W Zou
Biographic Data
| ID | 66145 |
|---|---|
| NAME | W Zou |
| GIVEN NAMES | W |
| FAMILY NAME | Zou |
| SIGNATURE | ZOU W |
| AFFILIATIONS | Tsinghua University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4151-4230 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 33 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 9 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 33 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2021 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Pain, Warfare, and Commodity: Metaphorical Renderings of Dysmenorrhea and the Female Body in Young Women’s Narratives
In China, nearly half of women have experienced dysmenorrhea. However, the articulation and management of this female-specific pain remain constrained. By conducting a critical metaphor analysis of interviews with 33 young Chinese women experiencing dysmenorrhea, this study seeks to uncover the nuanced layers of meaning enmeshed within their discourse regarding dysmenorrhea and their bodies. Our examination unveils four metaphors entwined with dy…
What Drives Patient Preferences for AI Chatbots Over Doctors? A Survey Study Using the O-S-O-R Model
The increasing prevalence of AI chatbots in healthcare has revolutionized patient care by enhancing accessibility and efficiency while raising critical ethical and privacy concerns. Drawn from the O-S-O-R model, this study utilizes survey data to reveal the complex underlying mechanism from perceived health stigma (O1) to the preference for AI chatbots over doctors (R). Specifically, we theorized the mediating roles of self-disclosure to AI chatb…
“Why Turn Me into a City Dweller?” Unveiling Public and Hidden Transcripts in Hygiene Promotion within an Impoverished Migrant Community
Inadequate hygiene is a key driver of adverse health outcomes among impoverished populations. In many underdeveloped countries, hygiene-focused health promotion programs are often integrated into broader poverty alleviation initiatives. Drawing on a critical health communication approach and Scott's framework of public and hidden transcripts, this study investigates hygiene promotion campaigns targeting rural migrants in China, led by poverty all…
The influence of individuals’ emotional involvement and perceived roles of AI chatbots on emotional self-efficacy
Advancements in AI social chatbots’ emotional intelligence offer new avenues for deep emotional engagement, reshaping digital companionship. This study surveyed 1,381 participants to investigate how the roles ascribed to AI social chatbots, alongside users’ emotional involvement, shape emotional self-efficacy through the mediation of self-disclosure depth. It also explores how perceived offline social support moderates such relationships, illustr…
Addressing “Political Anger” And “Non-Political Fear” In News Engagement: The Impact of Human-AI Interactions on Emotional and Behavioral Responses
The rise of AI technologies has transformed news consumption, yet little is known about the mechanism of how human-AI interactions influence audiences’ emotional reactions and civic behaviors. This study employed a 2 (China vs. U.S. AI chatbot) × 2 (cognitive vs. emotional language style) × 2 (political vs. nonpolitical news) factorial experimental design to address these questions. The results indicate that interacting with AI chatbots can mitig…
Compliance, Shame, Resentment, and Awakening: A Critical Examination of Women’s Illness Narratives About Cervical Erosion
Cervical erosion has historically been perceived as a severe gynecological condition in China, with its evocative nomenclature conjuring images of decay and moral transgression. Despite recent terminological revisions, the condition remains deeply stigmatized and is frequently exploited within a profit-driven healthcare market. This study employed a critical approach to analyze illness narratives related to cervical erosion as expressed on Sina W…
Beyond labels: Narratives of oscillating identities, stigma and well-being among Chinese gay men
Gay men remain significantly marginalised in China due to entrenched cultural norms emphasising masculinity and family lineage, as well as issues of legitimacy. This study explores how young gay men in China navigate societal and intra-community stigma and the strategies they employ to manage its impact on their identity and mental well-being. Drawing on interviews with 19 participants, a critical discourse analysis of their narratives reveals a …
Will centralized drug procurement policy improve enterprises’ total factor productivity
Against the backdrop of China’s healthcare reform challenges in drug pricing, this study investigates the impact of the National Centralized Drug Procurement (NCDP) policy implemented in 2018. Employing Difference-in-Differences (DID) methodology on quarterly data from A-share listed pharmaceutical firms (2003-2021, sourced from WIND/CSMAR databases), we demonstrate that NCDP participation significantly reduces Total Factor Productivity . Robustn…
“My Body is Betraying Me”: Exploring the Stigma and Coping Strategies for Infertility Among Women Across Ethnic and Racial Groups
Female infertility remains a taboo and carries stigma across various ethnic/racial communities. Infertility-related stigma impairs women's mental well-being, strains their family relationships, and deters them from seeking treatment. In this article, we seek to understand the perceived/self-stigma of infertility and stigma management through in-depth interviews with 29 women (White, African American, and Hispanic) who were facing fertility challe…
Reclaiming Power or Reinforcing Inequities: Exploring Egg Freezing Debates on Social Media
In China, unmarried women are prohibited from egg freezing despite high demand and declining fertility rates. Within such a context, this article aims to examine public attitudes toward reproduction and egg-freezing on social media, with particular attention paid to how these discussions reflect the multi-level determinants influencing decision-making regarding egg-freezing practices. Within the context of Chinese gender ideology, we conducted a …
Shattering the silence: Exploring the role of Chinese online sexual health influencers in promoting sex education
In the context of the rapidly evolving social media landscape with the potential to revolutionise sexual health education, this article presents a critical discourse analysis and qualitative content analysis of the top 10 Chinese sexual health influencers’ online discourses regarding sex and sexuality. Findings suggest that influencers utilise a range of destigmatisation strategies to facilitate sex education within a heavily censored social medi…
Mediatizing distant suffering: A longitudinal analysis of The New York Times’ coverage of famine in Somalia (1960–2021)
A love-addled brain is an incurable malady”: Online debates on contemporary romantic relationships within a Chinese postfeminist context
In the summer of 2023, the TV series “Fireworks of My Heart” sparked extensive online debates over its protagonists’ cross-class love story in China. This study aims to examine the distinctive gender ideology and views on romantic relationships expressed by young middle-class women on social media. By conducting a critical discourse analysis on 1079 Weibo posts under eight relevant hashtags, we identified three significant themes: the bold reject…
Soulmates or slaves? A critical feminist analysis of women’s perspectives on the intentionality, consciousness, and rights of their AI companions
Health information acquisition and lifestyle choices among cancer survivors in China: Examining the roles of patient-centered communication, patient trust, and system trust
Guided by the health information model and pathway model of health communication, this study investigates the relationship between different health information acquisition (seeking/scanning) and healthy lifestyle behaviors in a nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of cancer survivors ( N = 567) in China. A moderated mediation model was employed to explore the mediating roles of patient-centered communication (PCC) and patient trust i…
Scientific tool or torture device? A relational dialectics theory approach to the Speculum's symbolism in China
This study applies Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT 2.0) to examine the dominant and marginal discourses surrounding the speculum on Weibo in China and how these discourses compete to make meaning of the speculum object. Through contrapuntal analysis, we explore how two discourses-the centripetal discourse, "Speculum is Scientific and Beneficial" (SSB), and the centrifugal discourse, "Speculum is Regressive and Detrimental" (SRD)-interact and co…
Mianzi consciousness and self-perceived opinion leadership: Exploring the influence of online media use and interpersonal communication on the depression stigma
Breaking Taboos in Women’s Reproductive Health: The Communication Strategies Used by Top OB/GYN Influencers in Chinese Social Media
Numerous women struggling with health issues dare not go to the hospital due to the stigmatization of obstetric and gynecological diseases in traditional Chinese culture. Social media provide a platform for women to access health information from experts easily. Guided by the doctor-patient communication model, attribution theory, and destigmatization framework, we sought to understand the topics/diseases covered by top OB/GYN influencers on Weib…
“It Slowly Drained the Life Out of Me, Leaving Me Dead Inside”: Coping and Response Patterns Among Chinese Women Experiencing Postpartum Depression
The prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) exceeds 20% in China. In this article, we unpack the coping strategies and involuntary responses to PPD among Chinese women and how such patterns are shaped by family communication dynamics and reflect distinct social, structural, and cultural contexts. Drawing upon the communication accommodation theory and the generic stress and coping model, we analyzed 661 posts collected under the hashtag #PPD (c…
Support-Seeking Strategies, Family Communication Patterns, and Received Support Among Chinese Women with Postpartum Depression: A Content Analysis of Zhihu Posts
The incidence of postpartum depression (PPD) among Chinese women surpasses the global average, and this disparity is closely associated with the level of social support they receive. Using Sensitive Interaction Systems Theory and Family Communication Patterns Theory as guiding frameworks, we conducted a content analysis of 705 posts gathered from the hashtag #PPD (chanhou yiyu) on Zhihu, a popular Chinese social media platform. Our findings revea…
Unraveling Public Conspiracy Theories Toward ChatGPT in China: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Weibo Posts
The inaccessibility of ChatGPT to Chinese users has fueled public conspiracy theories surrounding the technology. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of 1,576 relevant Weibo posts to identify these conspiracy theories and the sociocultural and political factors at play. Our findings reveal four major themes, including a profound distrust of foreign high technology, nationalist fervor, disconcerting allegations of AI development, and sensat…
Self-disclosure and received social support among women experiencing infertility on reddit: A natural language processing approach
Body politics, reproductive rights, and digital media advocacy within stigmatized contexts: A critical discourse analysis of Weibo discussions on IUDs in modern-day China
This article explores prevalent beliefs surrounding the use of IUDs among Chinese women and how such discourses intersect with issues of gender, culture, and politics. Incorporating a critical health communication perspective and the framework of body politics, we conducted a critical discourse analysis of 420 Weibo posts discussing IUDs. We investigated the nuanced ways in which Chinese women reflect upon, resist, and redefine prevailing stigmat…
From spewing resentment to lingering grief: Metaphorical constructions of intrauterine devices and spousal roles in contemporary China
In recent years, an emerging discourse on various social media platforms has drawn attention to the enduring, yet unspoken, distress experienced by a considerable number of Chinese women who have utilized intrauterine devices (IUDs) for extended durations. Using corpus linguistics and thematic analysis, this article seeks to explore the use of metaphors in discussions about IUDs on Weibo and how the public makes sense of roles of spouses in the d…
Making Sense of Jiese: An Interview Study of Members from a Porn-Free Self-Help Forum in China
Why do They Want Others to Suffer the Same Pain They Have Endured?” Weibo Debates about Pain Relief during Childbirth in Neo/Non-Liberal China
In this article, we examine the cultural and gendered understandings of labor pain and the underlying obstacles that prevent Chinese women from seeking pain relief during labor and exercising their own autonomy. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of 178 posts containing the phrase wutong fenmian (literally “painless labor”) on Weibo, a popular Chinese microblogging platform. By situating our analysis in the contemporary context we call “n…
The stigmatization of suicide: A study of stories told by college students in China
This study unpacks the dimensions of suicide stigma through an analysis of the stories told by college students in China. The phronetic iterative approach was used to analyze the interview data of 30 college students. Findings showed that college students use the strategy of othering in creating a distinction between us and them. Those who attempt or die by suicide are labeled as irresponsible, fragile, impulsive, and attention-seeking. Suicides …
A love-addled brain is an incurable malady”: Online debates on contemporary romantic relationships within a Chinese postfeminist context
In the summer of 2023, the TV series “Fireworks of My Heart” sparked extensive online debates over its protagonists’ cross-class love story in China. This study aims to examine the distinctive gender ideology and views on romantic relationships expressed by young middle-class women on social media. By conducting a critical discourse analysis on 1079 Weibo posts under eight relevant hashtags, we identified three significant themes: the bold reject…
Scientific tool or torture device? A relational dialectics theory approach to the Speculum's symbolism in China
This study applies Relational Dialectics Theory (RDT 2.0) to examine the dominant and marginal discourses surrounding the speculum on Weibo in China and how these discourses compete to make meaning of the speculum object. Through contrapuntal analysis, we explore how two discourses-the centripetal discourse, "Speculum is Scientific and Beneficial" (SSB), and the centrifugal discourse, "Speculum is Regressive and Detrimental" (SRD)-interact and co…
From spewing resentment to lingering grief: Metaphorical constructions of intrauterine devices and spousal roles in contemporary China
In recent years, an emerging discourse on various social media platforms has drawn attention to the enduring, yet unspoken, distress experienced by a considerable number of Chinese women who have utilized intrauterine devices (IUDs) for extended durations. Using corpus linguistics and thematic analysis, this article seeks to explore the use of metaphors in discussions about IUDs on Weibo and how the public makes sense of roles of spouses in the d…
Middle-Aged and Older African Americans' Information Use During the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Interview Study
African Americans in the United States have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in infection and mortality rates. This study examined how middle-aged and older African American individuals accessed and evaluated the information about COVID-19. Semi-structured interviews with 20 individuals (age: 41–72) were conducted during the first stay-at-home advisory period in late March and early April 2020. The phronetic iterative app…
Health Information Consumption under Covid-19 Lockdown: An Interview Study of Residents of Hubei Province, China
Emerging infectious disease (EID) outbreaks such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic create unknown risks, uncertainty, and anxiety around the world. Accurate and timely information can help the public understand the outbreak and manage their lives. Presented here is a study of how residents of Hubei Province, the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, use media for information seeking, scanning, and sharing while under lockdown through in-dep…
The Recreation of Gender Stereotypes in Male Cross-Dressing Performances on Douyin
This article examines the performances of male cross-dressers on Douyin and its underlying cultural ideologies in neo/non-liberal China through critical discourse analysis. Our analysis of male cross-dressing performers’ portrayal of female roles in mother-son/daughter relationships, heterosexual romantic relationships, and friendships shows that such performances highlight four stereotypical feminine characters: fragile, controlling, materialist…
What do we believe in? Rumors and processing strategies during the Covid-19 outbreak in China
The COVID-19 pandemic is called the first infodemic in history. Those first confronted by the enormous challenge of fighting this infodemic to save their lives were the people of Hubei Province in China. To understand how they defined and processed rumors, we conducted an interview study with Hubei residents when they were under lockdown. We found that they typically defined rumors in terms of one or two of three features: non-factual information…
Why do They Want Others to Suffer the Same Pain They Have Endured?” Weibo Debates about Pain Relief during Childbirth in Neo/Non-Liberal China
In this article, we examine the cultural and gendered understandings of labor pain and the underlying obstacles that prevent Chinese women from seeking pain relief during labor and exercising their own autonomy. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of 178 posts containing the phrase wutong fenmian (literally “painless labor”) on Weibo, a popular Chinese microblogging platform. By situating our analysis in the contemporary context we call “n…
The stigmatization of suicide: A study of stories told by college students in China
This study unpacks the dimensions of suicide stigma through an analysis of the stories told by college students in China. The phronetic iterative approach was used to analyze the interview data of 30 college students. Findings showed that college students use the strategy of othering in creating a distinction between us and them. Those who attempt or die by suicide are labeled as irresponsible, fragile, impulsive, and attention-seeking. Suicides …
Managing government legitimacy during the Covid-19 pandemic in China: A semantic network analysis of state-run media Sina Weibo posts
China’s state-run media are the mouthpiece of the government. During public health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, they are responsible for disseminating essential information to the public on behalf of the government. This study examined the Sina Weibo posts published by three leading state-run media entities (CCTV, People’s Daily, and Xinhua News Agency) during the first wave of the COVID-19 outbreak. Semantic networks were extracted from…
Making Sense of Jiese: An Interview Study of Members from a Porn-Free Self-Help Forum in China
Them’ in an abnormal world: Media construction and responsibility attribution of left‐behind children in rural China
Left‐behind children who live away from their migrant parents in rural China have received widespread media attention, especially around their vulnerability and delinquency. To examine the media construction of this population and responsibility attribution for the incidents occurring to them, we used the phronetic iterative approach to analyse 348 news reports published by The Paper , one of China's leading digital media outlets. Our findings re…
Mianzi consciousness and self-perceived opinion leadership: Exploring the influence of online media use and interpersonal communication on the depression stigma
Breaking Taboos in Women’s Reproductive Health: The Communication Strategies Used by Top OB/GYN Influencers in Chinese Social Media
Numerous women struggling with health issues dare not go to the hospital due to the stigmatization of obstetric and gynecological diseases in traditional Chinese culture. Social media provide a platform for women to access health information from experts easily. Guided by the doctor-patient communication model, attribution theory, and destigmatization framework, we sought to understand the topics/diseases covered by top OB/GYN influencers on Weib…
“It Slowly Drained the Life Out of Me, Leaving Me Dead Inside”: Coping and Response Patterns Among Chinese Women Experiencing Postpartum Depression
The prevalence of postpartum depression (PPD) exceeds 20% in China. In this article, we unpack the coping strategies and involuntary responses to PPD among Chinese women and how such patterns are shaped by family communication dynamics and reflect distinct social, structural, and cultural contexts. Drawing upon the communication accommodation theory and the generic stress and coping model, we analyzed 661 posts collected under the hashtag #PPD (c…
Support-Seeking Strategies, Family Communication Patterns, and Received Support Among Chinese Women with Postpartum Depression: A Content Analysis of Zhihu Posts
The incidence of postpartum depression (PPD) among Chinese women surpasses the global average, and this disparity is closely associated with the level of social support they receive. Using Sensitive Interaction Systems Theory and Family Communication Patterns Theory as guiding frameworks, we conducted a content analysis of 705 posts gathered from the hashtag #PPD (chanhou yiyu) on Zhihu, a popular Chinese social media platform. Our findings revea…
Unraveling Public Conspiracy Theories Toward ChatGPT in China: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Weibo Posts
The inaccessibility of ChatGPT to Chinese users has fueled public conspiracy theories surrounding the technology. We conducted a critical discourse analysis of 1,576 relevant Weibo posts to identify these conspiracy theories and the sociocultural and political factors at play. Our findings reveal four major themes, including a profound distrust of foreign high technology, nationalist fervor, disconcerting allegations of AI development, and sensat…
Self-disclosure and received social support among women experiencing infertility on reddit: A natural language processing approach
Body politics, reproductive rights, and digital media advocacy within stigmatized contexts: A critical discourse analysis of Weibo discussions on IUDs in modern-day China
This article explores prevalent beliefs surrounding the use of IUDs among Chinese women and how such discourses intersect with issues of gender, culture, and politics. Incorporating a critical health communication perspective and the framework of body politics, we conducted a critical discourse analysis of 420 Weibo posts discussing IUDs. We investigated the nuanced ways in which Chinese women reflect upon, resist, and redefine prevailing stigmat…
From spewing resentment to lingering grief: Metaphorical constructions of intrauterine devices and spousal roles in contemporary China
In recent years, an emerging discourse on various social media platforms has drawn attention to the enduring, yet unspoken, distress experienced by a considerable number of Chinese women who have utilized intrauterine devices (IUDs) for extended durations. Using corpus linguistics and thematic analysis, this article seeks to explore the use of metaphors in discussions about IUDs on Weibo and how the public makes sense of roles of spouses in the d…
Will centralized drug procurement policy improve enterprises’ total factor productivity
Against the backdrop of China’s healthcare reform challenges in drug pricing, this study investigates the impact of the National Centralized Drug Procurement (NCDP) policy implemented in 2018. Employing Difference-in-Differences (DID) methodology on quarterly data from A-share listed pharmaceutical firms (2003-2021, sourced from WIND/CSMAR databases), we demonstrate that NCDP participation significantly reduces Total Factor Productivity . Robustn…
“My Body is Betraying Me”: Exploring the Stigma and Coping Strategies for Infertility Among Women Across Ethnic and Racial Groups
Female infertility remains a taboo and carries stigma across various ethnic/racial communities. Infertility-related stigma impairs women's mental well-being, strains their family relationships, and deters them from seeking treatment. In this article, we seek to understand the perceived/self-stigma of infertility and stigma management through in-depth interviews with 29 women (White, African American, and Hispanic) who were facing fertility challe…
Reclaiming Power or Reinforcing Inequities: Exploring Egg Freezing Debates on Social Media
In China, unmarried women are prohibited from egg freezing despite high demand and declining fertility rates. Within such a context, this article aims to examine public attitudes toward reproduction and egg-freezing on social media, with particular attention paid to how these discussions reflect the multi-level determinants influencing decision-making regarding egg-freezing practices. Within the context of Chinese gender ideology, we conducted a …
Shattering the silence: Exploring the role of Chinese online sexual health influencers in promoting sex education
In the context of the rapidly evolving social media landscape with the potential to revolutionise sexual health education, this article presents a critical discourse analysis and qualitative content analysis of the top 10 Chinese sexual health influencers’ online discourses regarding sex and sexuality. Findings suggest that influencers utilise a range of destigmatisation strategies to facilitate sex education within a heavily censored social medi…
Mediatizing distant suffering: A longitudinal analysis of The New York Times’ coverage of famine in Somalia (1960–2021)
A love-addled brain is an incurable malady”: Online debates on contemporary romantic relationships within a Chinese postfeminist context
In the summer of 2023, the TV series “Fireworks of My Heart” sparked extensive online debates over its protagonists’ cross-class love story in China. This study aims to examine the distinctive gender ideology and views on romantic relationships expressed by young middle-class women on social media. By conducting a critical discourse analysis on 1079 Weibo posts under eight relevant hashtags, we identified three significant themes: the bold reject…
Soulmates or slaves? A critical feminist analysis of women’s perspectives on the intentionality, consciousness, and rights of their AI companions
Health information acquisition and lifestyle choices among cancer survivors in China: Examining the roles of patient-centered communication, patient trust, and system trust
Guided by the health information model and pathway model of health communication, this study investigates the relationship between different health information acquisition (seeking/scanning) and healthy lifestyle behaviors in a nationally representative, cross-sectional sample of cancer survivors ( N = 567) in China. A moderated mediation model was employed to explore the mediating roles of patient-centered communication (PCC) and patient trust i…
Psychology (21 works) · Political science (17 works) · Social Psychology (16 works) · Sociology (16 works) · China (14 works) · Medicine (10 works) · Gender Studies (9 works) · Law (9 works) · Politics (8 works) · Misinformation and Its Impacts (7 works)