Graduate Education 2009 Abstracts
Graduate Education Interest Group
Character Identification or Cultivation? Exploring Media Effects on Emerging Adults’ Appearance Importance • Emily Acosta, University of Wisconsin-Madison • Based on a sample of emerging adults (N=179), hierarchical regression was used to examine whether cultivation effects through media consumption or social comparison through identification with favorite TV character has a greater impact on appearance importance. Those who had an underweight favorite character (ß =.17, p< .01) placed more importance on appearance with 26.5% of the variance accounted for. This suggests that social comparison is more important than cultivation in predicting appearance importance among emerging adults.
Is There a Global Public Sphere? Framing Analysis of Media Coverage of the Russia-Georgia Conflict • Olga Baysha, University of Colorado at Boulder • It has been argued that the advent of transnational media technologies leads to the formation of a global public sphere. By means of framing analysis, this article examines whether signs of global public deliberation were present in American and Ukrainian media coverage of the Russia-Georgia military conflict of 2008.
Framing theory: A systematic examination of a decade’s literature and an agenda for future directions • Porismita Borah, University of Wisconsin-Madison • The framing literature has been consistently growing with contributions from disparate disciplines. However, there has been few systematic examination of the published literature. In order to examine the common trends in this growing body of research, the present study content analyzes framing literature from 93 peer-reviewed journals for a period of ten years.
The Daily Show versus Network News: A content analysis of 2008 general election coverage • Moammar Brown, University of Florida; Adrianna C. Rodriguez, University of Florida • As the nightly network news programs continue to lose audiences and adhere to decades-old hard news formats, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart offers viewers a comedic, slightly cynical alternative. While a parody of traditional half-hour news programs, Stewart won several awards including Emmy awards and two Peabody awards for The Daily Show’s coverage of the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.
Constructing Gender Online: A Content Analysis of Myspace.com Profile Pictures • Laura Beth Daws, University of Kentucky; Christine Tigas, University of Kentucky • This paper investigates the ways in which sex and gender identity are created in visual representations of the self online. Using a sample of Myspace.com profiles, the authors conducted a content analysis to determine sex and gender differences in profile pictures. The results demonstrated that in most cases, individual users’ photographs reflected traditional notions of femininity and masculinity.
Framing Partners: A Computer-Assisted Evaluation of how Top U.S. Newspapers Frame Business, Trade and Investment in, and with, two Key Latin American Partners • Maria De Moya, University of Florida; Rajul Jain, University of Florida • This exploratory study formulates a novel approach to examine application of framing analysis as an evaluation tool for nation image by using computer assisted and traditional content analysis of newspaper coverage of Colombia and Mexico. This study aims to contribute both to the understanding of image evaluation from a practical perspective, and the applicability of automated coding methods, using content analysis software such as Diction 5.0, for the identification of frames in newspaper coverage.
The Gap between “Mami” and Google: Latina Adolescents’ Online Search for Reproductive Health Information • Ilana Echevarria-Stewart, University of Florida •The purpose of this study was to understand why and how Latina adolescents are using the Internet to search for reproductive health information. This qualitative study used focus groups with Latina adolescents and in-depth interviews with sexual health educators. Discussion with participants revealed that both younger and older Latina adolescents had searched for reproductive health information for themselves, a friend, or a class assignment.
News Exposure and Political Participation: A Citizen versus Consumer Response to News Media Messages • Melissa R. Gotlieb, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Kjerstin Thorson, University of Wisconsin-Madison, SJMC • This study investigates notions of the self as dynamic and offers new ways to consider how exposure to media messages can impact attitudes and behavior. A manipulation of news coverage to focus on civic engagement or consumer culture is found to affect online political expression but not political activism. We use response latency tasks to explore whether activation of a citizen self-concept is a mediator of this effect.
Men, Women, and Sports: Revisited • Skye Chance Cooley, The University of Alabama; Amy Head Jones, The University of Alabama • This study looked at gender differences in the sport media experience, specifically the involvement differences between men and women as sport media spectators. In efforts of updating the 18 year old findings from Gantz and Wenner (1991) this study surveyed a younger generation of research subjects (n=216) and added measures of online sport media use. Findings support gender differences among sport media audiences in sport involvement, sport participation, and sport media consumption.
An Experimental Test of Individual-Societal Framing and Gain-Loss Framing Effects in the Web-based Health Advocacy Campaign • Kenneth Kim, University of Florida • A 2 (gain versus loss framing) X 2 (societal versus individual framing) experimental study was conducted to investigate the interplay of gain-loss framing and societal-individual framing on judgment and persuasion in the Web-based health advocacy campaign. One forty-seven college students participated in the study. The results show partial support for the advantage of the individual-loss framing combination and societal-gain framing combination.
A Theoretical Understanding of Synergy Effects in Integrated Marketing Communications • Dae-Hee Kim, University of Florida • This study examines the theories that can explain the synergy effects in IMC contexts, proposes a conceptual framework for IMC synergy, and concludes that IMC synergy can be generated in varied contexts to produce varied levels of consumer responses. Based on these findings, the paper presents four categories of IMC synergy: memory synergy, attention synergy, attitude synergy, and complementary synergy. The implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
Signaling Effects of Offline Advertising on Consumer Trust in Online Advertiser • Chunsik Lee, University of Florida; Junga Kim, University of Minnesota • Although many online businesses advertise their websites in offline media, empirical research on the effects of offline ads on online business has been limited. By applying the signaling effect framework, this study examined the relationship between offline ad exposure and consumer trust in the advertised website. Results from an experiment reveal that mere exposure to an offline ad did not influence website trust.
Intersections: Postcolonial Theory and Communication Studies • Randall Livingstone, University of Oregon • Though postcolonial theory has been a topic of debate in academia since the early-to-mid 20th century, only recently have postcolonial studies and communication studies been considered together. This paper examines the recent interactions of these fields, looking both back at the emergence of postcolonial theory and forward at the way communication scholars are using the theory to inform new lines of research. Recent studies concerning hybridity and diaspora are considered in this review.
Examining How Industries Engage the Media: Comparing American and German Agricultural Associations’ Web sites • Meredith Lord, University of Florida • Despite suggestions that agricultural communicators harness the media to improve the public’s poor understanding of agriculture, coverage of agriculture is dwindling. Given journalists’ preference for interacting with organizations online, this study content analyzed the Web sites of American and German agricultural associations to assess the organizations’ incorporation of Kent and Taylor’s (2003) dialogic principles, which explain how Web sites can be created to engage visitors effectively.
Virtual Possibilities: A Constructivist Examination of the Educational Applications of Second Life • Jeffrey Neely, University of Florida; Kevin Bowers, University of Florida; Matthew Ragas, U of Florida • This study surveyed post-secondary instructors in 15 countries regarding their experiences using the virtual world Second Life as a teaching tool. Qualitative analysis of responses to open-ended questions suggests that Second Life offers a great deal of potential in realizing constructivist principles as well as a number of practical benefits. However, technological barriers, institutional opposition, limited familiarity, and other concerns may be preventing instructors from fully making use of Second Life in their curricula.
Social Viewing Among College Students • Temple Northup, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill • While television is acknowledged to be a social medium, little research has examined the motivations of individuals who frequently engage in social viewing. In this study, uses and gratifications and the expectancy-value theories are used to predict social viewing. Results suggest there is a positive relationship between: (a) motivations based on uses and gratifications and participation in social viewing, and (b) students who felt their motivations were being met and anticipation of future social viewing.
A Model Assessing the Effectiveness of Corporate Social Advertising • Sun-Young Park, University of Florida • The increase in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has been inspired by companies that increasingly recognize it as a key to success for resources. In particular, corporate social advertising is a prevalent communication strategy in the field of corporate societal marketing. However, a barrier to comprehensive understanding of the corporate social ads has been a lack of attention to how differently consumers respond depending on the type of ads.
A Local Community and How They Make Meaning of a Grassroots Public Relations Campaign • Katie Place, University of Maryland • “A Local Community and How They Make Meaning of a Grassroots Public Relations Campaign” examines perceptions of a local grassroots campaign entitled “Under Not Over,” created in opposition to an elevated Metro rail line in a suburban Washington, D.C. community. The situational theory of publics serves as the theoretical base for this paper.
Friend Me, Vote for Me: The Effect of Social Networking Sites on the 2008 Election • Lauren Reichart, University of Alabama; Kenny Smith, University of Alabama • Three hundred and six undergraduate students were surveyed to determine the relationship between media participation in a mediated world (social networking sites) and voting behavior for the 2008 general election. The hypothesis of media participation was analyzed with regards to its applicability in a Web 2.0 time period.
The Evolution of the Blogger: Blogger Considerations of Public Relations Content in the Blogosphere • Brian Smith, University of Maryland • Blogging has become a legitimate platform for individuals to shape conversations about the issues that affect them. This personal medium for self-expression has also become a channel for organizations to gain publicity. The question of a professional influence in a personal space raises questions about blogger decision-making and ethics in representing corporate interests. This study reveals that bloggers consider their sites as extensions of themselves, and that their consideration of reader and corporate interests evolves.
Redefining Cancer: A qualitative study of young adult cancer survivors’ creation of alternative disease narratives • Kathleen Stansberry, University of Oregon • The perception of cancer in American society is far more limited than the actual cancer experience entails. This project uses qualitative methods to examine the cancer experience of young adults to study how a small segment of the cancer population challenges common understandings of cancer using Web-based participatory media to develop alternative disease narratives. Using the theoretical lens of constitutive rhetoric, this paper addresses the process of dominate and alternative cancer narrative creation.
Making a Case for Religious Freedom • Jessalynn Strauss, University of Oregon • This paper examines a 14-page statement released by the Church of Scientology in response to author Andrew Morton’s unauthorized biography of Tom Cruise, one of Scientology’s most notable celebrity adherents.
Gender Differences in Risk Perception: An Exploratory Meta-Analysis • Jiun-Yi Tsai, University of Wisconsin-Madison • This meta-analysis integrates results from 10 studies in which risk perceptions of male and female participants were compared. The goal of this study is to explore the extent to which gender differences in risk perceptions vary across risk type, country area and sample frame. On the whole, results provide support for the notion that females tend to express higher level of concern and worry for a range of risks.
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