Communicating Science, Health, Environment, and Risk Division
2022 Abstracts
Research Paper • Student • Predicting Individual Behavior and Collective Action Against Climate Change: Extending the RPA Framework • Jingyuan Shi; Zixi LI, Hong Kong Baptist University; Liang CHEN; Hongjie Tang, Tsinghua University • Employing the risk perception attitude framework and its extension, we conducted a large-sample two-wave survey in China, and the findings revealed that perceived individual-level efficacy served as a major antecedent of performing individual behavior, whereas perceived societal-level risk served as a major antecedent of engaging in collective action. Furthermore, for individuals with low CFC, the joint effect of perceived risk and efficacy, at both individual- and societal-levels, was positively associated with their behavioral intention.
Extended Abstract • Student • A content analysis of COVID-19 vaccination videos and viewer responses on Chinese social media • yuxin li; Nainan Wen, Nanjing University • This study examined message framings—particularly, gain/loss, benefit-target, and temporal framings, and narratives—employed by COVID-19 vaccination videos and viewers’ responses. Results of a content analysis of 234 videos showed that the most frequently used strategies included gain-focused, self-oriented framing, present-oriented framing, and non-narrative framings. Gain-framed, society-oriented, future-oriented, and narrative-formatted videos were more likely to be popular and receive approval among viewers. The framings also interacted to increase videos’ persuasiveness.
Extended Abstract • Student • What do extreme weather events say about climate change? Comparing wildfire and hurricane news coverage • Amanda Molder, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Mikhaila Calice, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Life Sciences Communication • Increasing wildfires and hurricanes signal the reality of climate change, drawing media coverage that could capture the attention of policymakers, despite lagging national climate policy. In a content analysis of 8,906 news articles, we compare coverage of wildfires and hurricanes in the U.S. from 2016-2021. Preliminary findings show greater coverage of hurricanes overall. However, climate change is more prominent in wildfire news, while mentions of policy and politicization are more frequent in hurricane coverage.
Extended Abstract • Student • Behind the Lab Coat: How Scientists’ Self-Disclosure on Twitter Influences Source Perceptions • Annie Zhang, University of Michigan; Hang Lu, University of Michigan • Social media platforms like Twitter allow scientists to share professional and scientific information, as well as personal information, with the public. This study explores the effects of these self-disclosure types. In an online between-subjects experiment (N = 1,457), participants rated scientists who disclosed personal information as more likable but less competent and scientists who disclosed professional information as more competent and trustworthy. Social presence served as a significant mediator between self-disclosure and source perceptions.
Extended Abstract • Student • Ubiquitous Coverage, Differentiated Effects: Intermedia Agenda Setting and its Effects in Communicating Protective Behaviors to American Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic • Anqi Shao; Kaiping Chen, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Branden Johnson; Sheila Miranda; Qidi Xing • Mass media have been playing a key role during global pandemics. We aimed at examining COVID-19 protective behaviors’ presence on media and its effects on public. We integrated data from multiple fields in our analysis. Our current finding suggest high-level protective behaviors like vaccination are prone be in intermedia agenda setting between news and social media. The most significant media effects on the public’s behavioral intention are limited to some specific behaviors like wearing masks.
Research Paper • Student • Thematic and Semantic Shifts of Human Gene Editing in News Coverage through the CRISPR Baby Scandal • Anqi Shao; Michael Xenos • The past decades have witnessed thousands of progresses of synthetic biology in editing deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragments. The overall aim of this study is to portrait an overview of news coverage on human gene editing as a post-normal science, with focus on the key event of the gene-edited human baby born on November 2018. Results from the current analysis revealed a significant divide in covering human gene editing before and after the scandal, a focus on trust and anticipation on human gene editing and a tendency of covering risk/benefit (i.e., harm/care) related content in news articles on human gene editing.
Research Paper • Faculty • Narrative Force: How Science and Storytelling Impact Parental Trust in Concussion Science, Transportation, and Harm Mitigation • Jesse Abdenour, U. of Oregon; Autumn Shafer, University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication • Although news and entertainment coverage of sports concussions increased in recent years, many parents of youth athletes remain unaware or indifferent to practices that would mitigate concussion risk and harm. This experiment with U.S. parents of 10-17-year-olds (N = 502) explores how narratives and concussion science could be used together to increase parental trust in concussion science, mitigation intentions, and support for sports concussion policy. Direct associations and indirect relationships through transportation are explored.
Research Paper • Student • Exploring the Survival of Conspiracy Theories on Social Media: A Computational Approach • Calvin Cheng • This study investigates the duration issue of conspiracy theories (CT) on Twitter. It leverages survival analysis illustrating the lifespan of CTs and particularly stresses the effect of people’s political ideologies, mono-logical belief system and moral foundations on CTs’ survival online. It contributes to CTs’ conceptualization and provides insights on designing more efficient debunking measures against CTs on social media platforms.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • How Ethical Ideologies Influence Mask Wearing in Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Moral Obligation and Threat to Freedom • Surin Chung; Eunjin Kim, University of Southern California; Suman Lee, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Euirang Lee, Ohio University • This study examined how ethical ideologies (idealism, and relativism) influenced behavioral intention to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic through two contrasting perceptions (moral obligation, and threat to freedom) toward mask wearing. 823 samples were collected through a cross-sectional survey. The study found that idealism has a significant indirect effect on behavioral intention through increased moral obligation and decreased threat to freedom. Also, the study revealed that relativism is significantly associated with moral obligation.
Research Paper • Faculty • A Framing Analysis of The New York Times Coverage of Ebola • Foluke Omosun; Cheryl Ann Lambert • Before COVID-19 dominated news media, the world was gripped by another public health emergency: Ebola. Little is known about what narrative techniques U.S. media employed in their coverage. In this framing analysis, the authors uncovered six dominant frames: Foreign vs. local intervention; reliance on Western experts; harmful characterizations of illness; illusions of control; misrepresentations of Africa, and patient privacy norms. Findings hold implications for journalists who cover public health emergencies
Research Paper • Student • Green and Good? Benefits and Drawbacks of Moral Frames in Environmental Messages • Cassandra Troy, Pennsylvania State University; Nicholas Eng, The Pennsylvania State University; Chris Skurka • Based on Moral Foundations Theory, this experiment tests effects of five moral frames in climate change messages. Contrary to prior research, we did not find evidence that matching a message’s moral frame to individuals’ values enhances positive outcomes. However, political ideology moderated the relationship between moral framing and desired social proximity and message effectiveness. Findings raise questions about benefits of moral frames, as moral frames have the potential to drive negative feelings toward outgroup members.
Research Paper • Faculty • Role Models or Bad Examples? Influencers’ Communication about COVID-19, Youths’ Risk Perceptions and Vaccination Intentions • Desiree Schmuck, KU Leuven; Darian Harff, KU Leuven • Drawing from the two-step flow of communication theory and social learning theory, we investigated the consequences of influencers’ COVID-19-related communication within a two-wave survey among 16- to 21-year-olds. Results revealed that heavier exposure to influencers’ COVID-19-related content increased perceptions of influencers as important information source and role model for those with higher mistrust in official communication. Perceiving influencers as important information source was furthermore related to lower vaccination intentions if influencers promoted noncompliant behavior.
Research Paper • Faculty • The Mechanisms of Observational Correction • Emily Vraga; Leticia Bode, Georgetown University • Witnessing someone else being corrected on social media – sometimes called observational correction – reduces audience misperceptions. Using three studies, we explore how this process works. First, we present evidence that people who recall what a correction said reduce their misperceptions more than those who do not. Second, we demonstrate that corrections reduce misinformation credibility, which in turn leads to lower misperceptions. We discuss the implications for correctors and social media companies to better address misinformation.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • The carrot or the stick? Effects of reinforcement and public trust in government on parental decision on COVID-19 vaccination for teens • EunHae Park, Ball State University; SeoYeon Kim • The study examined how positive (e.g., incentives) and negative reinforcement (e.g., regulations) and levels of trust in government influence parents’ vaccine decisions for their children. A total of 285 parents of teens who have not vaccinated their children against COVID-19 participated in the study. Findings showed that positive reinforcement was effective to elicit vaccination intention among parents low in their trust in government, whereas parents with high government trust were not affected by reinforcement types.
Research Paper • Faculty • Communicating health literacy about pharmaceutical medication on social media: “it works for me, but may not for you” • Erin Willis, University of Colorado Boulder; Kate Friedel, University of Colorado Boulder; Mark Heisten; Melissa Pickett • It is commonplace for social media influencers to work in paid partnerships with brands; this is a multi-billion dollar industry. Long have patients been active in online health communities and social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram, but only in recent years have pharmaceutical marketers noticed the power of patient persuasion. Twenty-five in-depth interviews were conducted to understand how patient influencers communication health literacy about pharmaceutical medications to other patients on social media.
Research Paper • Student • Varied Optimal Predictor of College Students’ Depression Help-Seeking Intentions: An illustrative Multiple-Year Analysis of Three Samples Using Reasoned Action Approach • Yuming Fang • Increasing rates of depression among college students in the U.S. are of concern. One particularly useful and widely used theory is the reasoned action approach (RAA) that can help identify variables that explain the behavior at hand, here, help-seeking for depression among college students. However, it is unknown about the predictive power of RAA variables that predict intention to seek help, about whether the best predictor that explains the intention to seek help varies. Using three college student samples surveyed at three points of time, namely, 2016, 2018, and 2020, the study aims to answer the questions
Research Paper • Professional • News Media Coverage on End-of-Life Issues and Conversations in Singapore • FELICIA Ng; Melvin Tan; Jennifer Li; Tay Terence • Improving end-of-life care (EOL) and generating conversations is a national imperative as Singapore ages. As the mass media play an important role in driving public discourse, this study content analyzed 137 news reports to uncover Singapore’s mainstream media coverage on EOL concerns. Findings showed that the media did not emphasize enough of EOL issues important for conversations, suggesting that public health communication professionals need to be more proactive in engaging the media and community.
Extended Abstract • Student • With or From: Framing COVID Deaths in the News • Morgan Gonzales • News reporting, especially healthcare reporting, has effects that reach far beyond the newsroom. Research has shown links between the news items people consume and their actions, and on the mutually affective relationship between news and government actions. This relationship necessitates this qualitative study investigating the news media frames used in news stories about COVID-19 deaths, and how the frames in the contribute (or do not) to politicization of the COVID-19 health crisis.
Research Paper • Student • The Influence of Social Presence in the acceptance of Online Medical Consultation: The Role of Perceived Risk and Trusting Beliefs • Xiangyu Hai; Lijuan Chen; Dengqin Zuo • Based on the SOR theory, this study intends to explore the organism affected by perceived social presence, one of the prominent environmental stimuli as social cues, and then result in behavioral response to online medical consultation acceptance. Specifically, we investigate the parallel mediation role of trusting belief and perceived risk of the intention to use and perceived social presence. An experiment was conducted from June 24 to August 14, 2021 in two public hospitals in China, completed by 273 participants. As the findings show, there exists a significant difference in the intention to use online medical consultation between the two groups distributed by different level of perceived social presence. According to the results, we find that perceived social presence and trusting belief have sequential mediation effect on the acceptance of online medical consultation. Even if the mediation role of perceived risk which is supposed to be influenced by perceived social presence is rejected, the statistically negative correlation is still significant between perceived risk and the intention to use. These findings add to the limited literature on online medical consultation and expand the knowledge of application and construction in the field of SOR theory. This work offers an explorative framework of promoting online medical consultation and instructive comprehension on the importance of social presence application for online healthcare provider.
Research Paper • Student • Let’s Vaccinate Together: Exploring the Global Narratives of COVID-19 Vaccination Advertisements • Hannah Swarm • While COVID-19 vaccines have generated newfound hope, vaccine hesitancy and opposition are major roadblocks in achieving herd immunity. As a result, countries have launched vaccination campaigns to mitigate vaccine hesitancy, correct misinformation, and encourage vaccination. This study analyzed government-sponsored COVID-19 vaccination advertisements in five different countries – Argentina, Australia, Ireland, Singapore, and the U.S. – to uncover the overarching narratives. Despite cross-cultural differences, vaccination was presented as a safe, joyful, and widespread activity that would restore normalcy.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Divergent Consequences of Everyday Social Media Uses on Environmental Concern and Sustainability Actions • Ariel Hasell; Sedona Chinn • We use a two-wave survey to explore how different uses of social media are associated with different patterns of environmental concern and pro-environmental actions. We contrast three everyday uses of social media: informational (e.g., news), social connection, and aspirational (e.g., lifestyle influencers). Data show aspirational social media use is associated with more individual sustainability behaviors, but not environmental concern or sustainability related collective action behaviors; we find the opposite for informational use of social media.
Research Paper • Student • How Metrics, Perceived Popularity, and Perceived Credibility Affect Information Sharing Intentions: A Serial Mediation Model • Henry Allen; Leona Yi-Fan Su, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Ziyang Gong; Sara Yeo; Michael Cacciatore • This two-study paper evaluated how the quantity of engagement metrics accompanying blog posts impacted readers’ information-sharing intentions in the contexts of human-papillomavirus (N = 220) and enhanced geothermal systems (N = 1,091). Both studies showed that metrics quantity had no direct effect on information-sharing intentions, but positively predicted perceived popularity, which subsequently was positively associated with perceived credibility. Both popularity and credibility perceptions were positively related to information-sharing intentions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • The Social Spread of COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation • Hilary Sisco, Quinnipiac University; John Brummette, Radford University • This study examines how misinformation spreads through online networks in the face of a public health crisis. Using NodeXL, a semantic network analysis of 29,000 tweets collected over a year-long period is analyzed to identify the words that were communicated the most in each network, from whom, and how regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. The study’s findings provide empirical evidence of the phenomenon of misinformation on social media and identify dominant semantic structures during the pandemic.
Research Paper • Faculty • Diversity of Media Exposure, Information Verification, and COVID-19 Vaccination Intention: An Empirical Study in China • Yueying Chen, Zhejiang University; Hongliang Chen, Zhejiang University; Xiaowen Xu, Butler University • Based on protection motivation theory, this study examined the effects of media exposure and information verification on COVID-19 vaccination perceptions and intention. Analyzing the survey data from 837 respondents in China, we found that diversity of media exposure and information verification were linked to vaccination intention via the mediations of threat appraisal, coping appraisal, vaccine misinformation beliefs, subjective norms, and trust in vaccines. This study extended the PMT framework in the context of COVID-19 pandemic。
Research Paper • Student • Examining Antecedents and Health Outcomes of Health apps and Wearables Use: An Integration of the Technology Acceptance Model and Communication Inequality • HUANYU BAO, Wee Kim Wee School of Communication & Information, Nanyang Technological U; Edmund Lee • This study drew upon two theoretical frameworks— the Technology Acceptance Model and Communication Inequality to understand antecedents and health outcomes of health apps and wearables use. The results showed that a combination of multifaceted factors contributes to technology use. Perceived usefulness, design aesthetics, descriptive norms, and injunctive norms narrowed the usage gap between lower and higher socioeconomic status groups. The usage of these technologies further closed the social well-being gap between these two groups.
Research Paper • Faculty • Poly Social Media Use amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Influences of Informational Norms and Emotion Regulation • Ilwoo Ju, Purdue University; Eunju Rho, Northern Illinois University; Amber Hinsley, Texas State University • Even if research has shown that social media can motivate protective health behavior, the heightened negative emotions (e.g., anxiety and fear) can play a negative part in shaping protective behavior. Using a cross-sectional survey (N = 510) during an early phase of COVID-19, we examined the role of social media and protective health behavior. Building on social media platform-swinging and polymedia perspectives, norm activation research, and emotion regulation literature, we found that (a) informational norms mediates the association between social media information searches and protective behaviors, (b) negative emotions negatively moderated the mediating association (moderated mediation), and (c) enhanced information seeking from personal networks mediates the relationship between social media information searches and protective measures. Our unique finding is that social media and informational norms positively motivate protective health behaviors only up to a certain point of negative sentiment about the COVID-19 pandemic, but the influence disappeared when negative sentiment were hightened, supporting the proposition of emotion regulation research. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • The Threat is Real! Verified Twitter, COVID-19 Omicron, and Pandemic Panic • Jason Cain; Iveta Imre • This study examined the tweets of verified Twitter users during the initial Omicron surge in late 2021. The results of the content analysis found that frames containing fear/scaremongering remained the most prevalent in tweets and also spurred the most reactions from other Twitter users. Sentiment analysis supported that frames expected to be positive indeed scored positive but that these positive frames were not liked and shared nearly as often as negative frames.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Communicating uncertainty for COVID-19 vaccine safety: Analyzing the news coverage of the 2021 Janssen (J&J) vaccine pause • Rosie Jahng; Jill Wurm; Najma Akhter • This case study examined how journalists communicated uncertainty around the Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine when the CDC ordered a pause due to reported cases of a rare but severe type of blood clots. Our initial findings from content analysis of US news coverage showed that news media communicated the Janssen vaccine pause by focusing on deficient and consensus uncertainties. Also, many articles reported scientific limitations (i.e., hedging) that were described in the original research reports.
Research Paper • Faculty • What are you measuring when you assess ‘trust’ in scientists with a generic measure? • John Besley; Leigh Anne Tiffany, Michigan State University • This manuscript analyzes three publicly available datasets focused on trust in science and scientists. It specifically seeks to understand what generic measures of trust (i.e., questions that simply ask respondents how much they trust scientists) assess in terms of discrete measures of trustworthiness (i.e., perceptions of scientists’ ability, integrity, and benevolence). Underlying the analyses is a concern that generic measures of trust are a poor substitute for differentiating between discrete trustworthiness perceptions and behavioral trust in the form of a specific willingness to make oneself vulnerable. The research concludes that it is unclear what generic trust measures are capturing and encourages researchers to use trust-related theory when designing surveys and trust-focused campaigns. The data used come from the General Social Survey, Gallup, and the Pew Research Center.
Extended Abstract • Student • Impact of Perceived and Collective Norms on COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors in Collectivistic and Individualistic Countries: A Multilevel Analysis • Junhan Chen, University of Maryland, College Park; Yuan Wang, University of Maryland College Park; Jiyoun Kim, University of Maryland • Current understanding of social norm focuses on individual level. However, given its social nature, social norm should be considered multilevel phenomena. Applying a multilevel modeling approach to data from 23 countries including 167,990 participants, this study found that individual-level norms (i.e., perceived descriptive and injunctive norms) had a positive impact on mask-wearing behavior. The positive impact was strengthened by country-level norms (i.e., collective norm). Also, the norm impact was stronger in collectivistic (vs. individualistic) countries.
Research Paper • Student • Self-Transcendence: A Look at its Intricate Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic • Jennifer Lau; Yi-Hui Christine Huang, City University of Hong Kong; Qinxian Cai, City University of Hong Kong; Jun Li; Jie Sun, City University of Hong Kong; Ruoheng Liu • Existential positive psychologists have championed the value of self-transcendence in alleviating the pain and suffering in COVID-19 pandemic. This two-part study reviewed the interrelationship of self-transcendence with people’s confidence in government, democracy, and vaccination intention. Although the findings suggested that confidence in government strongly influenced people’s vaccination intention, self-transcendence took an undermining role in the process. This intricate relationship may help institutions to shape communication strategies for coping with COVID and future health crises.
Research Paper • Faculty • The Role of Felt Ambivalence on COVID-19 Vaccination and Information Seeking: Threading the Needle in Risk Communication • Jie Xu, Villanova University • Integrating the extant literature on ambivalence and the Risk Perception Attitude Framework (RPA), this project used a survey to examine the role of felt ambivalence and perceived risk on COVID-19 vaccination attitude and behavior among college-aged young adults (n = 379). College-aged youth has the highest vaccination hesitancy among the adult population, the health decisions formed during this transitional period would inform their future parental decisions related to vaccination. Findings indicated that response efficacy mediated the relationship between risk perception and vaccination intention. Moreover, the influence of risk perception on vaccination intention was serially mediated by perceived vaccine efficacy and felt ambivalence. This study expands the RPA’s efficacy in predicting persuasive outcomes to a new health communication domain. It also lends support for considering ambivalence as a key factor in risk communication, particularly regarding vaccination. Practical implications and limitations have also been outlined.
Research Paper • Faculty • Comparing the effects of a humorous vs. a non-humorous message strategy in quiet weather communication • Jiyoun Kim, University of Maryland; Brooke Liu; Anita Atwell Seate; Saymin Lee; Daniel Hawblitzel • Through an online experiment, we empirically examined whether humorous messages have the desired impacts on community members during quiet weather. We found that compared to a humorous message, a non-humorous message appeared to be more effective in increasing perceived community resilience and positive OPRs. However, the effects were more robust for community members with low to moderate levels of weather salience.
Extended Abstract • Student • IMDb Reviews of Don’t Look Up as Responses to Climate Change and Science Communication Failures • John McQuaid, University of Maryland • This study uses focused qualitative analysis to examine discussion of politics and science in fan reviews of the Netflix hit film Don’t Look Up on the Internet Movie Database website. The satire depicts scientists’ fruitless efforts to warn the public of an impending comet collision with Earth (per the director, a metaphor for climate change). Reviews contain diverse and nuanced opinions, many angry and/or pessimistic, about American society and its failures to confront complex challenges.
Research Paper • Faculty • Challenging Media Stereotypes of STEM: Examining an Intervention to Change Adolescent Girls’ Gender Stereotypes of STEM Professionals • Jocelyn Steinke, University of Connecticut; Tamia Duncan • This study examined the efficacy of an informal STEM education program to decrease STEM-gender stereotypes and increase knowledge of STEM careers among early adolescent girls. This program featured an interactive presentation that challenged gender-STEM media stereotypes and STEM learning activities led primarily by women. Findings from pre- and post-test Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST) revealed positive changes in girls’ gender STEM stereotypes and greater knowledge of STEM careers. Implications for theory and best design practices are discussed.
Research Paper • Professional • Misinformation, Anticipated Regret, and Vaccine-Related Behaviors • Jody Chin Sing Wong, RAND Corporation; Janet Yang • A national survey (N = 1025) conducted in August 2021 reveals that Americans’ belief in misinformation about COVID-19 was negatively associated with vaccine acceptance. Importantly, the more participants believe in misinformation, the less anticipated regret they experience for not getting vaccinated. Reduced anticipated regret was associated with lower levels of vaccination intention and vaccine acceptance. To counteract the negative impact of misinformation, this study reveals the potential of an under-researched emotion in overcoming vaccine hesitancy.
Research Paper • Faculty • Mental health and romantic relationship satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic • Kang Li, Zayed University; Guanxiong Huang • This research investigated the factors that were associated with people’s mental health and romantic relationship satisfaction during the stay-at-home pandemic time. We found that people’s romantic relationship satisfactions are strongly related to their mental health problems, which are associated with their media consumption, perceived family members’ depression, and their own individual differences of attachment orientation. The findings provided insights regarding psychological adjustments when people face difficulties in special life situations.
Research Paper • Professional • A Comprehensive Examination of Association between Belief in Vaccine Misinformation and Vaccination Intention in the COVID-19 Context • Kwanho Kim, Cornell University; Chul-joo Lee, Seoul National University; Jennifer Ihm, Kwangwoon University; Yunjin Kim, Seoul National University • Expanding the reasoned action approach, we proposed a comprehensive model to examine the roles of misinformation beliefs, perceived risk, fear, worry, and social networks in explaining COVID-19 vaccination intention. We tested the model using survey data of South Korean adults, collected in April 2021 (n = 744). The results indicated that misinformation beliefs, fear, and worry had negative connections with intention, mostly mediated through proximal factors. We also found significant moderating roles of social networks.
Research Paper • Faculty • Web Accessibility in India’s Healthcare Sector: Analysis of the Websites of Small Health Care Organizations • Krishna Jayakar, Penn State University; Smeeta Mishra, Xavier Institute of Management • This paper examines the level of accessibility of the websites of private Small Health Care Organizations (SHCOs) in India. Using the Berry model of organizational innovation, we examine whether hospitals’ financial resources, service type (general healthcare or specialized), location, and complexity of their websites could predict compliance. Only location was found to be a significant predictor. The vast majority of sampled websites failed to implement the WCAG 2.0 standard.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Communicating during natural disasters: Best practices for local government officials to maintain public trust • Kylah Hedding, University of Iowa; Elise Pizzi; Maggie Brooks; Elizabeth Wagner • Communication is often an overlooked aspect of studies focused on disaster preparedness and recovery, while crisis communication scholars often focus on the outcomes of specific communication strategies and approaches for organizations rather than local governments. This study examines the role of crisis communication in disaster preparedness and recovery for local government officials in Iowa. We find that communication planning and training varies widely, and crisis communication often focuses on modes of communication over messages.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Influence of anti-cannabis messages on users’ and non-users’ cognitive and emotional responses • Brian Ruedinger; Amy Cohn; Elise Stevens; Narae Kim; Jinhee Seo, University of Oklahoma; Fuwei Sun; Seunghyun Kim; Glenn Leshner • This study investigated the differences between cannabis users and non-users in their responses to messages from two different public health messaging campaigns on the harms of cannabis use. This study employed both self-report and physiological measures to compare responses at, and below, the level of conscious awareness. Preliminary findings suggest that valanced responses discriminate among message from the different campaigns more than self-report responses
Research Paper • Faculty • Taking A Peek Matters: Surveying the Effects of Information Scanning on COVID-19 Vaccination Intentions • Yafei Zhang, Renmin University of China; Li Chen, West Texas A&M University; Ge Zhu, University of Iowa • This study explored the critical role of information scanning in affecting individuals’ COVID-19 vaccination intentions. To develop an integrative model of health information scanning and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), we conducted a survey in China to reveal the associations between health information scanning on WeChat, health literacy, attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and COVID-19 vaccination intentions. In addition, this study tested the mediating effects of health information scanning on TPB variables. Results suggest that health literacy is not directly related to COVID-19 vaccination intentions. However, an indirect relationship is observed through 1) a single mediation of information scanning, 2) a serial mediation of information scanning and attitudes, and 3) a serial mediation of information scanning and subjective norms. This empirical study enriches scholarly understanding of information scanning as an indispensable approach to acquiring health information and provides practical guidelines for health educators.
Research Paper • Student • Humor Versus Fear: Using Emotional Appeals to Promote Breast Self-Examination Behavior Through the EPPM • Sijia Liu • This study examined the effects of humor and fear appeal messages on the Extended Parallel Processing Model (EPPM) variables of threat, efficacy, and behavioral intentions for Breast Self-Examination (BSE), and compared the effects of humor and fear appeals. Results suggest that the persuasive effect of humor and fear appeals messages consistent with the hypothesis of EPPM. Moreover, humor appeals are more effective than fear appeals to boost women intention to perform BSE behavior.
Extended Abstract • Student • Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in China: A Meta-Analysis • Yongliang Liu; Kai Kuang • This systematic review focuses on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in China and examine factors associated with vaccine acceptance/hesitancy. Grounded in the Vaccine Hesitancy Model of SAGE, predictors of vaccine hesitancy are conceptualized and investigated at three levels, including contextual factors, individual and group influences, vaccine- and vaccination-related issues. Initial search and screening work resulted in 75 qualified studies. Average effect sizes of the associations between the predictors and vaccine hesitancy will be calculated in Comprehensive Meta-analysis 2.0.
Research Paper • Student • “Talking to Themselves”: How the Politicization of Climate Change Leads to Polarized Discussions • Yuhan Li, Tsinghua University • Focused on climate change communication, this study aims to examine how the political frame influences the structure of public deliberation on climate change in the Chinese online space. By applying social network approach and propensity score matching (PSM), we found that videos themed on climate politics were more centralized and had fewer interconnected individuals in the comments section, which violated the egalitarian and reciprocated dimension in deliberation theory.
Extended Abstract • Student • Media Exposure, Trust, and Health Information Literacy Knowledge Gap: A Study in Southern China • Jinxu Li • This study collected 1051 samples in southern China to examine the factors influencing health information literacy (HIL) regarding socioeconomic status, media exposure, sources trust, and how to bridge the knowledge gap. The results showed that males, less educated, and older adults had lower HIL. Different types of media exposure and source trust have various associations with HIL. Official Internet media exposure helps bridge the HIL knowledge gap generated by differences in educational level. This study extends the Chinese context’s knowledge gap theory in health communication and provides pathways for future health interventions.
Extended Abstract • Student • Basic and Applied Science Engagement: A necessary distinction or just white noise? • Lindsey Middleton, UW-Madison; Todd Newman; Ashley Cate, University of Wisconsin-Madison • Media and the public may pay more attention to science that is controversial or impacts their day-to-day lives. This can result in a disproportionate focus on certain types of science not only in the news cycle, but also in science communication research. We find that scientist who consider their work to be less applied do more online public engagement but have less training, and we find that basic scientists have different engagement goals and objectives.
Extended Abstract • Student • Are universities walking the talk? Exploring what really drives scientists to engage with the public • Lindsey Middleton, UW-Madison; Becca Beets; Luye Bao, UW-Madison; Dietram Scheufele, University of Wisconsin, Madison; Dominique Brossard, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Noah Feinstein, UW-Madison; Laura Heisler, UW-Madison WARF; Travis Tangen, UW-Madison; Jo Handelsman, UW-Madison • A supportive institutional culture is vital for academic scientists to do engagement, especially with underserved publics, but perceptions of institutional culture and incentives can be a barrier to effective two-way communication. Using a survey of faculty, we conceptualize and operationalize five distinct dimensions of public engagement and examine how they relate to perceptions of the importance of engagement to the university.
Research Paper • Student • The Role of Threat and Efficacy in Social Support Acquisition in an Online HPV Support Group: Advancing the Extended Parallel Process Model • Liang Chen, Tsinghua University; Lunrui Fu, City University of Hong Kong; Xiaodong Yang, Shandong Univerisity; Linhan Li, Sun Yat-sen University; Sitong Ding, Sun Yat-sen University • Social media have become crucial communication channels for HPV patients to seek and receive social support, which benefits both their physical and psychological health. To promote supportive communication in online social platforms, this study analyzed 96,543 messages (including 7407 posts and 89,136 comments) about social support on Baidu HPV Forum (one of the largest online support groups for HPV patients) and identified the factors associated with social support acquisitions in comments, including threat and efficacy in posts with social support requests, using the extended parallel process model (EPPM). The results revealed that the majority of social support messages in the comments provided informational support, there were a relatively small number of messages providing instrumental social support. Besides, social support request posts with high-threat and low-efficacy were more likely to receive informational, emotional, and instrumental support acquisition in the comments than other types of social support request posts. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well.
Research Paper • Faculty • Understanding HIV Vaccine Communication on Twitter: Drivers of Information Diffusion and Dimensions of Anti-Vaccine Discourse • Jueman (Mandy) Zhang, Long Island University; Yi Wang, University of Louisville; Magali Mouton; Jixuan Zhang • HIV vaccination is considered as a potential prevention measure to help end the HIV epidemic. Using manual coding and auto extraction, this study investigated the message-level and account-level drivers of the popularity and virality of tweets over a three-week period since Moderna’s clinical trials of a mRNA HIV vaccine on January 27, 2022. The study also examined the dimensions of anti-vaccine discourse, especially conspiracy theories, about HIV vaccines on Twitter
Research Paper • Student • Examining the roles of bias, trust, and risk perception on communicating genetically modified foods: A study of hostile media effect in Chinese social media • Meiqi Sun, Nanjing University; Nainan Wen, Nanjing University • To understand the division of public opinion regarding genetically modified food (GMF), this study developed a research model consisting of upstream instigators and downstream consequences of hostile media perception (HMP). Based on a quota sample of 1,023 citizens in China, this study found that social media use was indirectly associated with HMP, and HMP was indirectly associated with the intention of promoting GMF. The indirect paths were mediated by media trust and risk perception, respectively.
Research Paper • Student • Exploring the Bearing of Source Information Type on Psychological Reactance Against COVID-19 Vaccination Messages • Mercy Madu, University of Florida • COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy and vaccine refusal persist in the population even as health experts warn that sustained vaccination is vital to save lives as new variants of the coronavirus emerge, and protection from initial vaccine doses start to wane. This paper explores if source information type has any bearing on psychological reactance against COVID-19 messaging, thus influencing whether individuals choose to accept or reject such messages.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • The World is Amazing: Communicating Awe and Wonder about Science • MICHAEL DAHLSTROM, Iowa State University; Zhe Wang, Iowa State University; Eric Williams, Iowa State University • Science often reveals that our world is an awe-inspiring place. Yet, communicating this excitement is often superseded by desires to increase knowledge or change attitudes about scientific issues. In this study, we interview established science communication professionals who specialize in creating awe-inspiring science communication experiences to explore the factors, situations and challenges involved in communicating the awe and wonder of science and on which a broader and realistic theoretical understanding can be built.
Research Paper • Student • Gender, Family, and Health: Content Analysis of a Discussion among Chinses Social Media Users on Maternal Health • Miaohong Huang, University of Alabama • China is facing challenges arising from maternal health maternal health. User-generated content on social media and emotional representations might bring new insights to implementing maternal health interventions. Yet, few studies paid close attention to the Eastern cultural context. The study distinguished health communication patterns across cultures and identified key variables in the context of health debates on Weibo (China’s equivalent of Facebook and Twitter). Gender, family structures, sources were used to test for differences in emotions. Content analysis was conducted on social media posts using a constructed week sampling (N =1053) on a highly debated topic “painless delivery”. Results showed that: 1) user’ emotions differed by gender, source, and pain perception; and 2) men and women showed significantly different emotions when different family structures (nuclear family, extended family) were discussed. Theoretical and practical implications and limitations are discussed.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • The benefits of participating in a mobile peer support group in preventing relapse: Parsing the effects of expression • TAE-JOON MOON, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio • This study examined how different types of expression (i.e., emotional disinhibition, support provision, public commitment) exchanged in a smartphone-based virtual peer support group are associated with risky drinking behavior among people with alcohol use disorder by using computer-assisted linguistic analysis. The result indicated that only support provision and public commitment expressions predicted reduced risky drinking behavior, while emotional disinhibition was not associated with risky drinking.
Research Paper • Student • The political economy of freelance climate journalists • Mushfique Wadud, Mushfique Wadud • This paper investigates the labor condition of freelance climate journalists who are based in three South Asian countries—India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Fifteen journalists from the three countries were interviewed. Data collected from the qualitative interviews were analyzed using labor process theory. Findings show that freelance climate journalists are treated differently than salaried journalists in international media outlets. Freelance journalists do not have any non-wage benefits and often their fees remain the same for years.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Health Misinformation in an Alternative Social Media Ecosystem: Sharing and Framing Anti-Vaccine Content on Telegram • Ming Wang; Martin Herz • Mitigating misinformation by mainstream social media companies has brought about a growing alternative social media ecosystem. This paper analyzes source sharing and topic themes in eight influential anti-vaccine channels/groups on Telegram. Findings show that the new social media ecosystem still shares a lot of information from the mainstream social media ecosystem, but is quite disconnected from the mainstream news media. Intrasharing is popular on Telegram and misinformation sites are also frequently shared.
Research Paper • Student • U.S.-based Science Communication Fellowship Programs: Form and Function • Nichole Bennett; Anthony Dudo, The University of Texas at Austin; John Besley • Traditional education fails to prepare scientists to communicate effectively, and training programs aim to fill this gap. But past research suggests science communication training programs lack strategy, focusing instead on narrow skill-building. Science communication fellowships may represent an improvement because of their intensive and experiential nature. This study employs interviews with fellowship directors to consider the impact of these programs through the lens of public relations and situated learning theories.
Research Paper • Faculty • Fear or Tiresome of COVID-19: Analysis of cognitive appraisal of the COVID-19 pandemic • SangHee Park, University of Wisconsin – Whitewater; Sumin Shin, Oklahoma State University • This research investigated how COVID-19 virus information affected individuals’ perceptions and how those perceptions from the media impacted cognitive appraisals and protective behaviors. The results revealed that media exposure about COVID-19 stimulated people to increase fear and tiresome, and high media exposure increased perceived threats and perceived efficacy about COVID-19. Also, this study found that high perceived self-efficacy increased intention to COVID-19 vaccination. Implications are discussed, and directions for future research are proposed.
Research Paper • Faculty • Conservative media use and Covid-19 related behavior: The moderating role of media literacy variables • Porismita Borah; Kyle Lorenzano, University of West Georgia; Anastasia Vishnevskaya, WSU, Edward R. Murrow College of Communication; Erica Austin, WashingtonState University • With a help of a national survey from the U.S. we examine the associations between media literacy variables and willingness to perform recommended COVID-19 related health behavior. Moreover, we also examine the moderating role of conservative media use in this relationship. Our findings show that conservative media use was negatively associated with these protective behaviors and that both media literacy variables were positively related with willingness to perform recommended COVID-19 related health behavior.
Research Paper • Faculty • Understanding Barriers to Parental Mediation of Digital Media: A Mixed-Methods Approach • Rachel Young, University of Iowa; Melissa Tully; Leandra Parris; Marizen Ramirez; Mallory Bolenbaugh; Ashley Hernandez • This mixed-methods study considers why parents do not establish or maintain strategies to manage adolescents’ media use, even though they feel they are expected to do so and may have the motivation or intention. In focus groups and interviews, U.S. parents of adolescents described barriers including individual beliefs, attitudes, and values, like a lack of self-efficacy or trust in adolescents to manage their own media use; experience of or concerns about family conflicts; and social-structural factors, such as instrumental uses of technology for school and socializing and burnout from mediation and other parenting demands that felt never ending. In a national survey of U.S. parents, these barriers clustered together as mediation challenges and values. Parents were more likely to say that values, including trust, autonomy, or positive valuation of digital media, were barriers to monitoring and restrictive mediation. This suggests that parental mediation research should take into account how parents’ values keep them from enacting recommended protective behaviors like monitoring or restricting digital media use.
Extended Abstract • Student • Scientists’ identity gaps: new perspectives for inclusive science communication • Leilane Rodrigues, MSU; Bruno Takahashi, Michigan State University; Sunshine Menezes; Leigh Anne Tiffany, Michigan State University • This study employs the Communication Theory of Identity (CTI) to investigate the interrelation of frames of identity of scientists from minority groups in the US and their communication practices. A thematic analysis of in-depth interviews will be used to explore what identity gaps participants experience when communicating about their scholarship. The results of this study will be used to develop science communication training that considers the priorities of people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Research Paper • Student • Exploring the Effects of Climate Change Misinformation, Partisanship, Uncivil Comments on Risk Perception • Seo Yoon Lee; Youngji Seo • A current study explores the effects of climate change misinformation on risk perception via trust toward the misinformation. Furthermore, we explored the moderating role of political partisanship and uncivil comments. An online experiment was conducted. We found that civil comments followed by climate change misinformation could lead people to believe misinformation more, which could subsequently influence people to have a lower level of risk perception. Such a relationship was more notable among the conservatives.
Research Paper • Student • Information Literacy and Media Literacy: The Skills Needed to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 • Shawn Domgaard, Washington State University; Hae Yeon Seo, Washington State University • COVID-19 has led to a massive health crisis alongside what the World Health Organization has declared an infodemic, where every person encounters misinformation. The need to properly navigate digital environments, and determine the skills necessary to find good information is more important than ever. This study empirically investigates whether individuals with literacy skills (media literacy for news source, media literacy for news content, and online information literacy) are better able to adopt preventative health behaviors.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Who leads sustainable fashion communication? An analysis of #sustainablefashion metadata on Twitter between 2021 and 2022 • Sumin Shin, Oklahoma State University; Jewon Lyu, The University of Georgia • This study examines the relationships among social media opinion leaders around #sustainablefashion, their message types, and stakeholders’ responses toward the messages. Computational Twitter data collection and analysis reveal that for-profit and media organizations often use environmental words while nonprofits and individuals use social and economic words. Also, environmental messages increased, and ethical/social and economic messages decreased the like-follower ratio. In addition, sustainability-related words in an opinion leader’s profile increase stakeholders’ responses to messages.
Research Paper • Student • Examining Food Safety Knowledge: The Roles of Media Attention, Trust, Food Habits/Attitudes, and Demographics • Jennifer Shiyue Zhang; Nisa Rahman; Leona Yi-Fan Su, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Yi-Cheng Wang • Food safety is crucial for both individuals and society. This study aims to understand factors associated with food safety knowledge through a national survey of American adults (N = 1,039). Results suggest that media attention, trust in information sources, and food attitudes play roles in predicting knowledge levels. Senior people and females are more knowledgeable about food safety. Suggestions for future food practice communication with the public are discussed.
Research Paper • Student • How Partisan News Associates with Support for Climate Policies through Risk and Efficacy Perceptions • Soobin Choi, University of Michigan; P. Sol Hart • This study examines how partisan news associates with support for climate policies through risk and efficacy perceptions, focusing on distinct and nuanced constructs of the perceptions. Results demonstrate that both affective and cognitive risk perceptions are associated with partisan news viewing and policy support, perceptions of efficacy demonstrate weaker associations. However, efficacy perceptions, especially collective outcome expectancy, play a central role as a psychological coping mechanism following risk perceptions, ultimately associated with policy support.
Extended Abstract • Student • Virtual Reality and Climate Change: Understanding How the United Nations VR Content Productions Uses Experiential Media in Climate Change Storytelling • Shravan Regret Iyer, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey • The current study attempts to understand how the twelve United Nations Virtual Reality (UNVR) content productions produced as part of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) utilize Experiential Media (EM) in climate change storytelling. The study also explores how such VR productions frame and contextualize climate change issues; whether the VR productions take a multidisciplinary approach similar to the IPCC 2018 special report; and what dominant themes such UNVR productions highlight pertaining to climate change.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • The Formation and Influence of News and Information Repertoires at the Onset of the COVID-19 pandemic • Su Jung Kim, University of Southern California; Phillip Rosen, University of Southern California/Business Insider • This study examines how the public formed news and information repertoires during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea and how users of each repertoire were differentially influenced. Using a survey conducted to a representative sample, we identified 4 news and information repertoires that took shape at the onset of the pandemic. Use of different repertoires was associated with different levels of risk perception and preventative behavioral intention, but not knowledge.
Research Paper • Student • Inoculation Works and Health Advocacy Backfires: Building Resistance to COVID-19 Vaccine Misinformation in a Low Political Trust Context • Crystal Li Jiang, City U – Hong Kong; Mengru Sun; Tsz Hang Chu; Stella Chia, City U – Hong Kong • This study examines the effectiveness of inoculation strategy at countering vaccine-related misinformation among Hong Kong college students. A three-phase between-subject experiment was conducted to compare the persuasive effects of inoculation messages (two-sided messages forewarning about misinformation related to COVID-19 vaccines), supportive messages (conventional health advocacy), and no message control. The results show that inoculation messages were superior to supportive messages at generating resistance to misinformation, as evidenced by more positive vaccine attitudes and stronger vaccine intentions. Notably, there was no difference in outcome between the inoculation condition and the control condition. Attitudinal threat and counterarguing moderated the experimental effects; issue involvement and political trust were found to directly predict vaccine attitudes and intention. The findings suggest that future interventions focus on developing preventive mechanisms to counter misinformation, and spreading inoculation over the issue is an effective strategy to generate resistance to misinformation influence. Interventions should be cautious about the use of health advocacy initiated by governments among populations with low political trust.
Research Paper • Student • Using Moderated Mediation Model to Examine the Effect of Patient-Centered Communication on Physician-Patient Conflicts • Liang Chen, Tsinghua University; Hongjie Tang, Tsinghua University; Yu Guo • Based on the uncertainty reduction theory (URT), the present study examined the relationship between patient-centered communication (PCC) and medical conflict, as well as the roles of perceived patients’ trust, doctors’ empathy, and expertise from physicians’ perspectives. In March 2020, 509 physicians in China were recruited to participate in an online survey. The results revealed that PCC was negatively associated with physician–patient conflicts and that patient trust mediated the relationship. Additionally, doctors’ empathy moderated PCC on patient trust, while expertise positively predicted physician–patient conflicts.
Research Paper • N/A • Identifying Variates to Distinguish Passive, Moderate and Active Planners for Responsible and Sustainable Behaviors: Applying Integrated Model of Behavioral Prediction (IM) • Hyeseung Koh • The current study examined theory-based variates that distinguish passive, moderate and active planners to consume modern foods and those to communicate about the modern foods based on integrated model of behavioral prediction (IM). In addition to the main predictors in IM, perceived scientific consensus (PSC) and perceived public consensus (PPC) were additionally examined as potential variates. To examine the efficacy of the theory-based variates, the current study conducted a Web-based survey.
Research Paper • Faculty • Fact-checking, misinformation, and COVID-19: Integrating the communication mediation model and the protection motivation model • Tsung-Jen Shih • Based on a survey of 1,248 Taiwanese, this study found that social media use was associated with fact-checking habits through (1) a mental reflection process that leads to confusion, and (2) a protection motivation process that gives rise to risk perception. The results also indicated that self-efficacy and civic online reasoning moderated part of these two processes in shaping fact-checking behavior. However, fact-checking was negatively related to the discernment of misinformation about COVID-19.
Extended Abstract • Student • Extended Abstract: Examining communication and socio-psychological factors in shaping public support for urban farms in Singapore • Shirley S. Ho; Tong Jee Goh, Nanyang Technological University; Rachel Goh • This study examines the communication and socio-psychological factors that predict public support for the development of urban farms in Singapore. The results showed that the cognitive miser model, science literacy model, social capital, and media and communication factors predicted public support. Further, based on the argument of motivators for media attention, attention to the media content on the risks and benefits of urban farming mediated the relationships among food technology neophobia, health consciousness, and public support.
Research Paper • Student • To eat, or not to eat: The role of pre-media exposure orientations and media attention in predicting the personal norm and intention to consume urban farm produce • Tong Jee Goh, Nanyang Technological University; Rachel Goh; Shirley S. Ho • High-tech urban farming is an emerging means of strengthening food security. The rising popularity of this novel farming technique has attracted media outlets to review the risks and benefits of urban farming. Applying an extended norm activation model, this study found that people’s pre-media exposure orientations influenced their attention to media content on the risks and benefits. These variables, in turn, shaped their personal norm and intention to consume the produce of urban farms.
Research Paper • Faculty • Time Perspective, Temporal Distance, and Narrative’s Roles in Curbing E-cigarette Use • Sixiao Liu, University of Pennsylvania • This research examines the interactive effect of message format (i.e., narrative vs. non-narrative) and time perspective (i.e., present vs. future mindedness) on the perceived temporal distance and behavioral intention among e-cigarette users and non-users. Present-minded users and future-minded non-users perceived the risk of e-cigarettes as temporally closer and were more likely to refuse e-cigarettes after reading a narrative message than a non-narrative message. Such findings highlight the effectiveness of narrative in e-cigarette use prevention.
Research Paper • Student • “My Eating Disorders Recovery Story”: Understanding the Health Benefits of Social Media Content Creation in Eating Disorders Recovery • Lola Xie, The Pennsylvania State University; Xiaoxu Ding, University of British Columbia; Juliet Pinto • Young women with eating disorders (ED) are at risk of harm to their social, emotional, and physical development and overall quality of life. How they use social media to communicate about their ED is of growing interest. Much of the current literature examining ED and social media use and ED primarily deals with negative impacts of social media use for those suffering from ED, such as harmful body images or poor relationship with food, we consider the alternate possibility of social media as a coping mechanism for ED patients to self-express and gain emotional support from their peers. With the emerging accessibility and popularity of vlogging platforms, some ED patients transformed their roles from regular users to social media health influencers who share first-hand experiences and critical health information with others who follow them. We interviewed health influencers in ED recovery and analyzed their YouTube content in the past year to better understand the potential health benefits of vlogging and journaling on public platforms for ED patients and theorize the mechanism through which being a social media health influencer facilitates or impedes ED recovery based on interpretative phenomenological analysis of patients’ own experiences.
Research Paper • Student • How Fear Appeals Are Used as A Persuasive Technique: A Thematic Analysis of COVID-19-related Public Service Announcements • xiaobei chen; Deborah Treise; Son Rachel; Jordan Alpert • Since the outbreak of COVID-19, hundreds of public service announcements (PSAs) have been aired. One of the theories to guide health communicators is the extended parallel process model (EPPM), the model to explain people’s responses to fear appeals. This study aims at identifying the way how fear appeals were presented in messages related to COVID-19. This study found that four strategies were used to arouse perceived threat, and three strategies were utilized to arouse perceived efficacy.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • How Global Warming is Framed on Twitter?: An Investigation based on Machine Learning Approach • XIAOQUN ZHANG, University of North Texas • This study investigates the frames of the dialogs on Twitter regarding global warming. Twitter’s Application Programming Interface (API) is used to extract tweets in 2021. A state-of-the-art Natural Language Processing (NLP) machine learning model BERT is utilized to identify the prominent themes from a big number of tweets. Nine major themes are identified including climate change, security threats, public policy, environmental problems, politics, impacts on economy, scientific research, wild animals and media coverage.
Research Paper • Faculty • Aversion and Control: An Experiment Examining How Social Correction Works • Xizhu Xiao; Porismita Borah; Danielle Ka Lai Lee, Washington State University; Yan Su; Sojung Kim, George Mason University • Prior research suggests that observing cumulative social corrections with expert sources cited can potentially reduce health misperceptions and promote positive health behaviors. However, given the low willingness and motivation to engage in misinformation correction among social media users, examining strategies to promote such behavior is imperative. With a 2 (message factor: narrative vs. statistics) x 2 (social factor: individual vs. collective) between-subject experiment of 485 individuals, we examined how social corrective messaging influences correction intention and we take into consideration the moderating influence of media locus of control (MLOC) and the mediating roles of negative affect and credibility judgment. Results reveal that for individuals with high MLOC, individual and statistically framed corrective messaging elicited the greatest negative affect, whereas among individuals with low MLOC, collective and narrative messaging had a persuasive advantage. Higher negative affect toward the misinformation post, in turn, resulted in greater intention to combat misinformation. Theoretical contributions and implications are further discussed.
Research Paper • Student • Why fall for misinformation? The role of health consciousness, subjective and objective health literacy, and information processing strategies • Rachel Peng, Penn State University; Fuyuan Shen, Penn State University • Health misinformation circulating online can have negative effects on health outcomes at the personal and global levels. This paper investigates the factors that could explain the failure to discern health misinformation by taking into account health consciousness, information processing strategies, subjective and objective health literacy. Through an online survey (N = 707), the current study finds that misinformation beliefs about nutrition, vaccines, vaping and cancer were significantly correlated, implying that a person who believes misinformation about one topic is also at risk of falling victim to misinformation on other three topics. We find the susceptibility to health misinformation is positively correlated with high health consciousness, low objective health literacy, greater information elaboration and selective scanning. This work also provides empirical evidence on the existence of the Dunning-Kruger Effect in the area of health literacy. In particular, individuals who are overconfident in their health literacy are not aware of their own deficiencies and also have a hard time identifying health misinformation. These findings have important implications for educational campaigns to improve health literacy and combat online health misinformation.
Research Paper • Faculty • “I Know News Will Find Me”: A moderated mediation model of news-finds-me perception, information avoidance, need for cognition, and misperceptions about COVID-19 • Yan Su; Lianshan Zhang; Shaohai Jiang • Drawing on a U.S. survey sample, this study builds a moderated mediation model and investigates the relationship between the news-finds-me (NFM) perception and COVID-19 misperceptions, with COVID-19 information avoidance as mediator and need for cognition (NFC) as moderator. Findings show a positive association between NFM perception and misperceptions. Information avoidance was a significant mediator between both factors. Finally, NFC was found a significant moderator; among those with higher extent of NFC, the associations became weaker.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Not All Falsehoods are (Equally) Threatening: Towards a More Nuanced Approach to Misinformation • Fan Yang, University at Albany, SUNY; Yaxin Dai • In response to the growing scholarly calls for nuancing the fuzzy concept of “misinformation”, this study aims to investigate the differences between verified false messages of high threat versus those of low threat in terms of how they spread on social media. Preliminary results show that compared to false messages with low threat, false messages with high threat had a broader reach of audiences, broke out more volatilely, and persisted longer on social media.
Research Paper • Faculty • Promoting COVID-19 Vaccination for Children: How Transitional Characters and Misinformation Exposure Influence Parents’ Vaccine Attitudes and Intentions • Yan Huang, University of Houston; Weirui Wang, Florida International University • A 2 (misinformation: present vs. absent) X 2 (character type: positive vs. transitional) between-subjects experiment was conducted among 344 parents of children 5-11 years old in December 2021. Results showed that although the narrative with a transitional character led to greater levels of identification and transportation, its persuasive effects depended on the presence of misinformation exposure. The interaction effects were mediated by positive issue-relevant cognitions generated during narrative exposure.
Research Paper • Student • Bad for me or bad for the planet? An experiment examines the effect of drought framing on risk perception and water mitigation behavior • Alyssa Mayeda, Washington State University; Ying-Chia (Louise) Hsu, Washington State University; Alex Kirkpatrick, Washington State University; Amanda Boyd, Washington State University • Negative impacts of drought are projected to worsen due to climate change. Examining how media frames influence risk perceptions about drought can enhance risk message design. Our study investigates how framing drought as either a risk to public health or to the environment influences risk perceptions and intent to perform mitigative actions. Environmental framing produced higher intent to conserve water. Perceived harm of drought was considered more likely to affect distant populations than local people.
Extended Abstract • Faculty • Serial participants and the evolution of aggressive conversation networks about climate change on Twitter • Yingying Chen, University of South Carolina; Shupei Yuan; Cindy Yu Chen; Sophia Vojta • This study examines serial participants who are consistently involved in aggressive conversations about climate change on Twitter. We identified 92 serial participants out of 1.1 million replies between 2019 and 2020. Using dynamic network modeling, we analyze the network structural characteristics and individual characteristics that predict the evolution of aggressive conversation networks. Our study advances the knowledge of how serial participants and their group dynamics may spark the diffusion of aggressive communications on climate change.
Research Paper • Student • Parental Attitudes and Child Vaccination Intentions during COVID-19 Pandemic: Exploring Influences using Social Cognitive Theory • Ying Zhu; Michael Beam, Kent State University; Yue Ming; Nichole Egbert-Scheibelhoffer; Tara Smith • Using the Triadic Reciprocal Determinism model from Social Cognitive Theory, this survey study suggests that parents’ (N = 800) attitudes towards health officials and child vaccination intentions are predicted by personal and behavioral factors (having younger children, partisan ideologies, partisan news use) but not the environmental factor of geographic location across 4 US states with different partisan dynamics. This points to national politicization of COVID-19 vaccines being a key consideration regarding parents’ negotiating the pandemic.
Research Paper • Student • Reduced Risk Information Seeking and Processing (R-RISP) Model: A meta-analysis • Zhuling Liu, University at Buffalo; Janet Yang; Thomas Feeley • This meta-analysis synthesizes research findings from 52 studies to assess the explanatory power of the reduced risk information seeking and processing (R-RISP) model. Results support the utility of the model in predicting information seeking for both personal and impersonal risks. Informational subjective norms have the largest effect size, followed by sufficiency threshold and then current knowledge. The relationship between current knowledge and seeking is stronger in studies where participants report higher risk perception.
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