Sexual Health Diseases Women Awareness Concept, a laptop showing “sexual health,” with glasses, a cup of tea and dessert aside
Lead Researcher: Samantha Stanley
Summary: This content analysis examines the prevalence of sexual health information on college student health websites.
Girl Power Equality Feminist Women’s Right Concept, five girls from different ethnic groups standing together, laying their hands on top of each other
Lead Researcher: Samantha Stanley
Summary: This project tests messages that vary in the extent to which they are sex positive and appeal to the health of oneself or one’s sexual partner.
Social Media World Wide, young people from around the world using social media through various devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops
1. Principal Investigator: Yumin Yan
Funding Source: J. William and Mary Diederich, College of Communication, Marquette University, WI.
Summary: This project aims to explore Chinese international students’ social media (Facebook and WeChat) usage and how it influences their process of intercultural adaptation.
2. Lead Researcher: Yumin Yan
Summary: This project investigates the effects of Instagram usage and celebrity worship on college females’ body image satisfaction, social comparison behaviors, and eating disorders.
Global warming infographic shows key metrics that are effecting global climate change and becoming a high risk alert for the life on the Earth
Lead Researcher: Gareth Thomas Williams
Summary: This project aims to exam the Heartland Institute’s “Why Scientists Disagree about Global Warming.” It is part of a broader analysis of the means of persuasion employed by government and nonprofit organizations and NGOs, and their use and/or manipulation of science to suit policy advocacy. A previous phase of this study included the broadcast of climate data by the Badlands National Park Twitter account on Inauguration Day 2017. This action ultimately spurred the current alt/rogue government galaxy of social media, numbering more than 35 as of July 2018.
Green plastic bottle of mineral and organic fertilizer
Lead Researcher: Gareth Thomas Williams
Summary: This project is a multi-part analysis of outreach communications by agricultural chemical manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture following the 1962 release of “Silent Spring” by Rachel Carson. The study includes rhetorical analysis of communications by the companies and examination of multimedia information and disinformation campaigns seeking to undermine Carson’s work. This work follows on a rhetorical analysis of Ms. Carson’s speeches in 1963 that rebut the industry and governmental challenges to her work. Future work will likely address the presidential commission launched in response to “Silent Spring,” which ultimately found the assertions in the book credible and warranting immediate intervention.
Food containing too much sugar, e.g., sweets, donuts, and cookies. Sugar in diet causes obesity, diabetes and other health problems
Lead Researcher: Victoria Ann Ledford
1. Summary: This project aims to better understand how individuals with weight stigma construct their self-stigma beliefs and attitudes. The goal of this project is to develop a theoretically grounded measure for weight-related self-stigma.
2. Summary: This project aims to construct a model of self-stigma communication that provides predictable pathways for researchers who investigate how self-stigma affects health-related behavioral intentions. The first iteration of this project will be presented at NCA 2018.
Health and healthcare infographic. Health effects of obesity.
Lead Researcher: Victoria Ann Ledford
Summary: This project began as Victoria’s Master’s thesis project, which situated stigma as an important predictor in the Risk Perception Attitude Framework. She is currently working to extend the work of this study.
Results from her thesis project can be found here: http://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2090&context=etd
Beautiful young mom is holding her cute baby while doctor is listening to baby’s lungs
Summary: This dissertation study integrates diffusion of innovations theory with social marketing to better understand women’s health and the health of their families. This study seeks to understand what women know, believe, value, and say will help them to improve their health and by extension, the health of their children and family members.