Terms Of Communication Strategies Research Articles

Exploring the climate change discourse on Chinese social media and the role of social bots

ABSTRACT While climate change discourse on Western platforms like Twitter often reveals signs of polarization and misinformation, discussions on Chinese social media remain less explored. Building on the theoretical framework of the green public sphere, this study aims to explore the features of the content (topics and veracity), the characteristics of engaged users (regular users and social bots), and the communication strategies adopted by engaged users in climate change discussions on Chinese social media. We employed machine learning methods to analyze 452,167 climate change-related posts generated by 311,214 users from 2010 to 2020 on Weibo, finding that climate change discourse concentrated on environmental and health impacts and action advocacy, and misinformation was not prevalent. Regarding the composition of engaged users, only a small proportion were social bots which concentrated on action advocacy and politics and governance, rather than skeptical and denialist discourses. In terms of communication strategies, we found that social bots on Weibo were more likely to forward a post or mention another user than regular users. This study expands our understanding of climate change discourse and the green public sphere on social media and provides insights into leveraging social bots in climate change communication in an AI-powered society.

Speech Act Set in TripAdvisor Conflictive Exchanges

Abstract In the present article, taking a ‘polylogal’ perspective, we carry out a cross-linguistic analysis of speech act sets in conflictive exchanges (SASCs) on TripAdvisor (TA) in Spanish and Italian. These exchanges involve, on one hand, reviewer opinions concerning hospitality and travel experiences and, on the other, hospitality/travel-industry representative responses to form a review-response pair that is part of a polylogue with other TA users. These exchanges are characterised as potentially conflictive since, where travellers rate their experiences as poor, this micro-act of complaint may be responded to in a more or less confrontational fashion with hospitality-industry representatives responding in ways that either encourage, minimise, or avoid conflict. Our research is based on a total of 1,000 TripAdvisor (TA) posts forming two sub-corpora (Spanish and Italian) each of 500 review-response pairs where users gave opinions concerning their experiences of certain hotels or restaurants and were responded to by representatives from these hotels or restaurants. Our objective is to analyse these SASCs in order to identify a) the different categories of SASCs used in, firstly, reviews (opposition) and, secondly, in responses (reactions); b) to what extent each of these categories are used; c) if there is variation between the Spanish and Italian sub-corpora in terms of the use of different types of SASCs in opposition and reaction, and finally, d) how this variation might be related to sociocultural factors in the two sub-corpora. Data show several dissimilarities between the Spanish and Italian sub-corpora in terms of communication strategies used on the TA platform. For example, Italian hotel/restaurant representatives adopted a confrontational style using mostly unmitigated disagreement, acts of disqualification or self-praise while, in contrast, Spanish respondents were more supportive using mostly convivial acts, mitigating supportive moves and linguistic strategies. Besides giving a range of insights into cross-cultural variation in digital communication strategies, this work also provides a methodological model for the analysis of macro conflictive speech acts and their modification strategies. It is hoped that this model will prove useful in future research concerning digital communication, especially TA exchanges.

Face Maintenance Rituals and Communication Strategies Used in Puja Astawa’s YouTube Videos

YouTube, a video sharing platform, is famously used these days, not only due to its function as part of entertainment, but also a media of interaction. Unlike, face-to-face interaction or other computer-mediated interaction, YouTube served multi-party interaction and three levels of communication. Its uniqueness leads to questions on whether people engaged in this interaction manage maintaining their interlocutor’s face and what communication strategies are used amid this multi-party interaction considering it may involve people from different social and cultural background. This qualitative research was aimed to analyse the first level communication in YouTube videos by using interactional sociolinguistics approach in order to figure out the types of face maintenance rituals as well as the communication strategies used by the participants in YouTube videos. The data source of the study was Puja Astawa’s YouTube videos, one of the most popular content creators in Bali. In collecting the data, documentation method and note taking technique were used. The data were further analysed using the face maintenance theory proposed by Goffman and communication strategies proposed by Canale and Swain. The result of the analysis shows that presentational rituals is the main rituals used by the participants in Puja Astawa’s YouTube videos. In terms of communication strategies, there are three strategies found, namely (1) code switching, (2) repetition, (3) the use of Balinese particles. Code switching is the mostly used strategy while the use of Balinese particles is the least used strategy.

Ecclesiastes‘ voice. To the problem of communicative structures in lyrics

The paper discusses the interaction between the lyrical subject and the author in the context of the communicative theory of lyrics, using the poetry of the famous Ukrainian postmodern poet Yuriy Izdryk as the example. The question of defining the speaker (“voice” of poetry) and separating it from the real figure of the author still remains unresolved. The subject of this study is the forms of expression of the lyrical subject in the artistic plane. The aim of the study is to distinguish the lyrical subject in the poetry of Yuriy Izdryk, to understand its specific features and functioning in the poetic text. In the course of our work, we used the methods of hermeneutical interpretation, receptive aesthetics and general analysis. In the study, we characterize the peculiarities of expressing the lyrical subject in the lyrical text “Ecclesiastes 2.0” by Yuriy Izdryk. Thus, based on the study of communicative structures in the lyrics by D. Burdorf, it was found that the lyrical subject is represented by the pronoun “we” (in various forms), which belongs to the category of open “we”, which can include the lyrical subject himself, as well as other participants in communication. Based on the context of the work, where the reader is immersed in reflections on human relationships, “we” can mean the “I” of anyone who will deal with the text. The actual “I” appears at the end of the work, and it is in this part that the style changes: the lyrical subject moves from general reflections into the plane of a personified and intimate address. Based on the internal logic of the text, this “I” can be characterized as the “I” of a conscious, mature person with a lot of life experience, small ambitions and lack of egocentrism. Given the concept of the fictional nature of the poetic text, the “I” and its address to the “you” in the text are artistic imitation. From this perspective, the addressee “you” does not refer to a real person, and “I” is an artistic principle for building this communication. From the perspective of the reader, the text offers a wide field for interpretation. Reflections make it possible to compare the recipient’s experience with the concepts proposed in the text and, at the same time, to try on the role of the other, thanks to the personalized address. The novelty of the study is the consideration of the lyrical subject in terms of communication strategies. The results open up future possibilities of talking about the lyrical subject in the context of other poetic works of the author. Also, the results can be applied in a comparative aspect by comparing the lyrical subjects in the works of other prominent postmodern poets. This will allow us to identify specific features of the lyrical subject of Ukrainian postmodernism in general.

International Broadcasting During Times of Conflict: A Comparison of China’s and Russia's Communication Strategies

ABSTRACT The vital role of international broadcasting during times of international conflict has gained increasing attention; however, national variations in terms of communication strategies have rarely been explored in depth. This study fills this research gap by providing a comparative analysis of the communication strategies of Chinese and Russian state-sponsored international broadcasters. By examining CGTN’s coverage of the South China Sea arbitration and RT’s coverage of the Ukraine crisis in 2014, we find that the Chinese international broadcaster preferred official Chinese sources and a peace frame during a time of conflict, whereas its Russian counterpart tended to engage with Western countercultural speakers and present conflict frames. We further interpret the two media’s different usage of sources and frames in the light of the media’s organizational culture and the sponsoring states’ national identities. The research advances the scholarship on the increasingly intensive information war between the East and the West through the way international broadcasters cover international conflicts. It enriches our understanding of the cultural and national dynamics underpinning the non-Western emerging countries’ approaches of international communication.

A qualitative systematic review of the role of families in supporting communication in people with dementia.

Cognitive-communication difficulties are often associated with dementia and can impact a person's ability to participate in meaningful conversations. This can create challenges to families, reflecting the reality that people living with dementia rarely have just one regular conversation partner, but interact with multiple family members. To date, there is limited evidence of the impact of changes in communication patterns in families. A family systems approach, with foundations in psychology, can be used to explore the impact of communication difficulties on multiple different family members, including the person living with dementia and potential coping strategies used by individuals, together with the family as a whole. A systematic review of primary qualitative research was conducted to identify and examine research exploring communication and interaction within families living with dementia. Studies were identified through a comprehensive search of major databases and the full-text articles were subject to a quality appraisal. We conducted a thematic analysis on the literature identified to consider the role of families in supporting communication for people with dementia. The searches identified 814 possible articles for screening against the eligibility criteria. Nine articles were included in the final review. Three major themes emerged from the analysis of the included studies: (1) 'identities changing' reflected how interactions within the family systems impacted on identities; (2) 'loss' reflected the grief experienced by families due to changes in communication; and (3) 'developing communication strategies' highlighted strategies and approaches that families affected by dementia may use organically to engage in meaningful interactions and maintain connection. Only one study explicitly used a family systems approach to understand how families manage the changes in interaction resulting from dementia. The findings may usefully inform the clinical practice of speech and language therapists in terms of communication strategies and coping mechanisms that may be advised to facilitate connection in families living with dementia. Further research using a family systems approach to exploring communication in dementia may help to support the implementation of family-centred practice as recommended in policy. What is already known on the subject There is increasing recognition of the impact of dementia on whole families and the need for family-centred interventions to enhance quality of life. However, much of the research to date that explores communication within families affected by dementia examines interaction between dyads, largely overlooking the roles and skills of other familial communication partners. To the authors' knowledge, there has been no previous review of the literature using a family systems approach, which has the potential to inform clinical practice of those working in dementia care. What this paper adds to existing knowledge The review examines and understands what is known about the approaches used by families affected by communication changes resulting from dementia to preserve connection. It collates the evidence from qualitative studies examining approaches and strategies used by individual conversation partners, including people with dementia, as well as the family system as a whole, to facilitate meaningful interactions, and proposes recommendations for clinicians working in this field. Furthermore, we consider the potential benefits of using a family systems approach to understand the context of people living with dementia and how this could enhance communication, personhood and well-being. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? This review highlights practical conversation strategies and interactional approaches that may serve to enhance communication and preserve relationships between people with dementia and their family members. Such techniques have the potential to be advised by Speech and Language Therapists working in dementia care as part of tailored, relationship-centred care and support that they provide.

Комунікативні стратегії 119 псалма як специфічні чинники впливу на свідомість (на матеріалі французького перекладу)

The article analyzes Psalm 119 as an element of religious discourse and part of the Bible in terms of communication strategies as a factor in its impact on the mind of the addressee. Recourse to the Bible is determined by the power of its influence on the minds of people through the use of various language and speech means. Religious discourse differs from other types of discourse in its manipulativeness. However, since this word has acquired a negative connotation, we consider it inappropriate to use it in relation to biblical texts, and we prefer the term „influence”. Religious discourse is organized taking into account the purpose of influencing the addressee of communication. Therefore, the necessary communication strategies are selected for the effective implementation of this task. Speech influence is carried out with the help of communicative strategies and tactics, the essence of which is operations on the knowledge of the addressee, on his value categories, emotions, will. The choice of communicative strategies depends on the specifics, purpose and genre of religious discourse – to establish faith, convert to faith and explain the rules of life, behavior in the religious world, the place of God and man in it. Psalm 119 is dominated by explanatory and prayerful strategies, so this psalm has a didactic focus. With the help of these strategies, the author not only builds his conversation with God, but also paints his picture of the world, explains his place in it as a person and shows who God is for him and how to address Him. In addition, communication strategies correlate with elements of influence, namely: persuasion / explanatory strategy; suggestion / explanatory strategy; motivation to follow / evaluation and affirmation strategies; with the formation of the benefit of favor / all strategies used in the psalm; manipulation or influence / all the strategies used in the psalm, because they are used to show how it should be.

How do people perceive flood risk? Findings from a public survey in Tuscany, Italy

AbstractThe study of risk perception (RP) has much increased in the last years to improve flood risk management. Effective communication requires an understanding of how the risk of flooding is perceived by residents of different areas. In this work, RP is investigated through a survey involving 483 people living in Tuscany. RP was assessed through a score built on four items covering personal, residence, and sociodemographic variables concerning flood RP. Results showed that: (a) flood RP was moderate; (b) RP was positively correlated with age, higher education, proximity to a river and direct experience; (c) people who experienced floods felt themselves to be more informed and prepared; (d) subjectively perceived risk and experts' risk assessment seemed generally correlated, even if people living in areas at “high risk” tend to underestimate the actual flood risk level; (e) the majority of the respondents considered the government and themselves as equally responsible for personal preparedness; and (f) less than 20% was aware of a Local Emergency Plan. The need of focusing on people living in the riskiest areas with targeted communication campaigns on risk awareness, hazard preparedness, and other implications of the findings in terms of communication strategies are discussed.

Milk packaging innovation: Consumer perception and willingness to pay

Currently the cow milk market is characterised by a decrease in consumption and sales, for both fresh and long-life products. In addition to the negative consumer perception towards milk, linked to, for example, its potential perceived negative effects on human health, at Italian level, this product is overlooked on the market in terms of communication strategies and innovation, increasingly rendering this product an undifferentiated commodity. As product packaging represents a key factor to improve and develop products on the market, the aim of this research is to analyse consumer preferences and attitudes towards different innovative strategies of milk packaging. A consumer sample from North-West Italy was involved in the experiment, to investigate their purchasing habits and preference towards cow’s milk. An ordered logit model was implemented, in order to determine consumer willingness to pay for milk packaging innovation (11 packaging indicators), in addition to establishing the best strategies for product improvement, in recognition of the emerging needs of consumers. We found that consumers express a high level of interest towards the packaging attributes associated with environmental sustainability, especially regarding the choice of packaging materials and their recyclable features (from 3.369 to 3.645 of mean preference score of the 5-points Likert scale). Furthermore, consumers declared a willingness to pay a premium price, up to 20% more, for innovative milk packaging, demonstrating the potential for general applicability in the relevant market.

Communication strategies in the prevention of type 2 and gestational diabetes in vulnerable groups: protocol for a scoping review

BackgroundThe global prevalence of diabetes mellitus is nearly 9%, with an upward trend in type 2 and gestational diabetes mellitus (T2DM/GDM). Evidence shows that vulnerable groups are affected disproportionally. Therefore, there is an increasing need to implement policies to prevent risk factors for T2DM/GDM and to promote a healthy lifestyle. However, up to now, no gold standard in terms of communication strategies and/or public awareness campaigns is known.Methods/designWe will conduct a systematic scoping review to evaluate communication strategies in the prevention of T2DM/GDM in vulnerable groups. Two reviewers will independently screen the results of the electronic literature search in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, Social Science Citation Index, and CINAHL. Extracted data will be charted, categorized, and summarized.DiscussionThe results will be used to inform the National education and communication strategy on diabetes mellitus in Germany. In particular, the results will be discussed in focus groups of experts to develop recommendations for communication strategies.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO does not register scoping reviews.

Second Language Acquisition: The Case of Filipino Migrant Workers

Many Filipino migrant workers (overseas Filipino workers) in their status as adult learners struggle in learning the local language of their host countries to native-like proficiency level. With the aim of establishing a second language (L2) acquisition pattern that may be useful in designing responsive adult training and welfare programs, this study examines how these workers acquire their L2s and what factors influence their rate and success in L2 learning. Utilizing mixed methods research design with 15 overseas Filipino workers as samples who learned various local languages in 10 different host countries, this study reveals that immersion and actual use of the target language in authentic communicative situations can make language acquisition easier. Findings of this study also confirm that instrumental and integrative motivation coupled with strong target language (TL) community support can make L2 learning faster, while old age and non-necessity of the L2 at work can make the whole process slower. In terms of communication strategies, findings show that syntactic avoidance is the most common communication strategy used, followed by direct appeal to authority (native speakers) and use of gestures, facial expressions, and translation tools. As foreign workers, their motivational orientations in learning their L2 are for employment, cultural understanding, and cultural integration. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to second language teaching among adult language learners and overseas workers.

The influence of visual feedback and gender dynamics on performance, perception and communication strategies in CSCW

Abstract The effects of gender in human communication and human-computer interaction are well-known, yet little is understood about how it influences performance in the complex, collaborative tasks in computer-mediated settings – referred to as Computer-Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW) – that are increasingly fundamental to the way in which people work. In such tasks, visual feedback about objects and events is particularly valuable because it facilitates joint reference and attention, and enables the monitoring of people's actions and task progress. As such, software to support CSCW frequently provides shared visual workspace. While numerous studies describe and explain the impact of visual feedback in CSCW, research has not considered whether there are differences in how females and males use it, are aided by it, or are affected by its absence. To address these knowledge gaps, this study explores the effect of gender – and its interactions within pairs – in CSCW, with and without visual feedback. An experimental study is reported in which mixed-gender and same-gender pairs communicate to complete a collaborative navigation task, with one of the participants being under the impression that s/he is interacting with a robot (to avoid gender-related social preconceptions). The study analyses performance, perceptions and communication strategies. As predicted, there was a significant benefit associated with visual feedback in terms of language economy and efficiency. However, it was also found that visual feedback may be disruptive to task performance, because it relaxes the users’ precision criteria and inflates their assumptions of shared perspective. While no actual performance difference was found between males and females in the navigation task, females rated their own performance less positively than did males. In terms of communication strategies, males had a strong tendency to introduce novel vocabulary when communication problems occurred, while females exhibited more conservative behaviour. When visual feedback was removed, females adapted their strategies drastically and effectively, increasing the quality and specificity of the verbal interaction, repeating and re-using vocabulary, while the behaviour of males remained consistent. These results are used to produce design recommendations for CSCW systems that will suit users of both genders and enable effective collaboration.

Evaluating Learners’ Communication Strategies within a Synchronous Cyber Environment

In order to increase the competitiveness of Taiwan in the international environment, the Taiwanese government has become aware of the importance of English in reforming English education and establishing a new language testing system in leading to more successful language learning. However, many scholars in Taiwan are dubious as to whether this reformed English education has really improved the English communicative ability of learners. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to investigate learners’ communicative competence in terms of communication strategies, by means of administrating a set of communicative task based activities within a computer mediated environment to provide evidence of the current learning outcomes. Drawing upon the framework proposed by Bachman (1990), communication strategies could be identified. After the data collection, the learners’ speech data were analysed based on the taxonomy of Poulisse (1993), and the findings revealed that the learners employed the re-conceptualisation strategy more frequently than the substitution strategy. A new strategy, named “additional strategy”, was discovered during this study. Therefore, this study suggests that the importance of adopting a communicative task-based activity into classroom increases opportunities for learners to interact with each other to improve their communicative competence.

Approximations in impromptu interlanguage

Abstract This paper deals with approximations in the impromptu speech of Congolese students of English. The paucity of vocabulary knowledge prompts foreign language learners to fall back on readily accessible resources in spontaneous speech, such as approximations. The latter are characteristic of an elementary stage in target language development, their frequency relatively decreasing with advanced students. Approximations can be accounted for in terms of communication strategies and in the light of semantic findings. In respect of semantics, three categories of approximations are distinguished : superordinate terms, hyponyms, and cohyponyms. Approximations in a foreign language setting may stem from teachers' negative attitude to vocabulary instruction and from learners' inadequate input. Another source is passive vocabulary, which causes retrieval problems. To minimize this situation, teachers must pay particular attention to vocabulary instruction by teaching vocabulary systematically, rather than leaving it to develop independently.

RESEARCH: Ecological Information System: Analyzing the Communication and Utilization of Scientific Information in Mexico.

/ This study is concerned with the role that communication can play in facilitating the utilization of ecological information by different sectors of society involved in environmental decision-making. The ecological information system is used as a conceptual framework. This system is a model for the analysis of interactions between three sectors involved in the management of natural resources: researchers in ecology, change agents, and rural producers. Two case studies of organizations carrying out scientific research aimed at finding and implementing sustainable strategies of resource management were carried out. The purpose was to examine how real situations function in terms of communication strategies and to analyze such situations in relation to the model proposed. The analysis revealed the importance of promoting the feedback of information from change agents and rural producers to the research sector and the incorporation of this information into the research process. It also emphasized the relevance of having "active utilizer constituencies" within the rural producers who make demands upon the entire system in order to satisfy information needs. The creation of linkage systems facilitating the connection between the generation and utilization of information was supported. In particular, the establishment of special teams within research institutions is proposed, which could promote the links between the sectors through the use of communication as an instrument of work.