What began as a focused inquiry in the Department of Communication has grown into a collaborative effort across Western Carolina University, bringing together faculty and students from Communication, Psychology, and Integrated Health Science disciplines. The two project leads, Dr. Mindy Weathers, associate professor in the Communication Department, and Dr. Meghan Gangel, associate professor in the Department of Psychology, pioneered the collaboration between the two departments because of their mutual interest in researching how social factors influence health messaging and outcomes. The interdisciplinary team includes graduate, nongraduate, and alumni students: Jason Miller, Izzy Nygard, Lily Lyall, Lottie Chunn, and Megan Baker.
The research examines digital dating abuse (DDA). Specifically, how people perceive online abusive behaviors and how those perceptions of abuse differ across sexes. The findings will help to understand DDA’s impact and guide effective public health messaging and interventions that will encourage healthier relationships throughout adolescence.
With recent approval to begin experimentation, the team is eager to keep moving forward. This research has been in the works for months. Over the summer, student researchers filmed video vignettes with subjects to read scripted scenarios that will act as the stimuli for the study. The above image shows Kaitlyn Baker, an undergraduate business student, during her filming session. Other students have been working hard behind the scenes on drafting scripts, scheduling lab sessions, and building survey components.
Jason Miller, the project coordinator and graduate student, said that he got involved in this research because of his passion for advocacy surrounding LGBTQ+ adolescents and college students. He stated, “My interest in this research started with my senior internship when I was at [the University of North Carolina at Asheville] working at Helpmate, a domestic violence support organization.”
“What makes this collaboration especially exciting is that we’re bringing communication and psychology together to examine DDA in a way that hasn’t been done before. This is the first study we’re aware of to examine physiological responses to DDA, allowing us to look beyond what people report feeling or experiencing and begin to understand how their bodies respond in real time,” said Dr. Weathers.
The team will be using the HEAAL lab run by Dr. Gangel, more information about the lab itself can be found here: https://heaal.weebly.com.