Bachelor of Arts, Wittenberg University, 2022, Communication

The purpose of this study was to determine how an organization's public communication like a website helps visitors understand its culture. Sports organizations were chosen for analysis because of their inclusive nature of the past, present, and future aspects of the game as well as its importance and strong presence in society. The goal of this paper was to apply Organizational Culture Theory to four sports halls of fame's websites to analyze how an organization's public communication illustrates its culture. Based off the assumptions of OCT, three research questions were developed to dive deeper into the concepts of the theory. From there, a code book was developed, and the websites of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, Hockey Hall of Fame, and National Baseball Hall of Fame were individually analyzed. Research Question 1 focused on how a public website communicates an organization's values by specifically analyzing the mission statements, community involvement, visitor information, and official press and media reports found on the organizations' websites. Research Question 2 was based on how a public website communicates an organization's inclusive criteria of who is and who is not a member. The coding and analysis focused on organization information, employee information, and nominee and inductee criteria which are the factors as to how inclusive criteria determine who is a member. Research Question 3 questioned how a public website's use and interpretation of symbols communicate and market an organization's culture. Through the analysis of symbols and performances coded from the websites, the results express that organizations can communicate their culture and market it through the symbols of videos, photos, explanations of induction processes, and slogans, and the performances of explanations of election processes and use of metaphors.

Committee: Kelly Dillon (Advisor); Tim Bode (Committee Member); Sheryl Cunningham (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Sports Management

PHD, Kent State University, 2021, College of Business and Entrepreneurship, Ambassador Crawford / Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship

The advent of online stores and platforms has offered fertile ground for consumers to share their purchase experiences with other consumers, with review platforms like Yelp currently hosting over 170 million reviews (Yelp, 2019). According to BrightLocal.com, up to 91% of consumers find reviews as trustworthy as personal recommendations. Businesses that invest in engaging and responding to online reviews have experienced higher sales (Kumar et al., 2018). Essay 1 examines how the characteristics of reviewers and reviews determine whether online review readers rate the review as helpful. In contrast to earlier studies in the literature that assume homogeneity within online review readers regarding the effects of cues on perceived helpfulness (utilitarian value), using finite mixture models (FMM), this research challenges that assumption. The results reveal three segments of online review readers who utilize the cues in different manners. Essay 2 posits that online review readers gain both utilitarian value and hedonic value from reading reviews and thus explores the interaction effect between the level of humor and helpfulness in a review on the likelihood to return to a review hosting website.

Committee: Christopher Groening (Committee Chair); Robert Jewell (Committee Member); Rouzbeh Razavi (Committee Member); Cesar Zamudio (Committee Member) Subjects: Marketing

Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, 2019, Media and Communication

Matrimonial advertisements are popular in India for people who seek spouses through marriages arranged either by the prospective bride or groom themselves, or their family. Earlier, such arrangements were made mostly by family elders. Today, many of those offline networks have moved onto the online space, with a number of matrimonial websites offering help to spouse seekers. The role of such websites is to enable match seekers create profiles online and seek matches, based on particular search algorithms. There are various filters to narrow search options: one such filter is skin tone. This study analyzes skin tone determinant—specifically the usage of the term fair—on two matrimonial websites. It explores the ways in which agency is handled by prospective brides on Shaadi.com and Bharat Matrimony.com. Research question is how autonomy is mobilized by women today when dealing with colorism in online matrimonial ads. Following grounded theory, the study deciphers whether there are changes to how matrimonial ads are worded in online spaces, or whether caste and race continue to be reinforced through covert colorism. Using cyber ethnography and textual analysis, the study analyzes 30 advertisements across two websites. In-depth interviews are also conducted with four women who underwent a similar process during their wedding. Data analysis arrived at five emergent themes: Continued hegemonic control/covert colorism; Fair as beautiful; Privileging work and independence; Power over content creation; Traditional/cultural values reinforced. Using Critical Race Theory (CRT) and a feminist perspective as theoretical foundations, findings indicated the digital space perpetuates colorism. Although overt presentation of skin complexion as a critical attribute has significantly reduced, such reduction is overt. Consistent with CRT, the concept of fair as beautiful remains salient; it is just more covert. The demand for a fair-skinned spouse was low; yet, skin tone w (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Radhika Gajjala Dr. (Advisor); Lara Martin Lengel Dr. (Committee Member); Deborah G. Wooldridge Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Mass Communications

Master of Applied Communication Theory and Methodology, Cleveland State University, 2016, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

The technology affordances of university website homepages were evaluated to inform the development of prototypical examples of accessible public university and exclusive private university homepages. Affordances are characteristic of the environment that, when perceived, afford or provide opportunities for action (Gibson, 1986). In addition, affordances, such as hyperlinks, also prompt heuristic processes that lead to judgments that are based on peripheral cues rather than substantive information. Integrating the MAIN model (Sundar, 2008) and the Two-Factor Theory (Herzberg, 1966; Zhang & Von Dran, 2000), eye tracking and survey methodology were used to assess differences in perception and credibility judgments of the prototypes developed to represent the website homepages of accessible and exclusive universities. A content analysis was used to assess hyperlinks and other design features of the website homepages of the 10 most accessible and 10 most exclusive Ohio universities. Consistent with prior research, results indicated relatively little variation among the hyperlinks and design elements of university website homepages. The features were used to develop prototypes representative of the two types of university homepages. Those prototypes served as the manipulated independent variable in an experiment and, although the manipulation was correctly perceived, the differences were not statistically significant. Correspondingly, the credibility measures, although consistent with theoretical predictions, were not statistically significant based on the type of prototype viewed. This study thus did not provide evidence of a relationship between number of hyperlinks and credibility. Perceived hygiene and motivator factors however, were significantly positively associated with credibility, consistent with two-factor theory. Additionally, prior experience, particularly with university websites, was associated with the extent to which credibility assessments were n (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Cheryl Bracken Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Kathleen Stansberry Ph.D (Committee Member); Anup Kumar Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Bowling Green State University, 2015, Psychology/Industrial-Organizational

Cybervetting, defined as a practice of performing internet-based background checks on prospective employees including reviewing Social Networking Websites (SNWs; Mikkelson, 2010), is becoming widely used among hiring managers. Although prevalent in practice, the topic of cybervetting remains largely understudied by industrial and organizational psychologists. Lack of systematic research leaves cybervetters with little guidance on how to engage in psychometrically sound web-based searches. The aims of the current study were twofold: (1) to propose and empirically test a taxonomy of cyber-behavior, according to which SNW-based behaviors fall into four categories (professional, prosocial, antisocial, and job-irrelevant); and (2) to advance and test a common antecedents model of cybervetting, according to which (a) personality and general mental ability (GMA) serve as common antecedents of cyber-behavior and workplace criteria and (b) privacy settings usage and activity level serve as moderators of the relationship between cyber-behavior and cybervetters' judgments of employability. Using a multitrait-multimethod approach, the data were collected from 200 full-time employees and 131 supervisors at several large Mid-Western universities. Ten trained research assistants rated the participants' Facebook profiles using a standardized cybervetting form, developed specifically for this study. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis provided support for the taxonomy. Although personality and GMA were not found as common antecedents of cyber-behavior and workplace criteria, privacy settings usage and activity level were found to moderate the relationship between cyber-behavior and employability. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Committee: Michael Zickar Dr. (Advisor); Hanfeng Chen Dr. (Other); Margaret Brooks Dr. (Committee Member); Richard Anderson Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2014, Journalism (Communication)

The thesis is based on uses and gratifications theory to compare users' behavior and gratifications gained on Weibo and Chinese news websites. The researcher conducted an online survey with snowball sampling. The participants were recruited online. The study finds more respondents use Weibo each day than use news websites each day. They spent significantly more time on Weibo than on news websites. Respondents considered Weibo to be significantly more helpful than news websites for obtaining news gratifications. The study also find there is no correlation between time spent on Weibo and personal gratifications gained on Weibo. The numbers of accounts followed on Weibo has no correlation with personal gratifications gained. The researcher found males considered Weibo less helpful than females for both news and personal gratifications. Respondents considered Weibo and news websites more helpful for news gratifications if they are required to follow news by their occupations.

Committee: Hugh Martin (Committee Chair); Hong Cheng (Committee Member); Hans Meyer (Committee Member) Subjects: Comparative; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media; Web Studies

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2014, Urban Studies and Public Affairs

The adoption of information technologies as a platform for disseminating government information has influenced traditional roles of public service delivery and citizen participation. There is concern whether the readability of government websites where public information found is creating digital inequalities of opportunities that perpetuate the digital divide. This study aimed to access the readability level of a sample of municipal websites in the U.S. to determine if municipal websites are being written at too high of a level for citizens to comprehend. The research utilized population data from the 2010 U.S. Census of municipalities to create a data set for analyzing readability of websites. This dissertation sought to answer six research questions. What is the readability ease score and grade level of a sample of municipalities’ websites with population greater than 5,000 citizens? Are the states’ mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade levels different from the national average reading grade level Do municipal websites’ main pages read at the targeted state’s standard reading grade level? Is the mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level of the city webpages within the state equal to the targeted state’s standard reading grade level? Is there difference between the FKGL score mean difference among cities (small, medium, and large)? Do city websites offer audio or visual portals? Implementing new writing strategies that focus on high readability of text and issues of communication with the audience can assist in guiding decisions that improves effectiveness of municipal websites’ online instructions and text. The findings revealed that municipal web pages are being written at levels greater than the national average reading grade level. In addition, the majority of municipal websites are absent of audio visual alternatives to text. This can impose a significant challenged to (all) citizens trying to access (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Raymond Cox III Dr. (Advisor); Camilla Stivers Dr. (Committee Member); Ghazi-Walid Falah Dr. (Committee Member); Francis Broadway Dr. (Committee Member); Namkyung Oh Dr. (Committee Member) Subjects: Public Administration; Public Policy

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2013, Human Ecology: Hospitality Management

As a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), online consumer reviews have attracted tremendous attention from researchers and practitioners. This research investigates how eWOM plays an important role in consumer review websites within hospitality and tourism services and how it affects the purchase decision-making process of consumers. The author examined the influence of eWOM communications in various online review websites based on the online social network framework by Brown, Boderick, and Lee (2007). Their framework postulates that individuals consider the websites to be primary "actors" and develop social relationships with the websites themselves rather than the other online participants. Drawing on the perspective of the consumer-website relationship, the current research proposes and empirically tests an integrative model of three social network constructs associated with the website (tie strength, homophily, and source credibility) and their relationship to consumers' evaluations associated with attitudes and perceived influence of eWOM effectiveness. An online survey with a sample of 793 respondents drawn from a large Midwestern university was conducted to examine predictors and consequences of eWOM communications in consumer review platforms. The results suggested that the social relationship constructs (homophily and tie strength) between a website and a consumer are important drivers of source credibility, which in turn influence attitude toward the reviews as well as the website. Moreover, the attitudes formed through the perceptions of tie-strength, homophily and source credibility ultimately determines the influence of eWOM consumers' purchase decisions. When consumers perceive higher tie strength, homophily, and source credibility associated with the reviews, they are more likely to have a favorable attitude toward the reviews as well as the review websites. An interesting finding was that attitude toward reviews does not directly influence eW (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Jay Kandampully (Advisor); Bilgihan Anil (Committee Member); Binkley Margaret (Committee Member); Stoel Leslie (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Administration; Communication; Marketing

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Wright State University, 2012, School of Professional Psychology

The death of a parent can represent one of the most devastating life experiences for children. It is an experience that disrupts a developmental path. It is also a crisis that families and communities must address in order to help a grieving child cope and develop resilience. Currently, there are few mental health resources available for parentally bereaved children. Literature on bereavement following the death of a parent suggests that children may experience long-term negative psychological consequences from the loss. However, the literature also notes that with appropriate support, access to resources, and opportunities to express their grief and build self-efficacy, grieving children can emerge from the loss of a parent as resilient individuals. A mental health informational website was created to help families and communities foster resilience in grieving children. The website contains information for children, parents, caregivers, and professionals. The creation of the website is discussed in addition to issues of childhood bereavement, future directions of the website, and ethical considerations.

Committee: Cheryl Meyer PhD, JD (Committee Chair); J. Scott Fraser PhD, ABPP (Committee Member); Eve Wolf PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Behaviorial Sciences; Clinical Psychology; Counseling Psychology; Developmental Psychology; Families and Family Life; Information Technology; Psychology; Psychotherapy; Technology; Web Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, 2011, Engineering PhD

Information seeking on websites has become more and more challenging for people who are blind. Screen readers attempt to make that task easier by introducing new commands and functionality but there still exists a fundamental gap in the difficulty for people who are blind compared to their sighted counterparts. This research identifies the strategies used by people who are blind and sighted to create an information seeking model, develop the Keywords Expected for Your Search (KEYS) conceptual model for assisting task performance and evaluate a KEYS prototype of this concept for information search and retrieval. This information seeking model was developed by conducting an initial experiment and then validating the model using data from a similar study. The model defines information searching strategies used for both participants that were sighted and blind. Primary information search strategies for the web were identified. The model demonstrated the primary search strategies in the model were keyword based and are the foundation for information seeking on websites for both groups of participants. The KEYS conceptual model for assisting task performance was developed. It includes rules and a keyword library to support information searching for users who are blind. A KEYS prototype was developed to test the conceptual model. The prototype was implemented by controlling the results of the list of links and virtual find commands, which are two of the more commonly used primary search strategies for users who are blind. The evaluation sought to determine the aids' impact on workload, number of commands used, search success, path direction and time to complete a task. Comparisons of the participants who were blind with and without the KEYS prototype were made as well as comparisons to sighted participants. Age group comparisons and age of blindness onset were also compared. The results of the experiment demonstrated that the KEYS prototype significantly improved informat (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: S. Narayanan PhD, PE (Committee Chair); Nikolaos Bourbakis PhD (Committee Member); Jennie Gallimore PhD (Committee Member); David Reynolds PhD (Committee Member); Ling Rothrock PhD (Committee Member); Wayne Shebilske PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Information Systems

Master of Science in Engineering (MSEgr), Wright State University, 2010, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering

Social networking websites have become very popular amongst people of all ages in recent times. These websites have brought into existence a new form of data - 'User generated content'. Companies everywhere have begun to identify the potential of these sites and have commenced efforts to take advantage of the profitable opportunities available. In spite of all this, it is reasonable to say that the latent possibilities in social networking sites are yet to be fully explored. This is due to the fact that the technology is still young and research on its potential is still ongoing. The current research is also an effort in this direction. The present study examines the impact of culture and age on the use of social networking websites by analyzing the user generated content on the most popular social networking website in USA - Facebook. Five hypotheses were derived and tested using a two-factorial between-subject quasi experiment. Instead of studying all cultural dimensions, this study focuses on the most studied cultural dimension in the literature - collectivism vs. individualism. Eight groups of American subjects were used to represent the individualistic culture and eight groups of Indian subjects were used to represent the collectivist culture. Two age groups were analyzed in both cultures - young group (25 years and below) and old group (35 years and above). ANOVA of the experiment showed that participants from the American groups displayed a tendency to be unique and hence did not have a significant influencer within the groups, while the participants from the Indian groups chose more to be in harmony together and follow rather than lead thus having a more significant individual leader. Testing age, the results indicated that the younger subjects in both cultures were more active than the older group. In addition, the experiment indicated significant interaction effect between age and culture on the activity levels of the participants. Culture and age were (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Sundaram Narayanan PhD (Committee Chair); Yan Liu PhD (Committee Co-Chair); David Kender MS (Advisor) Subjects: Information Systems

Master of Science, The Ohio State University, 2011, Human Ecology: Hospitality Management

This study investigates three questions: (1) Generation Y's dining decision-making styles, (2) Generation Y's use of social networking websites (SNWs) for dining information search and sharing, and (3) the factors that influence Generation Y's dining information search and sharing on SNWs. Specifically, three factors regarding consumer characteristics were examined: consumer decision-making styles (CDMS), consumer susceptibility to interpersonal influence (CSII), and consumer opinion leadership (COL). Gender difference was also examined. A pilot study was conducted using 38 undergraduate students from the Consumer Sciences Department of a Midwestern University in the United States. A final survey was conducted using 162 undergraduate students from the same program. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis were performed to validate all variables. Descriptive statistics were gathered to describe the subjects' age, gender, and their use of social networking websites. A Consumer Style Inventory was produced to profile respondents regarding their decision-making styles. A series of Mann-Whitney U tests were performed, alternately using CDMS, CSII, COL, and gender as grouping variables. Results show that Generation Y uses a variety SNWs. There is a moderate usage of SNWs for the purpose of dining information search and sharing. Five decision-making styles of Generation Y diners were identified: hedonistic/ recreational style, habitual/brand-loyal style, price conscious style, confused by over-choice style, and brand conscious style. Results also indicated that CSII and COL influence Generation Y's use of SNWs for dining information search and sharing. CDMS has a partial influence. In particular, confused by over-choice style has an influence on dining information search and price conscious style has an influence on dining information sharing. No gender difference was detected. Limitations of this study and future research directions are also discussed.

Committee: Jay Kandampully PhD (Advisor); Jae-Eun Chung PhD (Committee Member); Thomas George PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Business Education

Doctor of Musical Arts, The Ohio State University, 2006, Music

A common dilemma for today's college voice professor is how to teach vocal diction effectively to the undergraduate student in the limited time allotted to these courses in a college music program. The college voice professor may rely on familiar and previously used texts, though other excellent resources have become available in the last decade. It is the purpose of this study to identify the diction books and supplemental sources currently used in the United States, and provide assessment of their suitability for teaching undergraduate voice students. A survey was conducted to determine which books and sources college professors currently use in vocal diction classes. The survey concentrated primarily on diction instruction resources for the Italian, German, and French languages, since these are the first languages that need to be mastered by the undergraduate voice student. The survey instrument was sent to all 1,733 institution members of the College Music Society in the United States. The 118 completed surveys which were returned formed the basis of this study. From the 118, twenty-two interviews were conducted with instructors who used different diction texts. The questions for both the survey and the interviews deal with the accuracy and accessibility of the books and sources used by the diction instructor, and the preferred structure and activities for this type of course. For results of the survey which featured a number of respondents, a bar graph format provides easy visibility. The most frequently used texts and supplemental sources are discussed in depth and are included in an annotated bibliography. Survey results indicated that "Diction for Singers" by Joan Wall, Robert Caldwell, Tracy Gavilanes, and Sheila Allen, is the textbook most widely used, with 60% of respondents naming it as their primary text. Supplemental sources identified and evaluated by respondents included books other than diction texts; dictionaries, song anthologies, recordings, soft (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Eileen Davis (Advisor) Subjects: Education, Higher; Music

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2012, Journalism (Communication)

Professional daily journalism is contracting nationwide as metro newspapers withdraw from their suburbs, reduce zoned editions, and even cut back from printing seven days a week. Smaller dailies and community newspapers also are downsizing and closing their doors. Neither broadcast television nor radio nor Web start-ups have replaced the displaced journalism, creating what the Federal Communications Commission calls a ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿media deficit¿¿¿¿¿¿¿ in many communities. This dissertation seeks to explore what this trend means for public affairs information entering the public sphere by examining two live news environments, one with a daily newspaper (Wood County, Ohio) and one where a newspaper had closed (Geauga County, Ohio). Methods used were textual analysis of media texts and audience contributions including those associated with print reports, television, social media, and start-up Websites. In-depth interviews were conducted with journalists, citizens, and public officials. A survey polled opinion leaders in both counties about their assessment and use of the media in their areas. Two focus groups were conducted. Overall, this study found that daily professional journalism makes a significant difference not just in the amount of public affairs information available to a community, but also in the amount and type of conversations that take place in the digital world. In the community without daily professional journalism, residents were forced to craft their own news feeds through cobbling together social media, digital, and the less regular print reports from weekly news operations and those outside the county. The implications for representative democracy in the face of a daily professional journalism in retreat are clear: If the U.S. system is to thrive, more resources, at the community level, must be marshaled to support journalism. Further, the citizens will have to become increasingly sophisticated in understanding the type of content they are consuming to i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Michael Sweeney PhD (Committee Chair); David Mould PhD (Committee Member); Aimee Edmondson PhD (Committee Member); Katherine Jellison PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Journalism

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2011, Journalism (Communication)

The coverage of the recruitment of high school athletes has exploded in the last decade as the advent of the Internet turned a once-obscure type of coverage into a multimillion-dollar industry. That demand has led to a wave of ethical challenges for web-based publications. This study will reveal ethical challenges as identified by professionals working in high school and college athletics and journalism. It will further focus on legal issues in light of a 2003 West Virginia Supreme Court decision (Wilson v. Daily Gazette Co.) that deemed high school athletes private figures in libel cases making it much easier for the athlete to win. The goal of this paper is to identify ethical challenges and legal issues and to propose a code of ethics and a list of legal guidelines for web-based media outlets. Media covering high school recruiting can use these guidelines to gain and maintain credibility, to uphold a high level of ethics, and to avoid lawsuits.

Committee: Michael Sweeney PhD (Committee Chair); Patrick Washburn PhD (Committee Member); Aimee Edmondson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Journalism

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2009, Mass Communication (Communication)

This research examined the phenomenon of Islamic content on the Internet. Five websites, based in the United States were showcased in this study. The purpose was to highlight the content and activities of the websites. The management practices of the websites were also analyzed in order to assess sources of funding and financial performance. A framework to compare and contrast the teachings of a traditional religion through a contemporary media source was developed in this project. Guided by diffusion of innovations and social network theories, this study used qualitative content analysis and interview techniques to investigate websites with Islamic content. Nine participants representing Islamic websites were selected for this project. The first part of this study examined Islam on the Internet, Muslims in the West and western media coverage of Islam. The second segment of open-ended interviews appraised the contributions by Islamic websites to Islamic content on the Internet. The findings of the study highlighted ways in which the websites aimed at educating and informing readers about Islam and about its message. Websites with an Islamic content categorize themselves as active members of the community. Donations and membership dues represent critical ways through which their activities are financed. The intersection of religion and media has witnessed a rapid evolution from traditional media sources to newer and more complex communication and information technology platforms. An innovative method of worshipping is emerging in Islam. This new approach is utilizing the power of the Internet as a mass communication apparatus. Religious material is now posted online and is accessible to anyone with an Internet-ready computer. Imams are no longer only found in mosques but are accessible through various media forms including online forums. The Internet is also enhancing the learning culture of Islam by making it easier to research and locate information. This has led t (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Steve Howard (Committee Chair); Gregory Newton (Committee Member); Claudia Hale (Committee Member); Loren Lybarger (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Mass Media; Religion

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2005, International Studies - International Development Studies

This thesis examines human rights, the international and South African lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) movements, and their organizations, exploring how they articulate human rights, sexuality and identity. The literature review includes the different perspectives on human rights philosophy and the LGBT movements, their influences and philosophical underpinnings. Issues of identity, continuity in the movements, and conceptualizations of rights are also explored. Organizations' websites, from both the international and South African movements, are analyzed using a post-structural textual analysis methodology to see how these organizations represent themselves and articulate human rights and homosexuality. Through this research, it is clear that both sets of organizations view human rights as universal and homosexuality as natural, but there are variations in the types of rights emphasized and the way homosexuality is represented and articulated. Though both groups of organizations collaborate and interact, they are distinct movements with unique approaches to LGBT rights.

Committee: Ann Tickamyer (Advisor) Subjects:

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2009, English

This dissertation is a situated rhetorical analysis of four women's organization websites: the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada, the National Federation of Women's Institutes in England and Wales, the Associated Country Women of the World, and the General Federation of Women's Clubs in the United States. These four organizations have similar histories which date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Each offers social, educational and activist opportunities to its members. Research for the study followed two phases: direct contact with members and staff of each organization to interview them along with close reading of the website texts. The collected data analyzes the websites based on design and format, interactive opportunities, photographic images and rhetorical language and seeks to comment on the persuasive potential and rhetorical traces of identity found for each organization through its website. The study is restricted to specific dates when the websites were observed; it is further limited by the opportunities for contact with organization members and staff who were willing to participate in the research. The online presence created by the four organizations and its significance to them contributes to the development and growth of each organization by promoting the work and activities the women engage in. The websites offer evidence of an important community to which the members belong and gives the women information on opportunities to meet together, support issues which are important to them and their communities and work to improve the lives of others. However, the sites are primarily used for promotional purposes, advertising activities and campaigns at a national/international level rather than offering direct engagement and interactive opportunities for members. Finally, this dissertation contributes to the study of women's rhetoric, particularly women writing on the web.

Committee: Diana Royer PhD (Committee Chair); Jennie Dautermann PhD (Committee Member); Michele Simmons PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Composition; Rhetoric; Womens Studies

Master of Arts in Psychology, Cleveland State University, 2012, College of Sciences and Health Professions

The purpose of this study was to examine the generalizability of attribute performance and attribute importance ratings across product classes. Data were collected, with the use of an online survey, from 313 respondents of which 287 were U.S. college students and 26 were close acquaintances of the research team. Seventy-four percent of respondents were male, all respondents had at least four years of internet use experience, and 44% claim to make at least one online shopping purchase per month. Twenty-six web site attributes were selected from the Variegated Inventory of Site Attributes (VISA) (Blake, Hamilton, Neuendorf & Murcko, 2010) to be rated for attribute performance and attribute importance by respondents in this study. Attribute performance ratings were gathered based on www.Frys.com for the consumer electronic product class and www.Powells.com for the bookstore product class. Also, attribute importance ratings were gathered for the consumer electronic product class, the bookstore product classes, and the general importance domain. An exploratory factor analysis and a series of confirmatory factor analyses were used to identify, confirm, and provide marginal evidence for the generalizability of an underlying four factor, 22 attribute performance structure across the consumer electronic and bookstore product classes. On the other hand, this study failed to identify an underlying attribute importance structure with the use of an exploratory factor analysis. As a result, no structural level assessments of the generalizability of attribute importance ratings could be assessed. Repeated measures MANOVA analyses revealed that the majority of web site features are rated significantly differently across product classes for both performance and importance. ¿¿¿¿orrelation analyses demonstrated that the relationship between attribute ratings for the book and consumer electronic product classes tended to be stronger for performance than importance. Also, attribute impo (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Brian Blake PhD (Committee Chair); Michael Horvath PhD (Committee Member); Kimberly Neuendorf PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Psychology

Master of Applied Communication Theory and Methodology, Cleveland State University, 2008, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Social network sites like MySpace and Facebook are a popular online venue for interaction and expression. This study was designed to identify the ways in which people present themselves online in the social network environment of MySpace.com. To examine the types of self-presentation displayed in MySpace profiles, this study drew from current online research, self-presentation theory (Goffman, 1959; Jones, 1990), nonverbal traditions, and the field of visual communication to develop a novel measurement scheme which could be used to analyze photographic and textual elements. Content analysis of a random sample of public profiles selected from MySpace.com focused primarily on the photographic self-presentation found in the primary profile photograph. The content analysis revealed that competence and ingratiation were the most commonly used strategies exhibited in the sampled profiles. Additionally, significant relationships were found between intimidating behaviors and the intended audience, and intimidating behaviors and the user's sex. Demographic information revealed that males and females were equally represented in the sample, and racial/ethnic diversity closely resembled the U.S. population as reported in the 2000 U.S. Census. Furthermore, non-significant results suggest a possible relationship between the user's sex and the types of nonverbal behaviors demonstrated in the photograph, similar to Goffman's (1979) work on gender displays in commercial advertising photography.

Committee: Kimberly Neuendorf PhD (Advisor); Paul Skalski PhD (Committee Member); Katheryn Maguire PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; Mass Media