Recent studies have devoted attention to the effects of both expression and reception in the computer-mediated communication process. However, there remain both theoretical and methodological complexities concerning whether and under what condition message expression and reception play significant but different roles in explaining various psychosocial health outcomes. Relying on theoretical insights from the social support literature and methodological innovations offered by computational social science, this talk will discuss two studies on the effects of empathic exchanges within online cancer support networks that examined the processes and effects with low- and high-educated cancer populations. The findings suggest that both empathy expression and reception are crucial to attaining benefits for cancer patients, each predicting differential cognitive and affective health outcomes. Further, the findings support the stress-buffering hypothesis that empathy reception provides a beneficial effect for patients who experienced a higher degree of depression associated with their cancer diagnosis and follow-up treatments.

Dr. Jeong-Yeob Han (Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison) is an Associate Professor and Director of Strategic Health & Risk Communication Program in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia. Dr. Han has an international reputation for his work on (a) the effectiveness of technology-based health communication campaigns and their evaluation, and (b) strategic health message development and testing, with a focus on information and health disparities pertinent to underserved or at-risk populations. His research has been supported by the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women, National Cancer Institute, Center of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research, University of Georgia Research Foundation, and Owens Institute for Behavioral Research. Dr. Han has earned 7 top paper awards at leading conferences, including ICA and AEJMC. Dr. Han’s research program on the supportive message exchange in social media was featured in a book chapter, titled ‘Media Effects and Health’ as one of three “areas of advancement for health-related media effects research” (Myrick, 2019; In Media Effects: Advances in Theory and Research: Fourth Edition (edited by Mary Beth Oliver, Arthur Raney, Jennings Bryant). Dr. Han currently serves as Associate Editor of International Journal of Advertising (ranked 8 out 218 in Journal Impact Factor, 2021) and the editorial review board of three journals – Journal of Advertising, International Journal of Advertising, and Asian Communication Research. He previously served as (a) an external consultant to the communication theory and methods core for two NIH-funded clinical trial studies, and (b) an external consultant for CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health on their long-term media strategy.