Media's influence on immigration attitudes: An intergroup threat theory approach

The current study tests the influence of threatening-mediated intergroup contact on intergroup relations. A 2 (Immigration: Threat, No-threat) × 2 (Ingroup Group Exemplar: Present, Absent)?+?1 (Control Condition) experimental design was used to examine both the direct and indirect influence of news exposure on attitudes toward immigration. The moderating role of previous local news consumption was also investigated. Results indicate that exposure to a threatening news story about immigration directly affected attitudes toward immigrants’ human rights, but not attitudes toward immigration policy. News exposure also indirectly influenced both types of immigration attitudes through feelings of intergroup anxiety, particularly for heavy news consumers. The discussion highlights the implications for both intergroup threat theory and cultivation research.     

Rejoinder: results are still strange and explanations fall short

In this rejoinder, I argue that explanations made in Croucher (2015) [Further development of integrated threat theory and intergroup contact: A reply to Aberson (2015). Communication Monographs] for odd results are not theoretically relevant, represent highly unlikely outcomes inconsistent with the reporting in Croucher (2013) [Integrated threat theory and acceptance of immigrant assimilation: An analysis of Muslim immigration in Western Europe. Communication Monographs, 80, 46–62], and are likely not the result of a unique sample or target. First, I demonstrate that arguments regarding negative contact are not applicable to the present work as Croucher (2013) [Integrated threat theory and acceptance of immigrant assimilation: An analysis of Muslim immigration in Western Europe. Communication Monographs, 80, 46–62] measured positive contact. Next, I note that arguments regarding use of pairwise deletion are theoretically possible, but practically would represent extreme situations that suggest substantial issue with the dataset. I also note that Croucher (2013) [Integrated threat theory and acceptance of immigrant assimilation: An analysis of Muslim immigration in Western Europe. Communication Monographs, 80, 46–62] made no mention of the amount of missing data or approaches used to deal with missing values. Finally, I highlight that the use of an adult sample and Muslim targets is by no means unique within the integrated threat literature and that findings from studies using similar samples and targets remain at odds with Croucher (2013) [Integrated threat theory and acceptance of immigrant assimilation: An analysis of Muslim immigration in Western Europe. Communication Monographs, 80, 46–62].     

US host nationals' attitudes toward Japanese: the role of communication and relational solidarity in the intergroup contact hypothesis

Guided by the intergroup contact hypothesis and intergroup contact theory, the authors examined US Americans' (N=403) communication experiences and relational solidarity with their most frequent Japanese contact and associations with their attitudes toward Japanese as a cultural group. Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) results showed that both communication frequency and quality had an indirect effect through relational solidarity on affective, behavioral, and cognitive attitudes, demonstrating the critical mediating role of relational solidarity. Results also revealed that communication quality was positively and directly associated with the attitudinal measures. Implications of the findings are discussed with respect to prior literature on relational communication in intergroup and intercultural contexts.     

Perceptions of communication in a family relationship and the reduction of intergroup prejudice

From a contact theory perspective, links between variation in young adults' perceptions of communication with their grandparents and attitudes towards older adults are examined. The analysis pays particular attention to variation in communication with multiple grandparents, and finds links between that and perceived variability in the older adult population as a whole. More variation in perceptions of communication with grandparents is associated with perceptions of older adults as more heterogeneous. However, variation in grandparent relationships is associated with more negative attitudes towards older adults on measures of attitudinal central tendency. The results are discussed in terms of intergroup communication processes, contact theory and possible interventions to reduce prejudice in this and other contexts.     

Perceptions of communication in a family relationship and the reduction of intergroup prejudice

From a contact theory perspective, links between variation in young adults' perceptions of communication with their grandparents and attitudes towards older adults are examined. The analysis pays particular attention to variation in communication with multiple grandparents, and finds links between that and perceived variability in the older adult population as a whole. More variation in perceptions of communication with grandparents is associated with perceptions of older adults as more heterogeneous. However, variation in grandparent relationships is associated with more negative attitudes towards older adults on measures of attitudinal central tendency. The results are discussed in terms of intergroup communication processes, contact theory and possible interventions to reduce prejudice in this and other contexts.     

Strange results and implausible correlations in Croucher (2013)

This comment addresses inconsistencies in Croucher (2013) that, taken as a whole, suggest that the results presented in the paper are implausible. Specifically, I address how the direction of relationships is opposite that found in the vast majority of work focused on the relationship between contact experiences and threat. Additionally, the magnitude of observed relationships falls well outside those observed in previous studies. Finally, I demonstrate that reported correlations produce impossible relationships between variables, suggesting substantial errors in the presentation of results.     

A test of imagined contact as a means to improve cross-partisan feelings and reduce attribution of malevolence and acceptance of political violence

In this study, we test the depolarizing potential of intrapersonal communication through imagined intergroup political contact. A randomized experiment was embedded into a quota-stratified online survey distributed to 583 U.S. adults drawn from an online panel proportioned to match the U.S. population. Structural equation modeling was used to test the direct, indirect, and conditional effects of imagined contact. We found that imagined contact with a political outgroup directly reduced negative affect toward the political outgroup regardless of the primed valence of the imagined interaction. Furthermore, we found that imagined contact indirectly reduced attribution of malevolence to the political outgroup as well as the acceptance of political violence. Implications for intergroup theory and political polarization are discussed.     

Politeness theory and refusals of requests: Face threat as a function of expressed obstacles

This investigation seeks to extend Wilson, Aleman, and Leatham's (1998) revision of Brown and Levinson's (1987) politeness theory by focusing on the relationship between face threat and refusals to requests. Results support that (a) when requests are refused, threats to the negative face needs of the requester are more prevalent than threats to the negative face of the refuser and (b) depending on the obstacle underlying the refusal, there are differences in type of threat present to the requester's positive face and the refuser's face needs.     

News media,movies, and anti-Muslim prejudice: investigating the role of social contact

This study examines the relationship between Indian non-Muslim adolescents’ Western and Indian news media use, exposure to Hollywood and Bollywood movies, and their prejudice against Muslim minorities. Based on contact hypothesis, the moderating roles of out-group contact were tested within this framework. Multivariate analyses revealed that Western news media use and exposure to Hollywood movies were significant predictors of anti-Muslim prejudice, while frequent, enriched contact with Muslims reduced out-group prejudice. The relationship between Indian news media use and prejudice was statistically insignificant. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.     

Toward a theory of collection development: an activities and attributes approach

This paper presents results of a study of corporate library selection activity performed to support four global corporations. The firms examined are involved in providing communication, knowledge in its different forms, and computing. Using these results, this paper synthesizes literature on selection and collection development to present an approach to developing an eventual theory of collection development. Using this approach, such a theory would predict the performance of selection activity; the operation of its attributes, such as its cost, centralization, and formalization; and the operation of other collection development activities. Concurrently, it would explain these predictions using dynamics such as the need to include specified ideas within selected content, the need to cope with selector's abilities to choose vast amounts of content, the need to contain selection cost, and the need to gather material together so as to support browsing and its resulting impromptu development of ideas.     

Towards an integrated model of strategic environmental communication: advancing theories of reactance and planned behavior in a water conservation context

This study demonstrates how communication research can be strategically applied to address environmental problems in modern societies. To accomplish this goal, this research advances an integrated communication model based on psychological reactance theory and the theory of planned behavior to explain negative attitude change that can occur when people are exposed to water conservation campaigns [Liang, Y. J., Henderson, L.K., & Kee, K. F. (2017). Running out of water! Developing a message typology and evaluating message effects on attitude toward water conservation. Environmental Communication. doi:10.1080/17524032.2017.1288648]. The data fit the hypothesized model, synthesizing message-, social-, and individual-based processes to predict their effects on behavioral intention towards water conservation. Interestingly, data show that (1) combinations of message strategies affect reactance differently, and (2) subjective norm and perceived behavioral control negatively correlated with threat to freedom. These results point to the practical implication that environmental communication to promote voluntary water conservation are effective when campaign messages are designed to reduce threat to freedom, induce social norms, and increase self-efficacy. We call the documented research process strategic environmental communication, which focuses on the joint application of evidence and theory towards addressing environmentally motivated problems.     

Towards open development: Leveraging open data to improve the planning and coordination of international aid

The purpose of this article is to examine how aid agencies are strategically leveraging open data to improve the effectiveness of aid. Recognizing the vital role of information in international development, aid agencies have eagerly begun to adopt the tools of Open Government within the context of development (i.e. “Open Development”). Examining this trend, the author finds much scope for open data to support the development community's commitment to improving the effectiveness of aid by adopting a more systematic, coherent, and strategic approach to aid delivery (known as the “aid effectiveness” agenda). An investigation of the current state of the art finds that open data has made significant contributions towards realizing this more integrated vision of aid delivery, but that much of open data's potential remains unexplored. In particular, the use of open data is still largely focused on supporting after-the-fact reporting functions, overlooking its potential to enable integrated strategic planning and improved coordination across the full spectrum of development actors.     

The source study concept of general document theory: Theoretical and organizational aspects (a review)

This paper analyzes the source study concept of the general document theory developed by Dr. Sci. (Hist.) professor V. P. Kozlov. The means of its subsequent development are determined, the problem’s methodological and organizational aspects are noted, and methods of their solution are suggested.     

Facilitators and barriers to the use of a structured hand-off: a pediatric hospital exploratory case study

Competent communication practices among healthcare providers are a key factor in maintaining patient safety during transfers of patient care. Research shows that the majority of errors in patient care are related to communication problems, and a majority occur during patient hand-offs. This project is a qualitative study exploring the facilitators and barriers of structured hand-off at a pediatric hospital. Our data analysis indicates that while the hand-off process is facilitated by structure, clarity, and adequate time, it is hindered by lack of time, distractions, human factors, and a number of social and organizational factors that complicate physicians’ roles. Using structurating activity theory (SAT) to frame findings, analysis points to a structural tension between worker autonomy and organizational control as the primary cause of poor adherence to structured hand-off among pediatric residents. We draw on constructs of SAT to identify practical strategies for managing this contradiction at a system level.     

公共文化服务的公众获得感测度与提升研究——以辽宁为例

公共文化服务建设从重视供给效率转向更重视公众诉求。文章首次将期望确认理论引入该领域,通过在辽宁的问卷调查,分析公众对公共文化服务的期望与感知绩效,以测度公众的获得感程度。在此基础上,利用结构方程模型探究公众对公共文化服务的期望到感知、到确认、再到获得感的过程路径。研究发现:公众期望与感知绩效之间存在差异,改善基础服务与服务保障类因素有助于提升公众获得感。政府应构建期望-供给型服务模式,推进服务保障,激发公众的参与积极性。     

论图书馆转型期及其任务--走向图书馆新时代(下)

3图书馆转型期的任务与措施3.1图书馆转型期的任务前面我们讨论过图书馆转型期的目标,是从单一的传统图书馆时代,过渡到传统图书馆与数字图书馆相互结合的复合图书馆时代或混合图书馆时代。未来的社会,既不是传统图书馆时代,也不是纯数字图书馆时代,而是传统图书馆与数字图书馆共存互补、相互结合的复合图书馆时代或混合图书馆时代。这个时代既具有传统图书馆的性质、内容与方法,又具有数字图书馆的性质、内容与方法。为了实现图书馆转型期的目标,其具体任务是:一、继续研究、开发、试验、建设纯数字图书馆,并尽快投入营运;二、选择一些基础…     

Market uncertainty and mimetic isomorphism in the newspaper industry: a study of Taiwan's mainstream newspapers from 1992 to 2003

Mimetic isomorphic theory explains the process through which organizations in the same environment imitate each other's actions to become more similar to each other. Adopting the theory, this study examined the content of Taiwan's three major newspapers from 1992 to 2003 to investigate the relationship between market uncertainty and mimetic isomorphism. The data analysis shows that the uncertainty in Taiwan's newspaper industry created an environment of mimetic isomorphism, and the findings are congruent with the predictions of mimetic isomorphic theory.