Research

Reserach Interests

My research interests lie at the intersection of Persuasion and Health and Risk communication. Particularly, my main interest includes the impact of persuasive messages on risk perceptions/behavioral decisions across different contexts. My research examines the social-psychological processes underlying these message effects—for example, how emotions and social/cultural factors influence people’s preventive behaviors.

Risk Perception and Emotions

Social/Cultural Influence

Information Management and Processing

Campaign Messages

Refereed Journal Articles

2024

Noar. S. M., Jang. Y., Zarndt, A. N., Zhao, X., Ross, J. C., & Cappella, J. N. (2024). Achieving public health impact: Health communication research to inform tobacco regulatory science. Health Communication, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2326250

Yoon, H., Jang, Y., Lapinski, M. K., Turner, M. M., Peng, T., & Lee, S. (2024). The role of collective group orientation and social norms on physical distancing behaviors for disease prevention. Health Communication, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2303826 

Ye, Q., Turner, M. M., & Jang, Y. (2024). Examining the psychological mechanisms underlying nostalgia appeals: A comparative experiment of nostalgia and regret. Health Communication, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2355441

Lee, S., Choung, H., Peng, T. Q., Lapinski, M. K., Jang, Y., & Turner, M. M. (2024). Believe it or not: A network analysis investigating how individuals embrace false and true statements during COVID-19. Communication Monographs, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2024.2354252

Turner, M. M., Lim, J. I., Jang, Y., Heo, R. J., Ye, Q., Kim, M., Lapinski, M., & Peng, T.  (2024). Do COVID-19 related primary emotions affect risk perceptions, efficacy beliefs, and information seeking and behavior? Examining emotions as audience segments. Frontiers in Communication, 9, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2024.1378557

Turner, M. M., Wade, R., Heo, R., Ye, Q., & Jang, Y. (2024). Development and validation of the commitment to social activism scale using the Thurstone scaling procedure. Communication Research Report, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2024.2374413

2023

Turner, M. M., Jang, Y., Barry, R., Heo, R. J., Ye, Q., Hembroff, L. A., & Lim, J. (2023). The effects of moral norms and anticipated guilt on COVID-19 prevention behaviors. Current Psychology, 43, 16767-16779. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-023-04477-5

2022

Chung, M., Jang, Y., Lapinski, M. K., Kerr, J. M., Zhao, J., Shupp, R. S., & Peng, T. Q. (2022). I do, therefore I think it is normal: The causal effects of behavior on descriptive norm formation and evolution. Social Influence, 17(1), 17-35. http://doi.org/10.1080/15534510.2022.2052955

2021 

Smith, S. W., De Jong, W., Turner, M. M., Park, S., Jang, Y., Poole, A., Martell, D., & Salerno, J. (2021). Determining whether public communications campaigns based on the social norms approach are a viable covid-19 prevention strategy for college campuses. Journal of Health Communication, 26(11), 792–798. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2021.2009597  

Lee, S., Peng, T. Q., Lapinski, M., Turner, M. M., Jang, Y., & Schaaf, A. (2021). Too stringent or lenient: Antecedents and consequences of perceived stringency of COVID-19 policies in the United States. Health Policy Open, 2, 100047. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.hpopen.2021.100047

Jang, Y., Turner, M. M., Heo, R., & Barry, R. (2021). A new approach to audience segmentation for vaccination messaging: Applying the anger activism model. Journal of Social Marketing, 11(4), 424-452. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSOCM-10-2020-0206

2020

Rheu, M., Jang, Y., & Peng, W. (2020). Enhancing health behaviors through virtual self: A systematic review of health interventions using avatars. Game for Health Journal, 9(2), 85-94. http://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2018.0134  

2018

Kim, Y., & Jang, Y. (2018). “Chemyon,” the Korean face: Finalizing the scale and validity check with self-construal. Korean Journal, 58(3), 102-127. http://doi.org/10.25024/kj.2018.58.3.102  

2016

Jang, Y., & Kim, Y. (2016). The influences of cues to action, fear, and trust in government on risk perception and behavior intention: Focus on Japanese fishery products intakes after the Fukushima Daichi nuclear disaster. The Korean Journal of Advertising, 27(8), 7-32. (Published in Korean). http://dx.doi.org/10.14377/KJA.2016.11.30.7

Kim, Y., Lee, H., Jang, Y., & Lee, H. (2016). A cluster analysis on the risk of particulate matter: Focusing on differences of risk perceptions and risk-related behaviors based on public segmentation. Journal of Public Relations, 20(3), 201-235. (Published in Korean). http://doi.org/10.15814/jpr.2016.20.3.201 

Kim, Y., Lee, H., Lee, H., & Jang, Y. (2016). A study on differences between experts and lay people about risk perceptions toward particulate matter: A focus on the utilization of mental models. Korean Journal of Communication Studies, 12(1), 53-117. (Published in Korean) 

2015

Kim, Y., & Jang, Y. (2015). Developing a scale for the ‘Boiling Pot Syndrome’. Korean Journal of Communication Studies, 11(4), 164-198. (Published in Korean) 

Kim, Y., Lee, H., Lee, H., & Jang, Y. (2015). A study of the public’s perception and opinion formation on particulate matter risk: Focusing on the moderating effects of the perception toward promotional news and involvement. Journal of Communication & Information, 72, 52-90. (Published in Korean)

Kim, Y., & Jang, Y. (2015). An analysis of influencing factors on smoking as a risk-taking behavior: With a focus on sensation seeking, social smoking conformity, and perceived benefit/barriers. Journal of Public Relations, 19(2), 22-50. (Published in Korean). http://doi.org/10.15814/jpr.2015.19.2.22

Kim, Y., Lee, H., Jang, Y., & Lee, H. (2015). How does media construct particulate matter risks? A news frame and source analysis on particulate matter risks. Korean Journal of Journalism & Communication Studies, 59(2), 121-154. (Published in Korean)

2014

Kim, Y., Sung, HJ, & Jang, Y. (2014). Crisis communications and the influence of “Chemyon” among Koreans. Journal of Public Relations, 18(3), 155-184. (Published in Korean)

Book Chapters 

Turner, M. M. Jang, Y., & Turner, S. (2021). Information-processing and cognitive theories. In T. Thompson & P. J. Shultz (Eds.), Health communication theory. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.