Theses and Dissertations

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Open Access
The role of ethics of care messaging in AI crisis communication: examining the interplay role of ethics of care and crisis response strategies on organization-public relationship, organizational reputation and behavioral intention
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Choi, Sera, author; Kim, Jangyul, advisor; Sivakumar, Gayathri, committee member; Park, Young Eun, committee member; Hastings, Pat, committee member; Yan, Ruoh-Nan, committee member
This dissertation explores the effectiveness of crisis response strategies—specifically denial, excuse, and apology—in the context of artificial intelligence (AI) crises, emphasizing the mediating role of Organization-Public Relationships (OPR) and the moderating impact of ethics of care on organizational outcomes. Utilizing a 3 (crisis response strategies: deny, excuse, apology) x 3 (ethics of care: high vs. low vs. no) between-subjects design, the study examined the influences of different crisis response strategies and levels of ethics of care on OPR outcomes, organizational reputation, and supportive behavioral intentions across a sample of 532 participants. Participants were assigned to one of nine experimental conditions depicting a crisis involving a fictitious company, "Hexxa," portrayed in varying contexts of ethics of care. Data collection was conducted through an online survey platform – Prolific, employing paired samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and moderated mediation analysis using PROCESS Model 84. The results revealed that apology strategies significantly improved OPR outcomes and organizational reputation more effectively than denial and excuse strategies. High levels of ethics of care enhanced these outcomes across all response strategies, surpassing effects in low and no ethics of care conditions. Although direct effects of crisis response strategies on organizational outcomes were often non-significant, the incorporation of ethics of care significantly magnified these effects through OPR, underscoring its pivotal role in crisis communication. The findings deepen situational crisis communication theory (SCCT) by illustrating how ethical considerations and organization-public relationships interact to influence organizational outcomes in AI-related crises, advocating a shift towards more ethically nuanced crisis communication approaches. Practically, the results advocate for the prioritization of ethics of care in crisis communication, providing empirical support for its effectiveness in not only mitigating crisis impacts but also in fostering long-term public relationships. The study's findings also reveal the significant, yet differentiated, impacts of low versus no ethics of care approaches, suggesting a threshold effect for ethical considerations in crisis response. These insights yield important implications for practitioners, highlighting that even minimal ethical engagement can significantly influence public perception and behavior. In conclusion, the dissertation posits a call to action for organizations to strategically incorporate ethical considerations within crisis communication frameworks, especially in AI-driven contexts, where socio-technical risks pose unique challenges.
Embargo
Invisible citizens: how marginalized Ghanaian LGBT+ citizens shape their stories on Instagram
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Addison, Sheilla, author; Arthur, Tori, advisor; Humphrey, Mike, committee member; Attai, Nikoli, committee member
In Ghana, like most African countries, LGBT+ members are relegated to the background and generally live in fear of persecution. The media has played an instrumental role in framing the discourses surrounding queerness, leading to exclusion, marginalization, and moral panic in the country. Currently, the emergence and active use of social media have afforded many Ghanaians a platform to engage and express harmful opinions that are implicit and explicit queerphobia. In a similar vein, queer activists and some LGBT+ individuals have appropriated social media platforms, including Instagram, as a powerful alternative platform to redefine negative stereotypes, challenge the narratives around marginalized LGBT+ citizens and provide an alternative way of viewing their worlds. Using defensive digital alchemy as its theoretical framework, this thesis employs Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis to assess @lgbtrightsghana's defensive digital alchemy in Instagram to fight against the marginalization of sexual identities in the face of Ghana's anti-LGBT+ Bill. The findings suggest that @lgbtrightsghana's defensive digital alchemy challenges master narratives, redefines negative stereotypes, and provides alternate views of queer Ghanaians.
Open Access
Media portrayal of AI-generated art as possessing or lacking cultural capital
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Samsonov, Anatoly, author; Wolfgang, David, advisor; Martey, Rosa Mikeal, committee member; Dunn, Thomas R., committee member
This study explores the media portrayal of AI-generated art through the conceptual frameworks of Pierre Bourdieu's cultural capital and framing theory within communication studies. By conducting a qualitative textual analysis of media articles, the thesis seeks to understand the discourse surrounding AI-generated art and its perceived cultural value. Focusing on significant media reactions to pivotal AI-generated artworks sold at high-profile auctions and awarded in competitions, the research investigates how these artworks are framed in terms of possessing or lacking cultural capital. The study shows that in the media texts, art created by generative AI is presented as possessing aspects of each of Bourdieu's forms of cultural capital – institutionalized, objectified, and embodied – as well as economic capital. However, the possession of each form of capital is contested, which provides an equal representation of the opinions of supporters and opponents of AI-generated art, alongside the absence of the dominant perspective in the texts studied. The study aims to contribute to broader discussions on the integration of technology into societal frameworks, addressing the implications on legal, ethical, and cultural perceptions and the development of AI technologies in the art world.
Open Access
Sweet persuasion: decoding CGM apps' strategies on Instagram in the age of health and wellness
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Gopalakrishna Anuradha, Vybhavi Krishna, author; Sivakumar, Gayathri, advisor; Tham, Samuel, committee member; Most, David, committee member
The study investigates how Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) companies are now expanding beyond diabetes management. They are expanding their horizons to include non-diabetes individuals who are struggling with weight management, and this new development is reflected in their Instagram messaging strategies. Psychological phenomena derived from social cognitive theory, such as observational learning, forethought, self-efficacy, and other content strategies suggested from Hubspot reports, like the format of the post, caption length, and the time of the post, are used to engage the audience on the platform. Nutrisensio, Levels, and January AI's Instagram posts and their engagement rates are used to conduct a quantitative content analysis. The findings prove the presence of these strategies and suggest techniques that can be used in health tech Instagram accounts to make better connections with the audience.
Open Access
Political peersuasion: an investigation of the impact of social influence on Facebook
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Hansen, Scott, author; Kim, Jangyul, advisor; Sivakumar, Gaya, committee member; MacDonald, Bradley, committee member
Since Facebook began in the mid-2000s, people have used the platform to present their own opinions, whether or not those opinions were popular. Thus, Facebook became a veritable marketplace of ideas, where opinions ranging on a variety of topics were shared, discussed, and potentially persuaded by their online friends. As politics have divided the nation across political spectrums to an extreme degree, Facebook has been a platform where opinions of a political nature have also been shared, discussed, and argued. This study examined the persuasive power Facebook users have over their online friends in a political context, specifically on the topic of vaccines. Results showed that source credibility can exist in a horizontal fashion rather than just a vertical one, where people trust their peers' political opinions, especially when they seem to be politically active, aware and knowledgeable. Additionally, the frequency with which peers on Facebook interact and the level of influence they have was shown to be a statistically significant result. The more people interact with each other over the mediated Facebook platform, the more trust, credibility, and level of persuasiveness is also increased. Due to the ability of Facebook to serve as a personal soap box of opinions, and people's willingness to state their opinions, the possibility of persuasion can exist on Facebook in some cases more than if they were talking face to face.
Open Access
Make 'em laugh: humor's role in seeking science-based messages
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Patterson, Ashley L., author; Anderson, Ashley, advisor; Johnson, Emily, committee member; Marx, Nick, committee member
Science information as a whole has become known as a controversial topic because it often invokes political beliefs and social values when it is presented in the media. This has resulted in audiences being cautious about engaging with scientific messages. Humor is increasingly being used as a strategy to communicate science-related information, yet research on its effectiveness is still growing. The goal of this project was to contribute empirical evidence to the limited pool of literature and outreach tactics that exist regarding the application of humor science-based content on social media. Through a two-condition, between subjects, online experiment this project measured if positive emotion, conceptualized as feeling joy, which can be described as experiencing elation or mirth, was invoked when exposed to a humorous science-based message; whether exposure to humorous science-based messages have a direct effect on information engagement; and if experiencing a positive emotion impacted greater levels of information engagement. Participants were undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at the Colorado State University, Fort Collins campus who were registered in a course within the Journalism and Media Communication department during Spring 2024. A total of 117 participants gave responses while the survey was live in the SONA system, between February 2-23, 2024. Results indicate participants who were exposed to a humorous science message were more likely to experience a positive emotion and had a higher likelihood of seeking out or sharing similar messages in the future. Additionally, the experience of a positive emotion was a significant factor in a participant's likelihood of seeking out or sharing similar messages. Results suggest that individuals exposed to a humorous message are more inclined to experience positive emotions and those who did are more inclined to participate in information engagement in the future. This study indicates that humor plays a significant role in driving information engagement.
Open Access
The role of master and counter-narratives in conceiving a carbon-neutral society a discourse analysis of a French podcast
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Carle Dorville, Coralie, author; Humphrey, Michael, advisor; Anderson, Ashley, committee member; Luna, Jessie, committee member
In the context of the climate crisis, narratives that stimulate our imagination to create a desirable view of the future are tremendous for understanding and defining our society's goals. This study analyzed four scenarios designed by the French governmental ecological agency ADEME which present different alternatives for a carbon-neutral society in France in 2050. The podcast series "Tomorrow is Not Far Away," which was created in 2022 to introduce the four scenarios, was examined to capture the master and counter-narratives. The method centered around critical discourse analysis provided crucial insights into the dynamics of power and social relations that contribute to the futuristic master and counter-narratives. Futuristic master narratives are grounded in the narrative of human domination over nature. With narratives on eco-technological solutionism, unlimited economic growth, and personal freedom, the future is not bright for everyone, and the consequences of climate change are heavier on those who are the most vulnerable. The debate held by the experts unraveled each futuristic counter-narrative and demonstrated the complexity of creating a carbon-neutral society that does not leave anyone behind. The panelists brought back nature at the center of the conversation and discussed the delicate balance between sufficiency and technology. They also reminded us that climate justice needs to be organized and ensured by public policies.
Open Access
Effect of fear and representations of great white sharks on great white shark conservation behavior
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Montgomery, Emily, author; Tham, Samuel M., advisor; Champ, Joseph, committee member; Aubry, Lise M., committee member
Great white sharks are listed as a vulnerable species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list. This study uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to test how different factors such as attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control along with representations and fear of great white sharks affect great white shark conservation behavior intentions. This study (n= 218) used a 2 (fear) x2 (representations) between-subjects experimental design. The main findings from this study found that participants had higher positive attitudes toward great white sharks when exposed to the stimuli featuring the presence of fear image compared to the absence of fear image; however, there was no significant difference in great white shark conservation behavior intention based on the four conditions participants were assigned to. All other results in this study analyzing factors of TPB and great white shark fear and representation were expected and supported by TPB and previous research.
Open Access
Affordance alteration in the contexts of video game communities
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Laman, Landon Paul, author; Wolfgang, Justin David, advisor; Castillo, Dani, committee member; Marx, Nick, committee member
This study analyzes a group of players within the online video game Grand Theft Auto 5 in the context of their relationships to affordances within the game and how they alter these affordances to curate the game to their desires. The group within this study has a rigid social hierarchy and limits their available affordances through the game for a more intimate knowledge of its functions and increased senses of accomplishment through group play. This study utilizes Gibson's affordances to explain the relationship between player and world, social identity theory to examine the group dynamic and its impact on conceptualization of self and group, media system dependency theory to unravel the motivations of the players, and CTDA to analyze the group's utilization of the platform as a place for community gathering and meaning making. This study was conducted through 1:1 interviews with members of the group to understand their interactions, feelings, and motivations behind their restrictive brand of play and the difference between the spirit and the word of the rule set.
Open Access
The failure effect: why you think she can't win
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Brandon, Melissa R., author; Martey, Rosa Mikeal, advisor; Kodrich, Kris, committee member; Wolfgang, David, committee member; Vasby Anderson, Karrin, committee member; Khrebtan-Horhager, Julia, committee member
This dissertation analyzes how modern media coverage and framing of women political candidates reinforces and sustains what I term the Failure Effect. The Failure Effect is a complex combination of gender-based expectancies and cognitive processes including cultural cognition, motivated reasoning, and pragmatic bias, which are amplified and reinforced by media framing techniques that ultimately disadvantage women candidates. I argue the Failure Effect causes voters to doubt a woman candidate's electability even when she is an otherwise qualified candidate, resulting in voters choosing a man candidate at the ballot box because they believe She Can't Win. Despite progress toward gender parity in politics, women continue to hold a significantly smaller portion of political offices than men, particularly at the executive level. Investigating this issue, I examine the history of women candidates in the U.S., gender-based social role expectations, journalistic norms, the attention cycle model, and symbolic annihilation in connection with women political candidates. The study conducted considers the impact of commonly used media framing techniques, specifically strategic game frames, on political outcomes and the notions voters may hold about the electability of a woman candidate. This dissertation argues that despite progress, gender parity in politics remains a distant goal. The research question posed in this study yielded results that both supported the argument of the dissertation as well as surprising results that are ripe for future investigation and potentially the future success of women political candidates. This study asks: How do media frame ideas about executive-level women candidates' electability? To investigate this question, I examined the framing of news stories in four major national newspapers in the United States and the coverage generated about the six women presidential candidates who ran during the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary. This qualitative thematic analysis found eight primary strategic game frames and several additional sub-frames that were applied to the women candidates. The results of this analysis provide support for the primary argument of this dissertation – the Failure Effect, and how media framing of these candidates causes voters to believe that She Can't Win.
Open Access
There's something in the air: studying the behavioral intention of outdoor workers to protect their health during air quality events
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Giesenhagen, Erica Therese, author; Anderson, Ashley, advisor; Abrams, Katie, committee member; Magzamen, Sheryl, committee member
Poor air quality has been an issue in the United States for decades and has been made more prevalent due to the world's changing environment. Exposure to poor air quality can lead to both short- and long-term health effects that can range in severity. There are a number of health-protective measures an individual can take in order to reduce the effects of poor air quality. The purpose of this study is to research what motivates outdoor workers to take health-protective measures during periods of poor air quality. This study utilizes the Health Belief Model (HBM) and a qualitative approach. Through focus groups with outdoor workers from the City of Fort Collins (n = 18), this study aimed to find out what motivates outdoor workers to take health-protective measures during air quality events. Main findings were that outdoor workers at the City of Fort Collins have experienced air quality events and have the knowledge of what health-protective measures they can take to limit their exposure. It was evident that there is limited action in taking health-protective action during periods of poor air quality. The study concludes with suggestions for ways that current functions of the City of Fort Collins can be improved to further support the outdoor workers for taking health-protective action from poor air quality.
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 member
The 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.
Open Access
Shades of risk: a mixed-methods approach to designing and testing a new hurricane map graphic
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Rosen, Zoey, author; Long, Marilee, advisor; Abrams, Katie, committee member; Sivakumar, Gayathri, committee member; Magzamen, Sheryl, committee member; Most, David, committee member
Map graphics are a popular tool for hazard risk communication, layered with numerical, verbal, and visual information to describe an uncertain threat. In the hurricane context, graphics are used to communicate the probability of different threats over a forecasting period. While hurricane graphics have been studied in the past, they have not been analyzed from the design phase through to the intended audience. Additionally, hurricane graphics have not been designed with colorblind-friendly accessibility in mind. This dissertation presents the results of a three-phase, mixed methods study: (a) graphic development, (b) testing with expert user groups, and (c) testing with a public sample. In the development phase (a), I used the best practices for using probability language, color schemes, and localization into map graphics from literature in forecasting, communication, universal design, and emergency management. Additionally, I held informal interviews with professionals from the National Hurricane Center to develop the prototype with their recommendations for the design. In the first testing phase b, I interviewed 19 expert users (emergency managers and meteorologists) from Florida and Louisiana about their preferences for and feedback on the design elements of a new hurricane graphic, as well as if there were individual characteristics that influenced how accurate they were in interpreting wind exceedance data, such as risk perception, confidence, experience, spatial cognition, and numeracy levels. In phase c, I tested the wind exceedance graphic prototypes using a public sample (n = 624) from Louisiana and Florida to gather data on the accuracy of their interpretations for the graphic, again measuring confidence, experience, spatial cognition, and numeracy levels, as well as their design preferences and risk perceptions. The results of the two testing phases (b and c) center around how accurate experts and the public were with interpreting the graphic, as well as if there were other factors that influenced this accuracy, such as spatial cognition or numeracy. Additionally, the results describe both groups' design preferences, risk perceptions of the color schemes and overlays, and how experts think about vulnerability when using the graphic. In both groups, numeracy and spatial cognition were found to predict accuracy of interpretation for a wind exceedance graphic prototype. Likewise, both confidence and experience were found to have a positive relationship with accuracy. Regarding the design choices, both experts and the public preferred a yellow-to-red scheme, though experts thought the yellow-to-red scheme presented the hazard as riskier and the public thought the reds-only was riskier. Adding overlays to the graphic, such as interstates or city landmarks, helped the participants to orient themselves on the map. Experts and the public preferred that there were overlays added to the graphic and scored this version of the graphic as risker than a version without any overlays. The addition of the overlays prompted expert users to think more about the risk and vulnerability of the people in those areas on the map. Vulnerability was conceptualized from both a physical and social standpoint by the experts and applied to how they would use the wind exceedance graphic in a briefing to communicate to their community partners. Overall, this research provides a model for how hazard risk map graphics can be studied from design through implementation. Additionally, I captured how experts think about vulnerability in their communities when shown a forecast map graphic. The conclusion of this dissertation also provides practical recommendations for experts who want to apply the universal design aspects into new hurricane graphics.
Open Access
Cis-male perspectives on advertising and marketing design for farm-to-table restaurants
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Jensen, Maya Faye, author; Abrams, Katie, advisor; Goar, Allison, committee member; Tham, Samuel, committee member
Sustainable green marketing emerged in the 1990's in response to consumer demands for greater access to sustainable options in an effort to protect future generations ahead. These changes would soon be incorporated into the self-regulation practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as it expanded businesses' concern for the environment through operations. Greenwashing emerged as some corporations took advantage of green marketing and were found guilty for misleading consumers about how environmentally responsible they were. Overtime, research has found environmental messaging in this context to be more traditionally feminine based on design elements like font, color, and imagery. This led the researcher to explore farm-to-table advertising, as there is limited research in this area regarding advertising and gender. Farm-to-tables reduce their carbon footprint by designing their menus to be seasonal and sourcing ingredients from local farms. An exploratory, qualitative study was conducted to understand cis-male college students' perceptions of and experiences with ads for farm-to-table restaurants as this perspective is often left out in marketing for this business. This study and its supplementary materials were guided by social role theory, theory of green purchase behavior and source credibility theory. A thematic analysis of participants' responses led to the emergence of four themes. Results from interviews with Colorado State University cis-male college students provided deeper insights into how design elements, previous experiences, relationships and perceptions impacted their attitudes and perceived credibility towards farm-to-table restaurants.
Open Access
Affective attunement and counter-power affordances of Twitter to the 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Enyinnaya, Virtue Chibuike, author; Tham, Samuel M., advisor; Arthur, Tori, committee member; Faw, Meara, committee member
Using the Network theory of Power, and Affective Public, this study employs a Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis (CTDA) to examine the affective attunement and counter-power affordances of Twitter during the 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria. Drawing on qualitative data collected from Twitter during the protests, the study examined the ways in which Twitter facilitated affective attunement - the ability of Twitter users to attune to each other's emotions - in amplifying activist voices and mobilizing publics for collective action. It also analyzed the counter-power affordances of Twitter, which enabled protesters to challenge dominant discourses and power structures in Nigeria. Through a CTDA lens, the study explored the ways in which power, cultural ideologies, users' online experiences, and technology intersected in the #EndSARS protests, and how these dynamics shaped the outcomes of the protests in addressing police brutality in Nigeria. The findings suggest that Twitter played a significant role in the mobilization and organization of the protests, and that affective attunement and counter-power affordances were key factors in the success of the movement. This study contributes to our understanding of the complex relationships between power, technology, and social change, and provides insights for future research on the role of social media in protest movements within regimented democracies. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Open Access
"Symbol of pride": subjugation of journalism under power
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Muhammad, Huzaifa, author; Wolfgang, David, advisor; Kodrich, Kris, committee member; Stecula, Dominik, committee member
This study explores the influences journalists encountered in Bangladesh, a developing country under an "authoritarian" regime while covering the opening of 6.15 kilometers long Padma Bridge. Using Shoemaker and Reese's hierarchy of influence model, Herman and Chomsky's propaganda model, and Bourdieu's field theory, it seeks to answer the question: How does the Bangladeshi media's coverage of the Padma Bridge opening reflect forms of government influence on journalists? Drawing on 12 in-depth interviews with reporters and news managers working from four media outlets, the findings suggest that, in the case of the coverage of the Padma Bridge opening in the Bangladeshi media, the government used several tools to influence. This reflected the authoritarian nature of the government, the censorship, and the self-censorship of the media, which ultimately resulted in the media's inability to provide any critical or even objective coverage of the Padma Bridge and its inauguration.
Open Access
I want you to panic: a discourse analysis on the ways memes express affective responses when shared to protest climate change
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Sakas, Michael Elizabeth, author; Humphrey, Michael, advisor; Badia, Lynn, committee member; Champ, Joseph, committee member
This study analyzes how memes express affect when used to protest inaction on climate change. The climate movement is youth-led and young people use Instagram to create and share climate memes. These memes are hashtagged with #ClimateStrike and other similar words that then add these memes to the climate protest conversation. This study on how climate memes express affective responses increases our understanding of what is driving students to join this youth climate strike movement. This study conducted a critical discourse analysis to identify what important themes emerged when protestors used climate change memes to communicate affective responses. In total 400 memes were collected for this research. Half of them are graphic-based climate memes and the other half are protest-based climate memes. The content of these memes were then analyzed to find what affective responses were most often present. Negative emotions dominated the affective sentiment of both the graphic-based climate memes and the protest-based climate memes. The majority of the 400 memes shared negative emotions associated with feelings like frustration, criticism, fear and helplessness. Positive affective responses were associated with climate solutions, individual action and joining the youth climate movement. When memes share feelings of suffering, fear and despair, those memes call out groups in power who are doing little to halt climate change. If these protestors feel that nothing is being done to save the planet and their future, these negative emotions could be playing a role in their motivation to join the youth climate movement.
Open Access
Gender performance and the hyper-feminized cowgirl: a CTDA analysis of the @wprarodeo Tik Tok
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Esposito, Cassidy L., author; Arthur, Tori Omega, advisor; Abrams, Katie, committee member; Aronis, Carolin, committee member
This study evaluates the Women's Professional Rodeo Association TikTok as a social media platform that uses video to represent rodeo culture and portrays the cowgirl identity. This representation is centered within a male-dominant sport that falls under the agriculture industry and is rooted in other agriculture practices and history. It is important to understand how this androcentric experience in professional rodeo functions on social media through the @wprarodeo TikTok because social media representation in different forms is used to construct and reconstruct culturally situated identities. Using CTDA (Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis) this study found three cultural ideologies including: the cowgirl appearance, athletic performance, and women empowerment through collective identity, which are present on the @wprarodeo TikTok as a representation of female narratives in professional rodeo, which are bolstered through Tik Tok's affordances. Tik Tok in an increasingly integrated digital space with highly intuitive user-based content and interaction.
Open Access
Impact of the identifiable victim effect on audience willingness to donate to healthcare organizations via Instagram
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Konkel, Abby Nicole, author; Tham, Samuel, advisor; Sivakumar, Gaya, committee member; Williams, Elizabeth, committee member
The landscape of healthcare fundraising has changed dramatically in recent years due to a rise in online and social media fundraising. As fundraising itself adapts to advancing technology, this study examined how a tried and true traditional fundraising strategy known as the Identifiable Victim Effect impacts audience willingness to donate to healthcare organizations on Instagram. By conducting a 2 x 2 factorial design experimental survey in which photos and captions of Instagram posts were manipulated, the emotional response elicited from different IVE conditions, demographics that may play a role in donating on social media and the ways in which IVE impacts willingness to donate were all examined. This study found that emotional response, measured through Distress and Sympathy positively impacts willingness to donate. This research adds to the existing literature on IVE and starts to bridge the gap that exists at the intersection of healthcare and IVE in social media contexts.
Open Access
Effects of goal-framed and dynamic norm messages on national park campers' intentions to comply with wildlife attractant storage guidelines
(Colorado State University. Libraries, 2023) Gorostiza, Jordan Matthew, author; Abrams, Katie M., advisor; Anderson, Ashley A., committee member; Niemiec, Rebecca, committee member
Wildlife habituation and conditioning have posed persistent issues for managers of U.S. national parks and protected areas. The tendency for park campers to unintentionally feed wildlife by improperly storing known attractants contributes to these issues. There are park regulations requiring campers to properly store wildlife attractants that often go unfollowed. There is a noted management preference for addressing this noncompliance through communication. Previous research suggests that goal-framed and dynamic norm message frames may be effective at fostering behavioral antecedents and intentions to engage in pro-environmental behaviors such as proper attractant storage. This study examined if goal-framed and dynamic norm messages were effective at encouraging compliance. Results demonstrate no statistically significant impact on antecedents or intentions to store attractants from either goal-framed messages, dynamic norm messages, or goal-framed messages paired with dynamic norm messages. However, these statistically nonsignificant findings are aligned with a growing body of literature that have highlighted the complexities of accurately measuring the effects of goal-framed messages and the potential limited effectiveness of dynamic norm messages. Future research should focus on exploring these complexities in order to better understand how goal-framed and dynamic norm messages might be useful tools to park managers in mitigating the effects of negative human-wildlife interactions.