Browsing by Author "Croucher S"

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13
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    A Longitudinal Analysis of Handwashing and Mask-Wearing during COVID-19
    (Frontiers Media, 29/06/2021) Croucher S; Ashwell D; Murray N; Condon SM; Fletcher P
    The COVID-19 pandemic has seen health preventive behaviors to prevent spread of the virus become highly politicized in the United States. A clear division exists between Democrats favoring health preventive measures and Republicans often defying such measures. Amid increasing fear of the virus, the 2020 United States presidential election became central to how the pandemic should be managed. This longitudinal study examines whether the frequency of handwashing and mask-wearing changed after the United States election. The study further explores whether political partisanship played a part in the change. Results show that handwashing and mask-wearing increased among Democrats after the election. However, Republican’s use of masks and handwashing decreased. These results are explained in terms of loyalty to outgoing President Trump among Republicans and renewed feelings of efficacy among Democrats.
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    COVID-19 Prejudice Towards Afro-Brazilians
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the World Communication Association, 2022-04) Croucher S; Nguyen T; Ashwell D; Spencer A; Permyakova T; Gomez O
    As of May 2021, more than 14.7 million people have been infected and nearly 409,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Brazil. During the pandemic, there were countless cases of discrimination, racism, prejudice, and violence towards Brazil’s Afro-Brazilian population. Using integrated threat theory (ITT), this study investigates prejudice towards Afro-Brazilians. Specifically, this study (n= 410) examines the extent to which COVID-19 related prejudice towards Afro-Brazilians, who were partially blamed for the spread of the virus, is related to prejudice and fear of COVID-19. Results reveal the following: ethnocentrism is positively related to symbolic and realistic threat and fear of COVID-19 is positively related to symbolic and realistic threat.
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    COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Content Analysis of Nigerian YouTube Videos
    (MDPI AG, 2/06/2023) Sadiq M; Croucher S; Dutta D
    Vaccination is key to developing herd immunity against COVID-19; however, the attitude of Nigerians towards being vaccinated stalled at the 70% vaccination target. This study engages Theory of Planned Behaviour to analyse the tone of Nigerian YouTube headlines/titles, and the tone of YouTube users' comments to examine the causes of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. YouTube videos uploaded between March 2021 and December 2022 were analysed using a content analytic approach. Results show 53.5% of the videos had a positive tone, while 40.5% were negative, and 6% neutral. Second, findings indicate most of the Nigerian YouTube users' comments were neutral (62.6%), while 32.4%, were negative, and 5% were positive. From the antivaccine themes, analysis shows the people's lack of trust in the government on vaccines (15.7%) and the presence of vaccine conspiracy theories mostly related to expressions of religion and biotechnology (46.08%) were the main causes of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Nigeria. The study presents implications for theory and recommends ways for governments to develop better vaccination communication strategies.
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    Cross-cultural Issues on Organizational Dissent and Humor Orientation
    (Korean Association for Business Communication, 31/07/2018) Croucher S; Kelly S; Chen H
    Organizational dissent is the expression of disagreement or contradictory opinions concerning organizational policies and practices (Kassing, 1998). It is an important form of communication because employees can give feedback to organizations regarding discontent and unethical practices. Thus, dissent provides organizations opportunities for improvement and innovation. Managers, however, often fail to recognize and respond to employees’ upward dissent. While power differences in organizations stifle communication, humor can be used as a form of dissent and a means to subvert power differences (Holmes & Marra, 2002). Research has explored organizational dissent in the United States. These results, however, cannot be applied to other contexts, as cultural differences should be considered when exploring communication (McCroskey & McCroskey, 1988). Thus, this analysis provides the following: First, this analysis provides a theoretical understanding of how humor and dissent relate to one another. Second, this analysis considers this relationship in divergent cultural contexts.
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    How did New Zealanders decide to get vaccinated against COVID-19? Developing a novel comprehensive model of vaccination intention
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the National Communication Association, 2024-08-04) Rahmani D; Fletcher P; Hess AC; Croucher S
    This research introduces and validates the Comprehensive Model of Vaccination Intention (CMVI) to offer a holistic understanding of COVID-19 vaccination uptake in New Zealand. The CMVI excels by presenting a highly explanatory model, incorporating trust in the government's vaccination policy along with and a spectrum of social, cognitive, contextual, and affective variables from theories of Interpersonal Behavior, Planned Behavior, and Health Belief Model. A nationally representative sample of 993 participants was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The findings underscore the positive impact of subjective norms and societal perceptions of vaccination, attitude toward vaccination, trust in government, and vaccination habits on COVID-19 vaccination intention. This study highlights the importance of normalizing vaccination to boost intention and shows how emotions shape attitudes. It also finds that better vaccine accessibility and trust in the government lower perceived costs and raise perceived benefits, improving overall attitude and strengthening vaccination intention.
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    Language endangerment and the linguistic vitality of Miao in China: Cultural shifts and revitalisation strategies
    (Taylor and Francis Group, 2024-10-03) Li M; Croucher S; Shen L
    This study applies ethnolinguistic vitality (EV) theory to analyse the diminishing proficiency and usage of the Miao language among its speakers in Guizhou, China. Forty-five Miao participated in the semi-structured interviews for this project. The study identified the language’s endangered status characterised by low vitality, Mandarin dominance, declining proficiency, and economic-cultural shifts. Media influence exacerbated these threats, while negative perceptions of Miao linguistic capital and inadequate educational resources further endanger the language. Integrating EV theory, this study informs targeted revitalisation efforts crucial for ensuring the sustainability of the Miao language amidst socio-economic pressures favouring Mandarin dominance in China.
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    Prejudice Toward Asian Americans in the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Effects of Social Media Use in the United States
    (Frontiers Media SA, 12/06/2020) Croucher S; Nguyen T; Rahmani D; Ahmed, R
    The ongoing Covid-19 outbreak has brought increased incidents of racism, discrimination, and violence against “Asians,” particularly in the United States, with reports of hate crimes of over 100 per day. Since January 2020, many Asian Americans have reported suffering racial slurs, wrongful workplace termination, being spat on, physical violence, extreme physical distancing, etc., as media and government officials increasingly stigmatize and blame Asians for the spread of Covid-19. The links with social media are increasingly evident, as anti-Asian sentiment increases, with reports of anti-Asian sentiment spreading and Asian-Americans fighting hate via social media. Using integrated threat theory, this study explores the links between prejudice/hate toward Asians-Americans, in particular Chinese, and social media use. Three key results emerged from the study. First, the more a social media user believes their most used daily social media is fair, accurate, presents the facts, and is concerned about the public (social media believe), the more likely that user is to believe Chinese pose a realistic and symbolic threat to America. Second, men and women significantly differed on each type of prejudice, with men scoring higher on intergroup anxiety and women higher on symbolic and realistic threat. Third, respondents who do not use social media on a daily basis are less likely than those who use Facebook to perceive Chinese as a symbolic threat. Implications and recommendations for practitioners, health workers and government are proposed.
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    Prejudice toward the Xinyimin in Indonesia: testing the integrated threat model
    (Taylor and Francis Group on behalf of the Eastern Communication Association, 2024-09-12) Yotes T; Croucher S; Maydell E
    China’s Belt and Road Initiative has galvanized new Chinese migration to Southeast Asia, including Indonesia. The presence of the new Chinese migrants (Xinyimin) has not gone without resistance in Indonesia. This study examines the effects of history of intergroup conflicts and contact on the formation of threat perceptions toward the Xinyimin in Indonesia. The findings revealed both history of conflicts and contact predict realistic threat and highlight the importance of open communication in mitigating intergroup biases.
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    Re-entry cultural adaptation of foreign-educated academics at Chinese universities
    (Immigrantinstitutet, 1/12/2020) Li M; Croucher S; Wang M
    This study investigates the re-entry acculturative experiences and challenges facing foreign-educated returnees working at Chinese universities. Fifteen returnees from five universities in a southwestern province of China participated in semi-structured interviews. The study, using the ABC theoretical framework, highlights the acculturative process of returned academics in terms of role expectations, transformed identities, and cultural learning. The process involves challenges and unmet expectations, including low salaries, heavy workloads, unsupportive administrative bureaucracy, political control, and lack of a healthy academic community culture. The findings show that re-entry acculturation is a never-ending process. Returnees need constantly to realign their expectations and to negotiate and reinterpret shifting realities.
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    RETRACTED ARTICLE: Evaluating polymicrobial immune responses in patients suffering from tick-borne diseases
    (Springer Nature Limited, 29/10/2018) Garg K; Merilainen L; Franz O; Pirttinen H; Quevedo-Diaz M; Croucher S; Gilbert L
    There is insufficient evidence to support screening of various tick-borne diseases (TBD) related microbes alongside Borrelia in patients suffering from TBD. To evaluate the involvement of multiple microbial immune responses in patients experiencing TBD we utilized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Four hundred and thirty-two human serum samples organized into seven categories followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention two-tier Lyme disease (LD) diagnosis guidelines and Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines for post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome. All patient categories were tested for their immunoglobulin M (IgM) and G (IgG) responses against 20 microbes associated with TBD. Our findings recognize that microbial infections in patients suffering from TBDs do not follow the one microbe, one disease Germ Theory as 65% of the TBD patients produce immune responses to various microbes. We have established a causal association between TBD patients and TBD associated co-infections and essential opportunistic microbes following Bradford Hill’s criteria. This study indicated an 85% probability that a randomly selected TBD patient will respond to Borrelia and other related TBD microbes rather than to Borrelia alone. A paradigm shift is required in current healthcare policies to diagnose TBD so that patients can get tested and treated even for opportunistic infections
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    Social Media & Agenda Melding: Understanding Trump's Proposed Border Wall
    (Redfame Publishing Inc, 2022-12) Spencer A; Croucher S
    This study explores how belief in social media outlets is an important aspect of agenda melding in an online environment. In this study, the researchers employ agenda melding as a theoretical lens to explore how belief in social media outlet can predict support for the proposed Border Wall. The researchers surveyed 232 people to find out how belief in media outlet contributes to building an online media agenda in the context of immigration. Social media networks continue to grow in influence when it comes to understanding important political issues and the way they manifest themselves in mainstream United States immigration policy.
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    Testing times: Communicating the role and uncertainty of analytical procedures in a food safety crisis
    (Public Relations Institute of Australia, 17/06/2019) Galloway C; Ashwell D; Croucher S; Diers-Lawson A
    Through a case study analysis, this paper examines how scientific testing was involved in both the triggering and the resolution of the largest food safety scare ever to hit New Zealand. The paper examines the practical applications for communicators dealing with food safety-based risks and discusses how when dealing with crises, they need to take into account lay publics’ biases towards assurances of zero risk. This should be part of determining audiences’ information needs and of calibrating the provision of scientific information, including information about necessary testing, in ways that meet these needs. Doing so will help build trust, including about the scientific method and the organisations applying it to determine not only the nature of a given risk but also to assess how best it might be mitigated. While distrust might surface in a risk-based crisis, communicators should focus on messaging that addresses uncertainty through providing consistent and credible information.
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    Vaccine Hesitancy and Support for Employer Vaccine Mandates
    (Frontiers Media, 1/12/2021) Ashwell D; Cullinane J; Croucher S
    This study investigated COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and support for employer vaccine mandates and support for termination for non-vaccinated employees among a national sample in New Zealand. A total of 1852 individuals participated in the study. Results indicated participants who are able to get vaccinated are less likely to support employer mandated vaccinations and the rights of employers to terminate employees who refuse to get vaccinated. However, individuals who self-identify that they can get vaccinated and have higher confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine are more likely to get vaccinated. Age and confidence in the vaccine influence support for mandates, while age and political affiliation influenced support for employer right to terminate a non-vaccinated employee. Understanding support, or lack thereof, for such initiatives is essential as businesses and nations respond to growing COVID concerns.