UC Davis Communication Scholars Take Center Stage at ICA 2025

The UC Davis Department of Communication is making a strong impact at the 2025 International Communication Association (ICA) conference, the leading global event for communication scholars. With 41 presentations, key leadership roles, and editorial contributions to flagship ICA journals, the department continues to solidify its reputation as one of the top-ranked communication programs in the world.

This year, UC Davis researchers have been recognized for their outstanding work, earning three Top Paper awards. Faculty members have also received some of the highest honors in the field, with four scholars named as ICA Fellows, an acknowledgment of their significant contributions to communication research.

Among those leading the charge at ICA25, Dr. Drew Cingel serves as Chair of the Children, Adolescents, and Media Division, while Dr. Soojong Kim is Secretary of the Computational Methods Division. Graduate student Rachael Kee is organizing this year’s ICA Hackathon, a two-day collaborative event bringing together scholars from across disciplines to tackle complex research problems.

The department’s influence extends beyond leadership roles. Faculty members are shaping the direction of research through their editorial work, with Dr. Richard Huskey serving as Associate Editor for the Journal of Communication, and Dr. Cuihua (Cindy) Shen taking on editorial responsibilities at Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication and Computational Communication Research.

Recognition at ICA is particularly meaningful for UC Davis this year, as two of our current faculty members, Dr. Cuihua (Cindy) Shen and Dr. Magdalena Wojcieszak, as well as two of our emeritus faculty, Dr. George Barnett and the late Dr. Charles R. Berger, are ICA Fellows. This distinction is particularly remarkable for a department of just 16 faculty (including new faculty member Renwen (Alice) Zhang who joins in July), underscoring the profound impact our scholars have had on the field of communication research.

The research presented by UC Davis scholars spans a wide range of pressing topics, from artificial intelligence’s role in human relationships to how misinformation spreads across digital platforms. Among the standout contributions, three projects earned Top Paper honors. Xuanjun (Jason) Gong, Richard Huskey, Cuihua (Cindy) Shen, and Erie Boorman were recognized for their work on how curiosity influences decision-making in book selection, while Haoning Xue and Jingwen Zhang were honored for their research on how short-form videos enhance message processing and persuasion, particularly among young adults. Additionally, Jane Shawcroft, Allyson Snyder, Drew Cingel, and Jeanette Ruiz received Top Paper recognition for their study on how parent problematic media use, child emotional reactivity, and household income relate to parent reliance on media emotion regulation strategies.

With a presence that includes thought leadership, groundbreaking research, and editorial influence, the Department of Communication at UC Davis continues to shape the future of communication science. A full list of the Department's presentations at ICA25 is available below. For more information on ICA25, explore the full conference schedule or visit the ICA25 website.

Inter-Platform Disparities in Misinformation Susceptibility and Sharing Intentions
Saifuddin Ahmed; Muhammad E. Rasul; Adeline WT Bee; Ashling Tai

Investigating the Physiological and Psychological Impacts of Adding an Image and Stereotype Threat on Mathematic Performance: A Dual Coding Theory Perspective
Camren L. Allen; Jorge Peña

The Growth of Maternal Technoference Across Early Childhood and Associations with Child Problematic Media Use
Sarah Ashby; Sarah Coyne; Jane Shawcroft; Megan Van Alfen; Phia James; Hailey Holmgren; Tanya Austin

Conversational Contingency and Trust in Human-Machine Interaction: Exploring the Serial Mediation of Social Presence and User Engagement
Bolin Cao; Chuanqin Wen; Renwen Zhang

The Negativity Bias For News: A Computational Neuroimaging Investigation
Jason X. Gong; Rachael L. Kee; Allyson L. Snyder; Ziyu Zhao; Ezgi Ulusoy; Elizabeth E. Riggs; Sophia Sarieva; Valerie Klein; Jason Coronel; Allison Eden; Amber Boydstun; Richard Huskey

Individual Curiosity Modulates Structured and Directed Exploration in Sequential Book Selection
Jason X. Gong; Richard Huskey; Cuihua Shen; Erie Boorman
TOP PAPER

The Negativity Bias For News: A Value-Based Decision Making Study
Jason X. Gong; Ezgi Ulusoy; Elizabeth E. Riggs; Rachael L. Kee; Ziyu Zhao; Jason Coronel; Allison Eden; Amber Boydstun; Richard Huskey

Testing the Effectiveness of Chatbots' Adherence to the Integrated Model of Advice Giving in Human-AI Supportive Interactions
Lisa J. Hwang; Haojian Li; Bo Feng

Are LLMs a Methodological Breakthrough in Health Communication Research? Evaluating Large Language Models’ Performance in Classifying Health-Related Sentiments on Social Media
Soojong Kim; Kwanho Kim

Love in the Time of AI: How AI-Assisted Writing Shapes Communication with Romantic Partners
Soojong Kim; Jorge Peña; Camren L. Allen; Jeffrey T. Tseng

Can Players Control Fear? Testing Ironic Process Theory in a Survival Horror Video Game
Saba Kolahchian

Relational Communication in AI Companionship: An Examination of Self-Disclosure and Support-seeking in Human-Replika Interactions
Haojian Li; Renwen Zhang; Lisa J. Hwang; Bo Feng; Han Li

Why Players Stay: Using real gameplay data to explore player's loyalty to MOBA games
Haojian Li; Chengfang Wang

Exploring the Effects of Chatbot Anthropomorphism and Human Empathy on Human Prosocial Behavior Toward Chatbots
Jingshu Li; Zicheng Zhu; Renwen Zhang; Yi-Chieh Lee

Examine the Effects of Communication Settings and Relationship Types on Outcomes of Cross-Cutting Discussions: An Experimental Study
Zhengyi Liang; Muhammad E. Rasul; Bo Feng; Jaeho Cho

Exchange Structures, Mediated Supportive Communication, and the Emergence of Solidarity in Online Communities
Wang Liao; Chelsea Kim; Bo Feng

Relational Introspections with Artificial Intelligence: Asymmetries of Self and Machine Agency and Communion, Relational Schemas, and Trust
Wang Liao; Ya-Ching Lee; Haoning Xue; Emily K. McKinley

Dark Triad Personality and Online Hate Perpetration: The Interplay of Depression and Social Media Usage
In-jae Lim; Heejo Keum; Kangmin Lee; Zhengyi Liang; Jaeho Cho

“Bill Gates Chip Activated!”: Comparing AI and Machine Learning Models in Detecting Humor-Laden Vaccine Misinformation
Emily K. McKinley; Sijia Qian; Muhammad E. Rasul

A longitudinal study of the processes and outcomes of trust in AI chatbots
Sheryl Wei Ting Ng; Renwen Zhang

What Features Predict Visual Credibility? Leveraging Multimodal Large Language Models to Enhance Credibility Predictions and Uncover Interpretable Features
Yilang Peng; Sijia Qian; Yingdan Lu; Cuihua Shen

From Victim to Aggressor: Examining the relationship between Perceived Victimhood, News Consumption, and Political Outgroup Animosity
Muhammad E. Rasul; Saifuddin Ahmed; Jaeho Cho

From Podcasts to Protests: Examining the Influence of Podcast News Use and Misinformation on Contentious Political Participation
Muhammad E. Rasul; Saifuddin Ahmed; Jaeho Cho; Teresa Gil-Lopez

Navigating Global Trends: Insights from a Longitudinal Study of International Student Flows and Their Communication Impact
Jeanette B. Ruiz; Pablo M. Flores; George A. Barnett

Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Using Ecological Momentary Assessment Methods to Study Social Media Use in Adolescent Samples
Jane Shawcroft; Drew P. Cingel; Samantha Vigil; Allyson L. Snyder

Parent Problematic Media Use, Child Emotional Reactivity, and Household Income Relate to Parent Reliance on Media Emotion Regulation Strategies
Jane Shawcroft; Allyson L. Snyder; Drew P. Cingel; Jeanette B. Ruiz
TOP PAPER

Children’s Vocabulary, Math, and Social-Emotional Learning from Interactive Media: The Role of Choice, Agency, and Repetition in App Design
Allyson L. Snyder; Drew P. Cingel; Sofia V. Rhea; Jane Shawcroft; Samantha Vigil; Katherine Ong

Narrative Involvement and Persuasion in Response to Generic You in Health-Promoting Narratives
Laramie Taylor; Meng Chen

Social Media Monitoring Efficacy Among Parents of Adolescents in the United States
Samantha Vigil; Drew P. Cingel

Social Media Use and Loneliness: A Longitudinal Study of Adolescents in South Korea
Samantha Vigil; Jane Shawcroft; Drew P. Cingel; Hye Eun Lee

The Changing Influence of the Facebook News Algorithm on Engagement with American News Posts
Erin Wertz; Dominik Batorski; Magdalena Wojcieszak

Message Sensation Value in Short Videos Enhances Message Processing and Persuasion, Especially for Young Adults
Haoning Xue; Jingwen Zhang
TOP PAPER

A Holistic Approach to Multimodal Features: A Validated Computational Measure of Message Sensation Value in Short Videos
Haoning Xue; Jingwen Zhang; Xiaohui V. Wang; Diane Dagyong Kim; Yunya Song

An Agenda for Generative Artificial Intelligence in Content Analysis: Navigating Opportunities, Challenges, and Considerations in AI-Aided Content Analysis
JungHwan Yang; Joshua Baldwin; Sara M. Grady; Rui Zhu; Jong In Lim; David M. Markowitz; Jingwen Zhang

The Role of Inclusion and Diversity in Understanding Defensive Reactivity: Insights from Anti-Blackness Listening Sessions
Narine Yegiyan; Bhan Jee; Ebony E. Lewis; Elaina Lopez

Inactive motivational state and orienting response predict cyber-bystander intervention
Narine Yegiyan; Haojian Li; Bo Feng

Priming Common and Dual Identities Have Null Effects on Out-Party Hostility But May Enhance Ethnocentrism
Xudong Yu; Ben R. Warner; Seungsu Lee; Magdalena Wojcieszak

Intimacy and Ethics: Exploring Gender Stereotypes and Moral Foundations in the Public Discussion of Romantic Relationships with AI Companions
Jinyuan Zhan; Renwen Zhang; Kokil Jaidka

AI privacy in context: A comparative study of public and institutional discourse on conversational AI privacy in the US and China
Renwen Zhang

Companion or Code? Relational Uncertainty in Human-AI Interaction
Renwen Zhang; Lezi Xie

Factors Influencing Power Dynamics and Their Impact on Relationship Satisfaction and Psychological Well-Being in Human-Chatbot Relationships
Kaiyao Zhuang; Renwen Zhang