Existing literature has identified mothers as the primary reproductive educators of their daughters and has determined mother-daughter conversations about reproduction to be an indicator of daughters’ sexual and reproductive behaviors. The overturning of Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, had an immediate impact on the reproductive lives of many people, including daughters. Through one-on-one interviews with 10 daughters, this qualitative study identifies three changes in mother-daughter reproductive conversations that were influenced by the overturning of Roe v. Wade: (a) The initiation of conversations, (b) the topics of conversations, and (c) the tone of these conversations. The results of this thesis not only provide initial insight into how daughters felt that their conversations with their mothers about reproductive issues changed in the wake of this monumental event, but also have the potential to contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the larger impact of the event itself.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the reactions people experienced when engaged in extended eye contact with a stranger. Artist Marina Abramović and an organization entitled The Liberators International have demonstrated a spectrum of reactions, many emotionally-charged, that have occurred from the opportunity to sit across from and gaze into the eyes of a stranger. Current research on eye contact has been predominantly quantitative, with no available research that qualitatively investigates the scenario in focus. The design of this study involved interviewing 35 people who participated in "The World’s Biggest Eye Contact Experiment," where individuals paired with a partner and gazed into each other's eyes for one minute. The data revealed a significant overlap between negative and positive face, where individuals sought out the experience in order to exceed their comfort zones and to foster connections with other people. Participants reported feeling a sense of vulnerability, which was attributed to civil inattention and the simultaneous threat to and expansion of negative face.

Video games have become a new platform for social interaction. I review the sociality of video games and the relationship between virtual- and real-world behaviors. I review and address the pros and cons of methods of measuring social behavior. Finally, I present two studies drawn from internet populations. In Study 1 (N = 250), I develop a scale, The Sociality in Multiplayer Online Games Scale (SMOG), which measures the frequency of social gaming behaviors in team-based, multiplayer online games. I hypothesized these to align on dominance and affiliation dimensions of social interaction (Kiesler, 1982). In Study 2 (N = 104), I conduct a confirmatory factor analysis, which supports a two-factor structure—Destructive and Constructive social behavior, resulting in the SMOG-6. I examine construct validity using measures of dominance and affiliation. Controlling for age, gender, and frequency of game-play, both factors predict dominance. SMOG-Destructive negatively, and SMOG-Constructive positively, predicted affiliation.

The purpose of this research study was to explore the topic of organizational communication in higher education and examine staff members’ perceptions about their level of communication and job satisfaction in their workplaces. This study was also designed to test the relationship between communication satisfaction and job satisfaction by analyzing the significance of different dimensions of Communication Satisfaction with the view that satisfaction is multifaceted. A total of 463 non-faculty staff members from different units of a single higher education institution participated in this study. This study included non-teaching staff, including student workers and both full-time and part-time staff members. A modified version of Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ) developed by Downs and Hazen was used to collect data. The study used a Likert-type scale with a 7-point scale and had eight dimensions (personal feedback, relationship to supervisors, horizontal and informal communication, organizational integration, organizational perspective, communication climate, media quality, and job satisfaction). The statistical analyses of the data from eight research questions revealed some significant relationships and differences. The results found that staff members perceived their level of satisfaction with communication satisfaction dimensions personal feedback, relationship to supervisors, horizontal and informal communication, organizational integration, and media quality from somewhat satisfied to satisfied, and communication satisfaction dimensions organizational perspective and communication climate as somewhat satisfied. The results found significant differences among different dimensions of CSQ, indicating that communication satisfaction is multi-faceted. The staff members perceived their level of job satisfaction to be among somewhat satisfied to satisfied range. The results indicated that gender and number of years in service do not seem to make a significant difference among staff members’ level of satisfaction, but level of education and job classification does. There were strong positive relations found among all dimensions of CSQ. A strong positive relationship and statistically significant correlation was found between overall communication satisfaction and job satisfaction scores, indicating that when staff members feel satisfied with communication in their workplace, they also tend to feel satisfied with their job in their workplace.

The current study utilizes Critical Discourse Analysis and Thematic Analysis to study newspaper coverage of F.B.I. sting operations in The New York Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. F.B.I. sting operations are a modern counter-terrorism policy designed to preempt acts of terrorism. This study develops a theoretical approach to understanding F.B.I. sting operations by reviewing the critique of security. The critique of security suggests that nations construct threats in order to produce and maintain ideological and practical hegemony. Thematic categories of the newspaper discourse are formulated and analyzed in the context of security. The study employs aspects of grounded theory for theoretical positioning. Findings suggest newspaper coverage of F.B.I. sting operations reflect and expand security in a number of important ways. Newspaper coverage provides information on a significant tactic used in the War on Terrorism and gives insight to the justification and reasoning for using that tactic. These pieces of information explain the interplay of security and counter-terrorism policy. However, findings also suggest security fosters positive relationships between nations, which requires repositioning aspects of the critique of security developed previously. Finally, newspaper discourse of F.B.I. sting operations helps contextualize the way modern counter-terrorism policy is ideologically configured. Findings show the dominant ideological configuration is security. The study considers how this framework contributes to a flawed understanding of the nature of peace.

The rapid expansion of wireless information technology (IT) coupled with a dramatic increase in security breaches forces organizations to develop comprehensive strategies for managing security risks. The problem addressed was the identification of security risk management practices and human errors of IT administrators, putting the organization at risk for external security intrusion. The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative study was to investigate and determine the security risk assessment practices used by IT administrators to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the organization's information. The research questions focused on whether the security risk management practices of IT administrators met or exceeded the minimally accepted practices and standards for wireless networking. The security risk assessment and management model established the theoretical framework. The sample was 114 participants from small to medium IT organizations comprised of security engineers, managers, and end users. Data collection was via an online survey. Data analysis included both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. The results revealed that greater than 80% of participants conducted appropriate risk management and review assessments. This study underscored the need for a more comprehensive approach to managing IT security risks. IT managers can use the outcome of this study as a benchmark for evaluating their current risk assessment procedures. Experiencing security breaches in organizations may be inevitable. However, when organizations and industry leaders can greatly reduce the cost of a data breach by developing effective risk management plans that lead to better security outcomes, positive social change can be realized.

In a time where some 2.4 billion Internet users exist worldwide, children are increasingly impacted by the Internet's influence, both directly and indirectly. With technology now playing a significant role in childhood learning and social development, many unforeseen shifts are occurring that will ultimately impact lifespan development. Although researchers have provided mixed results concerning the impact of the Internet on learning and social development, the body of evidence indicates that veteran K-8 educators who are comfortable and experienced with the Internet view it more favorably. This grounded theory study systematically generated the multisystem technological engagement theory (MSTET) to explain the impact of the Internet on childhood learning and social development. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 self-identified veteran K-8 educators. Analysis of the data was conducted using a 3-tiered method of coding that was verified through the process of triangulation and member-checking. Results of this study indicate that the veteran K-8 educators perceived the Internet's impact as positive, given a specific set of conditions: experience and comfort with the Internet, collaboration with parents, a healthy balance between face-to-face and online social interactions, boundaries, and maximization of benefits from available information and resources. These findings may enhance social change initiatives by providing an evidence basis for both targeted instruction and school counseling practice that facilitates healthy K-8 learning and social development in the Internet Age.

Online first-year writing courses, with all of their promise, still maintain alarmingly low retention and student satisfaction rates, driving online curriculum designers to take another look at ways to increase both retention and satisfaction. To replicate the high rates of face-to-face classes, we must revisit and revise our approach to communication in the first-year writing online classroom. Think about it: The online classroom has abandoned a mainstay in education for thousands of years - synchronous communication. Why have we been so quick to dispose of it? Are we now paying the price? This research will provide additional value to the existing body of knowledge through analyzing the findings of several studies and determining if a causal link exists between synchronous instructor / student communication and student satisfaction and retention rates in post-secondary first-year online composition courses. The research will also examine if the student's perceived level of teacher presence impacts student satisfaction and retention rates. From this analysis, this thesis will also draw conclusions and make recommendations regarding professional development policies and best practices regarding synchronous communication in the first-year online composition course.

Have you ever listened to a speech, seriously attempted to discern the speaker’s message, then realize you have forgotten most of, if not, the entire message moments after the speech is finished? Far too often audiences sit through a presentation focusing as best as they can, only to have the speaker craft a message in a way that is nearly impossible for the audience to remember. The best speakers not only deliver a memorable message, but also one that inspires their audience to action or change of mindset. Speakers at Ted Conferences are faced with a difficult challenge: they are given roughly 20 minutes to deliver a speech that is both unforgettable and inspiring. This thesis will examine how to craft speeches that are both memorable and inspiring.

This paper focuses on the problem of collapsed “stay in the market” (SIM) beliefs during financial crises. The primary purpose of this investigation was to ascertain whether or not inoculation messages represent a viable communication strategy to preemptively protect SIM beliefs during forthcoming financial crises. Ancillary purposes of this study were to further investigate the role of print and video crises, explicit instructions regarding post-inoculation talk (PIT), and gain and loss frame inoculation messages on the inoculation process. This study used a between subjects factorial design (3 x 2 plus four additional conditions) to explore ten hypotheses. Data collected from 513 participants were analyzed using multivariate and univariate tests and planned comparisons. The results of this investigation indicate that inoculation messages can serve as a viable preemptive crisis communication strategy, that inoculation can protect beliefs equally well when the crisis message is presented through video or print, and that employing a loss frame can strengthen the inoculation process. Mixed results regarding PIT call for further research. Research and practical implications, as well as limitations, are discussed.