Welcome to Concordia Journal of Communication Research. We are excited to launch this on-line journal which primarily showcases outstanding undergraduate student scholarship in the field of communication studies.
Journal of Communication Research
-
By: Celina Stratton (2017)
Concordia University Irvine
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Erin Nelson
This review of literature focuses on the use of various nonverbal channels in film and explain how nonverbal communication influences the success (critical or commercial) of films. The different nonverbal channels, or cues, explored are environment, physical characteristics, gestures, and touch. Within each of these channels, subtopics are examined including color, sound, physical attractiveness, costume design, and more. Rather than a conducting a study testing respondents on any physiological reactions to films, this is an extensive literature review supporting the claim that nonverbal cues do in fact influence the success of films, specifically, critical success. While each channel could also be described as “visual cues,” they each fall under the general discipline of nonverbal communication and thus, are referred to as exclusively nonverbal “cues” or “channels.” Influence is directly related to persuasion, and for a film to be successful, audiences must be engaged. This engagement leads moviegoers to rate the film favorably, resulting in more people spending money to view the film (commercial success) and/or writing reviews praising the film’s efforts (critical success).
-
By: DeRae Berry-Cyprian, Rachel nelson, and Belinda Yang (2017)
Concordia University, St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
Diversity is continuously growing throughout college campuses which influence interactions between students from all different backgrounds. Researchers of this study chose to investigate how individuals communicate with those of different racial backgrounds. Specifically, this study explored the communication strategies used during interracial interactions. Participants of the study attend a private faith-based institution, in the Midwestern area of the United States. This study focuses on an individual’s willingness to learn and teach, preferred level of self-disclosure, and communication accommodation as it relates to how one communicates during interracial interaction. Overall, findings revealed individuals are generally comfortable interacting with those of a different cultural background; however, different situations can play a part in how individuals communicate with one another.
-
By: Bailey House, Marisa McGinty, and Linzy Heim (2017)
Concordia University, St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
The following research study focused on long distance romantic relationships and the communication used when faced with separation. Many different medias are utilized in relational maintenance and the literature review of this paper explores those options. Online communication and numerous social media sites can positively or negatively affect the relationship quality. After analyzing secondary research, a primary research study was conducted monitoring one newly formed college age couple and their communication for a four-week time period. When looking at the information and data collected, there were numerous examples to show the Social Penetration Theory in this couple’s growing relationship. The final section offers limitations and suggestions for further research of similar studies.
-
First Impressions, Cultural Assimilation, and Heireability in Job Interviews: Examining Body Language and Facial Expressions’ Impact on Employer’s Perceptions of Applicants
By: Renee Cortez, David Marshall, Cydi Yang, Loc Luong (2017)
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
The purpose of this study was to discover what nonverbal facial behaviors are important in an interview setting. This was done by conducting interviews with eight current employers as well as four college age persons who have recently interviewed for a job. As a result, the data suggests that the two main facial behaviors sought by employers in the interview of the applicant were smiling and eye contact. Other nonverbal communication behaviors were analyzed as well. These findings will allow people to be better prepared and be more conscious of what they are displaying in the interview setting in the terms of nonverbal facial cues when interviewing for a future career.
By: Renee Cortez, David Marshall, Cydi Yang, Loc Luong (2017)
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
The purpose of this study was to discover what nonverbal facial behaviors are important in an interview setting. This was done by conducting interviews with eight current employers as well as four college age persons who have recently interviewed for a job. As a result, the data suggests that the two main facial behaviors sought by employers in the interview of the applicant were smiling and eye contact. Other nonverbal communication behaviors were analyzed as well. These findings will allow people to be better prepared and be more conscious of what they are displaying in the interview setting in the terms of nonverbal facial cues when interviewing for a future career.
-
By: Chris Faison, Michael Prochno, Hussain al-Abdullah, & Salman Almadoug (2017)
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
Television news broadcasts have been airing since the mid-1930s, and has since then, implemented itself into viewer’s everyday lives. In the 1980s, Cable News Network, or CNN, introduced the 24-hour news cycle. Because of this, there was a sharp increase of violent news being reported. In this study, the researchers chose to study both the emotional and physical reactions to the violent news media. Specifically, the researchers explored the possibility that too much violence could affect their mental and physical health. Participants from this study hailed from a faith-based institution of higher learning in an urban area of the Midwestern United States. The study found that there is a relationship between the violence in news media and mental and
-
By: Jackie Kuehl, Kenitra Foote, Justin Ortt & Allison Larson (2017)
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
The topic of reactive body language and eye contact between strangers is necessary research because it differs from typical face to face relational interactions. Stranger interactions among genders and one’s eye contact are often avoided by most people, whether it’s due to the setting, awkward feelings, or one’s vulnerability. It seems like there is a common communicative trend found in Late Generation Y and Early Generation Z, is avoiding eye contact with strangers when outside of one’s comfort zone (Nemko, 2016). The lack of stranger interaction involving eye contact and its effect on society is considered in this study. The researchers chose to investigate how eye contact between strangers differs in today’s society. Specifically, the researchers explored the effect of eye contact in different settings and compared that with race and gender. Participants of the study hailed from a private, faith-based institution of higher education in an urban area in the Midwestern United States. The study thoroughly addressed the relationship between how one averts their eyes because there is an uncomfortable feeling. The lack of eye contact can show a lack of empathy towards the other person; they may go through their day feeling as if they don’t exist.
-
By: Leigha Jacobson, Abbey Atkinson, Ladan Mohamed, and Jason Dorr
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
Online dating has become a commonplace in today’s society as more people are turning to it more than ever before. Because this type of dating has become so widely accepted, the researchers felt it was necessary to take a deeper look into self-presentation in online dating and how people choose to represent themselves. Participants of this study include single men and women, between the ages of 18-35, from a large Midwestern metro area in the United States. The purpose of this study was to gain information as to how men and women choose to represent themselves on online dating platforms. The key areas that were chosen to be further explored in the analysis include: the information participants chose to share about themselves, types of photos they used to represent themselves, expressions of desiring physical relationships and each gender’s use of deception. Ultimately, the data suggests that there were clear discrepancies between the information that men and women shared about themselves in their bios, versus what they disclosed to the researchers in questions asked.
-
By: Musa Fofana
Concordia University- Nebraska
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Erica Lamm
This study reviewed literature, collected data through interviews of professors and students, analyzes the data, and provides recommendations on how to improve communication between professors and students at Concordia University, Nebraska.
-
By: Rebekah Bjork, Brian Palaggi, and Ryan McKee
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
Non-profit organizations in the United States are becoming more dependent on the use of social media accounts, to market to their mobile audiences, because they are free to use. With the constant advancements in technology, True Friends marketing department struggles to keep up with the lack of staff and necessary resources. The researchers chose to investigate how True Friends Organization could improve the quality of their mobile engagement through the analysis of their social media and Google analytics accounts. Specifically, the researchers implemented action research to evaluate if the increased use of Instagram expands True Friends mobile audience. The researchers evaluated how technology helps to create unique cultures amongst mobile audiences, as well as why social media as a medium is so important. Participants of this study included True Friends mobile audiences on Google Analytics, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Their mobile audience consists of participants from California, England, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, and Wisconsin. The study meticulously focused on social media as a medium for True Friends to communicate with their mobile audience, and how each of their accounts helps to create a distinct culture.
-
By: Anna Hill and Lamaja Denman
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
Social media is a way that people can communicate and share parts of their lives
through the internet (“Social Media”, n.d.). Being that the media tends to have an
influence on the general public, it has an influence on adolescents as well. Sometimes,
this influence can be quite negative (Sanders, 2015). Because of this, exploring their
connection would be insightful. This study explores how a specific social media site
(Instagram) may affect adolescent girls and their self-esteem. The researchers issued a
self-esteem questionnaire to a group of girls on their self-esteem and compared it to their
Instagram profiles. In this study, the researchers found that the participant with average
self-esteem posted the most provocative photos on Instagram, while the participants with
high self-esteem along with borderline-low self-esteem posted more goofy and filtered
photos. -
By: Spencer Hall, Sam Baucham, and Tim Harris
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Kim Flottemesch, PhD
This study focused on how college students are using social media in the #Blacklivesmatter movement. There have been several socially galvanizing events surrounding the #Blacklivesmatter movement that have led to many people to turn to social media to voice their opinions, share information and debate different ideas. This study specifically focused on college student’s involvement on social media surrounding these events. The data suggests that Facebook was overwhelmingly the main choice for participants to gather information about this movement. While college students are gathering information about the #Blacklivesmatter movement on social media, the data suggests that participants rarely posted or shared information about the movement on their personal social media platforms. The study addressed how the Uses and Gratifications theory helps explain why people may or may not use social media for the purpose of news/information gathering.
-
By: Larisa Arnold, McKenna Seidl, & Ariel Deloney
Concordia University St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim FlottemeschA content analysis was conducted and focused on the gender roles, gender expectations,
and social norms in Disney films. The researchers studied one past Disney film, Snow White and
compared it with the most recent Disney film, Frozen to draw distinctions and similarities
between them. Through a chi square test of association comparing specific Disney roles of both
men and women, minimum differences have been shown between past and recent films. Disney
has made changes in their films by removing some overt gender stereotypes from the films;
however, they continue to use many of these stereotypical gender expectations. The data
suggests that hegemonic principles can be applied to the most recent Disney film Frozen. Disney
has hidden traditional gender norms under the guise of being progressive while still utilizing the
successful Disney formula of traditional gender roles and expectations. -
By: Tyler Karlberg, Nancy Moua, Emily McDonough, and Sam Alakija
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch
Compliments are a part of everyday communication in American culture. While many use
compliments in order to gain compliance or to show interest in further developing a relationship,
underlying intentions may be different than what is perceived by the receiver. The researchers of
this study investigated the difference in the motivations of compliments both given and received
based on different categories. Using a survey of students at a faith-based university in the
Midwest, researchers were able to gather insight into the intentions of giving compliments as
well as the perception of received compliments. -
By: Michael Cullen, Joel Klein and Keith Crockett
Concordia University- St. Paul
Faculty Mentor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch, PhD
Communication between pre-adolescent boys can be viewed as strange and unlike teen girls and “grown ups”. According to Debra Tannen (1990), “All genders strive to be understood, however young men try to communicate to remain independent.” This often leads to competition amongst the male gender. In order to test this theory, this study looks to observe if there are any differences between hands on activity communication and technology gameplay communication. The study observed 3 pre-adolescent boys trying to work together to make a house in Legos and then the boys were instructed to make a house on Minecraft. The levels of communication vary but there are constant and interesting ways pre-adolescent boys communicate to each other. The data from the study suggests that Minecraft allowed for more quality communication than Lego’s.
-
By: Alicia Eckman, Kelsey Fisher, Talia Stifter
Concordia University, St. Paul
Advising Professor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch, PhDThe primary purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between online self-disclosure and perceived appeal and define characteristics that individuals find appealing and unappealing in online self-disclosure. The findings from this study reveal significant differences in gender communication that distinctly affect the perceptions of online social media profiles. Using Deborah Tannen’s Genderlect theory, these gender differences are explained.
-
By: Allison Klempka and Arielle Stimson
Concordia University, St. Paul
Advising Professor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch, PhDInternet Trolls are an online subculture who participate in posting upsetting or shocking content, harassing users, and spreading false information for their own enjoyment. As of the time of this study, research is limited on the trolling culture, the perception of trolls, and trolling behavior. The researchers have investigated trolling culture, as well as conducted a study in which subjects were asked to relay their emotional reactions to a selection of online comments, and mark the comments they considered to be trolling behavior. The results were meant to discover whether subjects of different age generations differed in their perception and definition of trolls. The results clarified that trolling was frequently associated with poor behavior, although the degree of disapproval and definitions for trolling varied between age groups.
-
By Kristi Loobeek
Concordia University, St. Paul
Advising Professor: Dr. Alan WinegardenThe purpose of this paper was to analyze the appearance of feminism throughout The Hunger Games, especially when pertaining to the lead female character of Katniss Everdeen. The thesis of this paper is that, while characteristics of all three “waves” of feminism were present within the motion picture, third-wave feminism prevailed as most apparent.
-
By:Cody Wilcoxson, Kelley Spencer, and Savannah Nolen
Concordia University, St. Paul
Advising Professor: Dr. Kim Flottemesch, PhDThe researchers chose to examine religion as a factor in the decision to attend a university and the way that students adapt communicatively to faith-based universities. The concept brought many aspects of communication into play, but only a specific group of theories were applicable to the research findings. The researchers selected two theories to help explain the data: Communication Accommodation Theory and Symbolic Interactionism Theory. Both, Communication Accommodation Theory and Symbolic Interactionism Theory, focus on the decision-making and adaptation aspects of the study.