e.g., Longitudinal panel experiment; Computational experiment with self-programmed mock webpage
e.g., Survey experiment; omnibus survey
e.g., TV News video content analysis with fine-grained human coding
e.g., Large-scale content analysis with supervised machine learning
e.g., Online longitudinal observational data (Google Trends) ; Text as data (Large scale news transcription extraction and analysis)
e.g., Multilevel modeling; Time series analysis; Structural equation modeling; etc.
Social and Psychological Impacts of Generative AI
Xian, L., Li, L., Xu, Y., Zhang, B. Z., & Hemphill, L. (2024). Landscape of Large Language Models in global English news: Topics, sentiments, and spatiotemporal analysis. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM), 18(1), 1661-1673.
Dash, S., Xu, Y., Jalbert, M., & Spiro, E. S. (in progress). Understanding the role of Large Language Models in amplifying heuristic persuasion in disinformation operations.
Liao, W., Cai, L., & Xu, Y. (in progress). Understanding people's emerging beliefs about AI as a source for seeking and processing health and scientific information.
Understanding Users' Health Information Seeking and Processing Behaviors
Xu, Y., & Margolin, D. (2024). Predictors of collective information seeking during a health crisis: A time-series and cross-sectional analysis of Google Trends during COVID-19. Health Communication. 39(2), 388-402.
Evaluating Content of Health (Disparities) in the Information Ecosystem
Xu, Y., Farkouh, E. K., Dunetz, C. A., Varanasi, S. L., Mathews, S., Gollust, S. E., Fowler, E. F., Moore, S., Lewis, N. A., Niederdeppe, J. (2023). Local TV news coverage of racial disparities in COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, March-June 2020. Race and Social Problems.
Neumann, M., Moore, S., Baum, L. M., Oleinikov, P., Xu, Y., Niederdeppe, J., Gollust, S. E., & Fowler, E. F. (2024). Politicizing masks? Examining the volume and content of local news coverage of face coverings in the U.S. through the COVID-19 pandemic. Political Communication.
Xu, Y., Neumann, M., Fowler. E. F., Gollust, S. E., & Niederdeppe, J. (in progress). Community characteristics predict local news agenda building about racial health disparities.
Ash, E., Cox, E., Xu, Y., & Boatwright, B. (in progress). Promoting teen pregnancy prevention: An analysis of social media content strategy over five years.
Effects of Various Information Strategies on Promoting Health Behaviors and Evidenced-Based Policies
Xu, Y., Margolin, D., & Niederdeppe, J. (2021). Testing strategies to increase source credibility through strategic message design in the context of vaccination and vaccine hesitancy. Health Communication, 36(11), 1354-1367.
Xu, Y., Winett, L. B., Niederdeppe, J. (2021). Evidence of heterogeneity in the direction and magnitude of narrative effects on transportation and counterarguing across three independent samples. International Journal of Communication. 15. 5135–5157.
Niederdeppe, J., Winett, L.B., Xu, Y., Fowler, E. F, & Gollust, S. E. (2021). Evidence-based message strategies to increase public support for state investment in early childhood education: Results from a longitudinal panel experiment. The Milbank Quarterly. 1-44.
Winett, L. B., Niederdeppe, J., Xu, Y., Gollust, S. E., & Fowler, E. F. (2021). When “tried and true” advocacy strategies backfire: Narrative messages can undermine state legislator support for early childcare policies. The Journal of Public Interest Communications, 5(1), 45-45.
Ash, E., Xu, Y., Pool, R., Schulenberg, K., Mikkilineni, S. D., & Baraka, T. (2023). Exemplification effects on policy support: Exemplar familiarity, narrative vividness, and perceptions of maternal health disparities. Health Communication.
Xu, Y. (in progress). Communicating controversial risk issues: Effects of inoculation messages on selective exposure and subsequent persuasive outcomes.
National Science Foundation (NSF) Division of Social and Economic Sciences (SBE/SES) Decision, Risk & Management Sciences (DRMS) Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant.
“Communicating Controversial Risk Issues - Effects of Inoculation Messages on Selective Exposure to Counterattitudinal Messages and Subsequent Persuasive Outcomes.” $30,168 Total. (Award #2242458)
role: co-PI; PI: Dr. Jeff Niederdeppe
February 2023 – December 2024
University of Washington Center for an Informed Public (CIP) Innovation Fund.
“Modeling the Role of Large Language Models in Amplifying Strategic (Dis)Information Campaigns and Examining its Persuasive Effects.” $23,465.35 Total.
role: PI; co-PI: Saloni Dash
March 2024 – June 2025
University of Washington Population Health Initiative (PHI) Tier 1 Research Grant.
“Understanding the Role of AI-Integrated Information Seeking Tools in Users’ Evaluation of Health (Mis)information.” $23,837 Total.
role: PI/Lead; PI/co-Lead: Dr. Xinyi Zhou; co-PIs: Saloni Dash, Dr. Emma S. Spiro, Dr. Amy X. Zhang, Dr. Wang Liao
January 2025 – August 2025
University of Washington Center for an Informed Public (CIP) Innovation Fund.
“Understanding Users’ Emerging Beliefs about Large Language Model as a Source of Health Information Seeking.” $5,280 Total.
role: PI; co-PIs: Dr. Wang Liao, Dr. Xinyi Zhou, Lori Lei Cai
January 2025 – September 2025
UW Medicine Garvey Institute for Brain Health Solutions (GIBHS) Innovation Grants.
“Evaluating Large Language Models in Conveying Determinants of Mental Health.” $24,587.77 Total.
role: co-PI; PI: Dr. Xinyi Zhou; co-PI: Dr. Tim Althoff; Consultant: Dr. Sarah E. Gollust
January 2025 – December 2025