Department: Ph.D. Degree Program

Abstract: The paper presents findings from an international survey of communication professionals on change leadership in communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the strong impact brought by the pandemic, communication professionals adapt quickly in change management by using COVID-19 information to build knowledge, enhance trust, develop strategies and guide actions. 

Abstract: This research presents the findings from a large-scale national online survey of Chinese citizens (N = 1,713) about their general knowledge of COVID-19 and the key communication channels that they used both during and after the pandemic. The perceived impact of COVID-19, personal safety concern, and information retention during the times of lockdown and […]

Abstract: This study addresses the persistent gender discrepancies in the communication profession at three levels (i.e., the micro level with individual communication professionals, the meso level with communication department and/or agency, and the macro level with the communication profession itself). By conducting an online survey of 1,046 communication professionals in the United States and Canada […]

Abstract: Sharing fake news on social media has become a serious social issue. The aim of the current study was to investigate (a) how reading fake news might induce anger and, in turn, fake news sharing via social media and (b) the extent to which reading uncivil comments might moderate this relationship. By employing the […]

Abstract: One of the understudied areas in health communication research is hope. This study examines the effect of efficacy-inducing information on hope and subsequent attitudinal health behaviors. A total of five hundred fifty-three adults in the United States read health promotion social media posts designed to induce perceived self-efficacy (vs. non-efficacy-inducing health information) in fear-appeal […]

Abstract: The study utilizes semi-structured interviews of health risk communication practitioners in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. The contingency theory of strategic conflict management is the guide to understanding the challenges and nuances. Insights gained from interviewing practitioners (projected, n=40) from different sectors with diverse professional backgrounds will help advance the contingency theory’s application […]

Aarum Youn-Heil (Grady PhD student) and Yan Jin. Abstract: This study proposes a new conceptual model for understanding interracial communication apprehension (IRCA), delineating how people of color use various communication practices (Orbe, 1998) and coping strategies (Lazarus, 1991) to cope with communication apprehension (McCroskey, 1970) triggered by or associated with racial representation in television-entertainment media and public […]

Abstract  This chapter presents the research findings from a national research project on women and leadership in public relations in the United States (Meng & Neill, 2021). Through its 51 in-depth interviews and a large-scale survey of women working in the public relations in the United States in the years of 2019-2020, the chapter offers […]

Abstract:  Despite industry and academic attention to disclosures in sponsored content over recent years, questions remain on how consumers process message and context related characteristics. Primarily building upon the Covert Advertising Recognition and Effects (CARE) model (Wojdynski and Evans 2020), this study investigated the effects of disclosures (present vs absent), brand placement type (text vs […]

Abstract: Virtual reality (VR) tourism provides individuals with a brief, but realistic, preview of travel destinations. Despite the increasing popularity of VR tourism in destination advertising, outcomes and underlying mechanisms of virtual tours remain underexplored. Guided by the theoretical framework of spatial presence perception, this experiment (N = 118) investigated how VR tourism affects behavioral intentions to travel […]