Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Cowl - V. 76 - N. 13 - Jan 26, 2012

The Cowl

The Cowl - student newspaper of Providence College. Volume 76 - Number 13 - January 26, 2012. 36 pages.

This Little Piggy Went To Press: The American News Media's Construction Of Animals In Agriculture, Carrie Packwood Freeman

Carrie P. Freeman

This textual analysis examines the representations of farmed animals in national print and broadcast news discourse in over 100 stories published from 2000-2003. Findings show these American news media largely support the speciesist status quo by favoring elite viewpoints and failing to provide balance. Although exceptions are provided, news media often objectify nonhuman animals discursively through: 1) commodification, 2) failure to acknowledge their emotional perspectives, and 3) failure to describe them as inherently-valuable individuals.

Understanding The Social Consequences Of Microblogging, L. Qiu, Angela K.-Y. Leung, N. Tang

Ka Yee Angela LEUNG

Microblogging has recently become a new form of communication that is rapidly changing everyone’s life. Through services such as Twitter, millions of people can broadcast short messages to their followers via instant messaging, SMS, or web interfaces. However, few studies have been conducted to understand the impact of these emerging phenomenons. In this study, we seek to understand the social consequences of microblogging. Further, we want to examine which aspects of microblogging are related to the consequences. We recruited 120 undergraduates and randomly assigned them to one of four groups (29 to 31 participants in each group). Each group was …

2012-1 Communication In Cournot Oligopoly, Maria Goltsman, Gregory Pavlov

Department of Economics Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Player Profile, Elizabeth Gallo

Communication Student Scholarship

These four assignments are representative samples of my academic work pertaining to two of my sport related classes, Sponsorship & Marketing in Sport Management and Sports Broadcasting. For my Sport Management Plan, I created the mission and goals, marketing plan, advertising tactics, and budget for a fictitious Minor League Baseball team. The three other examples showcase my ability to write player profiles, as well as press conference/game day summaries for print and web platforms.

This Is Not A Guide To Indigenous Research Partnerships, Karen Adams, Shannon Faulkhead

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Development of research partnerships can cause confusion, as there is not and cannot be a step-by-step guidebook to community partnerships. Each one is different because each partnership is unique. The aim of this article is to unpack some of the workings of Indigenous research partnerships. In this article we use a mini-literature review of Australian research, and methods of self-reflection and ‘Yarning’ to draw on our research partnership experiences of having been community partners to researchers, as researchers ourselves partnering with community, and Indigenous knowledge shared with us through collaborative research, and community relationships. The literature review is a tool …

Gender, Religiosity, And The Telling Of Christian Conversion Narratives, Jenell Paris, Ines Jindra, Robert Woods, Diane Badzinski

Sociology Educator Scholarship

Conversion is one important element of religion, the ways in which people shift from one religion (or none) to another, or deepen their commitment within a religion. This study explores the way Christian conversion narratives are told by college students. It considers whether factors such as gender, age, religious denomination, time passed since conversion, and measures of religiosity and orthodoxy influence conversion testimonies. Fifty-nine subjects gave in-depth interviews and completed several surveys, and research was gathered and analyzed using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Deborah Tannen’s genderlect styles theory and a social constructivist perspective on Christianity’s overarching story line are …

Web Write-Up, Elizabeth Gallo

Communication Student Scholarship

These four assignments are representative samples of my academic work pertaining to two of my sport related classes, Sponsorship & Marketing in Sport Management and Sports Broadcasting. For my Sport Management Plan, I created the mission and goals, marketing plan, advertising tactics, and budget for a fictitious Minor League Baseball team. The three other examples showcase my ability to write player profiles, as well as press conference/game day summaries for print and web platforms.

Messiah College Baseball Newsletter Fall/Winter 2012, Elizabeth Gallo

Communication Student Scholarship

As manager of the Messiah men's Baseball Team, I had the opportunity to create multiple newsletters for current players and their parents, as well as prospective players and alums. These publications allowed to me exhibit my skill in conducting and summarizing in-person interviews, as well as enhance my writing abilities.

Ironic Advertising: Theory, Evidence And Practice, Ekin Pehlivan Yalcin

2012

Irony is one mechanism that advertisers use to attract consumer attention. Although ironic advertising (IA) is utilized in the mass media, it has received surprisingly little conceptual or empirical attention from marketing scholars. Perhaps one reason for this is that in marketing irony has been viewed primarily from a postmodern perspective. This is in marked contrast to psycholinguists where the phenomenon is approached from a more ecumenical, realist point of view. This dissertation is based on the premise that a realist approach to ironic advertising would produce insights for both marketing theory and practice.

This dissertation comprises of three papers …

This Is The Art Form: Examining Concept Albums' Methods Of Constructing Meaning In The Digital Age, Mario Alonzo Dozal

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

This study examined how the communicative characteristics of concept albums (music albums that center on a specific theme) have been adapted from a traditional physical form to exist in the digital age. Using three rock concept albums, this study examined how three different formats (vinyl, audio compact disc, and digital download) of the same concept album communicated the overall theme of the album to listeners, and also examined the advantages and disadvantages of each format. Additionally, using discursive analysis, this study sought to expand the academic literature on concept albums by examining the role that supplementary material plays in helping …

“Your Kids Or Your Job”: Navigating Low Wage Work And Parenting In Contexts Of Poverty, Michelle Miller-Day

Communication Faculty Articles and Research

Contexts of poverty seem to magnify vulnerabilities in mothers, especially women who have few resources for coping and little support in parenting. Adding to the challenges of poverty are government mandates to move women off of welfare into the workforce. Focusing on the experiences of four mothers who moved from welfare into the low-wage workforce and then back to unemployment, this study offers a description of how these mothers and their adolescent children navigate and make sense of low-wage work, family life, and cumulative disadvantage.

Principals And Technology: A Case Study Of The Use And Perceived Effectiveness Of Technology To Communicate With Constituents, Bonnie Ann Allman

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Among the many qualities or attributes that serve as the framework for school leadership development programs, communication is repeatedly noted as being an important facet of the administrative leader’s repertoire (Finch, Gregson & Faulkner, 1992; Gougeon, 1991). It is not enough for a leader to be concerned only about communicating with constituents; it is essential that the leader also considers the effectiveness of this communication (Gougeon, 1991). The consolidation of schools in West Virginia over the past forty years has placed more importance on the ability of a principal to communicate with staff, other administrators, students, parents and communities. Each …

Trait And Situational Variables Affecting Communication Channel Preferences In College Students, Britt Alan Frye

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

As more and more interpersonal communication is being conducted via mediated communication channels, important theoretical questions about the impact of this shift in the use of communication media are raised. This study began the process of exploring the implications of the shift in channels used in interpersonal communication situations by examining several factors that previous research has linked to important aspects of relationship development and maintenance. Specifically, respondents were surveyed about their preferred channel of communication in four types of interpersonal communication situations that reflect varying levels of interpersonal comfort in association with communication locus of control scale (CLOC) scores. …

Assessing The Presence And Use Of Nonverbal Communication In Primary Reading Instruction, Amelia C. Ferrell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

This research examined the presence and types of nonverbal communication presented in primary reading instruction. Primary instructors were surveyed about their use and types of nonverbal communication employed during reading instruction. Nonverbal communication variables studied were determined from relevant literature regarding nonverbal immediacy, primary education, and reading instruction. Findings revealed that almost all nonverbal communication variables studied were employed frequently and most respondents had no prior training. Findings suggest how future studies can better evaluate the role of nonverbal communication in reading instruction and provide education for primary teachers in hopes of improving literacy education.

Communication Overload: A Phenomenological Inquiry Into Academic Reference Librarianship, C. Sean Burns, Jenny Bossaller

C. Sean Burns

Purpose – This study aims to provide insight on the meaning of communication overload as experienced by modern academic librarians. Communication is the essence of reference librarianship, and a practically endless array of synchronous and asynchronous communication tools (ICTs) are available to facilitate communication. Design/methodology/approach – This study relied on a phenomenological methodology, which included nine in-depth interviews with academic librarians. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using RQDA, a qualitative analysis software package that facilitates coding, category building, and project management. Findings – Seven themes about librarianship emerged from this research: attending to communication abundance, librarians of two types, …

Order-4 Orthogonal Cooperative Communication In Space-Time-Frequency Coded Mb-Ofdm Uwb, Zixuan Lin, Le C. Tran, Farzad Safaei

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

The combination of cooperative communication and Space-Time-Frequency-Codes (STFCs) has been recently proposed in the literature for Multiband OFDM Ultra-Wideband (MB-OFDM UWB) to improve the bit error performance, system capacity, data rate and wireless communications range. This paper proposes a cooperative communication design using Order-4 Orthogonal STFCs in MB-OFDM UWB systems, which is referred to as Order-4 Orthogonal Cooperative Communication Scheme (4-OCCS). It will be shown that 4-OCCS improves significantly the diversity and error performance of the MB-OFDM UWB system, compared to the conventional MB-OFDM UWB (without STFCs) as well as our Order-2 Orthogonal Cooperative Communication Scheme using Alamouti STFCs (2-OCCS) …

Key-Based Scrambling For Secure Image Communication, Prashan Premaratne, Malin Premaratne

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Secure image communication is becoming increasingly important due to theft and manipulation of its content. Law enforcement agents may find it increasingly difficult to stay afloat above the ill intentions of hackers. We have been able to develop an image scrambling algorithm that is very simple to implement but almost impossible to breach with a probability less than 5x10− 300. This is possible due to the fact that a user may purchase or acquire rights for an intended image by specifying a 'key' that can form a sequence of numbers 10 to 100 in length. The content provider uses this …

Workplace Dignity In A Total Institution: Examining The Experiences Of Foxconn’S Migrant Workforce, Kristen Lucas, Dongjing Kang, Zhou Li

Department of Communication Studies: Faculty Publications

In 2010, a cluster of suicides at the electronics manufacturing giant Foxconn Technology Group sparked worldwide outcry about working conditions at its factories in China. Within a few short months, 14 young migrant workers jumped to their deaths from buildings on the Foxconn campus, an all-encompassing compound where they had worked, eaten, and slept. Even though the language of workplace dignity was invoked in official responses from Foxconn and its business partner Apple, neither of these parties directly examined workers’ dignity in their ensuing audits. Based on our analysis of media accounts of life at Foxconn, we argue that its …

The Use Of Humor In The Classroom: Exploring Effects On Teacher-Student Immediacy And Student Learning, Francisco Antonio Galindo

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The field of education is constantly evolving; however, the goal of bridging the gap between teacher and student relationships remains the same. The focus of pedagogical theories is to inform and orient educators on how they can maximize the learning experience of their students through effective and constantly evolving teaching methods. Many studies have been conducted in regards to how educators can establish a positive learning environment while promoting solid comprehension and lasting retention of the material being taught. Among the methods being tested and practiced by educators is the use of humor (Garner, 2005) in order to achieve immediacy …

Keeping Church Goers Motivated: Church Worship Communication Study, Anne Trelstad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

At a time when mainline Protestant churches in America are concerned with stagnant or declining worship attendance (Duin, 2008) a better understanding of worshippers' motivations could help church leaders plan and create positive worship experiences (Katt & Trelstad, 2009). This study extends the scope of the previous research of Katt and Trelstad by employing a larger sample of purposively selected churches. It attempts to more clearly answer the following question more clearly: What types of incidents serve as motivator and de-motivator factors in the church worship service setting? A sample of 105 church members from thirty-eight churches participated in a …

Visual Communications On The Road In Arkansas: Analysis Of Secondary Students Videos, Stuart Estes, Kristin M. Pennington, Leslie D. Edgar

Discovery, The Student Journal of Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

In the summer of 2010, the Visual Communications on the Road in Arkansas: Creative Photo and Video Projects to Promote Agriculture program was initiated. The program consisted of a two-week agricultural communications curriculum that would be taught by agricultural science teachers in Arkansas. The curriculum was composed of lessons about photography, writing, and videography, and the program introduced students to digital photography and videography equipment and the proper uses of equipment. Once the curriculum was taught in secondary schools, a mobile classroom unit—consisting of a travel trailer, photography and videography equipment, and laptop computers equipped with editing software—would visit the …

Using The Theory Of Planned Behaviour And Implementation Intentions To Predict And Facilitate Upward Family Communication About Mammography, J L. Browne, A Y. C Chan

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Regular mammography facilitates early detection of breast cancer, and thus increases the chances of survival from this disease. Daughter-initiated (i.e. upward) communication about mammography within mother– daughter dyads may promote mammography to women of screening age. The current study examined this communication behaviour within the context of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), and aimed to bridge the intention-behaviour gap by trialling an implementation intention (II) intervention that aimed to facilitate upward family communication about mammography. Young women aged 18–39 (N¼116) were assigned to either a control or experimental condition, and the latter group formed IIs about initiating a conversation …

Robust Distributed Privacy-Preserving Secure Aggregation In Vehicular Communication, Bo Qin, Qianhong Wu, Josep Domingo-Ferrer, Willy Susilo

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs), formed by computers embedded in vehicles and the traffic infrastructure, are expected to develop in the near future to improve traffic safety and efficiency. To this end, VANETs should be designed to be resistant against various abuses and attacks. In this paper, we first review the existing proposals to provide security, privacy, and data aggregation in vehicle-to-vehicle communication. We then address the fundamental issue of achieving these conflicting properties in a unified solution, having observed that separate efforts cannot fulfill the VANET design objectives. A set of new mechanisms are suggested for efficiently managing identities …

Order-4 Quasi-Orthogonal Cooperative Communication In Stfc Mb-Ofdm Uwb, Zixuan Lin, Le Chung Tran, Farzad Safaei, Tadeusz A. Wysocki

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Recently, cooperative communication and Space-Time-Frequency-Codes (STFCs) have been introduced into the Multiband OFDM Ultra-Wideband (MB-OFDM UWB) to improve the reliability, data rate and system capacity. This paper proposes a cooperative communication scheme for a four source node MB-OFDM UWB system using Quasi-Orthogonal STFCs, which is referred to as order-4 Quasi-Orthogonal Cooperative Communication Scheme (4-QOCCS). Simulation results show that the proposed 4-QOCCS provides significantly better error performance over the conventional MB-OFDM UWB and our order-2 Orthogonal Cooperative Communication Scheme (2-OCCS) using the Alamouti STFCs, and even better than the order-4 Orthogonal Cooperative Communication Scheme (4-OCCS), which we have been recently proposed, …

Session Communication And Integration, Guoxin Su, Mingsheng Ying, Chenqui Zhang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

No abstract provided.

Zen Communication - A Cross Cultural Approach To Mindfulness, Appropriate Response, And Flow In Dyadic Interactions, Gregory Husak

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This study examined the question of how the qualities that arise from the practice of traditionally East Asian disciplines such as Zen and related martial arts might be effectively applied to dyadic interactions. Long-form interviews of about 40 minutes each were conducted with academics who have studied these topics and with expert practitioners who have extensive direct experience. Most subjects had significant cross-cultural experience, having studied and/or practiced in both the U.S. and in Japan. Detailed analysis of transcripts of these recorded interviews indicated that, in particular, the seated Zen meditation practice known as zazen generates personally transformational qualities that …

Barriers To Family Cancer Communication In Southern Appalachia, Kathryn L. Duvall, Kelly A. Dorgan, Amber E. Kinser

ETSU Faculty Works

This study examines cultural issues surrounding family cancer communication in Appalachia, providing insight into participants’ communication choices regarding their illness within their families. Stories of 29 female Appalachian cancer survivors from Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia were collected via a mixed methods approach in either a day-long story circle (N=26) or an in-depth interview (N=3). Qualitative content analysis was used to identify unique barriers to family cancer communication in Appalachia. Two barriers emerged: 1) the health of other family members and 2) cancer in a “taboo” area. These findings suggest that Appalachian female cancer survivors struggle with similar issues as …

How Selective Is Social Learning In Dolphins?, Stan A. Kuczaj Ii, Deirdre Yeater, Lauren Highfill

Psychology Faculty Publications

Social learning is an important aspect of dolphin social life and dolphin behavioral development. In addition to vocal social learning, dolphins discover behaviors for foraging, play, and social interactions by observing other members of their social group. But dolphins neither indiscriminately observe nor mindlessly mimic other dolphins. To the contrary, dolphin calves are quite selective in their choices of who to observe and/or imitate. Calves are most likely to learn foraging behaviors from their mothers, but they are more likely to watch and reproduce the play behaviors of other calves than the play behaviors of adult dolphins (including their mothers). …

Navigating Family Cancer Communication: Communication Strategies Of Female Cancer Survivors In Central Appalachia, Kathryn L. Duvall, Kelly A. Dorgan, Sadie P. Hutson

ETSU Faculty Works

In a multiphasic study, the stories of 29 female Appalachian cancer survivors were collected through either a day-long modified story circle event (n=26) or an in-depth interview (n=3). Qualitative content analysis was used to identify emergent themes in the data. The analysis revealed 5 types of family cancer communication including both pre-diagnosis and postdiagnosis cancer communication strategies