Television as a medium of communication: Implications for how to regard the child viewer

Children respond to television in toto, as a medium of communication. Three repesentational codes are involved: iconic, media‐specific, and generic, e.g., verbal language. Children actively process the codes and messages, by calling upon both generic and media‐specific knowledge.     

Effect Size Reporting Practices in Communication Research

In recent years, reporting estimates of effect size have become more important in social and behavioral science research. Four full volumes (2003–2006) of four influential communication journals were examined. The findings show that the rate of reporting effect size was very high for some types of statistical analyses (e.g., correlation, regression), and considerably lower for others (e.g., t-test, χ ² test). The results provide a picture about the current state of affairs in terms of effect size reporting in communication research.     

Knowledge-based query expansion to support scenario-specific retrieval of medical free text

In retrieving medical free text, users are often interested in answers pertinent to certain scenarios that correspond to common tasks performed in medical practice, e.g., treatment or diagnosis of a disease. A major challenge in handling such queries is that scenario terms in the query (e.g., treatment) are often too general to match specialized terms in relevant documents (e.g., chemotherapy). In this paper, we propose a knowledge-based query expansion method that exploits the UMLS knowledge source to append the original query with additional terms that are specifically relevant to the query's scenario(s). We compared the proposed method with traditional statistical expansion that expands terms which are statistically correlated but not necessarily scenario specific. Our study on two standard testbeds shows that the knowledge-based method, by providing scenario-specific expansion, yields notable improvements over the statistical method in terms of average precision-recall. On the OHSUMED testbed, for example, the improvement is more than 5% averaging over all scenario-specific queries studied and about 10% for queries that mention certain scenarios, such as treatment of a disease and differential diagnosis of a symptom/disease.

Sentence-level event classification in unstructured texts

The ability to correctly classify sentences that describe events is an important task for many natural language applications such as Question Answering (QA) and Text Summarisation. In this paper, we treat event detection as a sentence level text classification problem. Overall, we compare the performance of discriminative versus generative approaches to this task: namely, a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier versus a Language Modeling (LM) approach. We also investigate a rule-based method that uses handcrafted lists of ‘trigger’ terms derived from WordNet. Two datasets are used in our experiments to test each approach on six different event types, i.e., Die, Attack, Injure, Meet, Transport and Charge-Indict. Our experimental results show that the trained SVM classifier significantly outperforms the simple rule-based system and language modeling approach on both datasets: ACE (F1 66% vs. 45% and 38%, respectively) and IBC (F1 92% vs. 88% and 74%, respectively). A detailed error analysis framework for the task is also provided which separates errors into different types: semantic, inference, continuous and trigger-less.     

Experiences with bilingual publishing: surveys of authors and editors

Bilingual publishing has become a strategy employed by journals from the non‐Anglophone world to gain wider recognition. Beyond anecdotal evidence, however, there are no published accounts of the experiences of editors and authors of bilingual journals with the process of bilingual publication. It is also unclear how authors writing in bilingual journals judge the quality of the translations and whether they consider this sort of publishing as beneficial for their aims. Consequently, we carried out two surveys: one among editors of bilingual journals and one anonymous survey among authors and translators of articles published in Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, the bilingual journal of the German Medical Association. Eight of nine journals as well as 233 of 353 authors and 4 of 6 translators took part. Most journals reported that bilingual publication helped in becoming indexed in important databases (e.g. Medline), receiving or improving an Impact Factor, and in attracting authors. All journals plan to continue publishing bilingually. Authors were ‘satisfied’ (40.8%) or ‘very satisfied’ (57.8%) with translations. Almost all (96.7%) were in favour of bilingual publication of their work. They did not view an English translation as an obstacle to another related English language paper. Translators highlighted challenges relating to specialized terminology and to terms specific to the regional healthcare system.     

Media criticism group speech

Objective: To integrate speaking practice with rhetorical theory Type of speech: Persuasive Point value: 100 points (i.e., 30 points based on peer evaluations, 30 points based on individual performance, 40 points based on the group presentation), which is 25% of course grade Requirements: (a) References: 7–10; (b) Length: 20–30 minutes; (c) Visual aid: Yes; (d) Outline: Yes; (e) Prerequisite reading: The appropriate chapter (e.g., generic, feminist, metaphoric, fantasy theme, pentadic criticism, neo-Aristotelian) in Foss (1996); (f) Additional requirements: Each group member should be given an equal amount of time to speak and an equal amount of work in preparing the final presentation This assignment gives students a chance to engage in the study of popular culture as public address, giving them insight into their own worlds and the ways popular culture may help shape/instruct that world. This assignment also allows students to engage in critical analysis, which not only means that students can learn about rhetorical theory, but they also get to engage in the types of analysis used by their instructor during the course.     

Mathematical derivation of the impact factor distribution

Experimental data [Mansilla, R., Köppen, E., Cocho, G., & Miramontes, P. (2007). On the behavior of journal impact factor rank-order distribution. Journal of Informetrics, 1(2), 155–160] reveal that, if one ranks a set of journals (e.g. in a field) in decreasing order of their impact factors, the rank distribution of the logarithm of these impact factors has a typical S-shape: first a convex decrease, followed by a concave decrease. In this paper we give a mathematical formula for this distribution and explain the S-shape. Also the experimentally found smaller convex part and larger concave part is explained. If one studies the rank distribution of the impact factors themselves, we now prove that we have the same S-shape but with inflection point in μ, the average of the impact factors. These distributions are valid for any type of impact factor (any publication period and any citation period). They are even valid for any sample average rank distribution.     

The Relationship Between “Teen Mom” Reality Programming and Teenagers' Beliefs About Teen Parenthood

A survey was conducted with U.S. high school students (M = 16.57 years of age) from the Midwest to examine whether exposure to “teen mom” reality programming (e.g., 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom) was related to teens' perceptions of teen parenthood. Contrary to our hypotheses, analyses revealed that exposure to teen mom reality programming was related to an increased tendency to believe that teen mothers have an enviable quality of life, a high income, and involved fathers. Teens who perceived reality television as realistic were most likely to hold these perceptions. The findings are discussed in terms of cultivation theory.     

Sex Differences in Goals for Supportive Interactions

One explanation for sex differences in supportive behavior is that men and women pursue different goals in supportive interactions. Sex differences in goals may themselves be explained by personality traits such as expressivity and supportive self‐efficacy, or situational factors such as target responsibility. The current study examined sex differences in the pursuit of eight supportive goals, and the extent to which differences were explained by personality and situational factors. Participants (254 men, 386 women) read hypothetical scenarios involving a distressed friend who was depicted as responsible or not responsible for his or her problematic situation, and responded to measures of supportive goals and personality traits. Results indicate that women are somewhat more likely to pursue a range of goals that are likely to result in effective supportive messages (e.g., emotional support, problem‐solving). Many of the sex differences in goal pursuit were mediated by the personality traits of expressivity and supportive self‐efficacy.     

Humor Works in Funny Ways: Examining Satirical Tone as a Key Determinant in Political Humor Message Processing

This multi-experiment study builds upon extant political entertainment theory, testing whether satire type (horatian versus juvenalian) cues varying processing mechanisms (message discounting versus resource allocation), and if consequential differences to argument scrutiny levels or message persuasiveness result. Using novel stimuli (e.g., animated cartoons, study one) and real-world late-night political satire (The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, study two), results suggest that satire type was a key antecedent in political humor message processing. Additionally, the varying mechanisms had differential effects on political argument scrutiny levels and message persuasiveness.     

North American Approval Program coverage and cost study 1998/99

Blackwell’s Approval Program Coverage and Cost Study details subject areas and list prices of monographs covered by our New Titles program for academic library collections. The Study reports on titles treated, not on copies sold—each title is counted once, whether it was purchased by one library or by hundreds. The Study presents information on numbers of titles treated and average list price, arranged by Blackwell’s subjects and then by LC class, for all publishers and then for university presses exclusively. It also includes a detailed report of all treated titles by NLM class. Additionally, the report includes a breakdown of the non-subject characteristics (e.g., language and format) of treated titles. Since most of Blackwell’s Approval libraries are not profiled to receive books for titles coded with the Non-Subject Parameters (NSPs) Popular works and Lower undergraduate texts, we exclude titles with these NSPs from the Coverage and Cost Study. This article appeared originally at http://www.blackwell.com/shelf/tools/cc.htm It is reproduced with the permission of the author.     

Tweeting Facts,Facebooking Lives: The Influence of Language Use and Modality on Online Source Credibility

The present study examines how language use (e.g., personalized vs. depersonalized language) and modality (e.g., tweets vs. Facebook status updates) influence source credibility interdependently. A total of 257 participants read personalized or depersonalized health messages embedded in mock-up tweets or Facebook status updates. The results show that users perceive depersonalized tweets as more credible than depersonalized status updates posted on Facebook. On the other hand, personalized status updates on Facebook generate higher credibility judgments than personalized tweets. The findings are discussed in light of the MAIN model as well as the preconceived user expectations and communication norms of social media.     

What is likable about Gloria Pritchett in Modern Family? A viewer-character analysis through social identity and intersectionality

This survey-based study explored the mediated social attraction that a sample of Modern Family viewers had for Gloria Pritchett. Statistically speaking, viewers generally liked Gloria Pritchett, but her intersected social identity characterizations (e.g., harlot-spitfire prototype) guided her likability. Moreover, how viewers felt toward their ethnic, gender, and social class (not their membership in these groups) predicted viewer-character likability. Discussed are implications regarding the liking of Othered television characters and group identity, notions of intersectionality, and challenges associated with mainstream Latinidad.     

“First” matters: A qualitative examination of a strategy for controlling the agenda when answering questions in the 2016 U.S. republican primary election debates

In the context of the 2016 U.S. Republican primary election debates, the qualitative method of Conversation Analysis is used to describe a discourse/rhetorical strategy candidates use to control the agenda when answering questions. By prefacing answers with First of all, First, or First off, candidates claim that the immediately next talk will constitute something other than a relevant response to the question, but that one will be forthcoming after first matters are resolved. Findings contribute to agenda setting generally, and specifically to candidates’ strategies for controlling the agenda by variously evading questions’ agendas in order to make space for other political actions (e.g., policy support, acclaim, attack, rebuttal), and doing so in a way that manages public accountability associated with evasion.     

Chemical bleaching of wood: an investigation into the bleaching of mahogany,walnut, rosewood,padauk, and purpleheart

This paper investigates chemical bleaching of wood to make species-specific practical recommendations for colour adjustment of veneer in furniture conservation. In more detail, chemical bleaching of Honduras mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), European walnut (Juglans regia), Rio rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), padauk (Pterocarpus spp.), and purpleheart (Peltogyne spp.) is investigated using 11 different bleach solutions. Both oxidative (e.g. hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate) and reductive (e.g. oxalic acid and sodium bisulphite) solutions were used. The results show that the wood species react differently with the investigated bleach solutions. It can also be noted that not all investigated solutions were suitable for all wood species. Based on the results, wood species-specific bleach solutions are recommended.     

Unbinding an Audience and a Speech: Dove's Answer to the Beauty/Authenticity Double Bind

Western culture puts women in a number of double binds. One of these is constituted by society's expectation that women attain a standard of beauty whose attainment requires much beauty work and its contrary expectation that women present a physically unembellished self. Because these expectations are so emphatically sanctioned, women should respond positively to a message promising to deliver them from this double bind. This article illustrates the power of that double bind and women's desire for release from it by examining a remarkably unexpected audience reaction to a public speech that only tangentially addressed this double bind. Along the way, it demonstrates that audiences are active participants in speech events (e.g., Atkinson, 1984 Atkinson , M. ( 1984 ). Our masters’ voices: Language and body language of politics . London , England : Methuén . [Google Scholar]) and can respond to a message in a manner different than what the speaker wished or anticipated.     

The Door-in-the-Face Persuasive Message Strategy: A Meta-Analysis of the First 35 Years

A random-effects meta-analysis was undertaken to examine the effectiveness of the Door-in-the-Face (DITF) persuasive message strategy on compliance. Results indicate an overall significant effect of the DITF strategy on verbal compliance (k=78, r=.126), but an insignificant effect for behavioral compliance (k=39, r=.052). In terms of verbal compliance, the DITF strategy works significantly better than controls for different samples, across varied communication media, and for prosocial causes. Additionally, the DITF technique is more successful than controls for volunteering/research than other target behaviors (e.g., monetary donation). For both verbal and behavioral compliance outcomes, the toughness (measured as amount of baseline compliance) of the donation context negatively predicted the magnitude of the DITF effect. It is argued social responsibility theory best accounts for observed moderator factors.