Liao
About: Dr. Liao teaches advertising communication and media strategy and activation. Her research aims to gain a deep understanding of the effects of different technological affordances (especially that of emerging artificial intelligence AI systems) on persuasion, users’ cognitive information processing, privacy concerns, misinformation susceptibility, psychological well-being, and trust.
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Mass Communication, Penn State University
M.A. in Media Studies, Penn State University
B.A. in Public Relations & Advertising, Hong Kong Baptist University
Teaching SpecialtieS
Liao’s teaching areas include online digital analytics, persuasion, quantitative research methods, media effects theory, effects of social media, and psychological effects of communication technology.
RESEARCH INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES
Dr. Liao’s research investigates the processes and psychological effects of human interactions with different communication technologies, including emerging artificial intelligence (AI) applications (such as recommender systems, AI writers, and AI fact-checkers), social media, mobile devices, and virtual reality. Using a combination of experimental and computational approaches, her research aims to gain a deep understanding of the effects of different technological affordances on persuasion, users’ cognitive information processing, privacy concerns, misinformation susceptibility, psychological well-being, and trust. She has published her research in Journal of Advertising, Public Relations Review, Science Communication, Communication Research, Computers in Human Behavior, Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, and Proceedings of Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI).
AWARDS AND FELLOWSHIPS
Communication and Technology Division Top Paper Award, the International Communication Association (ICA), Gold Coast, Australia (2024)
Alumni Association Dissertation Award, Penn State University (2024)
Sidney and Helen Friedman Endowed Scholarship, Penn State University (2021, 2020, 2019)
Graham Scholarship, Penn State University (2021)
Top Honors Project Award, Hong Kong Baptist University (2018)
World Communications Year Scholarship, Hong Kong Baptist University (2017)
Dean’s Award, School of Communication, Hong Kong Baptist University (2016)
