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International Communication Association


Commenters exposed to prejudiced comments more likely to display prejudice themselves

A study found that participants who were exposed to prejudiced comments posted by others showed an increase in their own levels of prejudice toward Asians. They also tended to post more prejudiced comments about Asians themselves. The researchers suggest that anti-prejudiced comments can have a beneficial impact in reducing racial bias.

SourceInternational Communication Association·JournalHuman Communication Research·DateJun 25, 2015

High level engagement in comment sections can curb internet trolling

A recent study found that having a journalist engage with commenters can reduce incivility and increase the use of evidence in comments. The researchers partnered with a local television news station and conducted an experiment using its Facebook community, resulting in a statistically significant effect on the tone of the comments.

SourceInternational Communication Association·JournalJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication·DateDec 8, 2014

Experience with family verbal conflict as a child can help in stressful situations as an adult

A recent study found that individuals who experienced intense verbal aggression as children are more resilient to conflict as adults. The researchers measured cortisol levels in saliva samples from 50 romantically involved couples and found a weakened physiological stress response for those with higher childhood exposure.

SourceInternational Communication Association·JournalHuman Communication Research·DateNov 24, 2014

Habitual Facebook users more likely to be caught in phishing scams

A study published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication found that habitual Facebook users are more likely to accept strangers as friends and give them personal information. This is because Facebook's design fosters habit formation and users with large social networks, frequent use, and impulsive behavior are more susceptib...

SourceInternational Communication Association·JournalJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication·DateSep 17, 2014

Experts close to perfect in determining truth in interrogations using active question methods

A recent study found that using active questioning techniques can significantly improve the accuracy of lie detection in interrogations, with experts achieving near-perfect results (97.8%) compared to non-experts. This suggests that simply watching or listening is not enough for effective deception detection.

SourceInternational Communication Association·JournalHuman Communication Research·DateAug 15, 2014

Strong female portrayals eliminate negative effects of violent media

A recent study found that positive depictions of strong female characters can mitigate the negative impacts of violent media on viewers' attitudes towards women. The research, conducted by Christopher Ferguson, surveyed 150 university students and showed that men and women exhibited less anxiety when viewing shows with positive female ...

SourceInternational Communication Association·JournalJournal of Communication·DateAug 30, 2012