Theses and Dissertations - Department of Journalism & Media Communication
Recent Submissions
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Presence, what is it good for? Exploring the benefits of virtual reality at evoking empathy towards the marginalized
This study examines the relationship between physical presence and empathy across three technology modalities: 1) virtual reality head-mount displays, 2) desktop virtual reality, and 3) text narratives with photographs ... -
Virtual reality and news audiences: empathy or more?
In this master's thesis, I analyzed the following question: "Does VR journalism increase empathy or prosocial behavior in news audiences?" In doing so, I also balanced considerations of other modifiers of prosocial behavior. ... -
Science communication and coproduction: applying the theory of motivated information management to the science-policy interface
Science communication scholarship claims that engagement, dialogue, and interaction are important communicative components. But there are relatively very few studies of dialogic science communication processes from a science ... -
Effect of psychological distance on e-smoking cessation campaign messages, The
The study examines the effect of psychological distance on psychological reactance toward e-smoking cessation campaigns, attitude for the e-smoking cessation campaign message, and intention to quit e-smoking as a response ... -
"Cut her some slack.": examining twenty-first century ecofeminist digital opinion leader #AOC and the #GreenNewDeal
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez holds a unique and captivating spot in the political arena in 2020. At the forefront of the nonbinding resolution, the Green New Deal (GND), her position on Twitter with over 6.7 million followers ... -
Predictors of youth climate collective action: extending the theory of planned behavior framework to examine identity and communication
Due to the growing concern of the global climate change crisis and young adults responding to this crisis in large numbers by engaging in public-sphere environmental actions, this study seeks to more deeply understand ... -
Exploring college students' interpretations and implications of the use of cannabis leaves on packaging of foods with hemp-derived ingredients
One of the main communication channels used to acquire consumers' attention through emotional appeal is packaging, and after more than 80 years of stigma, the hemp industry is quickly developing in terms of the design and ... -
Engaging reality: examining how mixed reality mobile apps and games facilitate sense of place development for a more engaged citizenry
Growing concerns regarding declining community and civic engagement as a result of increased access to new technologies calls for research on purposeful design that could have a reverse impact. Location aware mixed reality ... -
Framing the mass shooter James Eagan Holmes: serious mental illness and gun violence
This study examined the framing of serious mental illness (SMI) and gun violence focused on the single case of the 2012 Aurora Theater Shooting perpetrated by James Eagan Holmes. At the time, it was the most devastating ... -
Legibility of serif and sans serif type faces in computer displays
Studies of type faces printed on paper have generally found minimal legibility differences between the many type faces. Modem computers are capable of displaying many of the same type faces available to printers, but few ... -
#instaworthy presentations of place: a place study of experience among teenagers on Instagram
The present study is devoted to the exploration of place presentations and online representations of immersive place-based experiences by teenagers on Instagram. This study is curious to understand if students' from an ... -
Relative persuasiveness of health infographics, The
This study explores the persuasiveness of infographics, as a quantitative communication strategy to support medical decision making and health risk appraisal. compared to its equivalent text-based condition, within in the ... -
Rhetorical storm: linguistic analysis of uncertainty in severe weather communication, A
Weather forecasts are a product with inherent uncertainty and a wide audience (Compton, 2018). Known as an example of prediction rhetoric (Morss, Demuth, & Lazo, 2008), weather forecasts have been found to be influenced ... -
Analyzing risk-related information seeking behavioral intention and risk perception of wildfires: the High Park Fire Burn Area
This study assessed risk-related information seeking behavioral intention and dual-process risk perception within the context of wildfires. Particularly, the study focused on utilizing a combined risk-related information ... -
Montana cattle ranchers' perceptions of USDA APHIS involvement in brucellosis monitoring in the greater Yellowstone area
Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that that causes abortions in domestic and wild ungulates including cattle, bison and elk. The disease has been almost completely eradicated in the U.S., besides the last remaining reservoir ... -
Effects of crisis severity and crisis response strategies on post-crisis organizational reputation
Using situational crisis communication theory (SCCT), this study investigates the impact of crisis severity and crisis response strategies on post-crisis organizational reputation within the field of crisis communication. ... -
Halo effect of website experience: examining the impact of aesthetics and usability beyond the page, The
In 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, ... -
In times of extreme weather events: Gen Z and information seeking about climate change on digital media
This study aimed to examine the factors that motivate Gen Z members to seek information and engage in conversations in digital media around the topic of climate change. The current study adopted some individual-level factors ... -
Misbehavior in virtual worlds: breaking the rules for social benefit
This thesis uses Gidden's (1984) Structuration Theory as a guiding framework for examining the causes and consequences of misbehavior in virtual worlds. Misbehavior is clearly delineated from more commonly studied cheating ... -
Diffusing art therapy using the innovation of social media: experiences of four rural art therapists
As the practice of art therapy grows and evolves, the way in which healthcare providers disseminate information and connect with patients changes, especially through networks such as social media sites. Physicians and ...