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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Pun Strategies Across Joke Schemata: A Corpus-Based Study, Robert Nishan Crapo Apr 2018

Pun Strategies Across Joke Schemata: A Corpus-Based Study, Robert Nishan Crapo

Theses and Dissertations

In the linguistic study of humor, research has largely been centered around the formulation of models and theories or the dissecting and categorization of jokes. Because of the often difficult-to-categorize aspects of verbal jokes, much time has been spent trying to create taxonomies for humor types and mechanisms. Linguists such as Raskin and Attardo have sought to categorize all verbal humor according to various functional elements (Attardo & Raskin, 1991). Such elements include, but are not limited to, the logical mechanism that drives the humor in the joke or the situation where the joke takes place. These categorizations are helpful …

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The Socialization Of Financial Giving: A Multigenerational Exploration, Ashley Brooks Lebaron Apr 2018

The Socialization Of Financial Giving: A Multigenerational Exploration, Ashley Brooks Lebaron

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research has found that family socialization influences financial giving behaviors and that financial giving predicts personal wellbeing. However, little research since the early 1980s has explored this phenomenon, and virtually none of the research has been qualitative in nature. As part of the Whats and Hows of Family Financial $ocialization project, this study employs a diverse, multi-site, multigenerational sample (N = 115) to qualitatively explore the following research question: how do children learn about financial giving from their parents? In other words, how is financial giving transmitted across generations? From interviews of emerging adults and their parents and grandparents, …

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Performance Self-Appraisal Calibration Of Esl Students On A Proficiency Reading Test, Jodi Mikolajcik Petersen Apr 2018

Performance Self-Appraisal Calibration Of Esl Students On A Proficiency Reading Test, Jodi Mikolajcik Petersen

Theses and Dissertations

Self-assessment as a placement measure or accurate assessment of skill has been scrutinized in previous research. Findings have shown a general human tendency towards overconfidence in performance (Kruger & Dunning, 1999). This study looks at performance self-appraisals in an ESL population, with participants from varying cultural backgrounds. Performance self-appraisal calibration is a measure of the relationship between an examinee's perceived skill (or confidence) and their actual skill (or ability) on a given exam item (Phakiti, 2016). Being well-calibrated is an indication that test takers know their strengths and weaknesses and thus the difference between confidence and ability is minimal, whereas …

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Prompting Procedure Skill Acquisition: The Role Of Performance Feedback, Ellen C. Wing Mar 2018

Prompting Procedure Skill Acquisition: The Role Of Performance Feedback, Ellen C. Wing

Theses and Dissertations

There is a need for educators to implement evidence-based treatments for children with autism. Effective training of professionals is essential in ensuring treatment is implemented with integrity. Behavioral Skills Training (BST), an efficacious staff training method, identifies feedback as a critical component of training; however, the role of feedback in this process has not been systematically examined. This research evaluates the efficiency at which prompting skills are acquired, the accuracy at which prompting skills are maintained one-week post acquisition, and the acceptability of training experience across individuals who received either performance feedback or general feedback following brief, video BST.

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Food Discourse: The Communicative Gateway Toward Understanding Formerly Colonized Representation In Parts Unknown, Mitch Combs Mar 2018

Food Discourse: The Communicative Gateway Toward Understanding Formerly Colonized Representation In Parts Unknown, Mitch Combs

Theses and Dissertations

CNN’s television series, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, merges food and travel genres to communicate representations of local, indigenous, and other formerly colonized cultures. This thesis will present the significance of Parts Unknown through a review of literature that concerns postcolonial theory and food discourse to which critical insights emerge and explain how indigenous cultures are represented within Western “foodie” television. These insights will then guide a postcolonial investigation of the food rhetoric used to represent/discuss colonized and local groups within three episodes of Parts Unknown. Additionally, potential applications for rhetorical criticism are discussed by using Parts Unknown as an example …

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Los Pronombres De Segunda Persona Del Singular Y La Cortesía Verbal En Español Peninsular Y En Euskera, Gorka Basterretxea Santiso Mar 2018

Los Pronombres De Segunda Persona Del Singular Y La Cortesía Verbal En Español Peninsular Y En Euskera, Gorka Basterretxea Santiso

Theses and Dissertations

A través de los pronombres de segunda persona del singular se pueden establecer una serie de relaciones personales entre los hablantes en cada idioma. Abundantes trabajos han sido ya publicados en relación a esta cuestión lingüística tanto en español como en euskera, sobre todo para delimitar sus ámbitos de uso, pero en ningún caso se han realizado estudios comparativos dentro de la pragmática intercultural sobre estos dos idiomas vecinos a este respecto. Tomando como punto de partida los pronombres de segunda persona del singular del español peninsular –tú y usted– y los del euskera –hi y zu–, el presente trabajo …

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Perceptual Proficiency Ratings Of Obstruent Productions In L2 Learners Of English As A Function Of Speech Task Type, Word Position, And Listener Expertise, Rachel Mcpherson Zitting Mar 2018

Perceptual Proficiency Ratings Of Obstruent Productions In L2 Learners Of English As A Function Of Speech Task Type, Word Position, And Listener Expertise, Rachel Mcpherson Zitting

Theses and Dissertations

Second language (L2) learners of English must learn to produce English phonemes, words, and sentences. These L2 learners make many errors when learning English; they may change the place or manner of articulation, insert vowels, or delete consonants. Obstruent sounds, such as fricatives, affricates, and stops, can be especially difficult for L2 learners. This study analyzed native English speakers’ perception of the quality of obstruents produced by native Mandarin Chinese and Korean speakers. Target words containing obstruents had been produced in three different tasks: in a carrier phrase, in a paragraph, and in a spontaneous speech sample. Obstruents were produced …

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The Perceptions Of Illinois State University Students Regarding Sexual Assault On Campus, Brittany Lee Acquaviva Mar 2018

The Perceptions Of Illinois State University Students Regarding Sexual Assault On Campus, Brittany Lee Acquaviva

Theses and Dissertations

The prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses is a continued epidemic within the United States. The increase of literature on this topic highlights the risk factors and perceptions that students hold on sexual assault. Previous findings have been able to aid in the creation of educational programs to be administered by universities to their students on commonly misconstrued topics within sexual assault and consent. This research adds to existing literature with its investigation on perceptions of sexual assault that Illinois State University students old. Specifically, this study looks at the beliefs and values that students hold about sexual assault, …

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Understanding 1-D Vertical Flux Dynamics In A Low-Gradient Stream: An Assessment Of Stage As A Control Of Vertical Hyporheic Exchange, Frances Claire Harris Mar 2018

Understanding 1-D Vertical Flux Dynamics In A Low-Gradient Stream: An Assessment Of Stage As A Control Of Vertical Hyporheic Exchange, Frances Claire Harris

Theses and Dissertations

Little Kickapoo Creek (LKC) is a low-gradient, third-order perennial stream with headwaters in Bloomington, IL. The objective of this study is to characterize vertical one-dimensional (1-D) flux rates in the top 150 cm of the streambed, test the viability of a heat tracing method in a low-gradient area, and determine the relationship between stage and 1-D vertical flux rates. In 2009, six wells were installed along the thalweg of the stream in a 25-meter stretch spaced at 5-meter intervals. Each well recorded temperature at five separate depths logging at 15-minute0 intervals from February 2009 to March 2010: 30, 60, 90, …

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Negative Outcomes Associated With Childhood Sexual Abuse, Kristen N. Silbert Mar 2018

Negative Outcomes Associated With Childhood Sexual Abuse, Kristen N. Silbert

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to examine whether attachment insecurity, global self-esteem, sexual self-esteem, and subjective well-being mediate the relationship between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and sexual assault during college. The participants included 158 female college students from Illinois State University. Students were granted the opportunity to receive extra credit for participating in the study. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, the Sexual Self-Esteem Inventory, the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Hot Topics Questionnaire, and the Sexual Experiences Survey. Of the 158 participants, 108 …

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Optimization Of Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Architectures Using Parallel Computation, Michael S. Felten Mar 2018

Optimization Of Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Architectures Using Parallel Computation, Michael S. Felten

Theses and Dissertations

Improving Space Situational Awareness (SSA) remains one of the DoD’s top priorities. Current research at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) has shown that modeling and simulation of Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) SSA architectures can identify optimal combinations of ground and space-based sensors. This thesis extends previous research by expanding design boundaries and refining the methodology. A genetic algorithm examined this increased trade space containing 1022 possible architectures. Experimental trials that would have taken over 100 years on a desktop computer were completed in weeks using a high-performance computer containing over 125,000 cores. The results of the optimizer clearly …

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Requirements For Air Force Cost Analysis, Chase M. Houser Mar 2018

Requirements For Air Force Cost Analysis, Chase M. Houser

Theses and Dissertations

This research effort intends on identifying the knowledge, skills, abilities necessary for cost analysts to be effective decision support members. The purpose of this research is to determine what levels of education, training, and knowledge are needed by cost analysts in the current career field and in the foreseeable future. It also assesses whether cost analysts associate the levels of knowledge, skills, and abilities as requirements in fulfilling cost analyst duties. From this analysis, a suggested undergraduate education, master’s degree program, and certifications were created for current and future cost analysts to strive to achieve. To accomplish this objective, personal …

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Air Force Officer Attrition: An Ecconometric Analysis, Jacob T. Elliot Mar 2018

Air Force Officer Attrition: An Ecconometric Analysis, Jacob T. Elliot

Theses and Dissertations

Many organizations are concerned, and struggle, with personnel management. Training personnel is expensive, so there is a high emphasis on understanding why and anticipating when individuals leave an organization. The military is no exception. Moreover, the military is strictly hierarchical and must grow all its leaders, making retention all the more vital. Intuition holds that there is a relationship between the economic environment and personnel attrition rates in the military (e.g. when the economy is bad, attrition is low). This study investigates that relationship in a more formal manner. Specifically, this study conducts an econometric analysis of U.S. Air Force …

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Water Security Issues Affecting Migration And Conflict In The Middle East, Richard E. Mard Mar 2018

Water Security Issues Affecting Migration And Conflict In The Middle East, Richard E. Mard

Theses and Dissertations

Iran is facing a daunting reality regarding the future of their water resources which may result in conflict and migration within the country with the potential to affect the Middle East and North African region and beyond. The country has failed to address critical preservation, risk mitigation, infrastructural, and political efforts to accommodate their rising population due to economic expansion. Water resources are dependent on social, political, economic, and environmental variables related to conflict and migration. Given the recent examples of water security issues in Syria resulting in migration and conflict, this thesis investigates the total available water per capita …

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A Study Of Collaboration Between The Defense Logistics Agency And The U.S. Agency For International Development In The Conduct Of Humanitarian Operations, Jessica M. Thomas Mar 2018

A Study Of Collaboration Between The Defense Logistics Agency And The U.S. Agency For International Development In The Conduct Of Humanitarian Operations, Jessica M. Thomas

Theses and Dissertations

Many organizations are finding it advantageous and often necessary to form collaborative alliances with strategic partners in order to solve collective problems and jointly work towards mutually desirable ends. This research examines a single case study of inter-agency coordination between the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and their involvement in humanitarian relief efforts. Pursuit of advancement through two collaboration models provided the framework of the research and contributed to the analysis of data. Resulting outcomes offer incentives for both organizations to develop stronger social networks assisting in a deeper understanding of the others …

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Predicting Global Disposition Of U.S. Military Personnel Via Open-Source, Unclassified Means, Matthew T. Small Mar 2018

Predicting Global Disposition Of U.S. Military Personnel Via Open-Source, Unclassified Means, Matthew T. Small

Theses and Dissertations

The Joint Distribution Processing Analysis Center (JDPAC) of the United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) regularly forecasts the demand of USTRANSCOM assets required by geographic and combatant commanders. These demands are subject to fluctuations due to unforeseen circumstances such as war, conflict, natural disasters, and other calamities requiring the presence of military personnel. This study evaluates the use of exponential state space smoothing, ARIMA, and Regression with ARIMA errors models to forecast the number of military personnel expected in each country, for a test set of countries of interest to USTRANSCOM and which manifest a high degree of variability in the …

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Phase Gate Implementation Of Project Definition Rating Index (Pdri 9f Af Milcon Project Development: A Comprehensive Analysis, Jared R. Breuker Mar 2018

Phase Gate Implementation Of Project Definition Rating Index (Pdri 9f Af Milcon Project Development: A Comprehensive Analysis, Jared R. Breuker

Theses and Dissertations

The $1.3B Air Force Military Construction (MILCON) program has shown a trend of 6% cost growth and 12% schedule growth in the construction phases of its projects. Air Force leadership has attributed this to a shortfall in the standardized processes for requirements definition and scope development. The Project Definition Rating Index (PDRI) has been in use on Air Force MILCON projects for almost a decade, but the development and approval process for these projects does not lend itself to direct PDRI implementation. 96 PDRI MILCON projects executed from 2009 to 2016 were analyzed for trends in project development implementation strategies …

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Improving Decision Support Through Storytelling, Tarah E. Cotton Mar 2018

Improving Decision Support Through Storytelling, Tarah E. Cotton

Theses and Dissertations

The role of decision support has emerged in the Air Force, Department of Defense, and in the civilian sector. With information being more accessible than ever before, the ability to analyze, interpret, and communicate information effectively and efficiently has become essential. While extensive resources are expended on growing the strength of decision support and analytical capability, the skills involved in presenting the data to decision makers is under-developed. Now more than ever, decision makers are being tasked with making huge decisions in short periods of time. With a shrinking workforce and greater reliance on automated systems, decision makers must use …

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Af Corporate Exposure Assessment Strategy: Underlying Cost Behaviors And Visibility, Bradley M. Duncan Mar 2018

Af Corporate Exposure Assessment Strategy: Underlying Cost Behaviors And Visibility, Bradley M. Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

The research conducted in this thesis is an initial attempt to identify the costs associated with occupational exposure assessments within the Air Force. Using cost estimation methodologies, a cost model was created to predict the total costs of occupational hazard assessments focused on air sampling. Data was gathered from bioenvironmental engineering databases and subject matter experts for analysis. The data required extensive curation before running a mixed step-wise regression. The major cost drivers for occupational exposure assessments were identified as the sample time and pre-calibration time for conducting an air sample. The average predicted cost was $183.47 with 80% of …

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An Analysis Of Stability Properties In Operating And Support Costs, Scott C. Hewitson Mar 2018

An Analysis Of Stability Properties In Operating And Support Costs, Scott C. Hewitson

Theses and Dissertations

Accurately predicting Operating and Support (O&S) costs is vital in the current climate of budgetary constraints. However, there is an overall lack of research in the realm of O&S which hinders cost estimator’s abilities to provide accurate sustainment estimates. This research determines when Air Force Aircraft O&S costs stabilize and to what degree. Stability is examined in three areas: total O&S costs, the six O&S cost element structures, and aircraft type. Stability results vary by category but generally is found to occur 80% of the time at approximately five years from Initial Operating Capability (IOC). The second portion of this …

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Analysis Of Influences Of Separation Decisions In The Financial Management Career Field, Shauna Young Mar 2018

Analysis Of Influences Of Separation Decisions In The Financial Management Career Field, Shauna Young

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to analyze influences on separation decisions of active duty Air Force financial management officers. Researchers tested nine variables to determine their separation implications. The tested variables were major command, age, prior enlisted service, spouse, commissioning source, AFIT cost analysis master’s degrees, engagement, crystallization of job alternatives, and exhaustion. Results proved that age, prior enlisted service, having a spouse, and being an Air Force Academy or AFIT graduate correlates to whether a financial management officer will separate from the Air Force. In addition, the engagement level or having a defined list of job alternatives readily …

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Predicting Agency Contributions For The Federal Employment Retirement System (Fers) Fund, Raymond L. Mims Ii Mar 2018

Predicting Agency Contributions For The Federal Employment Retirement System (Fers) Fund, Raymond L. Mims Ii

Theses and Dissertations

The Federal Employment Retirement System is a pension fund for federal employees and is managed by the United States Office of Personnel and Management (OPM). Each year OPM publishes an annual Civil Service Retirement and Disabilities Fund (CSRDF) report that provides information on the health of the fund. The report contains historical cash flows from income provided by contributions to the fund from employees, agencies, and the U.S. Treasury. Additionally, the report shows actuarial valuations of the total liabilities owed to all current employees and annuitants. The actuaries at OPM use their estimates to provide projections needed to maintain the …

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Air Force Installation Contracting Agency Strategic Sourcing And Category Management Through Expenditure Profiling, James T. Okamoto Mar 2018

Air Force Installation Contracting Agency Strategic Sourcing And Category Management Through Expenditure Profiling, James T. Okamoto

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines an approach to characterizing various expenditure profiles for the Air Force Installation Contracting Agency’s Operations and Maintenance Appropriated Funds. Using naive, seasonal naive, trailing moving average, exponential smoothing, linear regression, and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) forecasting methods, the paper evaluates multiple error measures over one fiscal year to find the most precise model for each level of analysis. Levels of analysis included the Air Force enterprise and level 1 category levels, as well as an illustrative approach to Information and Technology spend at the level 2 subcategory, major command, and base levels. Optimal model characteristics were …

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How A Conducive Environment And Susceptible Followers Influence Toxic Leadership Behaviors In The Air Force: An Examination Of The Toxic Triangle Theory, Rachel S. Beightel Mar 2018

How A Conducive Environment And Susceptible Followers Influence Toxic Leadership Behaviors In The Air Force: An Examination Of The Toxic Triangle Theory, Rachel S. Beightel

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis was to determine what characteristics of the Air Force’s environment and Airmen perpetuate toxic leadership behaviors. This survey study was designed, using the toxic triangle theory, to evaluate the toxic leadership behaviors, susceptible follower traits, and conducive environment characteristics participants have experienced in the Air Force. The study applied ordinary least squares path analysis to determine the influence susceptible followers and characteristics of a conducive environment have on toxic leadership behaviors in the Air Force. Results revealed that collusive followers have a direct influence on toxic leadership. While only two characteristics of a conducive environment …

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The Africa First Initiative And Local Procurement, Rachel E. Herald Mar 2018

The Africa First Initiative And Local Procurement, Rachel E. Herald

Theses and Dissertations

The strategic importance of Africa to the United States has grown significantly. Camp Lemonnier, a naval-led military installation, is located in Djibouti and is vital to the strategic success of the United States in Africa. In order to strengthen U.S.-Djibouti ties and solidify an enduring presence in Africa, the Department of Defense implemented the Djibouti First Initiative. Under the initiative, local vendors received preference for resources and products needed at Camp Lemonnier. In 2017, the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act replaced the Djibouti First Initiative with Africa First. The new policy extends the authority to limit competition and …

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Cultivating Agile Organizational Culture: Addressing Resistance To Change In Bureaucratic Government Organizations, Michael P. Mclane Mar 2018

Cultivating Agile Organizational Culture: Addressing Resistance To Change In Bureaucratic Government Organizations, Michael P. Mclane

Theses and Dissertations

Resistance to change is a phenomenon that affects organizations almost universally. All organizations large and small are continuously challenged to adjust, evolve and innovate to gain or maintain competitive advantage and mission effectiveness. Alarmingly high failure rates are reported: 30-70% of change initiatives falling short of their prescribed intent or never attain the desired results. This research investigates how bureaucratic governmental organizations can address this truth, and how leadership can cultivate a flexible, agile culture that is more adaptable to the demands of constant change. This study uses case study methodology and qualitative research methods aid in the understanding of …

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Framed Text Messages As A Nutrition Education Intervention, Michael James O'Halloran Mar 2018

Framed Text Messages As A Nutrition Education Intervention, Michael James O'Halloran

Theses and Dissertations

A youth’s college years is a critical period in health behavior formation, during which body mass index (BMI) and other health behaviors such as diet and physical activity are strong predictors of adult health status. Text messaging is prominent in the lives of most college-age adults. Despite this, relatively few studies have investigated the potential of utilizing a text message-based intervention to target fruit and vegetable consumption, a measure for weight management behaviors. Additionally, few studies utilizing a text message-based intervention have utilized a theory specific to the creation of behavior-motivating text messages. The gain-framed health behavior messages of Prospect …

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Language Translation For Mental Health Materials: A Comparison Of Current Back-Translation And Skopostheorie-Based Methods, Amelia Kathleen Black Mar 2018

Language Translation For Mental Health Materials: A Comparison Of Current Back-Translation And Skopostheorie-Based Methods, Amelia Kathleen Black

Theses and Dissertations

As mental health professionals seek to disseminate information in many languages in order to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population, it is important to consider the methods of written translation that the field is choosing to employ. The method chosen for translation can affect the accuracy and usability of the translated text. This study begins with a survey of current literature, the results of which suggest that the most popular translation method in the mental health field is back-translation, a translation method based in the premise that translating a text back into its original English after it has …

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A Rhetorical Analysis Of Campaign Songs In Modern Elections, Lottie Elizabeth Peterson Mar 2018

A Rhetorical Analysis Of Campaign Songs In Modern Elections, Lottie Elizabeth Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Since the U.S. presidential election of 1800, candidates have selected campaign songs to underscore their political platforms. The literature on politics and music suggests that in modern campaigns, the significance of music rests not in the song itself but in the artist behind the song and the image associated with that particular artist. This analysis sought to convey how the very process of selecting a campaign song is a profound rhetorical act, and that songs chosen even in modern elections have a specific meaning and purpose tied to the political contexts in which they are embedded. Using an adaptation of …

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How Are U.S. Startups Using Instagram? An Application Of Taylor's Six-Segment Message Strategy Wheel And Analysis Of Image Features, Functions, And Appeals, Robert David Jenkins Mar 2018

How Are U.S. Startups Using Instagram? An Application Of Taylor's Six-Segment Message Strategy Wheel And Analysis Of Image Features, Functions, And Appeals, Robert David Jenkins

Theses and Dissertations

Social media and their accompanying smartphone apps have opened brands to consumers in unprecedented ways. Of these sites, none, with the exception of Facebook, are more popular than Instagram, a social networking app that is image-centric and image-driven. As a free platform for potentially reaching, attracting, and engaging with millions of consumers, Instagram offers brands an unprecedented avenue for free advertising—all on a relatively level playing field. This means that brands, even startups, have the same access to potential followers as larger, more established brands. This advertising is more fluid, more frequent, and more inconspicuous than traditional advertisements; e.g., magazine …

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