Master of Arts, University of Toledo, 2007, English (as a Second Language)

This thesis incorporates a study that shows a relationship between verbal and nonverbal behaviors and the outcome of a communicative event. This study was conducted by observing the communicative behaviors that potential customers exhibited after they were offered a free sample. The societal norm of reciprocity states that people who receive gifts (such as free samples) are likely to express obligatory feelings to the gift-giver (Spradly 2000). However, it was demonstrated by El-Alayli and Messe (2003) that people who receive a gift may feel that their social freedom is challenged and choose not to respond. The study shows that although the majority of people accept a free sample, they are not likely to reciprocate; and responses that are traditionally assumed to show acceptance can actually refer to denial or rejection when one observes nonverbal responses. For example, ten percent of the time when the responses of “sure”, “yeah” or “okay” were spoken by a customer after a free sample was offered, he/she did not accept the sample. Four percent of the time when the customer said “thanks” or “thank you”, he/she also did not take the sample. The outcomes of this study coincide with Hard Science Linguistics that values human communication as being comprised of all observable behaviors in real world situations. Nonverbal behaviors are important to analyze because they do not depend on the properties of the researcher to be observed. Furthermore, articulations that are traditionally viewed as positive acceptance (such as "thanks", "thank you", "sure", "yeah" or "okay") can actually be part of a denial or rejection of an offer when analyzed in combination with nonverbal responses. Evaluations of the cultural and pragmatic circumstances surrounding an event directly reflect the behaviors of potential customers when they were offered a free sample. When teaching communication, one must take into account verbal and nonverbal behaviors of the native setting in relation to the (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Douglas Coleman (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

Despite a federal mandate for all students to make progress on literacy skills, the increased importance of literacy for students with complex communication needs (CCN) and research demonstrating students with CCN can gain foundational literacy skills, these skills are not always prioritized for students with CCN. This online survey of 131 special education teachers in a Midwest state collected data on the literacy experiences of 217 of their students with CCN in grades K-12. Research questions investigated students' literacy experiences, literacy skills targeted and their alignment with the five essential components outlined by the National Reading Panel (NRP, 2000). These were answered using descriptive statistics. Findings show increased phonics on phonics skills; however, researchers also found many students did not have IEP goals focused on literacy skills aligned with NRP components, and literacy instruction rarely involved using curricular materials that have been validated for students with CCN through experimental research.

Committee: Peter Paul (Committee Member); Matthew Brock (Advisor) Subjects: Reading Instruction; Special Education

Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing​, University of Findlay, 2019, English

The disconnect between computer-mediated communication (CMC) and face-to-face (F2F) communication has been blamed on the absence of visual and physical nonverbal cues. As a result of the heavy lack of visual and physical interaction, previous research has deemed that F2F provides a richer environment for communication overall (Carter, 2003; Byron & Baldridge, 2005; Kruger J, Epley, Parker, & Ng, 2005; Kalman, Scissors, Gill, & Gergle, 2013). Despite some claims suggesting CMC will never be as fluid nor as rich as F2F (Carter, 2003; Byron & Baldridge, 2005; Kruger J, Epley, Parker, & Ng, 2005), communicating online through the use of various modes such as emoticons, nonverbal vocalizations, memes, stickers, kaomoji, color, and video are here to stay and only enrich CMC. Using a combination of the aforementioned modes, Internet users converse online using textual and visual means which resemble F2F nonverbal cues. Emoticons, nonverbal vocalization, and memes serve as substitutes for F2F nonverbal communication in CMC contexts. This body of work aims to analyze digital nonverbal cue use on Twitter by users of different languages.

Committee: Christine Tulley PhD (Committee Chair); Harley Ferris PhD (Committee Member); Christopher Medjesky PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Foreign Language; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Modern Language; Multimedia Communications; Rhetoric; Sociolinguistics; Web Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1971, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2015, Industrial and Systems Engineering (Engineering and Technology)

The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most critical skills needed in the field of engineering today. Not only are industries that employ engineers requesting communication skills be improved, but effective communication is an ABET student outcome. The objectives of this research include the identification of: 1) proficiencies and deficiencies that exist between critical communication skill areas of young engineers, 2) differences in communication that exist between various employee levels and 3) differences in communication that exist between various industries. Data was collected via personal interviews and analyzed using analytical qualitative data techniques. Three industries were consulted along with four employee levels. Attitude, nonverbal communication, and the use of technical language were among the most critical deficiencies of young engineers. Attitude, non-business conversation, and knowledge of new engineers were among some of the highest ranking proficiencies. Analysis indicated that young engineers should be communicating differently with various levels of employees, and that the various industries yielded culture and environmental differences rather than proficiencies and deficiencies of communication for young engineers.

Committee: Diana Schwerha Dr. (Advisor); Brittany Peterson Dr. (Committee Member); Dale Masel Dr. (Committee Member); Šormaz Dušan Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Engineering; Higher Education; Social Psychology

Psy. D., Antioch University, 0, Antioch Santa Barbara: Clinical Psychology

In March 2020, virtually overnight, in-person interactions shifted to online or other remote realms due to the governor of California's lock-down orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the need for mental health services including psychotherapy skyrocketed. Psychologists in California met this overwhelming demand by adapting to the challenges of the moment and embracing teletherapy, a relatively new mode of therapy for most practitioners at that time. Many studies were launched to capture real-time data about mental health workers' shift to providing remote and online services; however, most of these studies were focused on practitioners' experiences in June 2020 or later and did not look specifically at psychologists in the state of California and their experiences in March 2020. To address this gap in the literature, this research study looked into the effects on California psychologists of the rapid pivot from in-person to teletherapy in March 2020. Using an online survey, quantitative data and short answers were collected from 34 psychologists who practiced teletherapy in California at the start of the pandemic. Summary data showed that most psychologists were unprepared for the switch to teletherapy, practitioners faced unforeseen technological challenges (e.g., lack of training and technological support), and although most psychologists reported increased stress during this time, the majority reported satisfaction with their ability to help people reach their therapy goals via teletherapy, and the therapeutic alliance in their view was not affected by limitations in nonverbal communication. These findings supported those of previous studies in the literature; for example, Mittal et al.'s (2023) conclusion that many mental health providers demonstrated resilience and satisfaction with their work in the face of both negative and positive consequences of the rapid shift to teletherapy at the start of the pandemic. This dissertation is avai (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elizabeth Bates Freed Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Stephen Southern Ed.D. (Committee Member); Julia Shaver M.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 1983, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

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

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects:

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2019, East Asian Languages and Literatures

Nonverbal behaviors can convey meanings that are unique to a given culture and thus play a significant role in cross-cultural communication. The majority of current studies on the nonverbal communication in cross-cultural communication predominantly centers on the Western perspective about the differences between Western culture and other societies in general. Nonverbal behaviors in the field of teaching and learning Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) are much lacking and rarely utilized in language instruction. This study attempts to identify a series of nonverbal elements that often cause confusion and frustration for Americans communicating in a Chinese cultural context. The following aspects will be examined: first, the significance of nonverbal behaviors in cross-cultural communication will be introduced; second, examples of nonverbal behaviors will be examined in Chinese contexts through the visual information provided by scenes from Chinese films. Last, the Hollywood film Crazy Rich Asians will be used as an example to show the challenge of making meanings in cross-cultural communication from the perspective of nonverbal behaviors. The study suggests that nonverbal behaviors are significant in Sino-American communication and should be taken into consideration in CFL teaching and learning.

Committee: Galal Walker (Advisor); Xiaobin Jian (Committee Member) Subjects: Asian Studies; Behavioral Sciences; Educational Theory

Master of Arts, University of Akron, 2018, Communication

This study investigated the classroom communication climate in terms of students' information seeking behavior, communication apprehension, instructor immediacy and students' perception of their instructor. Quantitative data were collected using an online survey. Participants were 185 (132 males and 52 females) at different educations level. Results indicated that Saudi students used an overt strategy in the American college classroom. Overt strategies involve direct interaction between the student and the instructor, and monitoring strategies involve indirect, third party, testing, and observing. There was a significant relation between communication apprehension and the information seeking strategies. Also, there was a significant relation between the instructor's perceived immediacy and information seeking strategy. However, Saudi students are going to use overt strategy when they feel less communication apprehension and when the perceived instructor show immediacy in the American classroom.

Committee: Dudley Turner Dr. (Advisor); Andrew Rancer Dr. (Committee Member); Kathleen Clark Dr. (Committee Member); Heather Walter Dr. (Committee Chair); Linda Subich Dr. (Other); Chand Midha Dr. (Other) Subjects: Communication

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1977, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1977, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Home Economics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Music

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Psychology

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1978, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1976, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1974, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Home Economics

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 1974, Graduate School

Committee: Not Provided (Other) Subjects: Education