Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2013, Marriage and Family Counseling/Therapy

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to learn more about the process of Internet-based Family Therapy and to discover the advantages and disadvantages of using Internet-based Family Therapy as part of a practice. The overarching question asked, “How do therapists experience the phenomenon of Internet-based Family Therapy?” The sub-questions were: (1) How is Internet-based Family Therapy defined by therapists claiming to do it? (2) What are the presenting issues for Internet-based Family Therapy going forward? Heuristic Inquiry was used for data collection and analysis. Five participants were interviewed using online text-chat. Each participant had experience doing Internet-based Family Therapy and appropriate credentials. The core themes discovered were as follows: (1) The sites may be deemed not truly therapeutic. (2) The use of video is highly recommended in Internet-based Family Therapy. (3) More severe clients are contraindicated for Internet-based Family Therapy. (4) Face-to-face Family Therapy is better than Internet-based Family Therapy, however Internet-based Family Therapy is better than nothing. (5) The use of theory in Internet-based Family Therapy is much the same as in face-to-face Family Therapy. (6) The main concerns with Internet-based Family Therapy are confidentiality, crossing state lines & harm to self. A final interview dealt with Ethical dilemmas in Internet-based Family Therapy, Internet-based Family Therapy standards, limitations of Internet-based Family Therapy and handling harm to self or others when doing Internet-based Family Therapy. The findings are discussed, as well as considerations for therapists and directions for future research are suggested.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2017, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) are a substantial part of the multibillion dollar gaming industry. Millions of people of all ages across the globe engage in game play. With the average gamer logging 26.6 hours a week online instead of engaging in real world activities and responsibilities, this genre has created an international epidemic. In the last ten years the literature on this topic has gained interest and momentum. Researchers continue to explore the innumerable reaches of MMORPGs and how the gamer and their community are affected. The aim of this study was to gain a more comprehensive understanding of how the gamer relates to their world, both virtual and real, on a social level. The participants were gathered online mostly from within one particular MMORPG, Perfect World International. This study surveyed 103 participants with an online questionnaire. They were and given compensation in the form of virtual money. The electronic version of this dissertation is available free at Ohiolink ETD Center, www.ohiolink.edu/etd.

Master of Arts (M.A.), University of Dayton, 2014, Psychology, Clinical

Behaviors exhibited while online differ radically from behaviors exhibited while offline (Suler, 2004a). Research suggests that this difference in behaviors results from online disinhibition (OD) while engaging in computer-mediated communication (Suler, 2004a). An example of the effects of OD can be seen when a person flirts outside of his or her dyadic relationship while online when he or she would not normally in person. Flirting can cause harm to a romantic relationship when it is directed towards someone outside of the romantic relationship (Glass, 2003). Due to the immense use of the internet among college students, and the negative impact that extradyadic flirting can have on a romantic relationship, the first goal of this research was to provide a basis of information on the amount of online flirting, how online flirting occurs, and the impact of online flirting among college-age students. The second goal of this study is to assess participants' perception of how detrimental the impact of online flirting would be on their romantic relationship compared to offline flirting. Malt (2007) found that there is a general view in society that flirting online is less detrimental to a romantic relationship than flirting offline. Given this finding, along with the possibility that participants are aware of OD, I predicted that online flirting would be perceived as less detrimental to a romantic relationship than offline flirting as a result of an informal understanding of OD from personal internet use. The third goal of this study was to understand the perceived impact of public versus private extradyadic online flirting on a romantic relationship. Pittman (1990) found that infidelity that occurs in private has more of a detrimental impact on a romantic relationship than infidelity that occurs in public. Therefore, I predicted that private online flirting, such as through a Facebook message, would be perceived as more detrimental to a relationship than public online fli (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2017, Journalism (Communication)

Using the theoretical perspectives of Spiral of Silence and Securitization, this dissertation examines (1) how censorship practices such as content removal were employed by the United States and the Indian governments to securitize the internet and social media, and (2) whether such practices contribute to an online spiral of silence. To explore these aspects, this study used a mixed-method approach with in-depth interviews and surveys. Seven interviews with authors of Transparency Reports and legal experts provided information about the U.S. and Indian government-initiated content removal process from Google Web Search, Blogger, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter between 2010 and 2015. Surveys with 587 respondents from the United States and India explored self-censorship on Facebook and Twitter, on issues related to national security and government criticism. The findings indicate that in the United States, “defamation” is the frequently cited yet an often-misused reason for content removal, while in India “religious offense” and “defamation” are prominent reasons for content takedowns. On several occasions, protected speech was removed from the internet and social media in both countries. Such acts of state-level censorship, in turn impacts self-censoring on controversial issues by individuals on social media. The implications here are that using the law to criminalize dissent increases self-censorship and this is counter-productive to democratic discourse.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2008, Mass Communication (Communication)

The aim of this research was to better understand virtual online communities (VOCs), that is, communities that are formed and maintained through the Internet. This research was guided by four research questions: What do participants in VOCs actually seek? How does a participant critically evaluate information produced in VOCs? What differences do VOC members perceive between their online community experiences compared to their experiences in real-life face-to-face communities? In what ways might a VOC shape its members' views toward political and social change? The methodology employed was participant observation of 20 informants within their online and offline realms plus in-depth interviews with each informant. Interviews and observations were conducted from 2005 - 2007. This research identified two different types of VOCs: dependent and self-contained VOCs. Dependent VOCs act as extensions to already existent face-to-face communities while self-sustained VOCs are communities where relationships between members are formed, developed, and nurtured purely through virtual encounters on the Internet based on shared interests. Four functions were identified in this study: information exchange, social support exchange, friendship, recreation. Information exchange is a function where the VOC main purpose was to provide information for members. Social support refers to the degree to which a person's basic social needs are gratified through interaction with others. Friendship are formed within the VOC not only for social support, but also provide deeper, more meaningful relationships. Recreation within a VOC occurs when the community's main purpose is purely entertainment. This study also identified six motivations: accessibility/convenience, escapism, alternate identities, social recognition, voyeurism, written communication as a medium. Three issues in VOCs also emerged in this study: trust, evaluation of online material, and marginalized communities. VOCs exist in a (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2004, Counselor Education (Education)

Seven hundred thirty-one traditional age (18-24) college students from a large Midwestern university were assessed with an online survey for an impulse control disorder related to their Internet use. Students reporting four or more symptoms of an impulse control disorder related to their Internet use were categorized as Pathological Internet Users. Seven percent of students in the present study met criteria for Pathological Internet Use. The results of the present study suggest that male students may be significantly more likely to engage in Pathological Internet Use than female students. The present study predicted that freshmen (first-year) students would report significantly more symptoms of Pathological Internet Use than upperclassmen. However, this study did not find significant differences in terms of pathological behaviors orognitions based class standing. The students were also asked to report on how their Internet use impacted various areas of functioning including: current relationships, academic success, getting adequate sleep, and being late for or missing classes. Only 1.2% of students reported their Internet use had negatively impacted their current relationships while 7.9% reported negative impacts on their academic success, 14% reported negative impacts on being late for or missing classes, and 20.7% reported negative impacts on their ability to get enough sleep. Suggestions and considerations are offered for conducting further research online. Finally, the present study offers suggestions for future research of Pathological Internet Use in the college student population and general population.

Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2007, College of Science

The current study examined the nature of diversified online shoppers with respect to existing differences in their level of website feature preferences, Internet experience (usage and shopping behaviors) and individual demographic characteristics. Using an online survey, 540 individuals residing within United States responded to questions concerning their demographics, extent of Internet usage, online visiting and purchasing behaviors and preference for website features. Individuals were categorized into different user groups- low, medium and high, depending on the extent of their self-reported diversified online shopping across the nine specific product categories. Since shopping referred to both browsing of online information and online purchasing, this categorization was done separately for both browsing and purchasing behaviors. The study found that an individual's diversified online browsing behavior was different from one's diversified online purchasing behavior. With regard to their diversified online browsing, significant group differences were found between the three browser groups in their preference for website features and Internet experience. The typical diversified online browser was more likely to be affluent and male. With regard to the individuals' online purchasing behavior, the low, medium and high diversified purchasers were found to differ significantly from one another in their website feature preferences as well as Internet experience. And the typical diversified online purchaser was more likely to be highly educated, affluent and male. Implications of these results as well as limitations of the current study were discussed.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2007, Graduate School

MS, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services: Information Technology-Distance Learning

People know about threats such as ransomware and data breaches potentially affecting healthcare providers through various articles on the news as well as being aware of the impact that the growing dependency of embedded devices has on our care. Given these two conditions, it's fair to ask: what else is being done to ensure public safety when someone's in with a serious medical condition? Who's ensuring that some entity isn't getting in and remotely changing settings on critical care components that could in turn possibly cause someone to needlessly die? All of these pose excellent questions that deserve to be answered. Yet, there's no easy solution out there. Very few enterprises, much less health systems, are capable of consistently providing more resources such as labor and tools as needed. While a majority of the nation's 5,000 healthcare systems are technically not-for-profit, budget crunches still nonetheless have an adverse impact on security operations. This adverse impact on security operations often means cyberattacks still persist, and we continue to hear about data breaches in the news. It's clear that something practical needs to be done, but what?

Master of Liberal Studies, University of Toledo, 2023, Liberal Studies

Historically, destructive cult groups have recruited members in-person, lived in communal spaces, and had strong in-person bonds. Developed in response to these groups is the BITE Model of undue influence, which models ways in which a group can be classified as a destructive cult. However, online-facilitated destructive groups have emerged since the beginning of the internet, and while the BITE model is the best method to determine if a group is a cult, the ways these groups operate in terms of recruitment, indoctrination, and mind control look different than historical cults. This paper explores the historical groups, the BITE model, the internet, policy and regulation, online-facilitated groups, along with suggestions for further research, and a cautionary word to those who hope to further the research of online-facilitated destructive cults.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Ohio University, 2023, Studio Art

This essay describes my thesis for my BFA degree in Studio Art. This paper serves as a memoir of my journey as a painter to flow state. In this essay I outline how social media addiction causes anxiety and how I overcame that anxiety through being in the present through flow state and finding the sublime in my work.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2022, Art History (Fine Arts)

This research follows the development of two image-based internet memes, the Spider-Man Pointing at Spider-Man meme and the Tradwife meme, to interrogate how the spread and reproduction of image-based internet memes on social media platforms affects the images' retention of meaning. In order to apply a combined historical, semiological, and media-centric approach, this thesis follows the historical evolution of each meme alongside two theories: Bradley Wiggins' genre development of memes and Jean Baudrillard's simulacra. The historical account for each meme begins with the primary image and follows its transformation into an image-based internet meme according to the genre development of memes, demonstrating its initial role as spreadable media, to emergent meme, and finally, to full-fledged internet meme. Alongside that development, the process is compared to the developmental steps of Baudrillard's simulacra to utilize Baudrillard's theory to understand how images separate from their original meanings in mass reproduction. Image-based internet memes are connected to Baudrillard's simulacra because they both feature a dissociation of meanings and mass reproduction on media platforms. However, there is a distinction between the kind of media which Baudrillard references in his theory of simulacra and the kind of media internet memes developed on. Due to the mirrored processes of internet meme development and simulacra development, but the distinction between the type of medias, I argue that image-based internet memes form a new kind of simulacra.

Bachelor of Science of Journalism (BSJ), Ohio University, 2019, Journalism

For the purpose of this review, viral marketing is explained as the application of five connected components: Web 2.0, social media, virality, memes and marketing itself. In essence, memes disseminate virally through social media networks on the internet in ways that marketers can harness to reach consumers. But viral marketing is much more than creating funny image macros and hoping they go viral. The relevant components and their roles in viral marketing will be defined and explained in subsequent sections. The second portion of this paper will be dedicated to two brands that utilize viral marketing in intelligent ways. While the two topics of the case studies, Fortnite and Overwatch League, are very different in their approaches to viral marketing, both harness the power of viral marketing's five components. While Fortnite utilizes a far-reaching approach, Overwatch League focuses on building a community that, to the members, feels closely-knit. Both strategies are proving successful for the brands and provide ample, vivid examples for how each component of viral marketing can be enacted. For Fortnite, this includes embracing user-generated content and partnering with EDM artist Marshmello. For Overwatch League, this means closing the gap between players and fans. Both unique strategies have earned their place in this paper for their understanding and implementation of viral marketing. Ultimately, my goal is to show that viral marketing is a legitimate strategy for the future and that there are pioneers in this moment achieving incredible feats through the approach.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), University of Dayton, 2016, Theology

As virtual space, the internet can be understood theologically through the doctrinal loci of the incarnation and the church. These two doctrines pervade both scholarly and ecclesial discussions of technology and the internet to date, and remain the central doctrinal categories with which theologians should assess internet culture. In its broader sacramental imagination and its ecclesiology, the church relies on virtual space insofar as it relies on the productive tension between presence and absence. Furthermore, the social possibilities of the internet afford the church great opportunity for building a social context that allows the living out of Eucharistic logic learned in properly liturgical moments.

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Theatre and Film

Communication technologies have changed the way human beings interact. Notably, our understanding of what constitutes a community has shifted from a geographic one to a spiritual one. This shift begins to question the liveness and presence that are believed to be at the heart of performance's ontology. If we no longer need to share a physical space with our community, does our performance need to share a space with its audience? The group Team StarKid is creating work that is designed and distributed with an Internet audience in mind, and its success speaks to the growing demand for work integrated with technology. In this study I examine the work of Team StarKid through the lens of community theatre, looking at the ways features of community theatre such as audience engagement and a connection to the community have been filtered through the Internet age. This study includes looking at the work through the lenses of both media studies a la Marshall McLuhan, as well as the participatory cultures of Henry Jenkins. Data was found through StarKid's work, performance reviews, and interviews from the cast. The group's use of social media as a way of connecting with their fans also prompted the use of social media for data collection: fans were interviewed about the group using Twitter. Upon examination, the group seemed to maintain a relation with its fans that was not unlike those relationships formed between community and community theatre. Team StarKid reflects the Internet culture in which it was created, exposes that community to theatrical performance, encourages participation, and depends on its community for survival. Team StarKid's works, and their willingness to post the shows online for free, have created an audience base that can be labeled as a fandom: their fans are passionately engaged with the group and attend concert tours and convention appearances that feature the group. The group's work should be looked at as an example of the integration of p (open full item for complete abstract)

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2014, Antioch New England: Clinical Psychology

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a mental illness with serious physical, psychological, interpersonal, social, and economic consequences. AN is difficult to treat, with affected individuals experiencing symptoms after treatment completion. Recovery-oriented AN discussion boards are online forums on which individuals with AN can communicate with the goal of promoting their recovery. Using inclusion criteria, the author selected Mirasol, Something Fishy, Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), and PsychForums. The research questions asked were: (a) What are the themes of recovery-oriented AN Internet discussion boards? (b) What types of support can be found on the boards? (c) How frequently are potentially 'triggering' materials posted on websites? and (d) What are the responses of site moderators to potentially triggering materials posted on the websites? Through the qualitative method of thematic analysis, themes and subthemes emerged from the exchanges among website users. The 10 themes were: Symptom Severity and Eating Disorder Thoughts; Advice and Suggestions; Forum Support; Unpleasant Emotions; Recovery, Improvement, and Motivation; Treatment; Requests; Interpersonal Issues; Insights; and Benefits of the Website and Gratitude. Other themes of support included Challenges/Confrontations and Information. Something Fishy and ANAD contained high levels of support and relatively few potentially triggering statements. Mirasol and PsychForums indicated high frequencies of potentially triggering posts. The presence of forum moderators did not substantially influence the frequency with which triggering material was posted. The interpretation of the themes and subthemes indicated that clients in treatment for AN may benefit from participating in select websites by becoming more motivated in treatment and maintaining treatment gains between sessions. Careful selection of websites, with the guidance of therapists, could help AN individuals reduce their reliance on defense (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2002, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (Engineering and Technology)

Design and implementation of a programmable logic controller lab: An internet based monitoring and control of a process.

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2005, Telecommunications (Communication)

This is a literature survey on concepts of the Internet and cyberspace and their influence, both on society at large and at the individual level. On society, it discusses the optimistic and skeptic views on the impact of the Internet. At the personal level, it discusses issues of self and identity, and spirituality and religiosity. Except for spirituality and religiosity issues of the Internet, this work chose one author to represent each category: Howard Rheingold for the optimistic view, Clifford Stoll for the skeptic view, and Sherry Turkle for the issues of self and identity. The author's critiques on those notions are offered in the last chapter. The author argues that the diversity of notions on the Internet can be put in a broader historical and social context. These notions reflect the ever-present questions about the relationship between human and its technologies.

Bachelor of Arts, Marietta College, 2008, English

This paper explores how fans construct works of fanfiction based on William Shakespeare's plays. Fans situate themselves within the modes of discourse common to online fanfiction communities, and within those modes of discourse, their works serve four primary functions. Writing fanfiction helps to familiarize writers with the content and style of their source texts; it also allows writers to expand upon the events and characters available in these texts; it serves as a medium for subtle critical analysis of texts, which in many ways parallels mainstream literary criticism; and it allows writers to interact with a shared-knowledge community of fanfiction writers and readers.

MA, Kent State University, 2009, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

This thesis presents a social demographic profile of individuals and their use of the internet for health information in a sample of 236 Kent State University undergraduate students. This thesis examines internet use by gender, race, age, class standing, and perceived health with a particular focus on online health information. The relationship between race and gender with regards to their concern about health information on the internet is also considered. An empirical analysis of these issues is conducted through the use of descriptive statistics, correlations, cross tabulations, linear regression, and one-way ANOVA. Approximately 73% of students have used the internet to search for health information. The results show that more females use the internet for health information than males. Freshmen used the internet more for social networking than any other group. Women used the internet more for checking their e-mail than males, while men were more likely to report using the internet for entertainment compared with women. Non-Hispanic whites used the internet more for checking e-mail and for educational purposes than African Americans. Users of the internet for social networking were found to be positively associated with mother's education level. Higher perceived health was associated with an increased likelihood of with using the internet to obtain health information. Social networking was found to be negatively associated with obtaining health information online. All other independent variables of interest were found not to be associated with obtaining health information online. Finally, the analysis found females to be more concerned about health information on the internet than were their male counterparts. Results are discussed with reference to policy implications regarding college student internet use.