Communication Studies Department Theses and Dissertations

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About the Program...

The IUPUI Master's of Arts in Applied Communication focuses on the application of communication theories in various settings.

Classes are small and interactive with emphasis on application of theory. Opportunities for multidisciplinary and independent study are available. The program readies the advanced student for professional career paths and future academic pursuits. Its logistical flexibility allows students to meet their academic and career goals.

The graduate faculty has a wide range of academic expertise and applied experiences with regional and national institutions and organizations and is engaged in a variety of applied research projects in which students have the opportunity to participate.

For more information about the program visit: http://www.iupui.edu/~comstudy/gradprogram.htm

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 75

A Rhetorical Analysis of Michelle Obama's Rhetoric in the Let's Move! Program
(2022-08) Dosterglick, Morgan; Dobris, Catherine A.; Hoffmann-Longtin, Krista; Parrish-Sprowl, John
As the childhood obesity epidemic continues in the United States, there is a persistent need to discover what communication strategies work for income diverse communities in the United States, in order to prevent adverse immediate and long term effects on children. Understanding how people in power discuss obesity and conform to hegemonic expectations is also relevant to our assessments of increasingly diverse leaders in the U.S. This study focuses on the rhetoric of former First Lady Michelle Obama throughout the Let’s Move! public health program, the aim of which was to end the pediatric obesity epidemic in one generation. Three of her addresses given throughout the program’s existence are analyzed through the framework of feminist and metaphoric rhetorical criticism. Specifically, metaphors are analyzed to gain a more nuanced perception of her rhetorical strategies and the framing of Let’s Move! as a positive and attainable goal, requiring all members of a community to be engaged to enact healthy changes. Feminist analysis is utilized to discern the extent to which, if any, she upheld the patriarchal norms of a woman speaking in front of an audience, This analysis uses the historical expectations of First Lady discourse and the theory of Republican Motherhood to frame her experiences and validate her place behind the podium. The research questions for this analysis are: How does Michelle Obama use metaphor in the Let’s Move! program? and looking through a feminist lens, do Obama’s messages regarding childhood obesity and increasing physical activity uphold hegemonic norms regarding Republican Motherhood and FLOTUS rhetoric?
Critical Analysis of Case Conference Committee Meetings: A Narrative Analysis of Parent/Guardians’ and Specific Learning Disability Students’ Experiences
(2022-07) Le, Megan Elizabeth; White-Mills, Kim; Dobris, Catherine A.; Parrish-Sprowl, John
In recent years, there has been an increase in special education complaints filed against school corporations for noncompliance with the terms of the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) established in a Case Conference Committee meeting. Case Conference Committees include parents/guardians, Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) students, and educators. Parents/guardians are equal partners to the school corporation when developing the IEP. Disagreements within Case Conference Committee (CCC) meetings can lead to strained relationships. During Case Conference Committee Meetings, parents/guardians may disagree with educators related to managing the student’s IEP (Indiana Department of Education, 2021). Consequently, a parent/guardian of a SLD student may file a complaint or due process hearing resulting from poor communication between parties during or after a Case Conference Meeting (McQuerrey, 2019). The Critical Organizational Communication Theory was applied in exploring if parents/guardians experienced the Indiana IEP Resource Center’s common issues in CCC meetings including: the lack of (1) Communication, (2) Preparation, (3) Clarity, (4) Respect, and (5) Transparency. A narrative approach was used to tell the stories of parents/guardians and SLD students’ experience in CCC meetings.
Understanding the Individual Narratives of Women Who Use Formula in Relation to the Master Narrative of "Breast is Best"
(2022-05) Scott, Susanna Foxworthy; Bute, Jennifer J.; Brann, Maria; Head, Katharine; Turman, Jack E., Jr.
Despite clinical recommendations, only 25.8% of infants in the United States are exclusively breastfed at 6 months of age. Breastfeeding policies and communication campaigns exist to support exclusive breastfeeding, and women who use formula report facing stigma and feeling like a failure. Narratives can be used to discern how individuals make sense of experiences related to health, and narrative theorizing in health communication provides a framework of problematics used to explain how individuals construct stories that reveal the tensions between continuity and disruption and creativity and constraint. Individual experiences are often influenced by master narratives such as “Breast is best,” which are phrases that shape our understanding of the world. Because of the negative impact of using formula on maternal well-being, the purpose of this research was to use a narrative framework to analyze the stories of women who used formula in relation to the master narrative of breast is best. Building off of pilot interviews with 22 mothers, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 women who had used formula within the first 6 months after giving birth and had an infant no older than 12 months at the time of the interview. Qualitative analysis revealed that women perceived formula as shameful and costly. Conversely, they viewed breastfeeding as biologically superior, better for bonding, and a way to enact good motherhood. Current messaging about breastfeeding, particularly for women who intend to breastfeed, may have unintended negative effects when women face a disruption to their breastfeeding journey. In addition, women viewed breastfeeding and formula feeding as in relation to and in opposition to one another, reducing the perceived acceptability of behaviors such as combination feeding. Despite constraints in the master narrative regarding acceptable infant feeding practices, women demonstrated creativity in their individual stories and found formula feeding enabled more equitable parenting and preserved mental health. Practical implications include that organizations promoting exclusive breastfeeding in the United States should move away from framing breastfeeding as an all-or-nothing choice and develop tailored and value-neutral messaging recognizing breastfeeding as a complex psychosocial and biological process.
The Relationship Between Ambiversion and Communication Adaptability
(2022-05) Shannon, Kaitlyn Marie; Maria, Brann; Ronald, Sandwina; Elizabeth, Goering
Communication is a skill humans are constantly utilizing, and their personality can have a strong effect on the way they utilize their communication skills. Understanding the adaptability of our ever-present communication and the influence personality type can have provides vital knowledge to all communicating individuals. This study focused on the potential connection between communication adaptability and the personality types of introversion, ambiversion, and extraversion. Many studies have explored communication adaptability and personality type independently; however, the relationship between the two has had very little study. The connection between the variables of communication adaptability and personality type was determined via a cross-sectional survey utilizing the Introversion Scale (McCroskey, 2007) and the Communication Adaptability Scale (Duran, 1983). The relationship between introversion, ambiversion, and extraversion was analyzed using Pearson’s bivariate correlation and ANOVA, which indicated that extraverted participants tended to have statistically significant higher levels of communication adaptability. There was also a moderate correlation between ambiversion and social composure, a low correlation with social confirmation, and a high positive correlation to social experience. Introversion had a moderate positive correlation with social composure and social experience. Finally, there were moderate positive correlations between extraversion and social composure as well as social experience. These results indicate that the more extraverted one is, the more likely they will be to have higher communication adaptability. Thus, there are communication adaptability strengths for all three personality types, but extraverts have the highest tendency to have high scores of communication adaptability. Individuals should consider determining what their personality type is to allow them to take advantage of their areas of strength and ascertain weaknesses they could potentially work on when it comes to their communication adaptability.
Communication to Cultivate a Culture of Health: Lessons From 5-Star Achievewell Organizations
(2021-12) Martin, Natalie R.; Brann, Maria; Bute, Jennifer; Goering, Elizabeth; Staten, Lisa
Creating a culture of health within an organization offers benefits such as reducing costs and supporting employees in becoming and staying healthy. A variety of health and wellness programs within an organization are important for establishing a culture of health. These programs are supported communicatively to encourage employee participation and healthful behavior changes. Recognized for their success in creating a culture of health, a group of organizations, distinguished as 5-Star AchieveWELL organizations, offer an opportunity to identify messaging strategies effective at promoting health and wellness within the workplace and therefore, creating a culture of health. The goals of this study included learning successful organization’s communication strategies utilized to create a culture of health, understanding how new employees are socialized into this culture, identifying how employees may resist the culture, and exploring how resistance is addressed. Based on in-depth interviews with 19 5-Star AchieveWELL organizational representatives and grounded theory analysis of collected data, evident themes related to the goals of this study were identified. Key communication strategies to support a culture of health include using multiple communication channels, demonstrating leadership support, and being willing to adapt and change over time. New employees are socialized into the culture of health during the recruitment process as well as new employee orientation. Resistance to health and wellness occurs in the form of non-participation and employee push-back, with this resistance often being met with compassion. These results offer practical implications for organizations desiring to create a culture of health as well as theoretical implications for scholars studying organizational socialization.
Exploring Male And Female Healthcare Provider Communication With Alzheimer’s Patients: A Qualitative Study
(2021-05) Lyu, Ying; Goering, Elizabeth; Head, Katharine J.; Bute, Jennifer
Today, Alzheimer’s is a devastating disease that affects more than 46.8 million people worldwide. Caring for people with AD is stressful and emotionally draining for both family members and healthcare providers and would be exacerbated by the breakdown in communication. While communication challenges can take many forms, one understudied area in AD patient-provider communication is how gender role might affect the outcomes and perceived feelings during interaction. Without knowledge and attentiveness of how gender may affect patient-provider communication, healthcare providers may become more frustrated in their attempts to apply unadjusted skills, which can cause further breakdown and stress. This study is to explore how gender might be a role affecting caregiving communication within the context of Alzheimer’s. Eleven participants were recruited to have a semi-structured interview through online flyers. The findings from this study yield broad suggestions for future work within the field of Alzheimer’s communication research and specific suggestions for designing the communication training.
Using the Health Belief Model to Investigate Parent Perceptions of Lead Testing: Implications for Health Communication Research and Practice
(2020-12) Kruer, Kaitlyn Hannah; Head, Katharine J.; Brann, Maria; Bute, Jennifer J.
Children are at increased risk for harmful lead exposure due to their behavior and the increased percentage of lead absorption. While lead levels and the possible adverse health effects vary by age and level absorbed, the medical field agrees that lead is a persistent public health issue of the first order. Importantly, Hoosier children are at an increased risk for possible negative side effects because of the small percentage of children who are being tested; despite the AAP’s recommendation. The Health Belief Model (HBM) provided a strong and appropriate framework for guiding this formative research about parents’ perceptions of blood lead testing. This study aimed to answer two research questions based on HBM concepts and utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods to help answer them. Using snowball and convenience sampling, 14 Hoosier parents were recruited to participate in this study during the spring of 2020. Parents were recruitment from four counties across the state with known high rates of lead and/or low rates of blood lead testing among babies and small children. The findings from this study yield broad suggestions for future work within the field of communication research and specific suggestions for applied communication campaign research and clinical interventions within the state of Indiana. This study suggests we still have a long way to go as a state in addressing the dangers of lead toxicity and increasing regular testing among Hoosier children.
A Qualitative Inquiry into Indonesian Women's Breastfeeding Decision-Making
(2020-09) Johnson, Nicole Lynn; Matthias, Marianne S.; Brann, Maria; Goering, Elizabeth; Tuman, Jack
Despite the World Health Organization’s longstanding guidelines encouraging exclusive breastfeeding, less than half of babies are breastfed exclusively in Indonesia, a country experiencing a disproportionately high infant mortality rate believed to be related to inadequate access to clean water and health care. Questions remain concerning women’s decision-making about infant feeding, and we know very little about Indonesian women’s decisions and behaviors regarding breastfeeding. The current research explored Indonesian women’s perceptions about their communication with their support persons as they contemplated the best and most appropriate way to feed their infants. During two trips to Indonesia in 2018, semi-structured qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with 84 mothers and 36 breastfeeding support persons including spouses, their infants’ grandmothers, midwives, and lactation consultants on Java, Bali, and Flores Islands. Using the constant comparative method, results revealed infants’ grandmothers and fathers as primary sources of breastfeeding support for mothers. Notably, despite their prominence, grandmothers and fathers were not always perceived to be effective sources of support; rather, mothers often described experiencing support that was unwanted or ineffective. Commonly mothers described a grandmother’s attempted support as being couched in criticism or guided by myths, and a father’s ineffective support as the result of lack of knowledge. Conflict with grandmothers was especially problematic given cultural expectations regarding elders. Findings are discussed in the context of Problematic Integration Theory, a general theory that describes the role of communication in experiencing and managing tensions between expectations and desires. Specifically, findings revealed that breastfeeding challenges fundamentally involve negotiating these dilemmas, which are co-created, exacerbated, transformed, and managed through communication between mothers and their support persons. This study demonstrates the centrality of communication in breastfeeding decision-making, highlights the role of grandmothers and fathers in breastfeeding promotion, and emphasizes the importance of informed social support for new mothers.
I'm Fine: Systemic Affect of Critical Incidents in Emergency Medical Service Personnel Communication
(2020-07) Deason, Aaron Sterling; Parrish-Sprowl, John; Goering, Elizabeth; Pike, Lynn; Hoffmann-Longtin, Krista
EMS personnel experience emotionally charged calls, such as CPR, trauma, or domestic violence. This study examined the changes on communication by these events. Communication Complex metaframework allowed use of other disciplines. There is a lack of scholarship surrounding EMS communication. Research from other military and other fields was translated into the EMS community. Mental illness is a growing concern in EMS as 37% contemplate suicide and 6% complete it. Part of understanding the affect is an exploration of how the culture of EMS (i.e. training, traditions, machismo) shapes the way new EMS are acculturated. EMS have repeated exposure to trauma over a career. These exposures change communication patterns. Using a three-chapter autoethnography, I was able to examine my communication and mental status changes from rookie until retiring 14 years later with PTSD and constant suicidal ideation. Ethnographic interviews of veteran EMS provided insight into the old school ideology of emotional repression and shelving. I analyzed using the NREMT Patient Assessment skill sheet as a guide in a three-step process to discover and reassess themes. The primary survey indicated common job-related stressors- pedi calls and staffing problems. The secondary survey revealed themes of emotions, senses, and support. Finally, the reassessment revealed subtle changes in EMS culture, including decreased PTSD stigma, increased resiliency training, and increased administrative support. Future research could examine the effect of spousal support and changes in cultural emotional suppression. The goal is to develop programs to help allies understand the emotionality in EMS and create dedicated support structures to increase EMS mental health.
Proposing a Theory for the Categorization of Self Disclosure Strategies
(2020-08) Conrad Metz-Sipple, Emma K.; Parrish-Sprowl, John; Goering, Elizabeth; Sandwina, Ronald; Dobris, Catherine A.
Self disclosure, or sharing personal details about oneself with another, is an important communication construct that can impact relationship development, workplace satisfaction, mental health, and physical health, among other aspects of an individual’s life (Clevinger, Ablert & Raiche, 2019; Hyman, & McQuitty, 2000; Jourard, 1971; Rosenfeld, Civikly, & Herron, 1979). Much of the research on self disclosure has focused on why people choose to self disclose, how self disclosure impacts relationship development, or the risks individuals experience in regards to self disclosure (Greene, Derlega & Matthews, 2006; Smith & Brunner, 2017). The levels of self disclosure have also been studied (Harper & Harper, 2006; Morton, 1978). What has been overlooked thus far in academic research is the manner which individuals disclose information to one another. The benefits of filling this gap in self disclosure research by establishing self disclosure categories is multi-faceted. First, understanding how individuals self disclose increases the accessibility of self disclosure for non-academic circles. Categorizing self disclosure will provide individuals with the language to talk about how they make themselves known to others. Understanding how individual’s self disclose also creates new opportunities for self disclosure research among the academic realm.

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