Research

Grady Research

Research at Grady College

Pursuing effective messages and stories that have a broad impact.

Faculty and graduate students at Grady College are recognized for their innovative research, critical thinking and thought leadership. From global communication studies and press freedom, to communicating with virtual reality, eye tracking and social media listening, we are leaders in pursuing effective messages and stories that have a broad impact. 

A few of our areas of specialty include:

Crisis communications — led by Dr. Yan Jin who also directs the Crisis Communication Think Tank.

Health & risk communications — led by Dr. Glen Nowak, one of the leading experts on communcations about vaccination acceptance. 

Message testing — featuring our Psychophysiology Suite, which includes eye-tracking equipment, as well as measures for heart and brain response for visual and audio stimulus.

Social media analytics and emerging technologies — featuring our SEE Suite, a social media listening and analytics lab dedicated to studying the messages people are talking about online.

Virtual reality and augmented reality — led by Dr. Grace Ahn, who is directing a $3.3 million grant project right now testing the effectiveness of virtual reality in rewarding children for meeting physical fitness goals.

We invite you to review our areas of expertise and see how we can collaborate on your next project. 

Research Articles

Humor in Risk Communication
Hye Jin Yoon, “Humor in Risk Communication.” Invited Zoom lecture to the Children’s Environmental Health Research and Translation (CEHRT) network, September 24, 2024.
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Increasing Effectiveness of Green Demarketing Campaigns for Sustainable Fashion Brands Using the SHIFT Framework
Yoon, Hye Jin, Yoon-Joo Lee, and Ja Kyung Seo (Ph.D. Student), “Increasing Effectiveness of Green Demarketing Campaigns for Sustainable Fashion Brands Using the SHIFT Framework.” Paper presented at the Global Fashion […]
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How does narrative content influence enjoyment versus appreciation? Applying Berlyne’s curves to understand how the dimensions of narrative challenge should impact appraisals
Joshua Baldwin [Grady College post-doc, Center for Advanced Computer-Human Ecosystems (CACHE)] and Sara Baldwin “How does narrative content influence enjoyment versus appreciation? Applying Berlyne’s curves to understand how the dimensions of […]
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When to Explain? Exploring the Effects of Explanation Timing on User Perceptions and Trust in AI systems
Chen, C., Mengqi (Maggie) Liao, & Sundar, S. S. (2024). When to Explain? Exploring the Effects of Explanation Timing on User Perceptions and Trust in AI systems. Proceedings of the […]
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The Role of Fresh Start Mindset (FSM) and Collectivistic Orientation in Mental Health Promotion Messages
Lee, Yoon-Joo, Hye Jin Yoon, and Hae Yeon Seo, “The Role of Fresh Start Mindset (FSM) and Collectivistic Orientation in Mental Health Promotion Messages,” published online in Journal of Current […]
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Four decades of biological measurement advancing mediated communication theory: a review of literature from 1980–2020
R.F. Potter, Yuqian Ni [Grady College post-doc, Center for Advanced Computer-Human Ecosystems (CACHE)], & R.Q. Marlet. “Four decades of biological measurement advancing mediated communication theory: a review of literature from […]
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Video-based group-values affirmation reduces defensive responses to risk messages
L. Arpan, J.Z. Yang, Prerna Shah [Grady College post-doc, Center for Advanced Computer-Human Ecosystems (CACHE)], and B.H. Lee. “Video-based group-values affirmation reduces defensive responses to risk messages,” in Science Communication, published online […]
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Translating children’s environmental health science using virtual environments: A community-based participatory research approach
Sun Joo “Grace” Ahn and Haley Hatfield, “Translating children’s environmental health science using virtual environments: A community-based participatory research approach,” in Environmental Justice (in press). Abstract: Environmental justice remains a critical […]
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Conferencing together in social virtual reality: Bringing agency back into affordances-based approaches in communication scholarship
Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn, Eden, A., Lee, J., Won, A. S., Hwang, A. H. C., & Guthrie, W. S. (2024). “Conferencing together in social virtual reality: Bringing agency back into […]
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Grady Research Radio Podcast

Grady Research Radio highlights the research and expertise coming out of Grady College, advancing knowledge, innovation and creation in the fields of journalism, advertising, public relations, and entertainment and media studies. It is produced and hosted by Jackson Schroeder, public relations specialist at Grady College.

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Stitcher.

The Latest

Read the newest headlines, get updates and discover events happening at Grady.

Headshot of Nicholas Eng with Faculty Research header.

Nicholas Eng studies human emotions in environmental and health message design

Nicholas Eng has long been interested in emotion science and prosocial environmental and health messaging. How people respond emotionally to different sequences of positive and negative environmental messages is the […]

Carolina Acosta Alzuru stands on the Schnitzer Family Media Lawn outside of Grady College.

Carolina Acosta-Alzuru receives 2024-25 Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award

Dr. Carolina Acosta-Alzuru, a professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, has received a Fulbright Distinguished […]

A news slider with a red background and a photo of Hye Jin Yoon. It has text with the episode name: "The power of humor in advertising."

The power of humor in advertising, with Dr. Hye Jin Yoon

Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. Dr. Hye Jin Yoon (MA ‘06, PhD ‘10) is an associate professor of advertising in the Department of Advertising and […]

A graphic with an image of Ruoyu Sun that says "Faculty Research."

Study shows the impact of environmental corporate social responsibility communication

With the rising threats of climate change and environmental degradation, many companies and organizations have instilled sustainability goals over recent years. But, how can they effectively motivate employees to engage […]

Perspectives

“My favorite memory as a Ph.D. student was working as a senior researcher at Grady College’s Digital Media Attention and Cognition (DMAC) Lab. The team would pitch study ideas and work collaboratively to bring those projects to fruition. It was honestly so cool to conduct eye-tracking studies, meet over Jittery Joe’s coffee, and then apply our individual strengths to share our work with others in the field.”

Camila Young

Ph.D. ’20, Social Research Scientist, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Perspectives

“It’s exciting to see our student journalists wanting to engage with larger questions about the future of the industry and journalism’s role in society. CURO is a great way to support these emerging scholars as they take their first steps into research.”

Karin Assmann

Assistant Professor, Journalism