Communication Studies, Department of
First Advisor
Jody Koenig Kellas
Committee Members
Jordan Soliz, Angela Palmer-Wackerly
Date of this Version
4-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Citation
A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts
Major: Communication Studies
Under the supervision of Professor Jody Koenig Kellas
Lincoln, Nebraska, April 2025
Abstract
The current study investigated the stories that 102 college students heard and told through the course of a 1-day diary study with surveys administered at four timepoints. Investigated through the perspective of the small story framework (Bamberg & Georgakopoulou, 2008), everyday talk (Goldsmith & Baxter, 1996) and Communicated Narrative Sense-Making (CNSM) theory (Koenig Kellas, 2022), participants reported about the stories that they heard and told throughout their day, as well as completed self-report measures of well-being. The study aimed to understand the characteristics of everyday stories, the functions they serve, the meanings they hold, and their impact on well-being. Participants reported hearing and telling an average of 7.47 stories a day, often noting that stories they heard rather than told as the most meaningful. Pearson’s correlations revealed a significant relationship between participants hearing more positive stories and experiencing more positive affect. Participants also reported higher positive affect when hearing more stories that served the function of connection. A hybrid approach of inductive and deductive coding was employed to analyze the meanings and takeaways that participants drew from the everyday stories they heard and told throughout the day. Three supratypes of MVBs were identified: descriptive, reflective, and prescriptive. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the nuanced meanings gleaned from everyday story experiences and their impact on our well-being.
Advisor: Jody Koenig Kellas
Included in
Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons
Comments
Copyright 2025, Sophie K. Richards. Used by permission