Quinten S. Bernhold, Cole Jagger Lazerus Burns, Kylie Julius, Peyton Mills, Sarah Devereux, Traci Lively
{"title":"Memorable Messages About Retirement, Own Communication About Financial Preparations for Retirement, and Successful Aging: Testing Theoretical Mechanisms in the Communicative Ecology Model of Successful Aging","authors":"Quinten S. Bernhold, Cole Jagger Lazerus Burns, Kylie Julius, Peyton Mills, Sarah Devereux, Traci Lively","doi":"10.1177/00936502261463578","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261463578","url":null,"abstract":"This study addressed how communication about retirement fits in the communicative ecology model of successful aging (CEMSA). U.S. American older adults ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">N</jats:italic> = 294, <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">M</jats:italic> <jats:sub>Age</jats:sub> = 59.27 years) reported on a memorable message they heard about retirement, as well as on their own talk about how they can be financially prepared for retirement. Older adults who wrote a memorable message with a theme of (a) saving money for retirement or (b) relaxing or enjoying life during retirement reported talking about how they can be financially prepared for retirement more than did older adults who did not write a memorable message with one of these themes. Older adults’ talk about how they can be financially prepared for retirement was indirectly associated with successful aging, via the serial mediators of positive affect about aging and aging efficacy. Talking about how one can be financially prepared for retirement may be a worthwhile theoretical addition to the CEMSA.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"196 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148335889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Fifty Years of Diversity in Communication and Media Studies (1974–2023): The Intertwined Trends in Geographic, Gender, and Methodological Representation","authors":"Mark Boukes, Irina Lock, Shujun Liu","doi":"10.1177/00936502261454813","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261454813","url":null,"abstract":"This study explored trends of diversity in Communication and Media Studies (CMS) between 1974 and 2023 through an automated content analysis of journal publications. An increasing proportion of first-authors from non-WEIRD countries and non-U.S. WEIRD countries was found alongside a declining proportion of U.S.-based scholars (WEIRD refers to “Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic”). The visibility of women first-authors grew markedly to 54% in the 2020s, although still a bit below the benchmark. A growing prevalence of qualitative methods was found relative to quantitative methods and conceptual work. Interestingly, these trends were intertwined. Qualitative studies were <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">more</jats:italic> likely to be authored by women, by scholars from non-U.S. WEIRD countries, and based on non-WEIRD populations. Women authorship was <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">less</jats:italic> likely among the increasingly visible non-WEIRD and non-U.S. WEIRD first-authors. Furthermore, less diversity—in particular, geographic and methodological diversity (but not gender diversity)—was found in journals with higher impact-factor.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148299395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Co-Opetition in Crowdsourcing Challenges: Comment Network Dynamics and Relational Homophily Among Contestants in Crowdsourcing Challenge Communities","authors":"Yiqi Li, Peter Monge, Janet Fulk","doi":"10.1177/00936502261458941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261458941","url":null,"abstract":"Situated in a creative crowdsourcing challenge organizational community, this research examines how different types of homophily affect network formation among ideators, the challenge innovators. Longitudinal analysis of comment network events among ideators was conducted with relational event models. <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Status homophily</jats:italic> was examined based on ideators’ self-reported public profiles. Findings show that ideators’ location by country significantly influences relational events, but occupational homophily did not. <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">Value homophily</jats:italic> was examined based on the content similarity of ideators’ idea submissions. Results indicate that ideator’s choices of platform content categories, those that are designed by the challenge management, significantly influenced ideators’ communication patterns. Specifically, long-term needs were a salient homophily factor among platform categories, whereas short-term needs were heterophilous factors. Finally, a multidimensional homophily measurement using latent class analysis on idea-category-submission patterns predicted the occurrences of communication relational events and achieved an improved model fit compared to modeling all platform categories together.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148286483","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"When the Algorithm Understands You (or Doesn’t): LGBTQ+ Youth’s Identity-Related Interactions with Algorithmic Media","authors":"Y. Anthony Chen, Samuel Hardman Taylor","doi":"10.1177/00936502261459750","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261459750","url":null,"abstract":"During their daily media use, youth interact with algorithms. Drawing on the algorithm responsiveness process framework, this paper examines the co-construction of identity between youth and algorithmic media, focusing on perceived algorithm responsiveness (PAR), perceived algorithm insensitivity (PAI), and algorithm training as sociotechnical processes that structure how LGBTQ+ youth perceive themselves. Study 1 ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">N</jats:italic> = 335), using six weekly diaries among LGBTQ+ youth, showed that affirming LGBTQ+ representations curated by algorithms predicted higher PAR and lower PAI, especially when less algorithm training was needed. In turn, higher PAR and, unexpectedly, higher PAI predicted greater identity pride. Study 2 ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">N</jats:italic> = 664), a cross-sectional survey, found that LGBTQ+ youth reported lower PAR than non-LGBTQ+ youth. An indirect effect of algorithm training on self-concept clarity via PAR emerged for non-LGBTQ+ participants but not for LGBTQ+ participants. These findings highlight social identity in algorithmic media as a relational, dynamic process, and LGBTQ+ youth can shape content recommendations for identity-related needs.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148286485","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Two Forms of Media Distrust: Cynicism, Skepticism, and Online News Exposure","authors":"Lukas P. Otto, Frank Mangold, Michaela Maier","doi":"10.1177/00936502261458955","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261458955","url":null,"abstract":"The relationship between trust in the news media and news use has been studied extensively, yet findings remain inconsistent. We argue that a key source of this inconsistency is the conflation of two distinct forms of media distrust: skepticism and cynicism. Additionally, prior research largely relies on self-reported news use, which is prone to bias. To address both issues, we link survey data with web-tracking data from 739 participants during the 2021 German federal election. We show that skeptics and cynics differ in personality traits, political orientations, and news-use motivations, and – crucially – in their actual news consumption behavior. While skepticism is associated with broader and more intense news exposure, cynicism is linked to lower exposure, particularly to established journalistic mainstream media. These results demonstrate that different forms of media distrust are associated with distinct patterns of news exposure, underscoring the importance of conceptual and behavioral precision in media trust research.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148286489","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Effects of Individual Coping, Communal Coping, and Person-Centered Support on Depression Management","authors":"Xi Tian, Erin Basinger","doi":"10.1177/00936502261452885","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261452885","url":null,"abstract":"This study compared individual and communal coping messages to highly person-centered support in the context of depression management within romantic relationships. The sample included 138 adults who had been diagnosed with depression, and they evaluated messages that were manipulated to vary in coping strategies and person-centeredness. Results showed that communal coping messages led to greater emotional improvement than individual coping and highly person-centered messages through an indirect effect conveyed by increased perceptions of joint efforts between partners. Cognitive reappraisal, relational connectedness, and shared appraisal did not significantly mediate the relationships between message features and emotional improvement. In addition, highly person-centered messages corresponded with more emotional improvement than individual coping messages. The discussion highlights the implications of partners’ coping-oriented versus supportive approaches to depression management.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"11 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148286605","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Longitudinal and Dyadic Study of Communal Coping and Relational Turbulence Among Surviving Parents and Emerging Adult Children After the Death of a Partner/Parent","authors":"Hannah E. Jones, Jennifer A. Theiss","doi":"10.1177/00936502261449286","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261449286","url":null,"abstract":"The death of a parent/partner represents a significant and traumatic transition for surviving families. Guided by relational turbulence theory, this longitudinal and dyadic study examines how relationship characteristics in surviving parent-emerging adult child dyads correspond with communal coping and relational turbulence during bereavement. Data were collected from 45 parent-emerging adult child dyads for 6 weeks. Results highlight relational uncertainty and interdependence as factors that shape cognitive, emotional, and communicative features of coping episodes. Communal coping behaviors, when enacted, emerged as a protective mechanism, helping mitigate relational turbulence. Actor-partner effects demonstrated the interdependent nature of coping and relational turbulence. This study extends relational turbulence theory to parent-child relationships and underscores the importance of communal coping during transitions. Practical implications suggest the need to help families enact coping and manage interdependence during bereavement to mitigate relational turbulence and improve relationship outcomes.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148291626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Political Identity Threats on Social Media","authors":"Daniel S. Lane, Yifei Wang, Alcides Velasquez","doi":"10.1177/00936502261443863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261443863","url":null,"abstract":"One appealing explanation for the dismal state of digital politics in the U.S. is that social media offer abundant <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">threats</jats:italic> to users’ political identities. This paper provides a theoretical and empirical foundation for studying political identity threats on social media. A pilot study ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">N</jats:italic> = 931) established that individuals can recognize both realistic and symbolic threats when they explicitly appear in TikTok videos, but that, (a) threat types are not as discrete as theory suggests and (b) sensitivity to symbolic threat depends on strength of partisan identity. A second, pre-registered experimental study ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">N</jats:italic> = 1,279) found that the presence of explicit threats to political ingroups/outgroups influenced emotions and willingness to engage politically on social media. These effects were mediated by threat recognition and often larger for those with stronger partisan identities. This research sets an agenda for studying the presence and effects of explicitly identity-threatening social media content.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148286608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shaping Interpersonal Communication About Persuasive Media Campaigns by Inducing Critical Versus Collective Orientations","authors":"Shu Scott Li, James Price Dillard","doi":"10.1177/00936502261441102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261441102","url":null,"abstract":"Individuals process persuasive campaign messages intra- and interpersonally with the goal of either accurately evaluating the advocacy or defending against it. In an experiment, messages that argued for reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages were presented to regular drinkers ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">N</jats:italic> = 275). They were then forbidden to interact, allowed to interact, or directed to interact by discussion prompts with either a critical or a collective focus. The no-talk condition data showed persuasion whereas unguided talk yielded counter-persuasion (i.e., a boomerang), which was mitigated to an equal degree by the two prompts. Exploration of potential mediating mechanisms revealed that the prompt effects could be attributed to variations in the quantity of on-topic talk, sentence length, cognitive process words, and negations. As all of these findings were strongest among heavy drinkers, the study demonstrated the promise of prompts for promoting campaign-consistent talk and salutary effects among at-risk individuals.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148286610","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Examining the Effects of Viewing Positive Aging TikTok Videos on Aging Outcomes and Attitudes Among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Women","authors":"R. Amanda Cooper, Lexi McNamara, Heather Gahler","doi":"10.1177/00936502261442688","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502261442688","url":null,"abstract":"This experiment tests the communicative ecology model of successful aging (CEMSA) to determine how viewing positive aging TikTok videos impacts aging outcomes for young ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n</jats:italic> = 306), middle-aged ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n</jats:italic> = 225), and older ( <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n</jats:italic> = 233) women. We also extend the CEMSA to include ageism and positive attitudes toward older adults. Watching positive aging TikTok videos had an indirect effect on aging efficacy through positive aging affect for all age groups. There was also a positive indirect effect on successful aging through positive affect and aging efficacy for middle-aged and older women. For all three age groups, viewing positive aging TikTok videos increased positive attitude toward older adults through positive affect about aging. Watching positive aging videos was not associated with aging uncertainty in any group. Additional associations and implications for the CEMSA and attitudes toward older adults are discussed.","PeriodicalId":48323,"journal":{"name":"Communication Research","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148286611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}