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“Sorry My Obsession is so Deep”: A Rhetorical Analysis of Parasocial Relationships with Love Island Cast Members on Instagram
No full textParasocial relationships are a type of relationship that has previously been studied based on how they are formed, but how the person in the parasocial relationship interacts has not typically been studied. This study aims to understand the rhetorical implications of parasocial relationships of the comments underneath Love Island contestants’ accounts. I used generative analysis to analyze the top 50 comments under 12 different posts from four Love Island contestants’ accounts. These comment sections revealed four themes of comments: about the show’s context, wanting engagement from microcelebrity, projecting onto microcelebrity, and praising the microcelebrity. I studied the messages and was able to see these themes, as well as how prevalent they were across the three time periods and microcelebrities I chose from. I also found an interesting notion of how the audience of the parasocial relationship is shifting over time; the viewer is the rhetor of the parasocial messages, and the microcelebrity is the audience to them. This study fills a gap regarding the role of the viewers as the communicators in the relationship, as well as there is not much research done on Love Island
The Innovation Dividend: The Payoffs to Economic Growth from investments in Research Density
No full textThe goal of my research is to study the relationship between research density and economic growth. I also aim to examine if this relationship is dependent on the development status of the country. My theoretical section uses the Romer model of endogenous growth to explain this relationship, permitting flexibility in the theoretical predictions based on parameter assumptions such as productivity of researchers, knowledge externality and the discovery rate of ideas. The theory demonstrates the existence of a positive relationship between research density and aggregate economic output caused by temporary increases in the economic growth rate determined by technological progress. Under my parameter assumptions, the theory also suggests higher income countries are more likely to observe larger changes in economic output due to inherently higher values of the discovery rate of ideas. The study employs a Two-Way Fixed Effects OLS regression analysis model using Panel Data techniques for 35 countries from the World Bank development indicators for the period of 1999-2023. The empirical results demonstrate that increasing the number of researchers per million citizens by one unit of a country increased the GDP per person of that country by $4.614 purchasing power adjusted dollars. The comparative data analysis shows research density is more efficacious in developing economies. These results emphasize the need for countries to focus on innovation policy to improve the income level of its citizens
Visual Rhetoric and the Empowerment of Women: A Study of Brand Representation on Social Media
No full textThis study examines how visual rhetoric is employed in social media advertising, with a specific emphasis on how women are portrayed in posts, especially about body positivity and gender empowerment. By looking at the advertising tactics of brands like Nike, Dior, and Aerie, the study shows how these companies are changing social norms by encouraging inclusivity, diversity, and honesty. Through visual rhetoric, this study examines Instagram posts from important occasions including the 2024 Olympics, New Year\u27s, and October 2024 to determine how these brands promote self-acceptance and defy traditional beauty standards. The results imply that these posts promote a more inclusive portrayal of women as they progressively accept a range of body shapes and unconventional gender roles. This transformation could affect how consumers view themselves while reflecting broader cultural shifts in how people view identity and beauty. By examining these visual tactics, the study advances knowledge of how social media posts influence contemporary cultural norms and redefine ideals of beauty
Influencer Marketing vs. Traditional Advertising: A Data-Driven Comparison of Consumer Engagement and Sales
No full textThis study examines the effectiveness of traditional marketing versus influencer marketing in shaping consumer behavior, increasing engagement, and driving sales. While previous research has explored various digital marketing strategies, a direct, data-driven comparison between traditional and influencer marketing remains limited. Using theoretical models, case studies, and empirical data, this study investigates whether influencer marketing yields a higher return on investment than traditional advertising methods.
The study incorporates key economic theories, such as Sherwin Rosen\u27s Superstar model, network effects, and the role of social proof in digital influence. Furthermore, it examines how consumer psychology, engagement metrics, and social media algorithms affect marketing effectiveness. To determine the impact of each strategy on revenue generation, regression analysis was conducted using Kaggle datasets containing sales data, marketing expenditures, and influence engagement metrics.
As a result of the findings, TV advertising remains the most significant driver of sales, while radio advertising has little impact. Indirect or engagement-focused rather than revenue-generating social media marketing may have an indirect or engagement-focused impact on sales. Influencer marketing did not show statistically significant effects on sales, which challenges the assumption that collaborations with digital personalities directly lead to higher revenues.
In spite of the enhancement of brand visibility and engagement, traditional marketing remains the most effective form of marketing when it comes to direct financial returns, according to these results. It argues that businesses should optimize marketing budgets by balancing influencing partnerships with conventional advertising strategies. In the digital age, marketing investment decisions should be refined based on longitudinal effects, platform-specific variation, and evolving consumer trends
The Impact of Parenting Styles Across Cultures on the Coping Self-Efficacy, Emotional Regulation, and Risk-Taking Behavior of Children and Young Adults
No full textWhile there has been a sufficient amount of research documenting the relationship between parenting styles and child outcomes, there are fewer studies that analyze how the impact of parenting may manifest differently in offspring during childhood as opposed to young adulthood. In order to study the two cross-sectional samples, two experiments were conducted. In Experiment I, Montessori school children at the Montessori School of Wooster (N=29) were interviewed to assess their coping self-efficacy and emotional regulation abilities. The parents of the child interviewees also filled out an online survey aiming to measure their parenting style and the coping self-efficacy, emotional regulation skills, and risk-taking behavior of their children. In Experiment II, undergraduate students at The College of Wooster (N=67) completed an online survey prompting them to reflect on their parents’ parenting styles and their own coping self-efficacy, emotional regulation skills, and risk-taking behavior. I hypothesized that authoritative parenting and permissive parenting would positively correlate with coping self-efficacy and negatively correlate with difficulties in emotional regulation, that authoritarian parenting would negatively correlate with coping self-efficacy and positively correlate with difficulties in emotional regulation, and that authoritarian and permissive parenting would positively correlate with risk-taking behavior, while authoritative parenting would negatively correlate with risk-taking behavior. The results showed that in the children, authoritarian parenting positively correlated with coping-self efficacy scores calculated through interview coding and that in college students, authoritative and permissive parenting positively correlated with coping self-efficacy and that there were no significant relationships between parenting style and the other two behavioral measures. The lack of significant relationships found in this study signify that alternative study methods may be needed in future research to explore these topics
Nicotine and the Nucleus Accumbens: A DREADDs Study of Conditioned Place Preference in a Mouse Model of Addiction
No full textIt Takes a Village: Analyzing Factors Influencing Pediatric Vital Signs in Ohio
No full textIn my research, I’m focusing on three important indicators of child health: high school graduation, infant mortality, and teen birth rates. These factors, identified by Nationwide Children’s Hospital, are key pediatric vital signs that affect a child\u27s well-being. Using methods like multi-linear regression, decision trees, random forests, and cluster analysis, I will explore patterns and connections that help explain these outcomes at the county level in Ohio. The research highlights how different factors—such as socioeconomic conditions, lifestyle choices, and access to health services—are all connected and influence child health. Health and lifestyle choices are crucial for their academic success. Further, the availability of mental health services plays a big role in infant mortality rates, suggesting that expanding mental health care could improve outcomes for mothers and children. Additionally, factors like poverty and housing instability are significant contributors to both infant mortality and teen birth rates. Urban and rural counties face different challenges based on their resources, so solutions need to be tailored to each region’s needs. Addressing these issues requires collaboration across communities, with investments in healthcare, education, and economic support to give every child the opportunity to succeed and thrive
From Pollution to Pathology: Assessing the Impact of PAH Exposure in Benthic Fish through Gene Expression and Tissue Abnormalities
No full textAn Investigation of Indigenous Projects for Indigenous Language Work in Pacific Northwest Coast Museums
No full textThe rise of language advocacy and interest in language as intangible heritage has produced a small body of literature about the intersections between language and museums. Previous research has shown that museums can engage with language advocacy through language exhibitions, archival research and documentation, and other engaging language-based programming. This research has not yet applied multi-sited ethnography, however, to examine its use within decolonizing contexts. My work engages with this methodology and theory, focusing on how Linda Tuhiwai Smith’s Indigenous Projects apply to language work encountered through three museums and/or cultural centers. My findings indicate a broad range of ways that these institutions decide and communicate ideas about language, as well as ways in which they use language to contextualize other educational focuses regarding Indigeneity