December 16, 2019
Communication studies seniors present original research Thursday
Eighteen communication studies majors will present their original research to the public from 4:10-6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 19, in 126 Nichols Hall.
The communication studies department invites the campus community to attend. Presentations will also be streamed on Facebook at @KSUCommStudies.
The presentations are the final assignment of COMM550 Senior Colloquium, the capstone course of the COMM curriculum. Each team will speak for 10 minutes, sharing the results of their semesterlong projects, then answer faculty questions.
As a requirement for graduation, all COMM majors design and carry out original research to address a problem of human communication. This semester, students worked in small teams to craft a research questions based on a practical problem and communication theory. Students then executed a qualitative design to address the question.
Communication studies department head Greg Paul notes that in a "data-driven world, the skills gained through undergraduate research put COMM majors ahead," giving them experience using information to inform decision-making.
"Fundamentally, research is about asking good questions," said Colene J. Lind, communications studies assistant professor and course instructor. "Throughout the major and culminating in this capstone, we aim to develop in students the skills and confidence to ask questions all their lives."
Students presenting at the event and project titles include:
- "Finding the Right Fit: An Elaboration Likelihood Analysis of Student-Athletes' College Choice" by Jasauen Beard and Chris Ceballos.
- "An Investigation of Awareness of Social-Media Influence" by Cecilia Maria Caceres Etheridge, Jackson Glessner, and Tara Ranstead.
- "Expectancy-Value Theory in Declaring and Switching College Major" by Bridgette Kells, Nicolas Steiner, Henli Weaver, and Emily Wiese.
- "Organizational Authority and Trust: An Analysis of College Sports Teams" by Daron Bowles, Eric Gallon, and Luke Sowa.
- "Understanding Celebrity Followership through the Uses and Gratification Theory" by Emma DeMaranville, Julia Schansberg, and Tyler Schmidt.
- "Social Media and Materialistic Values: How Do Social Media Shape Values?" by Calum Fletcher, Natalie McCracken, and Shaylee Webb.