College of Arts & Humanities
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The collections in this community comprise faculty research works, as well as graduate theses and dissertations.
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Item Framing Climate Change: The Impact of Repeated Exposure to Self- and Social-framing Messages on Climate Change Outcomes and Public Segmentation in China(2024) Ma, Xin; Liu, Brooke; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Background and Purpose. Climate change is an urgent global issue, and China, as the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases, plays a crucial role in the global response to this challenge (Reuters, 2024; Wang et al., 2016; Xu et al., 2022). Despite increased media coverage and public discussion (Huan, 2024; Pan et al., 2021; Xu et al., 2022; Zeng, 2022), skepticism and negative attitudes toward climate change persist among certain Chinese individuals (Chan et al., 2023; Jia & Luo, 2023; Pan et al., 2022, 2023). This dissertation aims to contribute to developing effective climate change communication strategies in China by examining the effects of repeated self- and social-framing messages and using the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) model for public segmentation (Florence et al., 2022; Kim & Grunig, 2011; Tao et al., 2020).Theoretical Frameworks. This dissertation draws from the construal level theory of psychological distance to understand self- and social-framing (Liberman & Trope, 2003; Loy & Spence, 2020; Ma et al., 2023), the inverted U-shaped model to examine the impact of repeated exposures (Berlyne, 1970; Cacioppo & Petty, 1979; Lu et al., 2015; Lu, 2022), and the STOPS model to investigate how the effects of self- and social-framing may vary across different public segments and the potential for proportional changes in public segments after longitudinal repeated exposure (Grunig, 1997; Kim, 2006; Kim & Grunig, 2011). Methods. This dissertation employs a two-part study design. The first part is a pilot study designed to validate the manipulation of climate change messages framed as either self- or social-focused, adapted from leading Chinese news outlets. The main study, formatted as a longitudinal between-subjects experiment, consists of six separate exposures spaced three days apart. In the first session, seven hundred and fifty Chinese residents over 18 years old were randomly assigned to one of three conditions, either containing self- or social-framing messages or a mix of both framing messages six times at three-day intervals. Three hundred and thirty-three participants completed all six sessions and are included in the final sample. Results. The results reveal that repeated exposure to climate change messages enhances their persuasive effects on climate change outcomes, including attitudes, beliefs, and private and public pro-environmental intentions. The overall trends are increasing and do not follow the inverted U-shaped model’s predicted pattern of initial growth followed by a decline. After six exposures, the mixed-framing condition slightly outperforms self- and social-framing conditions, indicating the potential benefits of diversified communication strategies for repeated messaging. The results also reveal that situational activity levels in climate change significantly predict positive and negative communicative behaviors and outcomes, with more engaged publics showing stronger climate change outcomes and positive communicative actions (Grunig, 1997; Kim & Grunig, 2011). Results further suggest that six exposures can shift public segmentation, making more individuals more active in climate change issues (Hine et al., 2014; Leiserowitz et al., 2021; Metag & Schäfer, 2018). Theoretical and Practical Implications. Theoretically, the findings do not support the inverted U-shaped model with theoretical explanations (Berlyne, 1970; Cacioppo & Petty, 1979; Lu et al., 2015; Lu, 2022). Also, this dissertation extends the message convergence theory (Anthon & Sellnow, 2016; Liu et al., 2020) by demonstrating the effectiveness of mixed-framing strategies in repeated exposures. It also addresses research gaps in framing combination (Chen et al., 2020; Florence et al., 2022) and provides new insights into the effectiveness of repeated communication strategies in public segmentation using the STOPS model (Grunig, 1997; Kim & Grunig, 2011). Practically, the findings of this dissertation offer guidance for developing repeated communication strategies, suggesting that journalists can leverage the power of repeated exposure and mixed-framing approaches to enhance the impact of climate change communication coverage. The study also highlights the potential for repeated message exposures to actively change public segment types, enabling journalists to design targeted strategies for shifting individuals from less engaged to more active publics in addressing climate change (Hine et al., 2014; Metag & Schäfer, 2018).Item Developing effective communication for climate change adaptation and disaster risk mitigation(2021) Lim, JungKyu Rhys; Liu, Brooke Fisher; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Preparing for natural disasters and adapting to climate change can save lives. However, little research has examined how organizations can effectively communicate climate change adaptation and disaster risk mitigation behaviors. This dissertation employs two studies to examine how to effectively communicate disaster mitigation and preparedness to help at-risk publics better prepare for natural disasters. Fragmented studies so far have not provided an integrated model to identify the most effective factors for explaining and predicting disaster preparedness behaviors and policy support. Moreover, studies have not yet developed and tested communication messages that can motivate publics’ disaster risk mitigation through experiments. Thus, in Study 1, this dissertation attempts to build an integrated model and identify the key factors that motivate disaster preparedness behaviors and policy support through three large-scale online surveys (N = 3,468). Two of the most common federally declared disasters in large disaster-prone states are studied: wildfires and hurricanes with floods. Study 1 finds that social norms and self-efficacy strongly motivate disaster preparedness behaviors, while response efficacy strongly motivates policy support behaviors. Then, based on Study 1 and consultation with eight communication experts, Study 2 develops messages using social norms and efficacy. Study 2 tests the social norms and coping appraisal messages through four between-subject online experiments (2 X 2 X 2 X 2) with an additional vicarious experience condition in flood- and hurricane-prone states (N = 5,027). Injunctive norms and disapproval rationale strongly encourage at-risk publics to take mitigation behaviors, and vicarious experience seems promising for message design. Additionally, this dissertation reveals at-risk publics’ awareness, behavioral engagement, preferred communication channels, and information sources for preparing for hurricanes and wildfire risks. Weather forecasters and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), including the National Weather Service (NWS), were the preferred information sources for preparing for hurricane risks. Conversely, local and state fire departments were the preferred information sources for preparing for wildfire risks. By developing and testing messages on the strongest factors using preferred information sources, the dissertation provides guidance for risk communication researchers and professionals.Item SCENE MATTERS: STRATEGIC USE OF SIMILARITY AND FRAMING IN NARRATIVE RISK COMMUNICATION(2014) Kirby-Straker, Rowena Rowie Jean-Louise; Hample, Dale J.; Communication; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)Human health risks and environmental risks are different and are perceived differently; health risks primarily threaten human health, whereas environmental risks threaten both human and environmental health. Nonetheless people tend to view environmental risks as impersonal, primarily threatening nonhuman elements or distant others, making it difficult for risk communicators to motivate target audiences to take risk-mitigating actions. This dissertation argues that because environmental risks threaten both health and the environment, messages about this category of risk can be framed in either a health or an environmental context as a means of altering risk perceptions. It is further asserted that, all things being equal, message features that are more or less relevant to either the health or the environmental frame will achieve different results depending on which message frame is used. As a means of investigating this claim, two types of similarity (demographic similarity and scene similarity) were manipulated in a 2 (risk frame: health, environmental) × 2 (demographic similarity: high, low) × 2 (scene similarity: high, low) between-subjects experiment (N = 568), in which participants were exposed to a message about drought framed as either a health or an environmental risk. The results show that scene similarity interacts with the two message frames (health and environmental) for narrative persuasion and behavior-related variables. Specifically, high (versus low) scene similarity resulted in better persuasive outcomes for the health frame than for the environmental frame, whereas low (versus high) scene similarity resulted in better persuasive outcomes for the environmental frame than for the health frame. Additionally, the study found that framing an environmental risk as a health risk increased behavioral intention and behavioral expectation. Furthermore, high (versus low) personal relevance improved risk perception, narrative persuasion, behavioral intention and expectation, and response efficacy. The study has implications for health and environmental risk communication, particularly for impersonal risks that people perceive to be of low personal relevance, and opens up new avenues for research and practice in areas such as climate change communication and entertainment-education. Limitations, implications, and recommendations for replications and extensions are discussed.Item Profondeur Inconnue(2012) Rouiller, Florian; Warren, Anne; Dance; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)With global warming threatening to transform the physical and human landscape across the planet, humans must adapt to a changed environment and possibly learn to survive in a dramatically altered landscape. Though many species, including humans, may not survive a dramatic alteration in the earth's climate, those few who do survive will be strong and possess unique abilities and adaptations. This piece explores themes of cooperation, competition, and survival in an underwater environment, where the human body must adapt to alien ways of moving.