Stephen A Rains
Biographic Data
| ID | 5193138 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Stephen A Rains |
| GIVEN NAMES | Stephen A |
| FAMILY NAME | Rains |
| SIGNATURE | RAINS S A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Arizona |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 16 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 22 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Exploring an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior to Motivate Intentions to Remove Anthropogenic Food Sources in Residential Areas
Anthropogenic food sources in residential areas, including unsecured trash, bird feeders, and fruit trees, can attract wildlife and increase negative human-wildlife interactions. While agencies recommend behaviors to reduce attractants, research on factors driving residents’ intention to comply remains limited. This study applies and extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by testing core constructs (attitude, perceived behavioral control, a…
Talking about problems in online health communities
Drawing from theory about rumination, we examine the impact of verbal rumination over time and in conjunction with co-rumination in online health communities. Our analyses show that when users verbally ruminated in a message starting a thread (compared to when they did not), they were more likely to again verbally ruminate and to report a negative mood in the next thread they started. These relationships, however, varied over time as well as when…
The role of support seekers and seeking in supportive communication
Although the topic of social support has received significant attention from communication scholars, the role of support seekers and seeking warrants greater consideration. We synthesize research examining cultural differences in support seeking, support seeking message properties, dilemmas of support seeking, and connections between support seeking and provision. An agenda for future scholarship rooted in dynamic systems theory is then proposed.…
Engagement with partisan Russian troll tweets during the 2016 U.S. presidential election
Operatives working for the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) infiltrated social media with the goal of disrupting the 2016 U.S. presidential election. We investigate how these operatives or “trolls” leveraged partisan political identities in discussing presidential candidates and parties on Twitter. Adopting a social identity lens, we conceptualize retweeting troll content as a form of identity performance and examine the message properties …
Engagement with incivility in tweets from and directed at local elected officials
Although social media have created novel opportunities for the public and local elected officials representing city or state governments to interact, concerns have been raised about the tenor of their discourse. We used machine learning in this project to identify the presence of incivility in tweets (N = 38,218) made by and directed at local officials representing a metropolitan area over an 18-month period and examine its implications. Compared…
Mutual influence in support seeking and provision behaviors during comforting conversations
Mutual influence is central to prominent supportive communication theories but remains understudied. We conduct a turn-level analysis to investigate mutual influence in the unfolding nature of conversations among 334 stranger dyads discussing a personal problem. We examine how the types of messages produced by support seekers influence the immediate response from providers, and how that provider response impacts the next message produced by suppo…
When Machine and Bandwagon Heuristics Compete
Three experiments tested if the machine and bandwagon heuristics moderate beliefs in fact-checked claims under different conditions of human/machine (dis)agreement and of transparency of the fact-checking system. Across experiments, people were more likely to align their belief in the claim when artificial intelligence (AI) and crowdsourcing agents’ fact-checks were congruent rather than incongruent. The heuristics provided further nuance to the …
The Effects of Person-Centered Social Support Messages on Recipient Distress Over Time within a Conversation
Although prior research documents the benefits of supportive messages containing higher levels of verbal person centeredness (VPC), the effects of this message property over time within a discussion are not well understood. This project evaluated predictions about the effects of high and low VPC messages over time drawn from the theory of conversationally induced reappraisals and the dual-process model of supportive communication outcomes. Partic…
Assessing the Russian Troll Efforts to Sow Discord on Twitter during the 2016 U.S. Election
Although experts agree that the Russian Internet Research Agency deployed trolls on Twitter to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election, questions remain about the nuances of their efforts. We examined almost 350,000 original tweets made during the two-year electoral cycle to investigate the emphasis, timing, content, and partisanship of the trolls’ efforts targeting leading candidates. Despite only dedicating a fraction of their tweets to can…
Perceptions of Uncivil Discourse Online
Incivility in public discourse has become a pressing concern of citizens and scholars alike, but most research has focused narrowly on incivility in elite discourse. The present study examines how the lay public perceives incivility, using two surveys to track differences in perceptions of specific types of uncivil speech and identify predictors of those perceptions. The results show that different types of incivility elicit different responses. …
Digital stigma coping strategies
Although stigma is widely accepted to be a multidimensional construct, the implications of its dimensions for social support warrant greater consideration. We conducted a meta-analysis of 31 content analyses to investigate the association between specific dimensions of stigma and the types of social support messages shared in health-related contexts online. Among health conditions where character stigma was greater, information, network, and tang…
Perceptions of Incivility in Public Discourse
Although concerns over incivility in public discourse are widely shared by citizens and scholars alike, there is lack of consensus over what incivility is. This chapter examines how the lay public perceives incivility in online comments, using an online survey to track differences in perceptions of specific types of uncivil speech. This chapter focuses on name-calling, vulgarity, lying accusations, pejoratives for speech, and aspersion. The autho…
Sustainable attitudes
Social Support and Computer-Mediated Communication
Despite a great deal of speculation about the potential advantages and disadvantages of computer-mediated communication (CMC) for social support processes, few attempts have been made to summarize the findings from this body of scholarship. The present chapter reports a state-of-the-art review of research on computer-mediated support in an effort to determine whether the purported promise and peril of CMC has been realized. Empirical studies exam…
A Review and Meta-Analysis Examining Conceptual and Operational Definitions of Problematic Internet Use
This study examined different conceptual and operational definitions of problematic Internet use (PIU). 3 perspectives of PIU are described along with a meta-analytic review (K = 112) conducted to explore the implications stemming from how PIU is measured. The results offer evidence to support the construct validity of measures developed from the impulse control disorder and relationship resource deficits traditions but raise questions about subs…
Communicating Social Support in Computer-mediated Contexts
Research on social support during the past two decades has been marked by a growth in scholarship examining supportive communication in computer-mediated contexts among individuals coping with illness. In an effort to summarize and advance this body of research, a meta-analytic review of content analyses was conducted. Across the 41 content analyses examining social support messages shared in health-related contexts online, informational and emot…
Online and Uncivil? Patterns and Determinants of Incivility in Newspaper Website Comments
Incivility in public discussions has received increasing attention from academic and popular commentators in recent years. In an effort to better understand the nature and determinants of such incivility, this study examined a 3-week census of articles and comments posted to a local newspaper's website—totaling more than 300 articles and 6,400 comments. The results of the content analysis show that incivility occurs frequently and is associated w…
The Nature of Psychological Reactance Revisited
Journal Article The Nature of Psychological Reactance Revisited: a Meta-Analytic Review Get access Stephen A. Rains Stephen A. Rains 1Department of Communication, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0025 1Corresponding author: Stephen A. Rains; Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Human Communication Research, Volume 39, Issue 1, 1 January 2013, Pages 47–73, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2012.01443.x …
French Abstract
Spanish Abstract
Chinese Abstract
German Abstract
When Machine and Bandwagon Heuristics Compete
Three experiments tested if the machine and bandwagon heuristics moderate beliefs in fact-checked claims under different conditions of human/machine (dis)agreement and of transparency of the fact-checking system. Across experiments, people were more likely to align their belief in the claim when artificial intelligence (AI) and crowdsourcing agents’ fact-checks were congruent rather than incongruent. The heuristics provided further nuance to the …
Sustainable attitudes
Engagement with incivility in tweets from and directed at local elected officials
Although social media have created novel opportunities for the public and local elected officials representing city or state governments to interact, concerns have been raised about the tenor of their discourse. We used machine learning in this project to identify the presence of incivility in tweets (N = 38,218) made by and directed at local officials representing a metropolitan area over an 18-month period and examine its implications. Compared…
Assessing the Russian Troll Efforts to Sow Discord on Twitter during the 2016 U.S. Election
Although experts agree that the Russian Internet Research Agency deployed trolls on Twitter to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election, questions remain about the nuances of their efforts. We examined almost 350,000 original tweets made during the two-year electoral cycle to investigate the emphasis, timing, content, and partisanship of the trolls’ efforts targeting leading candidates. Despite only dedicating a fraction of their tweets to can…
French Abstract
Spanish Abstract
Chinese Abstract
German Abstract
The Nature of Psychological Reactance Revisited
Journal Article The Nature of Psychological Reactance Revisited: a Meta-Analytic Review Get access Stephen A. Rains Stephen A. Rains 1Department of Communication, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0025 1Corresponding author: Stephen A. Rains; Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Human Communication Research, Volume 39, Issue 1, 1 January 2013, Pages 47–73, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2958.2012.01443.x …
Online and Uncivil? Patterns and Determinants of Incivility in Newspaper Website Comments
Incivility in public discussions has received increasing attention from academic and popular commentators in recent years. In an effort to better understand the nature and determinants of such incivility, this study examined a 3-week census of articles and comments posted to a local newspaper's website—totaling more than 300 articles and 6,400 comments. The results of the content analysis show that incivility occurs frequently and is associated w…
Communicating Social Support in Computer-mediated Contexts
Research on social support during the past two decades has been marked by a growth in scholarship examining supportive communication in computer-mediated contexts among individuals coping with illness. In an effort to summarize and advance this body of research, a meta-analytic review of content analyses was conducted. Across the 41 content analyses examining social support messages shared in health-related contexts online, informational and emot…
Social Support and Computer-Mediated Communication
Despite a great deal of speculation about the potential advantages and disadvantages of computer-mediated communication (CMC) for social support processes, few attempts have been made to summarize the findings from this body of scholarship. The present chapter reports a state-of-the-art review of research on computer-mediated support in an effort to determine whether the purported promise and peril of CMC has been realized. Empirical studies exam…
A Review and Meta-Analysis Examining Conceptual and Operational Definitions of Problematic Internet Use
This study examined different conceptual and operational definitions of problematic Internet use (PIU). 3 perspectives of PIU are described along with a meta-analytic review (K = 112) conducted to explore the implications stemming from how PIU is measured. The results offer evidence to support the construct validity of measures developed from the impulse control disorder and relationship resource deficits traditions but raise questions about subs…
Sustainable attitudes
Perceptions of Incivility in Public Discourse
Although concerns over incivility in public discourse are widely shared by citizens and scholars alike, there is lack of consensus over what incivility is. This chapter examines how the lay public perceives incivility in online comments, using an online survey to track differences in perceptions of specific types of uncivil speech. This chapter focuses on name-calling, vulgarity, lying accusations, pejoratives for speech, and aspersion. The autho…
Perceptions of Uncivil Discourse Online
Incivility in public discourse has become a pressing concern of citizens and scholars alike, but most research has focused narrowly on incivility in elite discourse. The present study examines how the lay public perceives incivility, using two surveys to track differences in perceptions of specific types of uncivil speech and identify predictors of those perceptions. The results show that different types of incivility elicit different responses. …
Digital stigma coping strategies
Although stigma is widely accepted to be a multidimensional construct, the implications of its dimensions for social support warrant greater consideration. We conducted a meta-analysis of 31 content analyses to investigate the association between specific dimensions of stigma and the types of social support messages shared in health-related contexts online. Among health conditions where character stigma was greater, information, network, and tang…
The Effects of Person-Centered Social Support Messages on Recipient Distress Over Time within a Conversation
Although prior research documents the benefits of supportive messages containing higher levels of verbal person centeredness (VPC), the effects of this message property over time within a discussion are not well understood. This project evaluated predictions about the effects of high and low VPC messages over time drawn from the theory of conversationally induced reappraisals and the dual-process model of supportive communication outcomes. Partic…
Assessing the Russian Troll Efforts to Sow Discord on Twitter during the 2016 U.S. Election
Although experts agree that the Russian Internet Research Agency deployed trolls on Twitter to disrupt the 2016 U.S. presidential election, questions remain about the nuances of their efforts. We examined almost 350,000 original tweets made during the two-year electoral cycle to investigate the emphasis, timing, content, and partisanship of the trolls’ efforts targeting leading candidates. Despite only dedicating a fraction of their tweets to can…
Mutual influence in support seeking and provision behaviors during comforting conversations
Mutual influence is central to prominent supportive communication theories but remains understudied. We conduct a turn-level analysis to investigate mutual influence in the unfolding nature of conversations among 334 stranger dyads discussing a personal problem. We examine how the types of messages produced by support seekers influence the immediate response from providers, and how that provider response impacts the next message produced by suppo…
When Machine and Bandwagon Heuristics Compete
Three experiments tested if the machine and bandwagon heuristics moderate beliefs in fact-checked claims under different conditions of human/machine (dis)agreement and of transparency of the fact-checking system. Across experiments, people were more likely to align their belief in the claim when artificial intelligence (AI) and crowdsourcing agents’ fact-checks were congruent rather than incongruent. The heuristics provided further nuance to the …
Engagement with partisan Russian troll tweets during the 2016 U.S. presidential election
Operatives working for the Russian Internet Research Agency (IRA) infiltrated social media with the goal of disrupting the 2016 U.S. presidential election. We investigate how these operatives or “trolls” leveraged partisan political identities in discussing presidential candidates and parties on Twitter. Adopting a social identity lens, we conceptualize retweeting troll content as a form of identity performance and examine the message properties …
Engagement with incivility in tweets from and directed at local elected officials
Although social media have created novel opportunities for the public and local elected officials representing city or state governments to interact, concerns have been raised about the tenor of their discourse. We used machine learning in this project to identify the presence of incivility in tweets (N = 38,218) made by and directed at local officials representing a metropolitan area over an 18-month period and examine its implications. Compared…
Talking about problems in online health communities
Drawing from theory about rumination, we examine the impact of verbal rumination over time and in conjunction with co-rumination in online health communities. Our analyses show that when users verbally ruminated in a message starting a thread (compared to when they did not), they were more likely to again verbally ruminate and to report a negative mood in the next thread they started. These relationships, however, varied over time as well as when…
The role of support seekers and seeking in supportive communication
Although the topic of social support has received significant attention from communication scholars, the role of support seekers and seeking warrants greater consideration. We synthesize research examining cultural differences in support seeking, support seeking message properties, dilemmas of support seeking, and connections between support seeking and provision. An agenda for future scholarship rooted in dynamic systems theory is then proposed.…
Exploring an Extended Theory of Planned Behavior to Motivate Intentions to Remove Anthropogenic Food Sources in Residential Areas
Anthropogenic food sources in residential areas, including unsecured trash, bird feeders, and fruit trees, can attract wildlife and increase negative human-wildlife interactions. While agencies recommend behaviors to reduce attractants, research on factors driving residents’ intention to comply remains limited. This study applies and extends the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) by testing core constructs (attitude, perceived behavioral control, a…
Psychology (14 works) · Social Psychology (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Computer Science (10 works) · Political science (9 works) · Social Media and Politics (7 works) · Public relations (6 works) · Attachment and Relationship Dynamics (4 works) · Citation (4 works) · Incivility (4 works)