Sedona Chinn
Biographic Data
| ID | 354724 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sedona Chinn |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sedona |
| FAMILY NAME | Chinn |
| SIGNATURE | CHINN S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-6135-6743 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 241 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 21 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2018 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
Do Your Own Research
In the U.S. the availability of news information has grown exponentially while trust in traditional sources of news and information has declined. Amid this high-information, low-trust environment, many now advocate for doing your own research (DYOR) to discern accurate claims from false, misleading, or biased information. The perception that it is better to do one’s own research has important implications for information seeking and attitudes tow…
Who Shapes Health Narratives on TikTok? Evaluating Content Sources and Discourse Quality in Comments on Reproductive Health Videos
Objective This study examines how TikTok creators, including health-care professionals and social media influencers, engage in contraceptive discourse with their audience. It evaluates differences in content themes, engagement metrics, and the quality of discourse in video comment sections to understand how reproductive health communication unfolds across creator types.Methods A dataset of 100 TikTok videos (50 from influencers, 50 from health-ca…
Fertile ground to problematic views? How dark and mainstream social media relate to conspiracy beliefs and fake news
Sharing of fake news and conspiracy beliefs are prevalent concerns in online spaces, especially in contexts that involve politicized topics and identities. However, it is less clear to what extent social media platforms and users partisan identities are associated with such behavior and beliefs, especially when comparing traditional and non-traditional partisan groups. Using a cross-sectional survey of Alt-Right supporters and non-Alt-Right Democ…
Balancing relevance and rigor
Research in science communication is often grounded in specific issue contexts. Although many strands of science communication scholarship consider general concepts or processes, the selection of issue areas in which to ground science communication research is a common activity for researchers at all levels. Despite this, explicit consideration of issue-case selection practices is less common. In this article, we seek to stimulate greater discuss…
Influence You Can Trust? Exploring Trust in Social Media Influencers for Political Information
Followers of social media influencers often see them as credible experts, similar to themselves, and trust them for information and advice. However, the extent to which people trust influencers for political information remains relatively unexplored in the United States. Our study examines who trusts social media influencers for political information and how that trust is associated with news media use, attitudes toward the information environmen…
How Different Uses of Social Media Inform Perceptions of Offline Social Norms and Changes in Vaccine Intentions
As the boundaries between our online and offline lives are increasingly blurred, it is important to attend to the ways in which online behaviors shape our offline perceptions and actions. While a great deal of health communication research has examined the effects of exposure to specific social media content, it is also important to investigate how broader patterns of everyday social media use may affect perceptions of health norms and behaviors …
Testing How Militaristic and Xenophobic Language Affects Engagement with Facebook Posts about Invasive Species
Invasive species are considered a significant threat to biodiversity and economic activities. Concerned stakeholders have adopted militaristic metaphors and xenophobic language to raise public awareness about the issue, yet communication theory provides conflicting guidance on whether this is likely to be effective. This research insight analyzes over 400,000 Facebook posts from North American stakeholders to find that stakeholder Facebook pages …
Populist views of science
The growth of populist movements in the US necessitates further understanding of how they use social media and evaluate elites. Work on populist attitudes suggests skepticism of elites is not limited to political domains but extends into online and scientific spaces. This study draws on the recently articulated concept of science populism as well as social media usage to examine Alt-Right and institutional partisans’ attitudes toward scientific e…
Threatening experts
Despite widespread trust in scientists, efforts to curtail their influence suggest some Americans distrust scientists and may even perceive them to be a social threat. Using panel survey data, we examine who holds this viewpoint and potential implications of threat perceptions. Results suggest Republicans and Evangelical identifying individuals perceived more social threat from scientists. News media uses were associated with threat perceptions i…
Climate Change Advocacy and Engagement on Social Media
This study examines how 21 leading environmental organizations framed climate change on Facebook and how these frames were associated with public engagement through reactions (e.g., likes), shares, and comments on the posts. We find that environmental nongovernmental organizations’ (NGOs) posts about climate change tend to emphasize the environmental impacts of climate change, political actions that are being taken by individuals and groups to ad…
What does it mean to “do your own research?” A comparative content analysis of Dyor messages in Instagram and Facebook posts about reproductive health, food, and vaccines
Calls to “do your own research” (DYOR) on social media promote a range of claims, from expert-recommended treatments to conspiracy theories. Exploring how the slogan is used offers insight into how individuals navigate concerns about information accuracy in an abundant but low-trust media ecosystem. This quantitative content analysis investigates how DYOR messages in Facebook and Instagram posts about reproductive health, food and diet, and vacci…
How Science Influencers Polarize Supportive and Skeptical Communities Around Politicized Science
Contention over COVID-19 is only a recent example of increasing social division around science in the U.S. Many blame these divisions on actors who have strategically sowed doubt and distrust around expert supported positions and policies. However, this overlooks how scientists have fueled narratives of social and political conflict around science. This study explores how science influencers on social media have used group identity language in wa…
Climate Change Consensus Messages Cause Reactance
Several recent studies have debated whether climate change consensus messages cause reactance, although they sometimes employ different procedures and measurement. This study uses procedures and measures from competing studies to allow for a comparison of the respective approaches. We find that climate change consensus messages cause reactance, particularly among Republicans and those who do not believe in anthropogenic climate change. These find…
The Political Influence of Lifestyle Influencers? Examining the Relationship Between Aspirational Social Media Use and Anti-Expert Attitudes and Beliefs
As social media are increasingly integrated into our lives, scholars have examined how social media use can inform beliefs about politics and science. This study considers the political implications of following lifestyle influencers and their aspirational content in social media. Aspirational social media use may shape political attitudes and beliefs, even when not explicitly political. Using a two-wave survey of American adults ( N = 1,421), th…
Effects of Competing Statistical and Testimonial Evidence in Debates About Science
Communication technologies have expanded the range of actors who participate in public debates about science. When experts communicate with the public, scientifically-derived statistical evidence competes with the testimony of non-experts. This study investigates how competing statistical and testimonial evidence affect attitudes toward an issue and the debating speakers. Our findings suggest an advantage to asserting statistical evidence in comp…
Platform Effects on Alternative Influencer Content
People are increasingly exposed to science and political information from social media. One consequence is that these sites play host to “alternative influencers,” who spread misinformation. However, content posted by alternative influencers on different social media platforms is unlikely to be homogenous. Our study uses computational methods to investigate how dimensions we refer to as audience and channel of social media platforms influence emo…
Can’t You All Just Get Along? Effects of Scientific Disagreement and Incivility on Attention to and Trust in Science
Disagreement and incivility are increasingly common in science communication. While previous work has explored effects on issue attitudes, it has not examined how disagreement and incivility in news coverage influence attention to and trust in science. In this study, we investigate how civil and uncivil disagreement about non-politicized issues affects attention to science news, evaluations of research, and scientific trust. Results reveal that d…
Politicization and Polarization in Covid-19 News Coverage
This study examines the level of politicization and polarization in COVID-19 news in U.S. newspapers and televised network news from March to May 2020. Using multiple computer-assisted content analytic approaches, we find that newspaper coverage is highly politicized, network news coverage somewhat less so, and both newspaper and network news coverage are highly polarized. We find that politicians appear in newspaper coverage more frequently than…
Politicization and Polarization in Climate Change News Content, 1985-2017
Despite concerns about politicization and polarization in climate change news, previous work has not been able to offer evidence concerning long-term trends. Using computer-assisted content analyses of all climate change articles from major newspapers in the United States between 1985 and 2017, we find that media representations of climate change have become (a) increasingly politicized, whereby political actors are increasingly featured and scie…
Some Deficits and Some Misperceptions
Partisans appear to hold very different information about climate change, with Republicans more likely to respond to knowledge questions incorrectly than Democrats or Independents. As polarization undermines the ability of science to inform policy, clarifying why partisans report different science knowledge is vital. This study uses novel measurement to differentiate among knowledge, misinformation, guessing, and rejection while identifying covar…
In consensus we trust? Persuasive effects of scientific consensus communication
Scholars have recently suggested that communicating levels of scientific consensus (e.g. the percentage of scientists who agree about human-caused climate change) can shift public opinion toward the dominant scientific opinion. Initial research suggested that consensus communication effectively reduces public skepticism. However, other research failed to find a persuasive effect for those with conflicting prior beliefs. This study enters this con…
Politicization and Polarization in Covid-19 News Coverage
This study examines the level of politicization and polarization in COVID-19 news in U.S. newspapers and televised network news from March to May 2020. Using multiple computer-assisted content analytic approaches, we find that newspaper coverage is highly politicized, network news coverage somewhat less so, and both newspaper and network news coverage are highly polarized. We find that politicians appear in newspaper coverage more frequently than…
Politicization and Polarization in Climate Change News Content, 1985-2017
Despite concerns about politicization and polarization in climate change news, previous work has not been able to offer evidence concerning long-term trends. Using computer-assisted content analyses of all climate change articles from major newspapers in the United States between 1985 and 2017, we find that media representations of climate change have become (a) increasingly politicized, whereby political actors are increasingly featured and scie…
How Science Influencers Polarize Supportive and Skeptical Communities Around Politicized Science
Contention over COVID-19 is only a recent example of increasing social division around science in the U.S. Many blame these divisions on actors who have strategically sowed doubt and distrust around expert supported positions and policies. However, this overlooks how scientists have fueled narratives of social and political conflict around science. This study explores how science influencers on social media have used group identity language in wa…
Some Deficits and Some Misperceptions
Partisans appear to hold very different information about climate change, with Republicans more likely to respond to knowledge questions incorrectly than Democrats or Independents. As polarization undermines the ability of science to inform policy, clarifying why partisans report different science knowledge is vital. This study uses novel measurement to differentiate among knowledge, misinformation, guessing, and rejection while identifying covar…
Climate Change Advocacy and Engagement on Social Media
This study examines how 21 leading environmental organizations framed climate change on Facebook and how these frames were associated with public engagement through reactions (e.g., likes), shares, and comments on the posts. We find that environmental nongovernmental organizations’ (NGOs) posts about climate change tend to emphasize the environmental impacts of climate change, political actions that are being taken by individuals and groups to ad…
Platform Effects on Alternative Influencer Content
People are increasingly exposed to science and political information from social media. One consequence is that these sites play host to “alternative influencers,” who spread misinformation. However, content posted by alternative influencers on different social media platforms is unlikely to be homogenous. Our study uses computational methods to investigate how dimensions we refer to as audience and channel of social media platforms influence emo…
The Political Influence of Lifestyle Influencers? Examining the Relationship Between Aspirational Social Media Use and Anti-Expert Attitudes and Beliefs
As social media are increasingly integrated into our lives, scholars have examined how social media use can inform beliefs about politics and science. This study considers the political implications of following lifestyle influencers and their aspirational content in social media. Aspirational social media use may shape political attitudes and beliefs, even when not explicitly political. Using a two-wave survey of American adults ( N = 1,421), th…
Can’t You All Just Get Along? Effects of Scientific Disagreement and Incivility on Attention to and Trust in Science
Disagreement and incivility are increasingly common in science communication. While previous work has explored effects on issue attitudes, it has not examined how disagreement and incivility in news coverage influence attention to and trust in science. In this study, we investigate how civil and uncivil disagreement about non-politicized issues affects attention to science news, evaluations of research, and scientific trust. Results reveal that d…
In consensus we trust? Persuasive effects of scientific consensus communication
Scholars have recently suggested that communicating levels of scientific consensus (e.g. the percentage of scientists who agree about human-caused climate change) can shift public opinion toward the dominant scientific opinion. Initial research suggested that consensus communication effectively reduces public skepticism. However, other research failed to find a persuasive effect for those with conflicting prior beliefs. This study enters this con…
Politicization and Polarization in Covid-19 News Coverage
This study examines the level of politicization and polarization in COVID-19 news in U.S. newspapers and televised network news from March to May 2020. Using multiple computer-assisted content analytic approaches, we find that newspaper coverage is highly politicized, network news coverage somewhat less so, and both newspaper and network news coverage are highly polarized. We find that politicians appear in newspaper coverage more frequently than…
Politicization and Polarization in Climate Change News Content, 1985-2017
Despite concerns about politicization and polarization in climate change news, previous work has not been able to offer evidence concerning long-term trends. Using computer-assisted content analyses of all climate change articles from major newspapers in the United States between 1985 and 2017, we find that media representations of climate change have become (a) increasingly politicized, whereby political actors are increasingly featured and scie…
Some Deficits and Some Misperceptions
Partisans appear to hold very different information about climate change, with Republicans more likely to respond to knowledge questions incorrectly than Democrats or Independents. As polarization undermines the ability of science to inform policy, clarifying why partisans report different science knowledge is vital. This study uses novel measurement to differentiate among knowledge, misinformation, guessing, and rejection while identifying covar…
Effects of Competing Statistical and Testimonial Evidence in Debates About Science
Communication technologies have expanded the range of actors who participate in public debates about science. When experts communicate with the public, scientifically-derived statistical evidence competes with the testimony of non-experts. This study investigates how competing statistical and testimonial evidence affect attitudes toward an issue and the debating speakers. Our findings suggest an advantage to asserting statistical evidence in comp…
Platform Effects on Alternative Influencer Content
People are increasingly exposed to science and political information from social media. One consequence is that these sites play host to “alternative influencers,” who spread misinformation. However, content posted by alternative influencers on different social media platforms is unlikely to be homogenous. Our study uses computational methods to investigate how dimensions we refer to as audience and channel of social media platforms influence emo…
Can’t You All Just Get Along? Effects of Scientific Disagreement and Incivility on Attention to and Trust in Science
Disagreement and incivility are increasingly common in science communication. While previous work has explored effects on issue attitudes, it has not examined how disagreement and incivility in news coverage influence attention to and trust in science. In this study, we investigate how civil and uncivil disagreement about non-politicized issues affects attention to science news, evaluations of research, and scientific trust. Results reveal that d…
Climate Change Consensus Messages Cause Reactance
Several recent studies have debated whether climate change consensus messages cause reactance, although they sometimes employ different procedures and measurement. This study uses procedures and measures from competing studies to allow for a comparison of the respective approaches. We find that climate change consensus messages cause reactance, particularly among Republicans and those who do not believe in anthropogenic climate change. These find…
The Political Influence of Lifestyle Influencers? Examining the Relationship Between Aspirational Social Media Use and Anti-Expert Attitudes and Beliefs
As social media are increasingly integrated into our lives, scholars have examined how social media use can inform beliefs about politics and science. This study considers the political implications of following lifestyle influencers and their aspirational content in social media. Aspirational social media use may shape political attitudes and beliefs, even when not explicitly political. Using a two-wave survey of American adults ( N = 1,421), th…
How Different Uses of Social Media Inform Perceptions of Offline Social Norms and Changes in Vaccine Intentions
As the boundaries between our online and offline lives are increasingly blurred, it is important to attend to the ways in which online behaviors shape our offline perceptions and actions. While a great deal of health communication research has examined the effects of exposure to specific social media content, it is also important to investigate how broader patterns of everyday social media use may affect perceptions of health norms and behaviors …
Testing How Militaristic and Xenophobic Language Affects Engagement with Facebook Posts about Invasive Species
Invasive species are considered a significant threat to biodiversity and economic activities. Concerned stakeholders have adopted militaristic metaphors and xenophobic language to raise public awareness about the issue, yet communication theory provides conflicting guidance on whether this is likely to be effective. This research insight analyzes over 400,000 Facebook posts from North American stakeholders to find that stakeholder Facebook pages …
Populist views of science
The growth of populist movements in the US necessitates further understanding of how they use social media and evaluate elites. Work on populist attitudes suggests skepticism of elites is not limited to political domains but extends into online and scientific spaces. This study draws on the recently articulated concept of science populism as well as social media usage to examine Alt-Right and institutional partisans’ attitudes toward scientific e…
Threatening experts
Despite widespread trust in scientists, efforts to curtail their influence suggest some Americans distrust scientists and may even perceive them to be a social threat. Using panel survey data, we examine who holds this viewpoint and potential implications of threat perceptions. Results suggest Republicans and Evangelical identifying individuals perceived more social threat from scientists. News media uses were associated with threat perceptions i…
Climate Change Advocacy and Engagement on Social Media
This study examines how 21 leading environmental organizations framed climate change on Facebook and how these frames were associated with public engagement through reactions (e.g., likes), shares, and comments on the posts. We find that environmental nongovernmental organizations’ (NGOs) posts about climate change tend to emphasize the environmental impacts of climate change, political actions that are being taken by individuals and groups to ad…
What does it mean to “do your own research?” A comparative content analysis of Dyor messages in Instagram and Facebook posts about reproductive health, food, and vaccines
Calls to “do your own research” (DYOR) on social media promote a range of claims, from expert-recommended treatments to conspiracy theories. Exploring how the slogan is used offers insight into how individuals navigate concerns about information accuracy in an abundant but low-trust media ecosystem. This quantitative content analysis investigates how DYOR messages in Facebook and Instagram posts about reproductive health, food and diet, and vacci…
How Science Influencers Polarize Supportive and Skeptical Communities Around Politicized Science
Contention over COVID-19 is only a recent example of increasing social division around science in the U.S. Many blame these divisions on actors who have strategically sowed doubt and distrust around expert supported positions and policies. However, this overlooks how scientists have fueled narratives of social and political conflict around science. This study explores how science influencers on social media have used group identity language in wa…
Balancing relevance and rigor
Research in science communication is often grounded in specific issue contexts. Although many strands of science communication scholarship consider general concepts or processes, the selection of issue areas in which to ground science communication research is a common activity for researchers at all levels. Despite this, explicit consideration of issue-case selection practices is less common. In this article, we seek to stimulate greater discuss…
Influence You Can Trust? Exploring Trust in Social Media Influencers for Political Information
Followers of social media influencers often see them as credible experts, similar to themselves, and trust them for information and advice. However, the extent to which people trust influencers for political information remains relatively unexplored in the United States. Our study examines who trusts social media influencers for political information and how that trust is associated with news media use, attitudes toward the information environmen…
Do Your Own Research
In the U.S. the availability of news information has grown exponentially while trust in traditional sources of news and information has declined. Amid this high-information, low-trust environment, many now advocate for doing your own research (DYOR) to discern accurate claims from false, misleading, or biased information. The perception that it is better to do one’s own research has important implications for information seeking and attitudes tow…
Who Shapes Health Narratives on TikTok? Evaluating Content Sources and Discourse Quality in Comments on Reproductive Health Videos
Objective This study examines how TikTok creators, including health-care professionals and social media influencers, engage in contraceptive discourse with their audience. It evaluates differences in content themes, engagement metrics, and the quality of discourse in video comment sections to understand how reproductive health communication unfolds across creator types.Methods A dataset of 100 TikTok videos (50 from influencers, 50 from health-ca…
Fertile ground to problematic views? How dark and mainstream social media relate to conspiracy beliefs and fake news
Sharing of fake news and conspiracy beliefs are prevalent concerns in online spaces, especially in contexts that involve politicized topics and identities. However, it is less clear to what extent social media platforms and users partisan identities are associated with such behavior and beliefs, especially when comparing traditional and non-traditional partisan groups. Using a cross-sectional survey of Alt-Right supporters and non-Alt-Right Democ…
Political science (15 works) · Psychology (15 works) · Misinformation and Its Impacts (14 works) · Climate Change Communication and Perception (12 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Social Media and Politics (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Social media (9 works) · Law (8 works) · Politics (7 works)