The focus of this thesis is to provide a critical examination of the movement of culture jamming through a primary reading of activist group The Yes Men. The Yes Men as the primary focus, and the movement of culture jamming as the theoretical backdrop will be examined through the 'Circuit of Culture' in a paradigm of cultural studies. The goal is not to judge success or failure of a group or a movement, but rather to place these particular entities in the context of the culture in which they exist. / A Thesis Submitted to the School of Communication and Information in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2011. / April 01, 2011. / Culture Jamming, The Yes Men, The Spectacle, Adbusters / Includes bibliographical references. / Andrew Opel, Professor Directing Thesis; Donna Marie Nudd, Committee Member; Jennifer Proffitt, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study is to examine the nature of national identity in a postcolonial, multicultural nation. Trinidad and Tobago became independent from Britain in 1962 and given its multicultural population, ethnic, political and cultural harmony continue to be point of contention. In 1992, the steelpan was declared the national instrument of this West Indian nation, which won the approval of many but unearthed the dissatisfaction of others. Thus, using the case study of the steelpan in Trinidad and Tobago, this study focuses on the debate surrounding the appropriateness of the steelpan as the national instrument, in an attempt to examine the concerns of ethnic communities in a multicultural nation as they try to find a sense of identity on the national level. Through the examination of newspaper archives, government documents, personal interviews and participant observation, the findings indicate that national identity should be understood beyond the indigenous nature of a cultural practice, and the ethnic community with which it is associated, and instead, should focus on the cross-cultural appeal of the cultural practice as the primary indicator of whether it should be accorded "national" status. This study uses the Cultural Studies methodological and theoretical approach of the "circuit of culture" to unearth the webs of meaning that are formed as cultures negotiate the process of national and cultural identity. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2006. / July 20, 2006. / Postcolonial, Nation, National Symbols, Equality, Trinidad And Tobago, Steelpan, Steelband, Nationalism, Cultural Identity, National Identity, Culture / Includes bibliographical references. / Steve McDowell, Professor Directing Dissertation; Phil Steinberg, Outside Committee Member; John Mayo, Committee Member; Danielle Wiese, Committee Member.

Recent studies have shown university Web sites are the primary source of information for students when choosing a college to attend. Since Web sites are fast becoming a key tool in the search for a university, then the information being presented on these Web sites should be analyzed as a persuasive message. This dissertation examines the presentation of information on higher education Web sites through the Heuristic-Systematic Model (HSM) of information processing. The HSM proposes when information perceivers are presented with a message, they will either cognitively process the information by carefully analyzing the message arguments (systematic processing) or draw conclusions about the information based on personal "theories" triggered by an attribute of the message (heuristic processing). The presented research uses two experiments to test information processing and its effect on attitude formation on university Web sites. In experiment one, message elements on a university Web site were manipulated to determine the attitude effects of the inclusion, absence or combination of a student photograph, a quote from a student and statistics about the university. Participants (281) provided data to test five research questions and four hypotheses. In experiment two, the amount of student testimonials on the site and language type were manipulated. Participants (328) provided data to test one research question and five hypotheses. The Web sites in both experiments used texts and images from real university sites in an effort to increase the ecological validity. Findings from each study showed both the type and amount of message elements presented on college Web sites had an effect on the measures of attitude toward the university and intent to acquire more information about the university. Specifically, the belief that prospective students have a "higher education heuristic" is presented and discussed in terms of an integrated model of college choice and information processing. The dissertation closes with a listing of specific recommendation for higher education policy makers for presenting information on their institution's Web sites, along with study limitations and opportunities for future research. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2006. / February 27, 2006. / Colleges and Universities, Higher Education Recruitment, Information Processing, College Choice Process, Heuristic-Systematic Model, Web Sites / Includes bibliographical references. / Arthur A. Raney, Professor Directing Dissertation; Beverly Bower, Outside Committee Member; Laura Arpan, Committee Member; Steve McDowell, Committee Member.

This study examined the temporal-acoustic differences between trained singers and nonsingers, males and females, and during speech and singing tasks. Sixty participants were separated into four groups of fifteen according to level of vocal training and gender. Two speech and singing tasks were recorded. Each task included a short phrase containing an English bilabial voiced or voiceless stop consonant in the word-initial position. Voice onset time (VOT) was measured for the stop consonant productions. Mixed-ANOVAs were completed for each phoneme to examine the effects of vocal training, phonatory task, and gender on VOT. Significantly longer mean VOTs occurred during speaking for both /p/ and /b/. No overall significant mean VOT differences between the trained singers and nonsingers or the females and males were noted for /p/ or /b/. Furthermore, a significant phonatory task by gender interaction was characterized by similar /p/ VOT for males and females during singing, but significantly longer /p/ VOT for females than males during speaking. A significant phonatory task by vocal training interaction was characterized by shorter /p/ VOT for the trained singers during singing, as compared to the nonsingers, and longer /p/ VOT for trained singers during speaking, as compared to the nonsingers. No significant interactions were observed for the /b/ VOT productions. These results indicated that VOT may be an effective measure for examining vocal tract adjustment differences between speech and singing. In conclusion, the results provided a direction for future researchers interested in further exploring relations between temporal-acoustic measures and physiologic vocal tract adjustments during speech and singing. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Communication Disorders in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2004. / June 15, 2004. / Voice Onset Time, Vocal Training, Temporal Acoustic / Includes bibliographical references. / Richard J. Morris, Professor Directing Dissertation; Larry Gerber, Outside Committee Member; Julie Steirwalt, Committee Member; Howard Goldstein, Committee Member.

The purpose of this study was fourfold: first, to analyze reader evaluations of Sarah Palin's role in the pregnancy as mother and statesperson; second, to identify and examine the major rhetorical strategies used to position Bristol Palin as either a private or public subject; third, to identify the schemas, or stereotypes, employed in discussions about Bristol Palin's teen pregnancy and how these schemas were reinforced, negotiated, and/or rejected through reader discourse; and fourth, to understand how these rhetorical themes implicate and influence the metadiscourse surrounding teen pregnancy in the United States. To investigate these questions, a feminist rhetorical analysis was performed on reader responses to the news of Bristol Palin's pregnancy from a sample consisting of conservative, liberal, and popular internet news sites. / A Thesis Submitted to the College of Communication and Information in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts. / Summer Semester, 2009. / July 7, 2009. / Feminist Rhetorical Criticism, Gender Schemas, Teen Pregnancy, Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin / Includes bibliographical references. / Donna Nudd, Professor Directing Thesis; Davis Houck, Committee Member; Jeanette Castillo, Committee Member.

This study examines the effects of fear appeal advertising on attitude and behavioral intention. It contributes new information to the theoretical literature pertaining to fear appeals in general and specifically to the use of fear appeals in bioterrorism related communications. High fear appeals did generate stronger tension levels than low fear appeals. Energy levels were not stronger for those receiving the high fear appeal. Attitude towards the advertisement and vaccination intention also were not stronger for those receiving the high fear appeal. Insights are provided as to why this occurred. / A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Communication in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2004. / April 30, 2004. / Fear Appeal, Activation Checklist, Smallpox / Includes bibliographical references. / Kartik Pashupati, Professor Directing Thesis; Jay Rayburn, Committee Member; Laura Arpan, Committee Member; Steven McClung, Committee Member.

Although a number of studies have demonstrated the effects of mass media on various behaviors the systematic process of examining media related risk factors in sexual health behavior models has not been fully explored. This study offers a rationale, and several propositions and hypotheses for a more inclusive model of sexual risk taking integrating two mass media-related variables with five traditional health risks factors that appear in the current literature. The study also explores gender differences among the proposed relationships in the model. The study tests the proposed integrated model using a secondary analysis via structural equation statistical methods applied to the Teen Media and Health Survey data. The final model supported relationships that were hypothesized based on a rationale linking several mass communication and health-related behavior theories. Findings from this study suggest that sexual intentions that are risky are strong predictor of self-reported sexual behaviors that are risky. In addition, permissive attitudes regarding sex, perceptions of peer norms that are risky, and sexual self efficacy also predict sexual intentions that are risky. This results from the study futher support the utility of impulsive decision making and sensation seeking when predicting sexual risks. The current model and study results indicate that overall exposure to mass media was a significant antecedent of adolescents' perceptions that media messages encourage sexual behaviors. Perceptions that media messages encourage sexual behaviors is also succesfully used to predict adolescent's permissive attitudes regarding sex, their perceptions of peer norms that are risky, and the adolsecents' perceptions of sexual self efficacy. The overall model is also tested in separate male/female models to examine the potential generality of the model across gender subgroups. The results indicate more similarities than differences in sexual risk taking among males and females. One notable difference is the path from mass media exposure to perceptions that media messages encourage sexual behaviors, which is appreciably stronger among females than among males. Another notable difference is that the pathway from sexual intentions that are risky to sexual behaviors that are risky, which again is stronger among females than among males. There are several implications for interventions that arise from this study. Media exposure and perceptions of sexuality through media play an important role in adolescents' attitudes, norms and perceptions of self efficacy. Parents, educators, health practitioners should discuss with adolescents the content of popular mass media, along with the ways that the popular media influence young audiences. Parents, teachers and health practitioners need to pay particular attention to creating messages that can combat the information that adolescent receive from mass media about sex and sexual behaviors. The most important implication may be that adults in U.S. society should take children's exposure to media seriously, pay attention to what their children are viewing and to become active in their communities advocating for more socially responsible media. A concerted effort can be made to reduce sexual innuendos, images and portrayals in the media. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Department of Computer Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Spring Semester, 2011. / November 18, 2010. / Media theories, health theories, Integrated health model / Includes bibliographical references. / Gary Heald, Professor Directing Dissertation; Isaac Eberstein, University Representative; John Mayo, Committee Member; Mia Lustria, Committee Member; Juliann Cortese, Committee Member.

This study investigates the measurement and psychometric features of survey questions common to anti-tobacco campaign evaluations. The constructs explored in the study were those designed to measure cigarette usage, adolescent and youth susceptibility to smoking (two sub-samples (1) never and former smokers and (2) never smokers only), receptivity to anti-tobacco messages and promotions and receptivity to pro-tobacco messages and promotions. These items were used in the 1999, 2000 and 2001 Legacy Media Tracking Surveys. The four sets of items were examined in terms of internal structure through their dimensional characteristics and reliability and were evaluated across time and among age, gender and ethnicity sub-groups. Dimensionality was assessed through principal axis factoring, using the scree plot as well as the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy and Bartlett's test of sphericity. Reliability was determined through Cronbach's alpha measure of internal consistency. Data analyses indicated that two of the constructs, cigarette usage and susceptibility were unidimensional, while the measures of receptivity to anti-tobacco promotions and messages and receptivity to pro-tobacco promotions were multidimensional. These results were similar across all sample sub-groups (i.e. when items were unidimensional, they tended to be unidimensional across time, age, gender and ethnicity). When they were multidimensional, overall they tended to be multidimensional across the sample sub-groups. The reliability analyses were also similar, though the reliability measures for susceptibility to smoking tended to be stronger among older sample respondents. While the dimensionality and internal consistency results were supportive of items used to measure cigarette usage and receptivity to anti-tobacco promotions, additional items need to be added measuring susceptibility to smoking. Similarly, additional items are needed to develop the constructs of receptivity to pro-tobacco messages and promotions. The criterion measures for anti and pro tobacco attitudes were not consistently supported. Cigarette usage and susceptibility to smoking were both negatively correlated with anti-tobacco attitudes. However, the measures were generally weak. Practical implications of the results include a confirmation of the need to test psychometric features of measures as part of the evaluation of health campaigns. Implications for future research include developing additional reliable and valid evaluation measures of susceptibility to smoking and identifying survey items that can be sued to demonstrate the criterion validity of anti-tobacco campaign evaluation measures. / A Thesis Submitted to the Department of Communication in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science. / Summer Semester, 2007. / April 25, 2007. / Anti-Tobacco Campaigns, Measurement Of Tobacco Constructs / Includes bibliographical references. / Gary R. Heald, Professor Directing Thesis; John K. Mayo, Committee Member; Vicki Eveland, Committee Member.

This dissertation study is a baseline investigation into Iraqi insurgents' use of YouTube as a strategic communication tool. The study utilized a content analysis of videos from October 28, 2008 to December 1, 2008 for the search term 'Iraqi resistance' on YouTube that met stated criteria. Overall framing devices and themes found in the collection of videos were examined. While not a random sample, the collection of videos was selected as a representation of the overall population of Iraqi insurgent videos for the time frame examined. Along with a more open interpretation of frames, the study examined those which may be used to recruit and/or send anti-U.S. sentiment. It builds upon previous research in related areas and applies theory with a focus on Social Identity, Diffusion of Innovation, Cultivation, and Framing in attempt to explore the phenomenon. The methodological design establishes a baseline for future comparison and study since the topic of Iraqi insurgents' use of YouTube has yet to be examined extensively in the academic arena. Overall, there were 54 videos that met set criteria examined for this study. Of these, most were documentary attacks. While there were 28 Iraqi insurgent groups represented in the videos, only 4 Iraqi insurgent groups were identified in five or more videos. These were Islamic State of Iraq (25.9%, n=14), Iraqi Resistance (24.2%, n=13), Ansar al-Islam (18.5%, n=10), and Jaish al-Mujahideen (13%, n=7). Two of these four groups have a media arm devoted to creating their video content and acting as a media representative to the public and members of the group. There was not a large difference in quality or appeals used between groups with and without a media arm. Analysis of the data suggested Iraqi insurgent groups are using YouTube to recruit and send Anti-U.S. sentiment. There was a presence of several framing devices some of which included religious, nationalistic, anti-U.S., intimidation, and defenses. Overall, videos in the sample had a large presence of violence depicted, especially against U.S. military members. / A Dissertation Submitted to the College of Communication in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester, 2009. / June 8, 2009. / Strategic Communication, Iraqi Insurgent, Content Analysis, Counter-terrorism, Counter-insurgency, Behavior, Social Psychology, YouTube, Social Media, Propaganda, Iraq / Includes bibliographical references. / Steven McClung, Professor Directing Dissertation; Peter Garretson, Committee Member; Ulla Bunz, Committee Member; Juliann Cortese, Committee Member; Jay Rayburn, Committee Member.

Several social skills assessment studies have found children with impaired language to also have a deficit in their social skills. These studies have focused on either young children (e.g., preschool) or older children (e.g., elementary or middle school) but rarely included a range of ages in a single study. In addition, many of these studies included a small sample size (< 20 children). It is unclear how the peer relationships of children with language impairment change over time and if these children are included in more relationships as they age. This study examined the relation between language ability and sociometric ratings of 234 mainstreamed school-aged children in three age groups through peer nominations and peer ranking. The change in this relation at different ages and the characteristics associated with child relationships also was investigated. Findings revealed a strong relation between language ability and sociometric status in kindergarten but this relation weakened with age. The positive and negative characteristics associated with peer relationships also changed with age. Play and companionship skills were most important in kindergarten while personality, being a reliable ally, and validation and caring were additional characteristics important to children in fifth and eighth grades. These findings offer a framework to address the intervention for children with language impairment and a social skills deficit. / 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 2, 2008. / Language Ability, Language Impairment, Social Status, School-Aged Children, Social Networks, Peer Relationships, Peer Nomination, Friendship, Language Therapy, Sociometric Status / Includes bibliographical references. / Howard Goldstein, Professor Directing Dissertation; Molly Wasko, Outside Committee Member; Juliann Woods, Committee Member; Carla Wood Jackson, Committee Member.