Research Areas
Communicology is the scientific study of human communication. We use theories and scientific methodology to study how people communicate and what effects communication has, with the ultimate goal of building theory-based knowledge about the process and outcomes of communication. Communicology researchers design studies and test theory-derived hypotheses. A majority of the work we do is quantitative in nature, meaning we collect numeric data and analyze it using statistics.
Learn more about the Communicology program.
Faculty and students in the Communicology program study human communication in a number of areas:
Creating Understanding
How do people create understanding? How does communication work? How does communication change as people have more or less shared knowledge?
Intercultural Communication
How are people from different cultures similar and different in terms of how they think about themselves (self-construal) and their communication? How do conversational styles differ for people of different cultural orientations?
Intergroup Communication
How does viewing ourselves and other people in terms of social identity (e.g., shared group memberships such as age, gender, ethnicity, and religion) influence communication?
Nonverbal Communication
What is the role of nonverbal behavior in evoking meaning and influencing others? How do nonverbal behaviors assist in the synchrony, adaptation, and coordination of interaction between people?
Conflict and Relational Management
When are apologies more effective during conflicts? What factors contribute to more productive and satisfying conflict discussions in relationships?
Deception
How do we deceive others by what we communicate and avoid communicating? What are the relational and emotional outcomes associated with deceptive communication? How is deception detected?
Communication and Aging
What kind of communication is associated with experiences of successful aging? What is the role of communication in people’s understanding of what it “means” to get older? How can we foster more positive and empowering attitudes about getting older through communication?
Family Communication
How do individuals develop, maintain, enhance, or undermine family relationships through communication? How are family dynamics related to individuals’ well-being?
Health Communication
How do we construct persuasive messages to prevent disease, reduce the risk of serious illness, and promote health? How do we create effective health communication campaigns?
Communication and Body Image
What is the role of communication in the development and maintenance of body image issues? How is interpersonal communication associated with individuals’ body image and appearance management behaviors?
Communication and Artificial Intelligence
How do we become attached to our virtual assistants? Do we interact differently with virtual assistants? What are the differences between conversations with actual persons and virtual persons?
Online Communication
How is online communication similar and different from offline communication? What is the role of online communication in relationship development and well-being? How can online communication or virtual teams enhance health outcomes?