ETDs

This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.

In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.

Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at gradformat@asu.edu.

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Examining the role of linguistic flexibility in the text production process

Description
A commonly held belief among educators, researchers, and students is that high-quality texts are easier to read than low-quality texts, as they contain more engaging narrative and story-like elements. Interestingly, these assumptions have typically failed to be supported by the writing literature. Research suggests that higher quality writing is typically…

A commonly held belief among educators, researchers, and students is that high-quality texts are easier to read than low-quality texts, as they contain more engaging narrative and story-like elements. Interestingly, these assumptions have typically failed to be supported by the writing literature. Research suggests that higher quality writing is typically associated with decreased levels of text narrativity and readability. Although narrative elements may sometimes be associated with high-quality writing, the majority of research suggests that higher quality writing is associated with decreased levels of text narrativity, and measures of readability in general. One potential explanation for this conflicting evidence lies in the situational influence of text elements on writing quality. In other words, it is possible that the frequency of specific linguistic or rhetorical text elements alone is not consistently indicative of essay quality. Rather, these effects may be largely driven by individual differences in students' ability to leverage the benefits of these elements in appropriate contexts. This dissertation presents the hypothesis that writing proficiency is associated with an individual's flexible use of text properties, rather than simply the consistent use of a particular set of properties. Across three experiments, this dissertation relies on a combination of natural language processing and dynamic methodologies to examine the role of linguistic flexibility in the text production process. Overall, the studies included in this dissertation provide important insights into the role of flexibility in writing skill and develop a strong foundation on which to conduct future research and educational interventions.
ContributorsAllen, Laura (Author) / McNamara, Danielle S. (Thesis advisor) / Glenberg, Arthur (Committee member) / Connor, Carol (Committee member) / Duran, Nicholas (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
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Cognitive and Affective Consequences of Language Alignment in Dyadic Coping

Description
Dyadic coping is a couple level coping strategy, where partners respond to relationship external stressors as a unit. Dyadic coping behaviors have the ability to strengthen the relationship and improve both partners’ mental health outcomes in the face of adversity. Verbal communication is one of the primary channels of dyadic…

Dyadic coping is a couple level coping strategy, where partners respond to relationship external stressors as a unit. Dyadic coping behaviors have the ability to strengthen the relationship and improve both partners’ mental health outcomes in the face of adversity. Verbal communication is one of the primary channels of dyadic coping processes. As such, psycholinguistic investigations of predictors of successful dyadic coping comprise a growing body of research within the field of cognitive psychology and psycholinguistics. Aspects of language such as pronoun use and emotion word use are common areas of study. In this study, I examined the effects of language alignment on dyadic coping outcomes among a sample of heterosexual couples. Specifically, I postulated that lexical and semantic alignment would lead to positive outcomes in the cognitive domain of dyadic coping, while alignment in function word use – also referred to as language style matching – would lead to positive outcomes in the affective domain of dyadic coping. I also explored the effect of the temporal dynamics of language alignment on the relevant outcomes. Findings suggest that while function word alignment is weakly predictive of the hypothesized outcomes, no detectable relationships exist between lexical and semantic alignment and cognitive outcomes relating to dyadic coping among my sample. This study also shows a potential weak recency effect of language style matching on one affective outcome of dyadic coping. The absence of statistically significant effects in this study should not be taken to mean that no such effect exists, but that a more sensitive approach with a larger sample may be necessary to uncover the subtle effects of language alignment on dyadic coping outcomes.
ContributorsMariyam Thomas, Anuja (Author) / Duran, Nicholas (Thesis advisor) / Koop, Gregory (Committee member) / Burleson, Mary (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023