Embedding health messages within an entertainment television program can be an effective tool for influencing viewer health beliefs and attitudes. An important factor moderating the impact of entertainment programming on viewers' health perceptions is the level of connection, or involvement, viewers have with characters.The main goal of this study was to examine how five distinct forms of character involvement -- identification, wishful identification, parasocial interaction, liking, and perceived similarity -- may operate together to explain changes in viewer binge drinking perceptions. A secondary goal of this study was to examine how the interrelationships between character involvement and engagement in the narrative help explain the impact of exposure to an entertainment program on viewer binge drinking perceptions.A pretest/posttest design was employed to examine changes in viewer binge drinking perceptions following exposure to a dramatic television programming dealing with excessive drinking behavior. In addition, perceived similarity with a character was manipulated prior to viewing to assess causal relationships between character involvement dimensions.Contrary to predictions, the majority of tests showed that identification with a binge drinking character did not play a significant mediating role in the relationship between other character involvement dimensions and viewer binge drinking perceptions. Furthermore, in mediated models that included multiple forms of character involvement, perceived character similarity emerged as the only dimension that explained unique variance in viewer binge drinking perceptions. In particular, higher levels of perceived similarity with a character engaged in binge drinking behavior was associated with less socially responsible binge drinking beliefs and attitudes. Results also showed that the relationship between narrative engagement and viewer binge drinking perceptions did not partially flow through character identification.While the findings support prior theoretical assumptions predicting that viewers' will develop a variety of feelings toward characters during program exposure, results also indicate that when studying different viewer-character connections simultaneously, one connection may emerge as the driving force explaining viewer health perceptions. Overall, this study offers a valuable assessment of whether distinct connections television viewers form with characters may both independently, and indirectly through other character involvement dimensions, contribute to health perceptions.

Content analyses indicate that women and girls are gender-stereotyped and negatively portrayed in video games, yet, to date, no research has examined the effects of exposure to these images on consumers. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of sexualized (stereotypical) and non-sexualized (counter-stereotypical) portrayals of female characters in video games on players' self-esteem, gender stereotyping, body esteem, self-objectification, and self-efficacy. Social cognitive theory and presence are utilized to explicate the processes through which individuals are affected by video game play. According to social cognitive theory, the portrayals of women and girls in video games would be expected to influence social perceptions about gender and self-concept in both male and female users. Integrating presence into this theoretical framework aids in explaining the effects of exposure to this uniquely interactive medium. The findings from this study suggest that short-term exposure to a sexualized female video game character predicts lower self-efficacy and negative attitudes toward women in terms of their physical capabilities for female players. Additionally, level of presence experienced by male game players predicted body-related outcomes, such that a higher level of presence was related to greater body satisfaction and lower self-objectification in men. Presence had no significant effect on the relationship between sex, type of character played, and the outcome variables. The results of this study are of consequence not only to media effects researchers but also to parents, legislators, and video game programmers.

Media effects research has yet to shed light on the effects of exposure to the stereotype of Latinos as passionate and seductive (i.e., Latin lovers). Research on priming ethnic group stereotypes indicates that the activated stereotype affects subsequent evaluations of members of the ethnic group. This study looked at the effects of priming the Latin lover stereotype on participants' judgments of unrelated targets. A self-categorization theory approach was invoked to account for individual differences in priming effects, by assessing the role that ethnicity salience and stereotype endorsement play in priming effects. The experiment found little support for the effects of priming the Latin lover stereotype. Ethnicity accessibility and stereotype endorsement mainly moderated priming effects dealing with perceptions of an unrelated White male target's romanticism, perceptions of an unrelated Latino male target's relational commitment, perceptions of a relationally-committed female target's ethnicity, and compatibility ratings involving the relationally-committed female target. Reasons for the weak priming results are discussed.

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<p> The poaching crisis facing elephants is dire, but there are several non-profit organizations fighting to save these magnificent creatures. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and Elephant Voices each have a campaign dedicated to elephant conservation. To better understand the communicative functions social media serves for these organizations, this study examines the Twitter and Instagram utilization practices of these three organizations through a directed content analysis. A prior categorization scheme was used first, but then an organizational storytelling lens was applied to examine the data further. The analysis reveals that the previously established functions of &ldquo;information,&rdquo; &ldquo;community,&rdquo; and &ldquo;action&rdquo; were utilized in much the same way as previously established. This is an important theoretical implication because Instagram has not been extensively studied. Additionally, this study found that these organizations are using epic, tragic, comic, romantic, and report stories to accomplish advocacy efforts, build relationships, and fulfill their missions. This is also an important theoretical implication because organizational storytelling has never been utilized to examine non-profit organization use of social media.</p>

Cette recherche-création porte à la fois sur la répétition comme méthode artistique permettant d'amener un glissement de sens; sur la science comme possible métaphore artistique et sur le livre comme objet transmetteur. Le point de départ de cette recherche concerne une insatisfaction profonde face au concept de définition. C'est l'absence dans la définition du sujet sensible, du sujet en rapport avec son environnement qui a motivé l'envie de le réintégrer, de lui redonner le pouvoir de définir, à sa manière. Six installations livresques, présentées à la galerie Espace Virtuel, sont le résultat de ces diverses expérimentations et explorations. Elles sont issues à la fois du champ de la science et du sensible cherchant à amener une réflexion philosophique. Le contenu de ce mémoire synthétise les diverses expérimentations réalisées à travers ce projet de recherche et est divisé en trois chapitres. Le premier chapitre de cet essai se consacre à introduire au lecteur la forme livresque en regard des différentes qualités formelles de son objet. Il y est également question du malaise qui m'occupe face au concept de définition et du glissement de sens comme possible stratégie de déplacement vers le sensible. Le second chapitre, quant à lui, aborde la notion de répétition comme méthodologie de travail. Y sont exposés le processus de répétition mécanique et de répétition inter-champs ainsi que la relation interne les unissant. Dans le troisième et dernier chapitre, il est question de la méthode scientifique et de son influence sur le concept final d'exposition. Sont également analysées les différentes oeuvres présentées dans cette dernière partie et la manière dont l'approche scientifique me permet d'effectuer un renvoi entre les différents champs de la connaissance. Je propose ainsi une recherche-création qui tente d'inclure le sensible à la définition de concepts en passant par la répétition mécanique et inter-champs, cette dernière permettant de glisser d'un champ de la connaissance à l'autre.

No description available.

Thesis (DD)-University of Pretoria, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references.

"Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration from the Naval Postgraduate School, December 2008." / Advisor(s): Brinkley, Douglas E. ; Massi Lindsey, Lisa L. "December 2008." "MBA professional report"--Cover. Description based on title screen as viewed on January 28, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-58). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--Liberty University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.