By Pamela J. Brubaker, Ph.D., Brigham Young University
Emerging research from CTEC
February 26-27, 2016
Using social and online media to inform and stay informed
What does social media change? The influence of social media on public affairs news gathering in China (by Liefu Jiang, University of Kansas)
Interviews with students at Chinese universities indicated information seeking, entertainment and socialization are motivations driving students’ use of social media for accessing public affairs news. Chinese students were more likely to access news through their mobile phones.
Campaigning in the age of social media: A content analysis of Twitter use by presidential primary candidates during the 2016 campaign (by Sam Dunklau, Caitlin Slone & Jordan Furiosi, Augustana College)
During the 2016 U.S. presidential primary elections, presidential frontrunners used Twitter as a means of updating their support base with timely, original statuses. Significant differences in the use of Twitter by male and female presidential primary candidates as well as Republican and Democratic candidates were identified, with male candidates more likely to tweet about specific issues and engage in mudslinging than female candidates.
Engaging with social images & video
Top Abstract: Using Instagram to engage with (potential) consumers: A study of Forbes most valuable brands’ use of Instagram (by Jacqueline Skarda-Mitchell, Oluseyi Adegbola, Sherice Gearhart & Althea McMickell, University of Nebraska at Omaha)
Researchers conducted a content analysis of Instagram posts affiliated with companies on the 2014 Forbes Most Valuable Brands list to determine which features drive audience engagement. The data showed audience engagement increases when both products and logos were featured together as well as when hashtags were present in the captions.
Snapchat: A content analysis of themes in screenshots (by Kaitlyn Skinner, Baylor University)
A content analysis of Snapchat screenshots identified in a Google search revealed eight different types of content posted by users (in order of most used): selfies, conversation, nudity or suggestive content, doodles and stickers, status update, humor/parody, internet ugly, and location or geofilter. The results highlight the social aspects of this platform, which is to build relationships.
A theoretical explanation of forming implicit and explicit brand attitudes toward viral video advertising: Effect of emotional tone in messages (by Rahnuma Ahmed, Doyle Yoon & Nazmul Rony, University of Oklahoma)
This proposed study is aimed at contributing to the literature on implicit and explicit attitude formation about brands. The researchers plan to conduct an experiment that explores how viral video ads work and how communicators can make the ads more effective. The study is in development.
Developing more effective communication messages and measurements
Who moved my metrics? New impact measures for journalism and communication research (by Karen Antell, Jody Bales Foote & Joe Foote, University of Oklahoma)
Researchers discussed metrics, other than impact factors, for evaluating electronic-only and open-access journals in six disciplines. Specifically, the value of Google Scholar’s h5-index was highlighted as it provides an impact measure for all journals indexed by Google Scholar. This measure gives researchers a metric to use for gauging the journal’s impact, particularly when the journal is not listed in the annual Journal Citation Reports. Such metrics are increasingly being used to evaluate scholarly impact for the purposes of hiring, tenure, and promotion
Important Tweets matter: Predicting retweets in the #Blacklivesmatter talk on Twitter (by Kate Keib & Itai Himelboim, University of Georgia)
This study utilizes the #Blacklivesmatter movement to examine the role emotion plays in social sharing. Results show that by injecting emotion into the conversation, or in this instance a Tweet, content is more likely to spread.
A theoretical explanation of psychological reactance toward anti-e-cigarette messages on health websites: Effect of perceived message sensation value (PMSV) and restoration postscript (by Rahnuma Ahmed, Doyle Yoon & Nazmul Rony, University of Oklahoma)
In order to create effective anti-e-cigarette messages on interactive platforms like health websites the researchers intend to examine the impact of perceived message sensation value (PMSV) and restoration postscript within a message in order to see if these variables help reduce psychological reactance toward anti-e-cigarette messages. The study is in development.
Communication Technology 