northern Ireland community practitioners we examine why they, with widely differing personalities, capabilities, and backgrounds, came to care deeply about their society, and how their dedication to changing its historical trajectory produced constructive cross-community …

Pokémon Go: Fostering Community In Location-Based Augmented Reality, Miranda Ward

Communication Studies

While most modern video games are played from the comfort of one's own home, Pokémon GO (2016) is a game that requires people to leave their homes and interact with other people in the real world. Pokémon GO contains community-building mechanics that reward players for interacting with each other and catching Pokémon. Due to this, players use third-party applications to organize meetups, particularly through Campfire, which is an app owned by the same company who created the game, Niantic. Uses and Gratifications Theory can be applied to understand why players choose to play Pokémon GO and what needs the game …

Exploring The Role Of Mass Media In Enhancing Farmer-To-Farmer Extension Activities In Bosomtwe District, Ghana, Anthony Kwame Appiah, Enoch Kwame Tham-Agyekum, Fred Nimoh, John-Eudes Andivi Bakang, Fred Ankuyi

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Farmer-to-farmer extension has always existed among farmers. It helps to strengthen information flow, reduce extension costs, and empower farmers playing a crucial role in enhancing their livelihoods. Currently, scanty information exists on the role of mass media in enhancing farmer-farmer extension activities. It is against this background that this study was carried out. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data from 400 farmers who were selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. The results show that, compared to newspapers, books, TV, radio, computers, and social media, the mobile phone is the most accessible and most used mass media tool …

Validation Versus Gossip: A Fine Line Dilemma, Essraa Nawar

Library Articles and Research

"Years ago, a friend confronted me about something that shifted my perspective on communication. They told me I wasn’t validating them enough. Instead of listening to their frustrations, I would jump into 'fix-it' mode—offering solutions, mediating, or even defending the other person. At the time, I thought I was helping. But their frustration was clear: 'I don’t need you to solve this. I just need someone to listen.'

That feedback stayed with me. It made me wonder: What does it mean to validate someone’s feelings? Is listening enough? And what happens when validation crosses the line into gossip? This is …

Arquetipos & Aventuras: La Identificación De Jugadores De Rol Con Personajes De Cultura De Masas, Miguel Á. Galindo Núñez, Víctor E. Quintana Villarreal

Journal of Roleplaying Studies and STEAM

Este estudio explora la reiteración de figuras arquetípicas en la cultura de masas y su manifestación en los juegos de rol, particularmente en Dungeons and Dragons. Basado en la teoría de la mímesis de Aristóteles y los arquetipos de Jung, se analizará cómo roles estandarizados presentes en diversas culturas se replican en productos culturales contemporáneos. Desde la actancialidad de Barthes y la agencia de Giddens, se examinarán los arquetipos y su interpretación en narrativas de la cultura de masas.

Enfocándose en Dungeons and Dragons, el estudio destacará cómo las clases de personajes actúan como arquetipos y moldes predefinidos …

Patient Engagement And Co-Creation In Healthcare Services: A Scoping Review, Thiruppavai Sundaramurthi, Smita Mathews, Ella Bermudez, Satish M. Mahajan

Patient Experience Journal

Objective: The objective of this review was to find literature related to the concepts of patient engagement and co-creation in healthcare services and identify models and/or frameworks that combined these concepts. Methods: We developed the eligibility criteria using the Population-Concept-Context framework applicable to studies with population of patients exploring the concepts of engagement and co-creation in the context of healthcare services. The search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane, APA PsycINFO, and Ovid MEDLINE. We searched for articles in English with no search limitations on publication dates. Reviewers screened abstracts and full texts to identify articles for data …

Communication Monographs Fall 2024 Newsletter, Shannon Burth, Srividya Ramasubramanian

CODE^SHIFT Research

No abstract provided.

Why Do People Share Social Networking Site Passwords With Their Romantic Partners? The Antecedents And Explanations For Social Networking Site Password Sharing In Romantic Relationships, Megan Vendemia, Jennifer L. Bevan

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Our study examined antecedents and explanations for sharing social networking site passwords with romantic partners. U.S. adults currently or recently in romantic relationships (N = 948) completed an online survey assessing relationship characteristics and reasons for password sharing. Results indicated that relationship satisfaction, relationship length, and social networking site jealousy predicted password sharing. Younger participants were also more inclined to share passwords with their romantic partners. Partner distrust/suspicion reasons were negatively related to relationship satisfaction; relationship strength/security reasons were positively related to social networking site jealousy. Our findings suggest that future digital privacy interventions should emphasize both the benefits …

Thesuppression Ofcoffeehouses: Acomparisonofthe17thcentury Londonandmoderncoffeeshopmovements, E. Spring Iskra

Selected Honors Theses

The coffeehouses of the 17th century in London were places of vibrant political discourse. Patrons of the shops could sit for hours debating relevant societal matters for hours with strangers of all different backgrounds. This environment was well-aligned with the theories introduced by Jürgen Habermas regarding the public sphere. Are contemporary coffee shops still places of vibrant discourse? In order to answer this question, an ethnographic study was conducted in a mid-sized city in central Florida analyzing nine local coffee shops. The analysis consisted of three primary categories: layout and design, discursive resources, and public events. The findings of this …