No description available.

The present study seeks to determine the relationship between Terror Management Theory (TMT) and various measures of existential anxiety, future consciousness, and future-oriented thinking. By using TMT as a theoretical construct, a scale was devised to measure participants’ protective behaviors relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Three other scales were utilized, including Lalot’s Future Consciousness Scale (FCS), Strathman’s Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS), and Weems’ Existential Anxiety Questionnaire (EAQ). The scales were combined into one composite survey along with demographic questions. 315 participants were then administered the collection of scales via an only survey platform. Results indicated strong significant correlations between the scale developed and the three other scales utilized. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed the three scales utilized were strong predictor variables of proximal and distal protective behaviors as predicted by TMT. The possibilities for future research include expansion of the knowledge regarding protective behaviors during widespread health issues, and how to design programs to maximize protective behaviors to minimize health risks.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Universities and colleges in the U.S. are constantly mentioned in lists such as The Princeton Review's Top Party School list or similar rankings that can potentially impact the institution, as well as local news coverage regarding the institution's ranking and the drinking and partying habits of its student body. This study explores media coverage of party schools through a lens of framing and relationship management theories. Through a quantitative content analysis of news frames used in local news coverage of universities or colleges with noted "party school" reputations in the 2016 to 2017 academic school year, as well as frames represented in the official university responses, this study uncovers how universities with these noted reputations are framed by the local news media. In addition, the study explores the ways in which university responses to media coverage impact the potentially mutually-beneficial relationship between higher education institutions and its stakeholders, as it is a primary function of public relations (Kim et al., 2007). In order to examine the predominant frames used by local news media in college towns and "party school" university responses, frames of negative emotional appeal, morality, human interest and harm reduction were explored to determine their salience in written messages found in news headlines and university responses. The results of this study provide explanations to a phenomenon that largely impacts the reputation of a higher education institution in the U.S., as well as implications for the management of relationships between the media and universities. / Master of Arts / Universities and colleges in the U.S. are constantly mentioned in lists such as The Princeton Review’s Top Party School list or similar rankings that can potentially impact the institution, as well as local news coverage regarding the institution’s ranking and the drinking and partying habits of its student body. This study explores media coverage of party schools, pertaining to how they are portrayed in the media as well as how they manage relationships with stakeholders. This study analyzes news frames used in local news coverage of universities or colleges with noted “party school” reputations in the 2016 to 2017 academic school year, as well as frames represented in the official university responses, to uncover how universities with these noted reputations are portrayed by the local news media. In addition, the study explores the ways in which university responses to media coverage impact the potentially mutually-beneficial relationship between higher education institutions and its stakeholders, as it is a primary function of public relations (Kim et al., 2007). Frames were explored to determine their prevalence in messages found in news headlines and university responses. The results of this study provide explanations to a phenomenon that largely impacts the reputation of a higher education institution in the U.S., as well as implications for the management of relationships between the media and universities.

Past research has shown that mortality salience increases desire for offspring. Additionally, past studies have illustrated that women in a high fertility phase within a menstrual cycle show greater preference for masculine faces while performing facial judgment tasks than do women in a low fertility phase or women using hormonal contraception. However, mortality salience has been shown to influence mate selection. The current study explored whether or not a cue related to fertility salience may produce similar outcomes to cues of mortality salience observed in past studies. In partial replication of a study conducted by Vaughn, Bradley, Byrd-Craven, and Kennison (2010), the current study included 151 heterosexual female participants who self-identified as falling within cyclical high fertility or low fertility categories, or who reported using hormonal contraception. These participants were randomly assigned to either a control condition, a mortality salience condition, or a fertility salience condition and then instructed to judge images of male faces provided by Re, DeBruine, Jones, and Perrett (2013). Participants rated faces in categories of attractiveness, dominance, and health. The study predicted significant interaction effects of salience condition and fertility status on opposite sex facial perceptions. Additionally, participants were asked about procreation preferences. No effects of mortality salience or fertility salience were observed in regard to opposite sex facial perceptions, number of children desired, or preferred age for having a first child. Thus, the current research does not provide support that the fertility salience cue used in the study influences opposite sex perceptions or procreation preferences. / Master of Arts

This thesis presents a public relations perspective of the sharing economy by exploring how three prominent sharing economy companies, Airbnb, Uber and TaskRabbit, communicate to form a relationship with key stakeholders, including customers and service providers. Employing a qualitative, thematic analysis, this study analyzed each company's website communication and found the relationship qualities of social trust, safety and support to be prominent elements of relationships communicated by each company. Serving as one of the only public relations studies to address the sharing economy, this thesis extends relationship management theory's application to a new socioeconomic movement and situates current sharing economy research in a new context of public relations. This study provides important communication insights for organizations in the sharing economy that rely on strong organization-public relationships in order to be successful, and it unites public relations and sharing economy research. / Master of Arts / This thesis provides the academic discipline of public relations with a new context for understanding the way organizations communicate relationships with the general public and their customers or independent workers (gig workers) in a new environment called the sharing economy. The sharing economy has dramatically altered the way people consume products and services, as it allows people to temporarily share goods and services with strangers through an online platform. The study analyzes three prominent sharing economy companies, Airbnb, Uber and TaskRabbit, using a qualitative method to explore this new, peer-to-peer business model. Through analyzing each company's website communication, the study revealed that companies in the sharing economy communicate the relationship qualities of social trust, safety and support with the public.

This pre-test, post- test experiment examined the effects of mortality salience, frames of the military and military personnel, and regulatory focus on viewer attitudes toward the military, support for the military, and their perceptions of military personnel's criminal behavior. Participants viewed a short video clip from an episode of NCIS which contained either a sympathetic or non-sympathetic frame of the military and, in the treatment condition, a mortality salience reminder. Frame (sympathetic or non-sympathetic) had a significant effect on participant attitudes toward the military in the control condition when there was no mortality salience reminder present in the video clip. However, when participants' mortality was made salient, attitudes and support for the military did not change. Theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. / Master of Arts