Department: Speech Communication ![[clear]](close-x.png "Remove this limiter")
29 matches in the database.
These are records: 1 - 29.
1.
Abate, Brianna Lynne.
The Perfect Storm: A Systemic Analysis of the Apologetic Rhetoric of Hurricane Katrina.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2008, Miami University
► This thesis analyzes the rhetoric of President George W. Bush, Louisiana Governor…
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▼ This thesis analyzes the rhetoric of President George W. Bush, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco, and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Using the rhetorical methodology of apologia, six specific artifacts of federal, state, and city/local governments are examined. Analysis suggests implications for the three levels of government, the study of apologia, as well as future study of natural disaster rhetoric.
Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.
Subjects: Communication; Rhetoric
Keywords: Hurricane Katrina, apologia, rhetoric, George W. Bush, Kathleen Blanco, Ray Nagin
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2.
Anderson, Jillian Rene.
“Yes, and…!” Assessing the Impact of Theatre-Based Improvisational Training and a Simulation on Work Group Behavior.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2008, Miami University
► Theatre-based improvisational training for executives is becoming a trend with improv-based theatres…
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▼ Theatre-based improvisational training for executives is becoming a trend with improv-based theatres such as Chicago's Second City catering their skills to the corporate world. Unfortunately, effectiveness of such training has relied primarily on assumptions and anecdotal testimony, with little supporting empirical data. This study seeks to take the first step toward quantifiably assessing the effectiveness of workplace improvisational training and the use of a supplementary simulation activity. Malcolm Knowles' assumptions of adult learning guide the research. The Group Behavioral Inventory (GBI), used for assessing impact of organizational interventions, allows for the testing of changes in dimensions of group behavior across time. Results indicate no significant increases in dimensions of group behavior following training and a simulation; however, analysis of trends points to the potential for improv-training to temporarily encourage positive group bonds and reinforce existing group goals. Trends also reveal the value of simulation activities for creating increased self-awareness.
Advisors/Committee Members: Patterson, James.
Subjects: Adult education; Business community; Business education; Communication; Education; Educational evaluation; Educational psychology; Fine Arts; Higher education; Teaching; Theater
Keywords: Training and Development; Adult Education; Improvisation; Simulation; Theatre; Andragogy; Adult Learning Theory; Group Behavior Inventory
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3.
Baer, Jessica Kaye.
CLOSETS ARE FOR CLOTHES: PERCEIVED FAMILIAL REACTIONS WHEN A FAMILY MEMBER COMES OUT AS GAY.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2006, Miami University
► This study qualitatively investigates the coming out narratives of twelve gay men…
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▼ This study qualitatively investigates the coming out narratives of twelve gay men and focuses specifically on how the gay individual perceived his family members’ reactions to his coming out. It allows for a better understanding of sexual orientation disclosure by gay men within the context of the family and aims to make sense of the meaning found in familial reactions to a gay child’s or relative’s coming out. Four core themes were consistently found in the interviews with gay men: the unprompted mentioning of traditional family values, coming out to friends and/or siblings before coming out to parents, familial reactions improving as time progressed, and the presence of other gay family members within the disclosing individual’s family.
Advisors/Committee Members: Patterson, James.
Keywords: gay men; homosexuality; coming out to parents
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4.
Bernard, Nicholas Andrew.
Appealing to the YouTube Voter: An Analysis of Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential Campaign Advertisements on YouTube.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2009, Miami University
► Verbal, nonverbal, and production qualities of Barack Obama’s 2008 YouTube advertisements were…
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▼ Verbal, nonverbal, and production qualities of Barack Obama’s 2008 YouTube advertisements were examined using the videostyle method of analysis. The results of this analysis revealed that the advertisements featured a natural manner of speaking, used an informal setting, a cinéma vérité production style, and focused on Obama supporters. Together these findings suggest that the advertisements add more transparency to the campaign. Other qualities of the advertisements included a positive message, pop or rap music, and motivated the audience to act. These findings help explain the interplay between the YouTube pull medium and campaign advertisements.
Advisors/Committee Members: Rollie, Stephanie.
Subjects: Communication; Political science
Keywords: Barack Obama; campaign advertising; political campaign; YouTube; internet advertising; YouTube posts; 2008 Presidential Campaign
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5.
Boras, Scott Daniel.
Rhetorical Limitations and Possibilities of Technological Embodiment and the ‘Plastic Body:’ A Critical Analysis of Cosmetic Body Alteration and the Hymenoplasty Procedure.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2006, Miami University
► This analysis is intended to show that within the paradigm of technological…
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▼ This analysis is intended to show that within the paradigm of technological embodiment scientific progress in medicine and technology have advanced to the point that the human body is no longer thought of as a fixed form void of fluidity and refashioning. Cosmetic surgery body alterations, specifically the hymenoplasty procedure, are a means by which some women (re)instate the appearance of ‘virginity.’ Within a culturally embodied framework of dominant and subservient groups, this phenomenon is constructed as a controversial practice that uses cosmetic surgery in order to deceive oppressive groups. John W. Jordan’s rhetorical phenomena that shape public understanding of the limitations and possibilities of the ‘plastic body’ (2004) will be used as a methodological guide to frame the analysis and map the critical discourse. By understanding the unique interrelationships of doctors, patients, and publics, ensuing findings that emerge from this examination will show that the hymenoplasty procedure is a discursive rhetorical function with far-reaching implications that are both empowering and disempowering to the patients who are having it done, and also effectively comment on the rhetorical foundation of technological embodiment, culture and hegemony, as well as deception.
Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: body; hymen; hymenoplasty; virginity; plastic body; cosmetic surgery; deception; technological embodiment
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6.
Boras, Scott Daniel.
Rhetorical Limitations and Possibilities of Technological Embodiment and the 'Plastic Body:' A Critical Analysis of Cosmetic Body Alteration and the Hymenoplasty Procedure.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2006, Miami University
► This analysis is intended to show that within the paradigm of technological…
(more)
▼ This analysis is intended to show that within the paradigm of technological embodiment scientific progress in medicine and technology have advanced to the point that the human body is no longer thought of as a fixed form void of fluidity and refashioning. Cosmetic surgery body alterations, specifically the hymenoplasty procedure, are a means by which some women (re)instate the appearance of ‘virginity.’ Within a culturally embodied framework of dominant and subservient groups, this phenomenon is constructed as a controversial practice that uses cosmetic surgery in order to deceive oppressive groups. John W. Jordan’s rhetorical phenomena that shape public understanding of the limitations and possibilities of the ‘plastic body’ (2004) will be used as a methodological guide to frame the analysis and map the critical discourse. By understanding the unique interrelationships of doctors, patients, and publics, ensuing findings that emerge from this examination will show that the hymenoplasty procedure is a discursive rhetorical function with far-reaching implications that are both empowering and disempowering to the patients who are having it done, and also effectively comment on the rhetorical foundation of technological embodiment, culture and hegemony, as well as deception.
Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: body; cosmetic surgery; hymen; hymenoplasty; virginity; technological embodiment; deception
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7.
Camille, Elizabeth Kate.
Online Fund Raising: Relationship Building in the Era of Technology.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2009, Miami University
► This study expands on the history of fund raising as presented by…
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▼ This study expands on the history of fund raising as presented by Kelly (1998) in Effective Fund-Raising Management, and attempts to bring the literature up to date by filling in from 1998 to the present. Specifically, it looks at the internet’s influence on the practice of fund raising and proposes a new era in fund-raising theory: The Era of Technology. Relational dimensions, social networking participation, and internet self-efficacy are investigated in relation to online giving behavior. Ultimately, little statistical significance was found, thus pointing to the continued need for researchers to examine the impact of technology on nonprofits’ abilities to build and sustain donor relations.
Advisors/Committee Members: Nadler, Marjorie.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: online fund raising; relational dimensions; social networking; internet self-efficacy; technology; nonprofit public relations
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8.
Dickhaus, Joshua Brandon.
RACISM IN CONTEMPORARY SPORTS: A PERCEPTUAL AND CONTEXTUAL ANALYSIS.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2006, Miami University
► This study examined subjects’ perceptions of racist quotations from sports figures based…
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▼ This study examined subjects’ perceptions of racist quotations from sports figures based on three variables (objectionable-ness, racist-ness, offensiveness). This study wanted to examine perceptual and contextual differences in interpretations of each quotation. The sample consisted of 219 undergraduate students in two separate conditions using the same quotations. Males and females significantly differed in their perceptions of racist-ness and offensiveness. Significant difference was also found between conditions based on same-race racism. Limitations of the study and implications for future research are also discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Patterson, James.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: racism; sports; perception
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9.
Ehlers, Lindsay Nicole.
The relationship of communication satisfaction, job satisfaction and self-reported absenteeism.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2003, Miami University
► The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between communication…
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▼ The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between communication satisfaction of employees with co-workers, supervisors, and upper management, job satisfaction and self-reported absenteeism. It is hypothesized that communication satisfaction has a positive influence on job satisfaction. Job satisfaction and self-reported absenteeism were explored as well as the relationship of job satisfaction playing a mediating role between communication satisfaction and absenteeism. Results were analyzed with correlations, multiple regressions and t-tests. It was that found communication satisfaction with co-workers, supervisors and upper management have significant positive relationships with job satisfaction. The study found job satisfaction had no significant relationship to performing the mediating role between communication satisfaction and absenteeism. This paper also presents limitations and directions for further research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bainbridge Frymier, Ann.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: communication satisfaction; job satisfaction; absenteeism; organizational communication
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10.
Hanasono, Lisa Kiyomi.
A Dialectical Approach to Rethinking Roommate Relationships.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2007, Miami University
► Previous research suggests that roommate relationships can influence students’ academic performance and…
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▼ Previous research suggests that roommate relationships can influence students’ academic performance and collegiate experiences. Unfortunately, the literature on roommate relationships consists of inconclusive and contradictory findings about the complex interplay between roommate factors and relational satisfaction. This study aims to establish a typology that accounts for relational satisfaction amongst first year college roommates. Drawing from the theoretical framework of relational dialectics, social exchange theory, and interactional dialectics, three roommate types were proposed and analyzed. The results suggest that individuals who share the same roommate type tend to report higher levels of relational satisfaction. Furthermore, this study found that smaller discrepancies between individuals’ ideal and actual roommate relationships yielded higher levels of relational satisfaction. Finally, this study found that roommates who emphasize communicative patterns of acceptance and avoid patterns of judgment tend to report higher levels of relational satisfaction. Implications, limitations, and directions for future research on roommate relationships are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Nadler, Larry.
Keywords: Roommate Relationships; Relational Dialectics; Interactional Dialectics; Social Exchange Theory; Ideal Hypothesis; Relational Satisfaction; Roommate; Typology; Residence Halls
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11.
Jarad, Lina.
PALESTINIAN FACEBOOK GROUPS: THEIR USES AND GRATIFICATIONS.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2009, Miami University
► Social networking sites such as Facebook are changing the way people interact…
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▼ Social networking sites such as Facebook are changing the way people interact and represent themselves. Moreover, Facebook is being used by scholars and journalists in gathering study and news stories as it is a much faster approach than traditional media. However, no research has evaluated Facebook and its use by marginalized groups such as Palestinians. Therefore the current study is conducted to examine a specific tool on Facebook-Facebook groups, and the needs and satisfactions this tool brings to Palestinians in their political struggle. Drawing on the Uses and Gratifications Theory, this study will analyze Palestinians’ membership in Palestinian Facebook groups and look for differences in use between Palestinians residing at home, and in diaspora.
Advisors/Committee Members: Patterson, James.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: Palestine; Facebook; groups; social networking; survey
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12.
Kantz, Kenneth Edgar.
Accepted: The Role of Organization-Public Relationships and their Correlations in Enrollment Management.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2009, Miami University
► The purpose of this study was to investigate the role organization-public relationships…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to investigate the role organization-public relationships play within the field of enrollment management. The study examined the differences in perceptions of student-university relationships between the institution in which the student enrolled and an institution in which the student did not enroll. Additionally, the study explored whether student-university relationships were associated with students’ future behavioral intentions. The results of this study indicated that students have a stronger perception of relational dimensions for the institution they choose to attend than the institution they chose to reject. The dimensions of a personal and community relationship were found to be positively correlated with students’ intention to persist in enrollment and graduate. Furthermore, relational dimensions (personal, community, and professional) showed to be positively correlated with students’ intention to remain connected in the future with their chosen institution. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Nadler, Marjorie.
Subjects: Communication; Higher education
Keywords: enrollment management; public relations; organization-public relationships; relational dimensions; admissions; higher education; student-university relationships; behavioral intentions; behavioral outcomes
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13.
Kathol, Nichole Kathryn.
LOCAL 209'S STRIKE FOR A LIVING WAGE: A RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE GENERIC CONCEPT OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2004, Miami University
► The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the rhetoric of the…
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▼ The purpose of this thesis is to analyze the rhetoric of the Miami University worker’s social movement in response to the administration of Miami University. Using the work of Stewart, Smith and Denton (2001) regarding the persuasion of social movements, this analysis argues that living wage campaigns represent significant rhetorical artifacts to be analyzed as social movements and that social movement theory is a useful tool for studying the rhetoric of living wage campaigns on college and university campuses. Additionally, this analysis suggests implications for the theory of Stewart, Smith and Denton, as well as implications for the study of university living wage campaigns.
Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: Miami University
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14.
Kiambi, Dane Mwirigi.
PUBLIC RELATIONS IN KENYA: AN EXPLORATION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS MODELS AND CULTURAL INFLUENCES.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2010, Miami University
► There has not been a single study on the practice of public…
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▼ There has not been a single study on the practice of public relations in Kenya despite the country attracting multinational corporations that are increasingly using public relations to build relationships with key publics. This pioneer quantitative study explores the public relations models that inform the practice of public relations in Kenya, the cultural values that influence such practice and the correlation between the public relations models and cultural values. Results show that two international models of public relations – personal influence and cultural interpreter – are the most used by practitioners in Kenya, while individualism and femininity are the most experienced cultural values in that order. Results of the correlation between the public relations models and cultural values show a strong positive relationship between the personal influence model and the femininity cultural value. This correlation points to the practitioners’ strong desire for good interpersonal relationships with colleagues, supervisors, clients and key publics.
Advisors/Committee Members: Nadler, Dr. Marjorie.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: Kenya; public relations; public relations models; cultural values; cultural influences; public relations in Kenya; personal influence model; Kenyan public relations practitioners; international public relations; global public relations
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15.
Kiefer, David J.
Intention to Use Dietary Supplements: The Role of Self-Identity and Past Behavior in the Theory of Planned Behavior.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2008, Miami University
► The purpose of this study was to investigate individuals’ motivations to take…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to investigate individuals’ motivations to take dietary supplements using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). In addition to the standard TPB constructs, self-identity and past behavior were tested as additional variables to increase the theory’s predictive power, and because of conflicting past research, the interaction between self-identity and past behavior was examined. The results of this study indicated that two TPB constructs – attitudes and subjective norms – were independent predictors of individuals’ intentions to use dietary supplements. Additionally, this study found that that self-identity and past behavior independently predicted intention and captured additional variance not accounted for by the standard TPB constructs. Furthermore, this study found that self-identity was a stronger predictor of behavioral intention at lower levels of past behavior rather than at higher levels. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Weiner, Judith.
Subjects: Communication; Health
Keywords: Theory of Planned Behavior, Theory of Reasoned Action, Dietary Supplements, Self-Identity, Past Behavior
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16.
Kranstuber, Haley Ann.
Let's Start at the Beginning: The Relationship between Entrance Narratives and Adoptees' Self Concepts.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2008, Miami University
► Families construct stories to validate milestones such as a marriage proposal or…
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▼ Families construct stories to validate milestones such as a marriage proposal or the birth of a child, and these stories heavily influence family members' identities. But what happens when an essential narrative is incomplete, or "broken," as is the case with birth stories in adoptive families? Adoptees are disconnected partially or entirely from those involved in their birth stories, so adoptive families must create adoption entrance narratives to fill the birth story void. These stories explain the concept of adoption to the child and establish an adoptee's place in the family and in the world, thereby potentially yielding much influence over adoptees' self concepts. Drawing from theoretical frameworks of narrative theory and symbolic interactionism, this study seeks to discover themes emergent from adoption entrance narratives, and then analyze the relationship between these themes and adoptees' self concepts.
Advisors/Committee Members: Bainbridge Frymier, Ann.
Subjects: Communication; Families and family life
Keywords: entrance narratives; adoption; family narratives; narrative themes; self concept; self esteem; identity; generalized trust
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17.
Luce, Russell Ralph.
President George W. Bush: A Portrayal of the Iraq War Through Cartoons.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2005, Miami University
► The purpose of this thesis is to analyze political cartoons found on…
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▼ The purpose of this thesis is to analyze political cartoons found on Daryl Cagle's (2005) website. By using the work of Benoit, Klyukovski, McHale, and Airne (2001), a Fantasy Theme Analysis is performed. This analysis argues that the cartoonists create a vision that is critical of President Bush and that they form an argument in an attempt to sway public opinion. Furthermore, this analysis suggests implications for the use of Fantasy Theme Analysis and the study of visual rhetoric as a field of study.
Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: political; cartoon; fantasy theme analysis; president; bush
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18.
Meinen, Sarah.
POLITICAL FEMININE STYLE AND FIRST LADY RHETORIC: FEMINIST IMPLICATIONS OF A WHITE-GLOVE PULPIT.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2003, Miami University
► The purpose of this thesis is to analyze Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1995…
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▼ The purpose of this thesis is to analyze Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 1995 speech, “Women’s Rights are Human Rights,” delivered to the Fourth United Nations Conference on Women, and Laura Bush’s March 8, 2002, International Women’s Day Address, delivered to the U.N. Using Bonnie J. Dow and Mari Boor Tonn’s (1993) conception of political feminine style, this analysis argues that first lady rhetoric represents significant political speech by women and that political feminine style is a useful analytical tool for studying the words of female political rhetors. Additionally, this analysis suggests implications for Dow and Tonn’s methodology, as well as implications for the study of speeches by first ladies.
Advisors/Committee Members: Voth, Ben.
Keywords: first ladies; political feminine style; rhetoric; feminism
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19.
Moser, Gregory E.
Defining Terrorism: A Framing Analysis of the Evolution of “Terrorism” Post-9/11.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2009, Miami University
► This thesis analyzes the rhetorical frames used by the U.S. print media…
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▼ This thesis analyzes the rhetorical frames used by the U.S. print media immediately prior to 9/11, one year after 9/11, and seven years after 9/11. Using a framing analysis, news articles from two major daily newspapers, the New York Times and USA Today, are examined. Analysis suggests implications for the study of media frames.
Advisors/Committee Members: Roberson, Kasie.
Subjects: Communication; Mass media
Keywords: Framing; Terrorism; Rhetorical Analysis; 9/11
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20.
Noland, Aaron K.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHER TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND STUDENT OUTCOMES.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2005, Miami University
► Transformational leadership is a well documented and validated leadership perspective studied in…
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▼ Transformational leadership is a well documented and validated leadership perspective studied in management and organizational contexts. This study applies the transformational leadership model to the instructional context. Specifically, this study sought to examine the relationships between transformational leadership and teacher immediacy, student empowerment, learning, motivation, and satisfaction. A positive relationship between transformational leadership and the above variables was hypothesized and all hypotheses were significantly supported. The study ends with an analysis of the transformational leadership model in the instructional context, and directions for future research extending the application of the transformational leadership model in the classroom.
Advisors/Committee Members: Frymier, Ann Bainbridge.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: Transformational Leadership; MLQ; empowerment; immediacy; learning; satisfaction; motivation; leadership; instruction
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21.
Orbash, Danielle Nicole.
Perceived Teacher Power Use and Credibility as a Function of Teacher Self-Disclosure.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2008, Miami University
► The purpose of this study was to extend the body of research…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to extend the body of research on teacher self-disclosure in the classroom through the theoretical lens of Petronio's communication privacy management (CPM). Through the rule-based process teachers use to make decisions about what private information is revealed, this study aims to understand the revealing of private information related to the course content and the relationship it has with student perceptions of teacher credibility and power use as well as student learning outcomes. Research results indicated that teacher self-disclosure related to the course content was positively associated with competence, character and caring, as well as referent and expert power. Furthermore, this study found that teacher self-disclosure related to the course content was positively related to student perceptions of their affective learning and learning indicators. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Frymier, Ann Bainbridge.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: Teacher Self-Disclosure; Communication Privacy Management Theory; Teacher Credibility; Teacher Power Use; Student Learning
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22.
Sease, Karen Gail.
MAPPING COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTS IN MALES AND FEMALES USING ZMET METHODOLOGY: COMPARING MALE AND FEMALE EXPERIENCE WITHIN A CAMPUS MINISTRY ORGANIZATION.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2005, Miami University
► Research tools for understanding organizations have expanded in recent years in attempts…
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▼ Research tools for understanding organizations have expanded in recent years in attempts to understand communication and organizational culture. In addition to traditional quantitative methods of questionnaires and surveys, non-traditional methods are also being utilized to expand this body of knowledge such as the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, or ZMET. This method gathers qualitative data to produce aggregate cognitive construct maps reflecting the most important constructs and construct relationships that participants hold in view of their respective organization. This study used the ZMET to analyze male and female organizational members of a large, Midwestern campus ministry. The resulting construct maps indicate that members of this organization share an overall strong organizational culture, however, subcultures within the organization emerged within the male and female participant groups, specifically in regards to perceptions of opportunities available, relationships to leaders, connectedness and the types of friendships that are cultivated.
Advisors/Committee Members: Shulman, Gary M.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: Organizations; sex differences; cognitive; constructs; organizational cognition; organizational climate; organizational symbolism; religious organizations; Campus Crusade; Bill Bright
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23.
Smith, Tony E.
KEEPING IT “REAL”: DOES PRACTICING SPEECHES BEFORE AN AUDIENCE IMPROVE PERFORMANCE?.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2003, Miami University
► Public speaking texts and instructors typically encourage students to practice speeches as…
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▼ Public speaking texts and instructors typically encourage students to practice speeches as a means of managing anxiety and enhancing performance. Less effort has been made, however, to evaluate the effectiveness of various speech practice methods in general. After completing the PRCA-24 and PRPSA-34, students in this study were asked to indicate the number of times they used a variety of methods to practice an oral interpretation speech in their public speaking course. Upon completing this questionnaire, participants delivered a videotaped performance of their speech. Videotaped speeches were then evaluated on elements of content and delivery. Students who practiced their speech before an audience received higher evaluation scores than students who practiced without an audience. In addition, students who practiced their speech before larger audiences received higher evaluation scores than students who practiced before smaller audiences. Results suggest audience-based speech practice is effective in enhancing speech performance.
Advisors/Committee Members: Frymier, Ann Bainbridge.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: public speaking; communication apprehension; public speaking anxiety; speech performance; speech preparation; PRCA-24; PRPSA-34; experiential learning
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24.
Thomas, Erika Marie.
The Rhetoric of the Modern American Menstrual Taboo.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2008, Miami University
► The menstruation taboo remains a phenomenon in most cultures, including Western society.…
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▼ The menstruation taboo remains a phenomenon in most cultures, including Western society. Despite progressive social relations and education in the United States, messages within our culture depict menstruation as an act threatening and socially harmful to women. This project employs Michael Calvin McGee's method of analyzing discursive fragments in order to create a text which exposes the modern myths surrounding menstruation and the enforcement of the taboo. First, I examine the role of visual imagery in influencing cultural beliefs and contend that films visually connect the image of blood and menstruation to the logic of evil, danger, embarrassment, and dirt thus reproducing the menstrual taboo. Second, I examine various advertising campaigns for feminine hygiene products to determine how the menstrual taboo adopts a repressive discourse to successfully sell products to women while simultaneously silencing womens' issues to the private sphere. Finally, I examine artifacts that challenge the taboo and discuss implications for the future of the menstruation taboo. I conclude that rethinking the subject matter is necessary to further empower women on issues of embodiment. The rhetorical analysis critiques the discourses responsible for the continuation of the taboo and attempts to break down its repressive nature.
Advisors/Committee Members: Cherney, James.
Subjects: American studies; Communication; Gender; Mass media; Rhetoric; Womens studies
Keywords: Rhetoric, Taboo, Menstruation, Women, Public Sphere, Film, Advertisements, Repressive Hypothesis
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25.
Vallade, Jessalyn Ilene.
What to Expect When They're Expecting: An Examination of College Student Expectations for Instructor Behavior.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2010, Miami University
► This study uses Expectancy Violation Theory (Burgoon & Hale, 1988; Burgoon, Stacks,…
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▼ This study uses Expectancy Violation Theory (Burgoon & Hale, 1988; Burgoon, Stacks, & Burch, 1982) as a framework for investigating students’ initial expectations of instructor communication behavior and their subsequent violations in the classroom. The results of this two-part study found that positive expectancy violations are associated with more prosocial power use by instructors, higher perceptions of instructor credibility, and higher levels of student affective learning. In addition, perceived physical attractiveness of instructors was found to be associated with use of more referent power, as well as higher expectations of positive communication behaviors. Finally, the extent to which students expect specific communication behaviors, as well as how important they find these behaviors to their classroom experience is also explored as a way of better understanding the student perspective to build a more student-centered classroom. Practical implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Advisors/Committee Members: Frymier, Ann B.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: expectancy violation theory; instructional communication; affective learning; credibility
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26.
Vorell, Matthew Stanley.
Application of the ZMET Methodology in an Organizational Context: Comparing Black and White Student Subcultures in a University Setting.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2003, Miami University
► The need to understand organizational cultures has increased in recent decades. Traditional…
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▼ The need to understand organizational cultures has increased in recent decades. Traditional research methods such as questionnaires and surveys gather quantitative data quite well but have been shown ineffective in thoroughly analyzing the qualitative data endemic to an organization’s culture. The Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique, a qualitative interview protocol, produces an aggregate construct map that consists of the most important constructs and relationships between constructs mentioned by a particular sample. This study used the ZMET to analyze two samples of students (one of black females and one of white females) on a midsized Midwestern college campus. The respective construct maps for each sample indicate that both groups have very different mental and emotional perceptions of their experience at the university, especially in regards to the social scene, competition for relationships, as well as feelings of attachment to the university.
Advisors/Committee Members: Shulman, Gary.
Keywords: Organizational Culture; Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique
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27.
Wilson, Elizabeth Ann.
What happens when a feminist falls in love? Romantic relationship ideals and feminist identity.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2005, Miami University
► This study sought to discover if feminists have different romantic relationship ideals…
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▼ This study sought to discover if feminists have different romantic relationship ideals than women who choose not to assume such an identity. Downing and Roush’s (1985) feminist identity model and the Feminist Identity Composite created by Fisher et al. (2000) were used to determine the identity of each woman. After determining the females’ identity placement, the Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique (ZMET) was used to discover the romantic relationship ideals of each group of women, which ultimately lead to the creation of a concept map utilized to compare the groups. The similarities and differences concerning the romantic relationship ideals of each group of women were reviewed from the perspectives of both Fitzpatrick’s typologies and relational dialectics. The participants’ views on romantic relationship ideals through the lens of Fitzpatrick’s typologies found feminists most like independents, and non-feminists most like Fitzpatrick’s independents. The dialectics of autonomy-connectedness, predictability-novelty, openness-closeness are discussed for each group.
Advisors/Committee Members: Shulman, Gary M.
Keywords: Feminist; Feminism; Feminist identity model; Romantic relationship ideals; Relational dialectics; Fitzpatrick's typologies
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28.
Wood, Kye Brennan.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK IN THE BLENDED CLASSROOM: A STUDY OF GROUP DISCUSSIONS.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2009, Miami University
► The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of feedback…
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▼ The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of feedback in online classroom discussions, specifically Blackboard discussion boards within the higher educational setting. The goal of the study was to determine if online discussion with instructor feedback could be as effective as face-to-face discussions in regards to perceptions of learning, media preference, and meaningfulness. An experimental design was used in 17 sections of an introductory public speaking course. The experimental activity consisted of three conditions; asynchronous discussion with instructor feedback, asynchronous discussion without instructor feedback, and synchronous or face-to-face discussion with feedback occurring naturally. Findings suggested that feedback did not have an impact on instructor or student perceptions of learning, media preference, or meaningfulness of discussion. The Discussion provides suggestions for future research.
Advisors/Committee Members: Frymier, Dr. Ann Bainbridge.
Subjects: Communication
Keywords: blended education; feedback; CMC; asynchronous; synchronous; media richness theory; instructional communication
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29.
Yale, Robert Nathan.
INSTANT MESSAGING COMMUNICATION: A QUANTITATIVE LINGUISTIC ANALYSIS.
Degree: MA, Speech Communication, 2007, Miami University
► This study used quantitative content analysis software to create a linguistic profile…
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▼ This study used quantitative content analysis software to create a linguistic profile of college student instant messaging (IM) behaviors to investigate sex differences in text-based communication. Linguistic indicators of psychological states, differences in affective language use by conversation dyad type, and gender differences within the context of IM were investigated. Linguistic markers did not indicate positive psychological effects of frequent IM communication. Significant differences were found between female-male, female-female, and male-male dyads in the use of affective language. Additionally, a multi-dimensional profile of linguistic characteristics by gender revealed significant differences between males and females in areas such as use of psychological process words, relativity words, and words about personal concerns.
Advisors/Committee Members: Patterson, James D.
Subjects: Speech Communication
Keywords: IM; instant messaging; LIWC; Linguistic Inquiry Word Count; gender differences in communication; dyadic communication; CMC; computer mediated communication
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