Browsing by Author "Martey, Rosa, advisor"
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Item Open Access "I see what you're saying": examining self-disclosure and nonverbal communication in digital environments(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2018) Walsh, Adam Clark, author; Martey, Rosa, advisor; Long, Marilee, committee member; Marx, Nick, committee memberComputer-mediated environments are comfortable spaces for people to engage in interpersonal communications. By building on the theoretical arguments of computer-mediated communication scholars (Joinson, 2001; Walther, 2008), this study used a secondary dataset from the SCRIBE project, to examine chat transcripts in a content analysis. The study explored the role of self-disclosure and 15 different nonverbal cues in interpersonal communications in World of Warcraft (WoW). For the SCRIBE project, teams of 3-4 players were tasked with saving the digital city, Dalaran, from marauders (Reene et al., 2011). After gathering all SCRIBE project WoW chat transcripts, a 30% sample was used in a content analysis for self-disclosure statements. These self-disclosure statements and nonverbal cue data (collected in the SCRIBE project) were combined using statistical software, and examined with Pearson correlations, multiple linear regressions, and hierarchical regressions to show relationships. Results supported previous literature in computer-mediated interpersonal communications (Joinson, 2001), and Walther's (2008) Social Information Processing Theory (SIPT), to show players share self-disclosure statements and translate nonverbal cues for sharing relational information between players. The implications for this study are important for understanding how the interpersonal communication concepts, self-disclosure and nonverbal cues, manifest in video games such as WoW, and work together in the communication process. Future research should examine when self-disclosure statements and nonverbal cues are used in relation to the overall communication process, and expand on key dimensions of Walther's SIPT.Item Open Access Strategic planning for the Loveland Sculpture Invitational(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2016) Norton, Meghan Swella, author; Martey, Rosa, advisor; Andersen, Ashley, committee member; Carcasson, Martin, committee memberThe Loveland Sculpture Invitational was birthed out of the growing sculpture movement in Loveland, Colorado. In 1991, a group of passionate sculptors created the Loveland Sculpture Invitational as a forum for undiscovered artists to display and sell their work to the public and to introduce aspiring sculptors to sculptural stage. While in its organizational peak, LSI boasted of being the largest outdoor sculpture show in America in recent years, LSI has been in steady decline – a decline in lack of participating artists, a decline in the attending public, and a decline in board member cohesion. To discover the cause of the decline and provide insight as to what can be done to return to success, this thesis draws from Arts Management literature, Public Relations theory, and Social Marketing theory as theoretical foundation for the thesis research. Research methods of this thesis include in depth personal interviews with each member of the Loveland Sculpture Invitational Board of Directors and online surveys of key organizational stakeholder groups. This thesis conducted a thematic analysis of interview transcripts and survey data. As a result of finding a lack of organizational identity, this thesis presents an organizational strategic plan with aim to guide the Loveland Sculpture Invitational Board of Directors to a path of defining the organizational purpose and a plan to achieve measured organizational success.Item Open Access The halo effect of website experience: examining the impact of aesthetics and usability beyond the page(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2019) McDermid, Sean Robert, author; Martey, Rosa, advisor; Weiss, John, committee member; Switzer, Jamie, committee memberIn recent years, recruitment efforts among universities have become a priority as competition for enrolling graduate and undergraduate students increases. With the pervasiveness of electronic devices in every-day life, digital channels have become necessary tools in post-secondary recruitment and enrollment efforts. Today, a prospective student's and their parent's experience with a university is largely facilitated by digital means, thus impressions of the institution are largely formed through the organization's digital channels. In many cases these exchanges do not just inform the prospect's experience, they provide tactical information and play a key role in forming the overall impressions of the university. The website's aesthetics and usability are primary factors in forming these impressions. An understanding of the extent to which they impact outcomes is critical to the formulation of any digital communication strategy. This study seeks to further our understanding of the role that visual and usability design plays in forming website experiences and how those experiences influence factors related to university selection. The current study conducted a two-condition, between-subjects experiment to examine the influence that aesthetics and impressions of usability have on users' impressions of factors that have been identified as important to university recruitment efforts: faculty quality, program quality, perceived value of education, and quality of student life/campus experience. A convenience sample of 201 adults who were likely to have children who are nearing, at, or past the age where they begin considering their child's college education were recruited to complete an online survey. Participants were shown one of two home page designs and asked to answer a short set of questions. Analysis of their responses showed clear support of all study hypothesis: users who were exposed to a high-quality university website would rate each key recruitment factor more highly than those who were exposed to a low-quality university website. This study contributes to the research in human computer interaction, marketing, cognitive psychology, and university recruitment. It deepens the understanding of the impact that aesthetic and usability design decisions have on aspects that are critical to an organization, even if those aspects are not directly represented. The results have clear implications for university marketers, recruiters, and leadership as well as anybody who is involved the planning and execution of website projects: the aesthetic and usability design of an organization website is important – it has the ability to influence perceptions of the entire organization and impact target audience decision making.Item Open Access The paradox of cellphones: a media dependency study on college-aged teens and their cellphone use(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Cooper, Carson Kane, author; Martey, Rosa, advisor; Wolfgang, David, committee member; Scolere, Leah, committee memberThe cellphone has become a common tool for entertainment, communication, and information in everyday American life. However, with increased dependency on the cellphone, users are also seeing negative repercussions of their relationships with them. Research has found that cellphones are associated with feeling social and job pressures, anxiety, and depression. The media available through cellphones are intentionally crafted to hold users' extended attention and keep them engaged and active for long periods of time. Those who find themselves fighting against their own habits of cellphone use may be struggling against the software designers who make it difficult for users to disconnect themselves from their smartphones. This thesis studies the relationships between college-aged teens and their cellphones to understand the potential tensions between depending on this technology and feeling it is too demanding and distracting. It uses a series of in-depth interviews to address the research question: How do young adults view and feel about their relationship with their cellphones, and to what extent do they believe they are in control over their cellphone use? The theoretical framework of media dependency theory guides this project's approach by integrating considerations of how society plays a role in relationships with media technology. It also introduces key aspects of why users feel they want to escape their cellphones while examining the factors that make it so difficult for individuals to be without their cellphones. As a social level theory, media dependency theory aids in examining the role of the cellphone in society as a whole, and how individuals' relationships with their phones influence their broader social world.