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  Parasocial Relationships in Children and Teens

  Bradley J. Bond, Karen E. Dill-Shackleford, Jayson L. Dibble, Tracy R. Gleason, Nancy Jennings, Sara Rosaen, and Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster

  "Young people have easy access to an array of fictional characters and celebrities, many of whom exist across platforms (e.g., protagonists from the graphic novel Heartstopper now appear in live-action on Netflix) and are manifested in toys and other merchandise. Children and adolescents often create powerful, socioemotional connections with fictional characters and celebrities called parasocial relationships (PSRs). Preschoolers clutching Elmo dolls, tweens fantasizing about interactions with TikTok influencers, and queer teens finding affirmation in a gay couple on Schitt’s Creek all hint at possible PSRs. These one-sided, imagined social ties might raise concerns for parents and other stakeholders; however, PSRs are generally normative and adaptive and provide many social affordances. Children and adolescents relate to media personalities in varied ways, and these connections can lead to a variety of outcomes ranging from improving school readiness to enhancing psychological well-being."

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  Communication between China and the West

  Wenshan Jia and Anna Kolotova

  In the twenty-first century the world is facing issues arising in areas which previously seemed to be stable and peaceful. For almost half a century, since China–USA relations normalised, China and the West have engaged in various activities, contributing not only to life of their citizenry, but also providing the basis for a large variety of research in different areas, including communication studies. Examinations of communication between these two different civilisations fit perfectly into the discipline of intercultural communication which help unravel specific differences and narrow gaps between these civilisations.

  Particular attention is given to philosophical aspects which reveal the origins of communication characteristics of each of the two civilisations such as ancient ethical-philosophical schools of the East and interplay of religion and philosophy of the West. A major concern of scholars that the field of communication is dominated by Western ideas and thus helps to disseminate Western values led to expansion of a research pool on non-Western approaches and resulted in the formation of an alternative perspective on communication rooted in the Eastern tradition.

  This effort is joined by other social sciences studies, which added significantly to a corpus of research works on China–Western relations – discourse, new media, national image, etc. Many scholars addressed the level of interpersonal relations, examining communication between representatives of different cultures. Technological progress expanded the ways of conducting communication assisting the communication flows and easing the ways how people from across the world can ensure their communication to occur.

  The field of research in communication between China and the West is still growing with a need for further development of new theories based on such practices. A particular emphasis in research on cases of successful communication between China and the West could counter the dominance of literature presenting only negative aspects. Even though the area of communication studies between China and the West is well-established with a history of almost fifty years, it still represents an emerging area of research demanding more rigorous critique, more thorough examination, and more original contributions.

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  Beyond Friendship: A Call for Research on Negative Parasocial Experiences

  Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster and Melissa A. Click

  Past research and anecdotal evidence suggests that many audience members are exposed to media figures they dislike. However, their relationships with these media figures and are not well understood in parasocial research. Building on media and fan studies scholarly on anti-fandom, we argue that these negative experiences are diverse, complex, and nuanced—they are more than merely the opposite of positive PSRs. The chapter theorizes several negative parasocial experiences: pervasive NPSRs (formed with ubiquitous media figures one cannot escape); competitive NPSRs (involving a real or symbolic rivalry with the media user’s PSR partner); loyal NPSRs (inability to break up with a disappointing PSR partner), and ludic/ironic NPSRs (wherein individuals derive pleasure from disparaging an inferior media figure). The chapter concludes with a review of specific media and audience variables that can be instrumental in examining these different types of NPSRs.

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  Family Communication as Argument

  Jennifer L. Bevan and Erin S. Craw

  If asked to recall an argument in your family, it probably would not take you long to name at least one, and likely more. Arguments in interpersonal relationships occur when relational partners try to move toward agreement or shared understanding about a particular topic (Canary et al. 1995). This can happen using a combination of both constructive (e.g. explanations, reason-giving) and destructive (e.g. criticism, withdrawal) messages (Canary et al. 1995). Family relationships are an early and ongoing breeding ground for observing argument strategies, developing and "testing out" argument patterns and preferences, and engaging in arguments with varying levels of success. For example, when children have the opportunity to engage in arguments with their parents or peers (such as their siblings), they can better develop argument skills (e.g. Kline 1998). So, in this chapter, we "argue" that families are a metaphor for the communicative act of argument. Though we could make countless connections between families and argument, we focus here on power and argument through the lends of dyadic power theory (DPT; Dunbar 2004), and how family members -- particularly lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) individuals -- manage arguments about the 2016 presidential election. This election ignited previously avoided conversations about LGBTQ rights and other important issues among family members, which initiated arguments.

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  A Communication Model of Human–Robot Trust Development for Inclusive Education

  Seungcheol Austin Lee and Yuhua (Jake) Liang

  Integrating robots into the educational environment offers tremendous opportunities to support and augment learning. However, building trust between human users and robots can be a challenge for inclusive education, as females, minorities, and the less privileged individuals tend to report higher levels of the anticipated fear and distrust toward robots. In this chapter, we examine how communication affects human-robot trust in light of the verbal messages that humans and robots exchange. The chapter overviews the four guiding foci of human-robot trust: (1) human-robot trust is a communication-driven process; (2) human-robot trust develops over time; (3) trust optimization requires calibration to the particular situation and circumstance; and (4) trust is based on multidimensional perceptions of trustee's trustworthiness. The chapter outlines systematic research to examine how trust is developed, calibrated, and affected by communication messages across different temporal stages in the inclusive learning environment: pre-interaction stage, entry stage, and relationship stage.

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  Media Literacy and Parent–Adolescent Communication About Alcohol in Media: Effects on Adolescent Alcohol Use

  YoungJu Shin, Michelle Miller-Day, and Michael L. Hecht

  "[T]he present study examines the effects of adolescent media literacy and parent-adolescent communication about media portrayals of alcohol use on adolescents' lifetime alcohol use. The focus on alcohol is warranted when evaluating a young adolescent population since alcohol is the substance most commonly used and abused by adolescents (NIDA, 2016)."

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  The Ten Adoption Drivers of Open Source Software That Enables e-Research in Data Factories for Open Innovations

  Kerk Kee

  "The purpose of this chapter is to explore what drives the adoption and diffusion of open source software that can usher in the vision of data factories. With the adoption of good software applications across the community, researchers can begin moving individual data sets developed by independent projects across geographic locations and disciplinary domains into a broader data ecosystem sustainable over the long term. The data ecosystem should also be easily accessible and used by present and future researchers not directly involved with data collection and documentation of the individual data sets."

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  Involvement With Media Content

  Riva Tukachinsky and Colby O'Connor

  "Many mass communication theories consider involvement to be a critical factor in determining media consumers' responses to messages and the effect that media have on the audiences. Along with advances in theorization and the extensive empirical examination of this concept, different definitions and a wealth of operationalizations of involvement have emerged. The following sections describe the two main approaches to involvement in communication studies. First we discuss the concept of involvement in persuasion theory, as it was later incorporated in consumer and marketing research. Then an alternative conceptualization, offered more recently by audience research, will be discussed."

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  Romantic Serial Argument Perceived Resolvability, Goals, Rumination, and Conflict Strategy Usage

  Jennifer L. Bevan, Megan B. Cummings, Makenna L. Engert, and Lisa Sparks

  "In this chapter, we overview this body of research by focusing on the two most commonly studied serial argument variables -- perceived resolvability and communication behaviors -- and also present original longitudinal data that explores how serial argument thoughts and behaviors are linked over time."

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  Healthcare Reform Information Sources in Relation to Information Quality, Information-Seeking, and Uncertainty

  Jennifer L. Bevan, Lisa Sparks, Julia Ernst, Jessica Francies, and Nicole Santora

  "Healthcare reform is an emerging health policy context that is relevant to health communication researchers for three reasons... This chapter explores the various interpersonal and media sources used by the public to gather healthcare reform information in relation to individuals' amount of information-seeking, beliefs about the provision of reliable, quality information, and level of uncertainty about healthcare reform."

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  Methodological Approaches to Eliminating Health Disparities

  Lisa Sparks and Michelle Miller-Day

  This chapter argues for culturally grounding research efforts as a way to reflect cultural diversity and enhance representativeness of samples; describes relevant definitions and characteristics important to consider in conducting health disparities research; and provides methodological suggestions for culturally grounding research efforts to reduce disparities.

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  Information Sources in Relation to Information Quality, Information-seeking, and Uncertainty in the Context of Healthcare Reform

  Jennifer L. Bevan

  This exploratory study examines information-seeking about the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e. healthcare reform) in relation to the potential barriers of uncertainty,uncertainty discrepancy, and low health self-efficacy. Adult United States participants completed an anonymous online survey about their perceptions and understanding of healthcare reform. Results confirmed recent literature, suggesting a complex relationship between information-seeking and uncertainty. Specifically, for this sample, significant positive relationships were observed between information-seeking about healthcare reform and uncertainty, uncertainty discrepancy, health self-efficacy. Further, uncertainty discrepancy was the potential barrier that accounted for the most variance in predicting information-seeking.Implications of these findings for improving public understanding of healthcare reform are discussed.

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  Introducing the Global Advocacy Leadership Academy (GALA): Training Health Advocates Around the World to Champion the Needs of Health Care Consumers

  Gary L. Kreps, Paula Kim, Lisa Sparks, Linda Neuhauser, Carol G. Daugherty, Mollie Rose Canzona, Wonsun Kim, and Jungmi Jun

  Patient advocacy can make significant contributions to health research by ensuring that efforts are patient-focused and help promote cooperation between all relevant sectors of the health care community. Yet, the development of effective patient advocacy organizations demands strong leadership, establishment of active collaborations with key stakeholders, and careful management of fiscal and personnel resources to enhance health outcomes. This presentation describes the development and implementation of an innovative training academy to prepare cancer advocacy leaders, both domestically and internationally, by helping them carefully consider strategic health advocacy processes, roles, and responsibilities. The Global Advocacy Leadership Academy (GALA) will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the modern health care system, identifying critical constituents and stakeholders, and examining interrelationships between key individuals and organizations. Strategies for fostering meaningful communication, cooperation, and coordination between patient advocacy organizations and other stakeholders related to health, including consumers, other advocacy groups, clinicians, government officials, researchers, and private industry representatives, will also be explored. For example, patient advocacy organization leaders will learn about communication strategies for working effectively with researchers and clinicians to support prevention, detection, treatment, and survivorship efforts that will benefit patients. Patient advocacy organization leaders will also explore strategies for raising funds and increasing funding for health research. They will learn about clinical research, health regulatory systems, community organizing, as well as drug and technology development and approval processes from basic research to clinical practice. Exemplar models of successful patient advocacy organization leadership will be described and evaluated as GALA case studies that illustrate effective health advocacy.

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  Health Communication and Caregiving Research, Policy, and Practice

  Lisa Sparks

  The purpose of this chapter is to provide an evidence-based approach to health communication and caregiving research, policy, and practice. By conveying a sense of the broadened scope of recent communication theory and research, the purpose of this chapter is to propose an evidence-based framework through which health communication as applied to caregiving research, policy, and practice might occur.

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  Parasocial Relationships

  Riva Tukachinsky

  Parasocial interactions and parasocial relationships constitute a form of involvement with media personae that entails the experience of intimacy and companionship with media figures.

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  Realism of Violent Content, Real World Violence on Television, and Their Effects

  Riva Tukachinsky

  Multiple conceptualizations and definitions of realism are used in the media effects field. First, realism can be seen as a characteristic of a genre. Factual media, such as news and documentaries, are more realistic than fictional media such as soap operas and cartoons. Second, realism refers to the degree to which the media content is presented in a compelling manner. Convincing acting, sophisticated visual effects, and advanced graphics make a movie or a video game world appear more like the real world. Finally, perceived realism can be viewed as a psychological characteristic of the viewer rather than a property of the message. Audience members interpret media messages in multiple ways, and it has been suggested that the subjective perceptions of realism rather than objective accuracy of media representations play a vital role in mediating effects of media exposure.

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  Societal, Expert, and Lay Influences

  Roxanne Parrott, Michelle Miller-Day, Kathryn Peters, and James Dillard

  Families are influenced by many messages about genetics and health, which then affect communication with health-care practitioners and communication within the family. Using a discourse approach, this chapter identifies the various sources of these messages and explains the influences they might exert.

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  Social Identity and Health Contexts

  M. M. Villagran and Lisa Sparks

  The purpose of this chapter is to take an intergroup communication perspective as applicable to health care contexts. This chapter will first outline the major tenets of social identity for patients and providers in health care contexts, provide a typology of the role of illness on identity and communication in health care, followed by a brief application of a case study of social identity and mental health to shed light on the function of important intergroup communication theoretical constructs existing in health care communication contexts.

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  The Critical Role of Communication in Preparing for Biological Threats: Prevention, Mobilization, and Response

  Gary L. Kreps, K. Alibek, C. Bailey, Linda Neuhauser, K. Rowan, and Lisa Sparks

  Communication is central to the effective prevention of, preparation for, and response to biological threats and hazards because it is the primary social process for sharing relevant information among the key policymakers, security personnel, healthcare providers, and members of the general public who need to coordinate efforts in times of crisis.

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  Emergency/Risk Communication to Promote Public Health and Respond to Biological Threats

  G. L. Kreps, K. Alibek, C. Bailey, Linda Neuhauser, K. Rowan, and Lisa Sparks

  Communication is a critical component of efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to biological threats. Effective emergency communication facilitates sharing essential information and coordinating activities among priority interdependent policy makers, security personnel, healthcare providers, and members of the general public who need to work together in times of crisis.

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  Negotiating Cancer Care Through Communication

  H. D. O'Hair, S. Thompson, and Lisa Sparks

  This chapter follows a case study of Ann Benton, who was just diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It discusses the sense of shock and altered self-identity faced by many cancer patients, as well as the role Benton and her family must play in information management and communication strategies with physicians and other healthcare providers. It uses Le Play's method of focusing on one key element in order to study society, rather than focusing on the whole of society as a single entity.

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  Social Identity and Perceptions of Terrorist Groups: How Others See Them and How They See Themselves

  Lisa Sparks

  In H. D. O'Hair, R. L. Heath, & G. R. Ledlow (Eds.), Community Preparedness and Response to Terrorism: Communication and the Media. Dr. Sparks' chapter begins on page 13. This text is only partially available through the link provided; some pages are not included.

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  Cultural Issues in Communication and Aging

  L. Pecchioni, H. Ota, and Lisa Sparks

  Sparks examines the role of culture in defining our basic assumptions about human nature, our relationships, and the environment, even if we are not aware of its impact or role. This chapter discusses the role that culture plays in communication and aging across the life span, and then examines the overarching issues that place this research into context.

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  The Institutionalized Elderly: Interactive Implications of Long-Term Care

  J. F. Nussbaum, M. Bergstrom, and Lisa Sparks

  This chapter examines the impact of the structural segmentation of elderly residents in nursing homes as manifested in their interactive lives, and how such segmentation promotes the disenfranchisement of the elderly population.

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  Elder Care: Different Paths Within an Extended American Family

  J. F. Nussbaum, Lisa Sparks, and M. Bergstrom

  This chapter examines the different ways of aging, as well as the different approaches taken to caring for elderly relatives within an extended family spanning several generations and members born in either Italy or the United States.