I was trained in communication science with a focus on persuasion and attitude change. I have a keen interest in the role(s) that emotions play in the process of attitude/behavior change. Most of my work has focused on volitional behavior--especially in the public health/risk realm. My work is both theoretical and practical. Although I think of myself as a person who wants to test theory, build theory, and advance theory, several projects emanated from public health communication interventions (e.g., antibiotic resistance, tobacco, obesity, safer sex, vaccines).

 

At Michigan State, I run the CASE lab (Cognitions, Attitudes, and the Study of Emotion). The lab is equipped with eye-tracking, EEG, GSR, and facial action coding software. My awesome team and I are unpacking (get it...CASE, unpacking, see what I did there?) the psychological mechanisms underlying the effects of strategic messaging, specifically campaign messages. What do people pay attention to? How does the message make them feel? Did the message spark information seeking? Does arousal predict behavior? If you are interested in work like this, consider coming to MSU to study with me and my colleagues.

 

Below I highlight a few specific areas of my research and provide example publications. 

 

THE EFFECTS OF EMOTIONAL APPEALS: I have to be honest--I love advertising and I love public service announcements. I am fascinated by campaign design and effects. Even more, I am interested in how human morality and emotion connect (i.e., moral emotions) to affect the ways in which we process messages and ultimately are persuaded. Here are some examples: 

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Turner, M. M., Day, K. R. & Lapinski, M. K. (2020). The Use of stigmatizing messaging in anti-obesity campaigns: Quantification of obesity stigmatization, Communication Reports, 33(3), 107-120. doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2020.1793375

 

Turner, M. M., Richards, A., Bessarabova, E., & Magid, Y. (2020). The effects of anger appeals on systematic processing: The moderating role of efficacy. Communication Reports, 33, 14-26. DOI: 10.1080/08934215.2019.1682175

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Ilakkuvan, V*., Turner, M.M., Cantrell, J., Hair, E. and Vallone, D., (2016). The relationship between advertising-induced anger and self-efficacy on persuasive outcomes: A test of the Anger Activism Model using the Truth Campaign. Family & Community Health, 40(1), 72-80. DOI 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000126

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Turner, M. M., *Mabry-Flynn, A., *Shen, H., *Jiang, H., *Boudewyns, V., & *Payne, D. (2018). The effects of guilt-appeal intensity on persuasive and emotional outcomes: The moderating role of sponsor motive. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 30(2), 134-150. DOI 10.1080/10495142.2017.1326345

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Bessarabova, E., Turner, M. M., Fink, E. L., & Blustein, N. B. (2015). “You ain’t guiltin’ me into nothin’”:  Extending the theory of reactance to guilt appeals. Zeitschrift für Psychologie, 223(4), 215 – 224. DOI: 10.1027/2151-2604/a000223.

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THE IMPACTs of EXPERIENCED EMOTION: It can be difficult to induce strong emotions in an experiment. Yet, people experience strong emotions daily. Recent polls have indicated high levels of anger on the part of Americans, for example. These emotional experiences affect how we perceive the world around us. Recent research with Dustin Carnahan and Suhwoo Ahn showed that political party identity affects the amount of proattitudinal news people watch. But, their level of politically motivated anger bolstered that effect! Our NSF funded work shows that the emotions caused by crisis events, like COVID-19, impacts our subsequent behaviors. 

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Ahn, S., Carnahan, D., & Turner, M.M. (2022) The madness of misperceptions: Evaluating the ways anger contributes to misinformed beliefs. Accepted for presentation at the 72nd International Communication Association Conference. Paris, France. 

 

Turner, M. M., Jang, Y., Heo, R. J., Ye, Q., Barry, R., Long, J., Lapinski, M., Peng, T., & Lee, S. (2022). Mask wearing as a prosocial behavior: Proposing and testing the moral norms activation model. Accepted for presentation at the 72nd International Communication Association Conference. Paris, France. 

 

Turner, M. M., Jang, Y., Barry, R., Heo, R. J., & Ye, Q. (2021). Morality and COVID-19 prevention among university students: The roles of anticipated guilt, collective orientation and concern for others. Submitted to the 107th National Communication Association Conference (NCA 2021). Seattle, WA. 

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EMOTION AS MEDIATOR/MODERATOR. Emotion does not have to be caused by a persuasive message to effect that message's effects. Emotion(s) that individuals are experiencing when they receive a message also impact attention, processing, and attitude change. My early research, for example, showed that when people received a bone marrow donateion message after they were made to feel angry, happy, or sad with a mediated message changed how they reacted to the health message. My research with Rajiv Rimal shows that health and risk messages can induce anxiety. And, that anxiety can affect information processing. Here are some examples:

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Mitchell, M. M. (2001). Risk, threat, and information seeking about genital herpes: The effects of mood and message framing. Communication Studies, 52(2), 141-152. DOI: 10.1080/10510970109388548

 

Mitchell, M. M., *Brown, K. M., *Morris-Villagran, M., & *Villagran, P. D. (2001). The effects of anger, sadness, and happiness on persuasive message processing:  A test of the negative state relief model. Communication Monographs, 68, 347-359.

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Johnson A.C.*, Simmens, S.J., Turner, M.M., Evans, W.D., Strasser, A.A., & Mays, D. (2021). Longitudinal Effects of Cigarette Pictorial Warning Labels Among Young Adults. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-021-00258-2

 

Turner, M. M., *Underhill, J.C., & Kaid, L. L. (2013).  Mood and reactions to political advertising: A test and extension of the hedonic contingency hypothesis. Southern Communication Journal, 17(1), 8-24.  DOI: 10.1080/1041794X.2012.712194.

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Rains, S., & Turner, M. M. (2007). Psychological reactance and persuasive health communication: A test and extension of the intertwined model. Human Communication Research, 33, 241-269.  DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-2958.2007.00298.x.

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