The current study investigated the voluntary, safe blood donation in China using an extended version of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (including attitudes, subjective norms, descriptive norms, moral norms, self-identity, and perceived behavioral control), the Health Belief Model (HBM) (including perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and cues to action), and the Social Amplification of Risk Theory (SART) (including the concept of trust). Attitudes focus on individuals' evaluations of the behaviors. Subjective norms (i.e., perceived social pressure to engage in the behavior), descriptive norms (i.e., individuals' perceptions of what most people do), moral norms (i.e., personal feelings of social responsibility), and self-identity (i.e., individuals' perceptions of their social roles) were expected to form a multidimensional higher-order concept called norms. Perceived behavioral control was hypothesized to be a second-order multidimensional construct with two components: perceived controllability (i.e., individuals' perception that they have control over the behavior) and perceived self-efficacy (i.e., one's confidence in his/her ability to perform the behavior). Perceived susceptibility (i.e., beliefs that a certain negative outcome will occur) and perceived severity (i.e., the evaluation about how serious the outcome could be) were proposed to converge on a higher-order construct called perceived threats. Cues to action were operationalized as the requests for blood donations from various resources (i.e., blood banks, schools, family and friends, and social groups). The concept of trust emphasized the trust in blood banks. The current study hypothesized that blood donation intentions were a positive function of attitudes toward blood donations, norms, perceived behavioral control, threats, and cues to action. Trust in blood banks was hypothesized to be positively related to attitudes toward blood donations. A panel (two-wave) survey was conducted. A convenience sample of 248 undergraduate students was recruited from a large regional university in China. The results supported the extended TPB with additional components, including descriptive norms, self-standard (moral norms and self-identity), and self-efficacy. Subjective norms, descriptive norms, and self-standard converged to create a higher order construct: Norms. The convergence in the perceived behavioral control domain (self-efficacy and controllability) and the threats domain (perceived susceptibility and severity) were not obtained. Norms and self-efficacy appeared to be two primary predictors of intentions to donate blood. The direct effects of trust in blood banks on attitudes were confirmed. The results also revealed the indirect effects of trust in blood banks on blood donations intentions. Self-efficacy and controllability predicted past blood donation frequency directly. In addition, self-efficacy mediated the effects of norms on past blood donation frequency. The HBM components (i.e., perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, and cues to action) appeared to be non-significant predictors of blood donation intentions and past behaviors. This study provided a theoretic basis for designing voluntary blood donation campaigns and identified the beliefs and factors that should be targeted in the future campaigns. The current study results reinforce arguments for blood donation campaigns to appeal to social responsibility. One possible method is to frame blood donation as a socially admirable behavior. In addition, the study findings indicate that future blood donation campaigns should take advantage of the effects of perceived behavioral control on both blood donation intentions and blood donation behaviors. Study results indicate the potential utility of campaign messages that include specific coping strategies such as how to reduce barriers to blood donations. In particular, the current study revealed that several control related beliefs involving personal health issues (e.g. sickness, including colds, flu, anemia, etc), time constraints, the locations and schedules of facilities, including blood mobiles, and lack of awareness of blood donation opportunities should be featured in future campaigns. Donor recruitment materials should also emphasize the safety resulting from clean, well-equipped facilities, strict screening processes, and professional staffs. Moreover, the findings of the current study suggest the importance of beliefs about positive consequences (i.e., health benefits, blood tests results, adequate blood supplies for donors themselves, their family, and their friends, and saving lives) and negative consequences of blood donation (i.e., low resistance to colds, influenza, or infection, and the risk of contracting transfusion-transmitted infections). Beliefs about these consequences were the driving forces behind general attitudes toward blood donations in this study. In particular, these beliefs could serve as the themes of future blood donation campaigns. Finally, the study results indicate that various mass media (i.e., TV, radio, and newspaper) tend to be useful channels that reach a wide range of potential blood donors. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2010. / June 22, 2010. / Blood Donation, Health Campaign, Theory of Planned Behavior, Health Belief Model, Trust / Includes bibliographical references. / Gary R. Heald, Professor Directing Dissertation; Michael D. Hartline, University Representative; John K. Mayo, Committee Member; Laura M. Arpan, Committee Member; Juliann Cortese, Committee Member.

How human beings derive enjoyment from media is an ever-growing area of scholarship in the media effects tradition of research. The importance of such research can be seen in the potential effects the media people enjoy have on their lives. Of particular interest to scholars is the way in which we form dispositions toward characters, deriving enjoyment from our favorite heroes' successes and cringing at their misfortunes. This dissertation examines the underlying psychological mechanisms that drive disposition formation and maintenance. Based on the disposition theory of drama (Zillmann & Cantor, 1976) and the integrated theory of crime drama enjoyment (Raney & Bryant, 2002), the studies herein seek to introduce Bandura's (1986) concept of moral disengagement into a model for explaining enjoyment of violent audiovisual narratives. Study 1 addresses the problem of measurement of moral disengagement. An individual's tendency to morally disengage is thought to be an important factor in the moral judgments that are rendered in regard to characters in drama. However, no previously existing scale is able to measure such an individual difference in the context of violent media. Therefore a new scale was constructed to measure media moral disengagement tendency (MMDT), or the tendency of an individual to morally disengage from the actions of violent media characters. Study 2 put the new MMDT scale to the test, assessing its power to predict moral judgments of violent fictional characters in an experimental setting. Study 2 also investigated the role of explicit moral disengagement cues in a film. In one version of the film, an explicit cue was present (MDP), while it was absent in the second version of the film (MDA). In the MDP condition, only punitiveness and vigilantism were significant predictors of moral judgments, and only deservedness predicted enjoyment. In the MDA condition, only MMDT and gender were predictors of moral judgments, and only victim sympathy was a predictor of enjoyment. Results indicate that the presence or absence of an explicit moral disengagement cue determines what moral judgments influence enjoyment, and which individual difference variables influence those moral judgments. It is proposed that schema theory can provide an explanation for this finding. MMDT, it would appear, only operates in the absence of an explicit moral disengagement cue, when the schema for crime drama/action is not activated. The findings have implications for disposition theory and the integrated theory of crime drama enjoyment. Suggestions for future research are offered. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / May 19, 2009. / Factor Analysis, Moral Disengagement, Disposition Theory, Social Cognitive Theory, Integrated Theory of Crime Drama Enjoyment, Path Analysis / Includes bibliographical references. / Arthur A. Raney, Professor Directing Dissertation; Jeannine E. Turner, Outside Committee Member; Barry S. Sapolsky, Committee Member; Laura M. Arpan, Committee Member.

The purpose of this research project is to examine the communication phenomena within a modern Evangelical church in the context of the emergence of a contemporary worship style and the increasing use of media during church services. The researcher intends to provide insight into the feelings and perceptions of the congregation members of the sample church as they relate to the changing landscape of worship within the Evangelical faith. The project utilized a qualitative methodology that includes interviewing, participant observation, and textual analysis. The data analyzed in this project were gathered from a Southern Baptist church located in a college town in the southern United States. The findings of this project are explicated in the chapters through the major themes that emerged. The first theme is the incorporation of "secular" elements such as media technology in the church service. The second theme examines a dichotomy in the way the congregants experience and perceive worship is discussed. The final themed chapter is the influence of contemporary worship on feelings of belonging and togetherness within the church. All together, the study finds that complex communication phenomena can be observed as a result of changing perceptions, expectations, and feelings in the congregants of the evangelical church studied in the project. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts. / Fall Semester, 2008. / August 20, 2008. / Theology, Media Richness Theory, Auto-Ethnography, Grounded Theory, Sacred / Includes bibliographical references. / Stephen McDowell, Professor Directing Thesis; Arthur Raney, Committee Member; Donna M. Nudd, Committee Member.

Early identification and assessment of possible language-learning difficulties are needed to help young children who are bilingual attain proficiency in both their languages. Typical language development of sequential bilinguals is not widely understood. Young sequential bilinguals below the age of 5 years are in the dynamic stages of language learning. The home language (L1) acts as an essential foundation for the child's first (L1) and second (L2) language development. The relationship between L1 and L2 fluctuates within and across children, decreasing the value of standardized single language measures that lead to under- or over-estimation of a bilingual's skills. The purpose of this study was to examine and compare repeated samples of sequential bilinguals' language use in the natural environment with standardized and criterion-referenced measures of their two languages. A two-level hierarchical linear model was employed (time points across the day nested in children). Child vocalization counts differed significantly across home and school environments. Adult word counts were negatively related to child vocalization counts; however, conversational turns positively predicted the number of child vocalizations per 15 min interval. These results contribute to the limited research on sequential bilinguals' development of typical home and community language use. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Communication Science and Disorders in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2010. / June 28, 2010. / Language, Bilingual, Preschool / Includes bibliographical references. / Juliann J. Woods, Professor Directing Dissertation; Mary Frances Hanline, University Representative; Amy M. Wetherby, Committee Member; Carla Wood Jackson, Committee Member.

This project examined whether the theory of reactance can be used to explain the hostile media effect (HME). Two studies representing traditional and relative HME contexts examined whether variables associated with reactance such as personality characteristics, involvement, and social power were related to bias judgments that are commonly associated with the HME. Measures of self esteem and trait aggression were found to have no association with bias judgments in either study. Partisanship and third-person effect in the HME were used as parallels to involvement and social power in reactance. Partisanship was strongly correlated to involvement. Partisanship and third-person effect (perception of threat) were positively associated with bias in a traditional HME experiment. Perceptions of a source's persuasive intentions and third-person effect (perception of threat) were found positively associated with bias judgments in a relative HME study. Some behavioral intentions reflecting freedom-restoring activities that are associated with reactance were found to be positively associated with bias judgments in both studies. Additionally, the project used affective/cognitive models of reactance as guides for developing affective/cognitive path models of the HME. The hypothesized models were not a good fit for the data. However, the subsequent exploratory models suggested that viewing the HME from the perspective of reactance could expand the HME from its bias orientation to include affect and behavior which the results suggest are important aspects of the HME experience. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2008. / April 23, 2008. / Reactance, Hostile Media Effect, News / Includes bibliographical references. / Laura M. Arpan, Professor Directing Dissertation; Elizabeth A. Plant, Outside Committee Member; Gary R. Heald, Committee Member; Arthur A. Raney, Committee Member.

Use of increased lingual pressure while swallowing has been proposed to improve swallow function. However, there are few studies, even in healthy individuals, that address this issue. Furthermore, even less is known about the role of increased lingual pressure in specific clinical populations. The current study paired videofluoroscopy with lingual and pharyngeal manometry to investigate differences between two swallowing conditions, typical swallowing and forceful lingual swallowing, in 20 participants who were status post external beam radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. The purposes of this study were to investigate the effects of swallow condition on pharyngeal pressures, total swallow duration, and penetration/aspiration. Pharyngeal manometric data showed significant main effects for condition and sensor location, as well as an interaction between the two. Individual comparisons revealed significantly higher base of tongue pressure, no change in hypopharynx pressure, and increased nadir pressure at the upper esophageal sphincter during the forceful lingual swallow condition. Additionally, during the forceful lingual swallow condition, there was increased total swallow duration; however, there was no significant change in penetration/aspiration scores. Since reduced contact between the tongue base and posterior pharyngeal wall is a common problem in this clinical population, the results of this study suggest use of increased lingual pressure as a maneuver may facilitate more successful swallowing. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication Disorders in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2008. / October 31, 2008. / Head and Neck Cancer, Swallow Pressures, Dysphagia / Includes bibliographical references. / Julie A. G. Stierwalt, Professor Directing Dissertation; Charles Ouimet, Outside Committee Member; Leonard L. LaPointe, Committee Member; Michelle Bourgeois, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of information technology on organizational communication specifically in a selected health organization by finding out how the decisions to adopt a technology is made and what influences such decision most. This study used a semi-structured interview with open ended questions and the evaluation of documents provided by the organization under study. The top management stratum of the organizational hierarchy was interviewed because they are considered as the determinants of the decision to adopt or not to adopt a communication technology by the organization. Six participants were interviewed while evaluating the documents provided as supporting evidence for the claims of the organization. The interviews were audio recorded and the participants were given pseudonyms to protect people's identities. IRB approval was obtained from the Florida State University IRB committee and consent forms were duly signed by each participant. Timeliness was reported mostly as a definition of effectiveness by most of the participants and ease of use and perceived usefulness or compatibility with the intended task was also considered as very important factors in deciding to adopt a technology for communication. From the revenue-generation perspective, the cost of investment was considered as very important such that if the performance yield of the technology will not be commensurate with the anticipated returns on investment, the likelihood for the technology to be adopted is very low. / A Thesis submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Fall Semester, 2013. / June 27, 2013. / Decision Making Process, Healthcare Organization, Information Technology, Organizational Communication, Technology Adoption / Includes bibliographical references. / Ulla Sypher, Professor Directing Thesis; Jeanette Castillo, Committee Member; Stephen McDowell, Committee Member.

This study explored university students' information seeking behaviors related to prescription medication (PM) information. Specifically, it examined the different sources students use for PM information, their use and perceptions of online sources, the types of PM information they seek, their concerns about, and methods they apply to verify the reliability of the PM information they obtain from the Internet. The study also evaluates the factors influencing students' perceptions and use of online and offline sources of PM information. Results indicate that majority of the participants (57.6%) seek PM-related information on the Internet, mirroring a trend shown in previous studies. This is particularly noteworthy considering increasing concerns about the quality of online health-related information. Despite the availability of different types of sources for PM information, majority of students prefer to consult healthcare experts like doctors (66%) and pharmacists (39%) more than online sources such as non-advertising Internet sources (27.6%) or Internet advertising sources (9.9%). Only a few university students (6.5%) consult social media sources for PM information in spite of the growing popularity of social networking. The most frequently sought PM information related to adverse or side effects of drugs (84%), followed by warnings and precautions (82%), and dosing information (73%). Although influencing factors seem to vary according to the type of source, the most significant predictors of perceived usefulness of sources were perceived credibility and perceived accessibility of the information source. On the other hand, the most significant factors affecting actual use of sources were perceived usefulness and perceived credibility. A great majority of the participants (65%) had concerns about PM information on the Internet and yet 32.3% of these reported that they don't bother to verify the reliability of the information they find online. On the other hand, 35% of the participants expressed no concerns about online PM information and almost half of these participants (45%) reported that they do not bother to verify PM information they find on the Internet. Implications of these results and directions for future research are also discussed. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2013. / October 31, 2013. / Information seeking, Online, Prescription medications, University students / Includes bibliographical references. / Mia Liza A. Lustria, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Stephen McDowell, Professor Co-Directing Dissertation; Patrice Iatarola, University Representative; Jay Rayburn, Committee Member.

The primary objective of this work was the scale development of a research-based instrument (EL-Capstone) that may be used to measure EL core-knowledge levels of adults working in an environment with expectations of supporting literacy development of young children. Earlier concept inventory, emergent literacy, and test theory literature informed the framework for this assessment instrument. Designed with three distinct stages, pre-participant, participant, and post-participant, the processes was summarized by six general tasks: (1) define the content, (2) develop and select the instrument items, (3) informal informant sessions, (4) interview sessions with librarians and early literacy practitioners, (5) instrument administration, and (6) evaluation and final refinement. The entire consent-form participant activities centered on developing the items for inclusion in the EL-Capstone inventory. During the first task, the Developing Early Literacy, National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) 2008 Report was adopted as "EL-Expert" surrogates to bind the epistemological framework to the NELP authors' theoretical underpinnings of EL concepts. The NELP Report represents an extremely dense synthesis of the EL experimental and quasi-experimental research. By the end of the pre-participant stage concept-mapping activity, ninety-seven potential instrument items had been constructed that fell into three categories, i.e., predictiveness, definitions, and activities. Accompanying the refined sixty-two items presented during the interview sessions (n=10) were 3 ranking questions, i.e., strength of each concept, difficulty level, and perceived importance. The interview results informed instrument item reductions and modifications. Two alternating online versions of EL-Capstone collected data responses for 30 days from anonymous adult volunteers (n=824). An item response theory two-parameter logistic model (2-PL) was applied during the post-participant stage to identify each item's difficulty and discrimination parameters. When fully developed, this research-based scale may be used to measure EL-levels of adults working in an environment with expectations of supporting literacy development of young children. The subsequent collected information may be used to inform early literacy curriculum development and to support program evaluation. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Library and Information Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2011. / March 17, 2011. / 2-PL, IRT, Item Response Theory, Early Literacy / Includes bibliographical references. / Kathleen Burnett, Professor Directing Dissertation; Christopher J. Lonigan, University Representative; Gary Burnett, Committee Member; Eliza Dresang, Committee Member.

The purposes of this study were to examine the role of interactivity within video games on the emotion change process, and the association among enjoyment, arousal, involvement and emotion change. The researcher predicted that highly interactive video game players would experience more arousal, involvement and enjoyment than low interactive video game players, and thus a greater emotion management effect would be found with the highly interactive video game than the low interactive video game. Furthermore, enjoyment would be associated with involvement and arousal in the highly interactive video game condition. Gaming performance was assumed to be correlated with enjoyment and emotion change. The participants were recruited for several undergraduate classes at FSU, and randomly assigned to one of the three interactivity conditions (Wii gaming, Flash gaming, and DVD watching). The results demonstrated that 1) interactivity within video games influences the overall emotion management effect, 2) only highly interactive video gamers can simultaneously increase positive affects and decrease negative affects, 3) highly interactive video games produce the greatest arousal, involvement and enjoyment out of the three conditions, 4) two affect-related components, arousal and involvement are correlated with an increase in positive affect, 5) enjoyment is correlated with an increase in positive affect, 6) enjoyment is correlated with arousal, involvement and gaming performance, and 7) gaming performance is correlated with a change in both positive and negative affect. / A Dissertation submitted to the School of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2010. / April 2, 2010. / Arousal, Interactivity, Mood and Emotion, Mood Management Theory, Video Game, Involvement, Enjoyment / Includes bibliographical references. / Arthur A. Raney, Professor Directing Dissertation; Christine Readdick, University Representative; Gary R. Heald, Committee Member; Laura Arpan, Committee Member.