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Browsing by Author "Diffrient, Scott, committee member"

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    Choosing love: performances of romance in mobile dating simulation games
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Martinez, El, author; Elkins, Evan, advisor; Diffrient, Scott, committee member; Martey, Rosa, committee member
    With the launch of the Android app store in 2008, mobile gaming has occupied a surging niche in the video game market. While considerable scholarly attention has been paid to video games, with mobile games enjoying a portion of that attention, the study of dating simulation games is still emerging. Further, almost all existing scholarship on dating simulation games focuses on console- or computer-based games. This thesis aims to fill that gap by analyzing how dating simulation conventions translate onto mobile devices. What changes when a new platform, with its own conventions and affordances, is introduced? Through textual analysis of gameplay mechanics, visual style, and narrative, I examine how popular mobile dating simulation games offered through the Android app store construct and restrict player access to romance on the axes of time and money. Ultimately, I argue that the ways time and money flow on the mobile device afford unique performances of romance while foreclosing others, apart from their progenitors on consoles and PCs.
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    Coraline Connors, a catechism
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Clark, Megan, author; Altschul, Andrew, advisor; Vara, Vauhini, committee member; Diffrient, Scott, committee member
    Below is the story of Coraline Connors, a sixteen-year-old Catholic, lesbian runaway. Coraline is mouthy, irreverent, and acerbic, but, above all else, Coraline is a lost kid looking for a place to belong. Told in first-person point of view, this novel follows Coraline's journey from her childhood home in rural Pennsylvania to the Cambridge, Massachusetts radio station in which she was conceived. This thesis is interested in girlhood, coming of age, queer identity, and religion—in particular how the latter two intersect. It is dedicated to all the real-world Coralines.
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    Dispatches from an anxious mind
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2013) DeJong, Joel D., author; Calderazzo, John, advisor; Becker, Leslee, committee member; Diffrient, Scott, committee member
    This collection of essays examines a variety of topics, ranging from popular culture to religion and mortality. Essays include "Act Like You Care," in which the narrator wrestles with how to behave in the context of helping someone change a car tire. "The Screaming Peach" reflects on the curious world of body waxing and what it says about our culture. An awkward childhood lesson in Christian engagement with the secular world is the subject of "Discernment." "Fear and Self-Loathing in the Mountain West" chronicles the narrator's irrational impulse to purchase a gun. In "Waders," a fly fishing guide contemplates his own mortality in light of the old men he guides on the river.
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    E-service communications between organizations and customers: an analysis of the Schema Resonance Model
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Song, Xu, author; Christen, Cindy, advisor; Diffrient, Scott, committee member; Gloeckner, Gene, committee member; Hallahan, Kirk, committee member; Long, Marilee, committee member
    To better understand how the one-to-one online communication between an organization representative and an individual customer is conducted and to improve the organization's e-service for customer's information inquiries, this dissertation research proposed a new organization-customer communication model—the Schema Resonance Model. Schema resonance is defined as the resonance between the schemas used by the customer in the sense-making process and the schemas used by the organization representative in the sense-producing process. Hypotheses and research questions were proposed to test whether schema resonance could benefit the organization-customer e-service and to examine whether there were differences based on gender or instant messaging experience when schema resonance took place. A post-test only 3 x 2 x 2 factorial between-subjects experimental/quasi-experimental design was used to test the proposed hypotheses and research questions. The three independent variables examined in the experiment were e-service condition (schema resonance, non-schema resonance, and failed schema resonance), gender (male and female), and instant messaging experience (low and high). A convenience sample of 423 college students participated in the experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the three e-service conditions. A total of 409 participants completed the experimental session and took an online survey. A total of 389 survey entries were usable. Individuals in the schema-resonance e-service condition gained a similar amount of knowledge about the information provided in the communication and showed a similar intent to continue using the e-service as those in the non-schema-resonance e-service condition. Female participants in the schema-resonance e-service condition were more satisfied with the overall e-service, the communication approach used in the e-service, and the information provided in the e-service than were females in the non-schema-resonance e-service condition. Males in the schema-resonance and non-schema-resonance e-service conditions had similar levels of satisfaction with the overall e-service, communication approach, and information. In the schema-resonance e-service condition, compared to males, females were more satisfied with the overall e-service, communication approach, and information; and had greater intent to continue using the e-service. In the schema-resonance e-service condition, individuals who had high instant messaging experience showed more intent to continue using the e-service than individuals who had low instant messaging experience. For individuals who had low instant messaging experience, those in the schema-resonance e-service condition showed more satisfaction with the communication approach and more satisfaction with the information than those in non-schema-resonance e-service condition. Compared to individuals in the failed-schema-resonance e-service condition, individuals in the schema-resonance e-service condition showed more knowledge gain; were more satisfied with the overall e-service communication, communication approach, and information; and showed greater intent to continue using the e-service. The success of achieving schema resonance in the simulated organization-customer e-service communication indicated that it is possible to achieve schema resonance in the real-world e-service situation. It would be beneficial for an organization to achieve schema resonance in e-service communication to improve the efficiency of the communication and increase customer’s satisfaction with the e-service. To achieve schema resonance in e-service communication, the organization representative should use one reply to provide the requested information that the customer has requested and the additional information that the customer also plans to request. It is possible to apply the Schema Resonance Model to other types of organization-customer communication, such as face-to-face communication and telephone communication. The Schema Resonance Model proposes a theoretical framework which maps the representative's sense-making and sense-producing processes and the customer's sense-making process involved in the organization-customer communication, classifies two types of schemas (principle schema and adaptation schema) the representative may use in the sense-producing process to produce information for the customer, and suggests a new communication strategy—proactively providing additional information—that the organization representative can consider using in the organization-customer communication to respond to customer's information inquiries.
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    Factors that influence celebrities' personal brands: the effects of fan club membership offers on celebrity image
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2012) Whitfield, Jill, author; Christen, Cindy T., advisor; Champ, Joseph, committee member; Diffrient, Scott, committee member
    The performing artist fan club business has recently developed into a widespread concept for generating music revenue online (Garrity, 2002). Fans have demonstrated willingness to pay to join fan club memberships offering elite benefits such as concert ticket pre-sales, meet and greet opportunities, unique merchandise, and access to exclusive news and media (Garrity, 2002). The risk with this new business model is that some fans could be insulted that they are now being asked to pay money to subscribe to their favorite artist's sites which were formerly free. This study examined the trend of celebrities charging their fans monetary fees to be members of their fan clubs, and the potential impact that this business model has on the celebrity's image. Positive or negative effects were examined by applying the theory of branding, including concepts of personal branding, internal branding and identity, external branding and image, and the Identity-based Brand Equity Model (Burmann, Hegner, & Riley, 2009). The study employed a 2x2 post-test only factorial experimental design and administered an entertainment questionnaire to 200 undergraduate college students at Colorado State University. The questionnaire examined attitudes toward one of two celebrities prior to and after exposure to an offer to join the celebrity's fan club. The fan club membership offers contained two manipulated variables: type of fan club membership (paid versus free), and celebrity and genre (pop/Lady Gaga versus country/Taylor Swift). The dependent variables in this study were the target market's attitudes toward the celebrity, and their motivation to join the fan club. Results revealed that only eight of 200 participants chose to sign up for fan club membership, regardless of the entertainer. The eight participants who chose to sign up for a fan club received a free fan club offer. Across celebrity conditions, fans are significantly more likely to find a fan club offer more appealing if it is free, and they will be more likely to join a fan club that is free rather than paid. Furthermore, liking or disliking an artist before being presented with their fan club offer greatly impacted fan motivation and likeliness to join a fan club. Fandom research and branding literature suggested that charging fees for fan club membership could negatively influence a celebrity's image. The Identity-based Brand Equity Model (Burmann et al., 2009) implied that if celebrities charged for fan club membership, and fans did not expect this or feel that the behavior aligned with the artist's brand promise, the artist's image would be negatively impacted. Study results challenged this model and indicated that fan attitudes toward both Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga did not alter when participants were presented with a paid versus free membership offer. Thus, charging for fan club membership may not support an entertainer's image, but more importantly, it will not harm an entertainer's image. These conclusions are presented to help celebrities and their management elect if they would like to charge for fan club membership. Results propose that entertainers interested in fan club monetization can apply a revenue model to increase earnings, and their image will not be harmed. Yet, artists need to think through the necessary benefits required to make paid fan clubs alluring, and take into account that fans are more likely to join fan club memberships that are free.
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    Happily never after: reality, fantasy, and cultural dissonance in rape-revenge horror cinema
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Kaye, Bradley, author; Chung, Hye Seung, advisor; Diffrient, Scott, committee member; MacDonald, Bradley, committee member
    This thesis examines the "ultra-low brow" exploitation films of rape-revenge horror in order to locate the cultural discourses inherent in all cultural artifacts. The films follow a two-part, formulaic narrative wherein a young woman is stalked, raped, and either killed or left for dead. The result of the first half of the films dictate their second halves. If the woman lives she takes personal revenge on her assailants and if she does not her parents become avengers in her stead. The genre itself provides fertile ground for examination as a number of generic conventions and archetypes are at work in creating the personage of the woman-as-avenger. Adaptation and simulation of social ills is at the heart of these cultural artifacts as they simultaneously address and deal with a social problem, but do so in a way that fails the real victims of the real social problem. The resulting torture of the rapists has been seen as having feminist connotations similar to the "final girl" in Carol Clover's analysis of slasher films. This is problematized as the films recreate, often shot-for-shot, the woman (or parents) taking the place of the rapists - enacting Sisyphusian-like, ironic punishment. The violent, masculine paradigm used in the attack is thus appropriated for vengeance. The viewer may sympathize with the goals of the avenger(s) but is ultimately be left with a false consciousness surrounding the real social problem of rape.
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    Holes, depressions, and other losses
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2014) Dean, Whitney, author; Levy, Ellen J., advisor; Calderazzo, John, committee member; Diffrient, Scott, committee member
    A collection of memoir essays about loss and survival.
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    (Re)Defining movie ratings: acceptability, access, and boundary maintenance
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2017) Lachowitzer, Chance, author; Chung, Hye Seung, advisor; Diffrient, Scott, committee member; Snodgrass, Jeffrey, committee member
    This thesis explores the allure of motion pictures in transition by focusing on moments of controversy, and in the way, these moments play-out through constant negotiation between an industry and an audience. In this way, the project dismantles MPAA rhetoric about film regulation in order to analyze the regulatory themes of access, acceptability, and boundary maintenance. In doing so, the project examines the history of film regulation to provide context to contemporary controversies surrounding the PG-13 and NC-17 ratings. Through a critical cultural lens, each rating is evaluated according to its impact on viewers and its reflection of cultural standards and norms. For this project, the most credible rating controversies question the themes of acceptability for the PG-13 rating and access for the NC-17. In these moments, the rating system does not successfully respond to discourse from audiences and industry members and shows the inherent limitations of the film industry's self-regulatory practices. At the same time, the project notes the necessity of the rating system to ensure the long-term success of the industry, in addition to, the overall freedom of film content.
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    The use of paratextual devices in broadcast promotion: a content analysis of season three of Glee on Facebook
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2015) Timmons, Rachel, author; Hallahan, Kirk, advisor; Diffrient, Scott, committee member; Martey, Rosa, committee member
    This study analyzed all Facebook posts during the third season of the Fox Broadcast Network television show Glee (n=763), from August 2011 to May 2012. The study illustrated that Facebook posts can be considered valuable paratextual devices (Gray, 2010b) that can be used in the promotion of a television program. The program’s promoters, who served as Facebook Page administrators, used Facebook for three purposes: build viewership, enhance the live-viewing experience, and build brand awareness and engagement. Visual paratexts, such as images and videos, were used more widely than text-based paratexts. Some of the most frequently employed paratexts included previews/sneak peeks/promos, cast-member specific posts, spoilers or teasers, and music video clips. Posts were about equally split in terms of being related to specific episodes versus the show in general. Almost half of the overall posts displayed high interactivity, which prompted the users to leave the Facebook platform. These posts can be valuable if the show is interested in building brand awareness and enhancing the viewing experience, not just increasing post and Page likes. Surprisingly, posts contained about an equal number of explicit and implicit calls-to-action. Explicitness did not vary based upon the interactivity level, except for low-interactive posts, which had more implicit commands. The average number of Facebook “likes” for a post was roughly 10 times the number of “comments” or “shares,” a finding that was not surprising, because “liking” a post is intrinsically simpler than commenting or sharing. Posts that were episode-specific tended to have more likes, comments, and shares overall. Of those posts that were episode-specific, posts published before and after an episode received more feedback than posts published during an episode. The study also found that longer text could discourage feedback, as posts with longer word counts received fewer likes and comments. In today’s digital world, it is easy for users to access, replicate, and share content. Thus, paratexts become the promotional currency used by promoters and the audiences they enlist to help promote a text. It’s a trend that society can expect to be continued in the context of entertainment television as well as in other cultural and artistic art forms. The research suggests that additional exploration is needed to analyze the role of Facebook (and other social media) in television viewership and engagement. As the television landscape shifts more to the online and mobile realms, advertisers and broadcasters need to understand the effect that social platforms can have on the understanding of the text.