Alec Tefertiller

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Baylor University

This study sought to better understand what factors best predict consumers’ intention to cut the cord on cable television and adopt video streaming as their primary source of television. Utilizing media substitution theory as the conceptual framework, this study conducted a nationwide survey (N = 200). Findings show that perceived advantages of str...

This survey of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) scholars (N = 547; response rate = 39.3%) examines perceptions of peer review, a study last undertaken in 1990. Respondents rated intrinsic motivations, such as helping others, more highly than extrinsic motivations, such as reviewing as a consideration for ca...

Innovations in digital technology have provided consumers with a variety of screens and portals through which they can access motion picture entertainment. This study sought to understand what factors motivate consumers to experience a film in the theater versus waiting to see the film at home, using home-viewing technology. Using the uses and grat...

Social networking services like Twitter have changed the way people engage with traditional broadcast media. But how social is "second screen" activity? The purpose of this study is to determine if patterns of connected viewing (augmenting television consumption with a second screen) and co-viewing (watching television together) are different for t...

Purpose Motivated by the organizational challenge coined the great discontent, employees are dissatisfied with their jobs, see minimal opportunities for growth and are actively searching for new roles. This research aims to take a novel approach to internal communication strategy by introducing employability culture and leadership empowerment as me...

The phenomenon of binge-watching has received considerable attention in both the media and in research. However, extended-time television viewing is not only confined to narrative binges. This study sought to better understand the differences between different types of extended-time television viewing, including binge-watching. The sample included...

Fear-of-missing-out, or FoMO, is the experience of believing that other people are having an enjoyable experience from which one is absent. FoMO has been identified in previous research as a personality trait, rather than a state that can change based on situational factors. This study set out to establish if FoMO can be a state that varies within...

Frequently coming from diverse and lower income backgrounds, first-generation college students (FGCS) may be a key demographic for improving the general lack of diversity that plagues the advertising industry. As such, understanding and supporting FGCS within strategic communication programs is increasingly important. Using a mixed method approach...

This study searches for recurring themes appearing in the many emails sent during the COVID-19 pandemic from companies all over the world to their clients. The goal is to identify themes and if companies employed use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) between national companies and local businesses. Through use of a content analysis, results...

Career paths of entry-level professionals in media fields are more ambiguous and complex than ever before. To make a successful transition into their careers, graduates must possess career management skills; they should be career adaptable. Grounded in a social psychological approach, a survey of college students ( N = 320) examined how emotional i...

Streaming television channels such as Netflix and Hulu have steadily grown in viewership, with many users abandoning traditional cable and broadcast sources of televised content. The purpose of this study was to assess whether personal innovativeness and perceived interactivity predict people’s intentions to stream video. Using an online survey (N...

This study examined gender differences in social live streaming service (SLSS) use by focusing on audience needs for Real-life Communication, Escape, Fun Seeking, Partnership Seeking, and Social Interaction. Results of an online survey (N = 312) of Chinese SLSS audiences’ reasons for SLSS use, preferred genres, amount of usage, actual media behavio...

Cable cord-cutting occurs when users cancel their cable subscriptions to adopt web-streaming as their primary means of watching television. One factor that has been identified as a motivator of cable cord-cutting is the desire to avoid advertising. This study sought to better understand the influence of advertising avoidance alongside perceived tec...

Newer video technologies such as smart TVs and web streaming applications have radically altered how audiences consume televised content. Using an online, national survey (N = 790), this study identified five motivational factors for modern television viewing, most notably the need for relaxing entertainment. In addition, patterns of ritualistic an...

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of participation in social media networks on theatrical movie attendance, with particular attention paid to the fear-of-missing-out (FoMO) and social media social capital. Using an online survey (N = 472), it was determined that the direct social utility of the theatrical experience was a bette...

This study investigated three narrative media — books, video games, and television — and compared popular examples of them, as they represent narrative content in which the user now has the ability to control the pace of the narrative. Outcomes associated with narrative consumption were compared across these media, and the personality trait transpo...

Terms like “binge-watching” and the “showhole” suggest a relationship between binge-watching and emotional health. This study sought to understand the relationship between binge-watching, unhealthy emotional traits, and regular emotional states such as sadness. The study found that emotional states experienced after binge-watching had implications...

Innovations in digital technology have provided consumers with a variety of screens and portals through which they can access motion picture entertainment. This study sought to understand what factors motivate consumers to experience a film in the theater versus waiting to see the film at home, using home-viewing technology. Using the uses and grat...