Bu Zhong

Less effortful thinking leads to more social networking? The associations between the use of social network sites and personality traits

Social network sites (SNS) have become an important social milieu that enables interpersonal communication by allowing users to share and create information. This study explored the associations between SNS use and personality traits, i.e., need for cognition (NFC) and information and communication technology (ICT) innovativeness. The findings showed that the SNS use had a negative association with NFC and a positive association with ICT innovativeness. Specifically, people who were more likely to engage in effortful thinking used SNS less often, and those who were high in ICT innovativeness used SNS more often. Meanwhile, those who spent more time on SNS were more likely to be multitaskers. Additionally, those who spent more time on SNS also spent more Internet time in general, more online time for study/work and more time in surfing the Web with no specific purpose. This study, which could be a first look at the link between social networking and our thinking, provides evidence for the associations between social media use and personality traits.

From smartphones to iPad: Power users’ disposition toward mobile media devices

Abstract The spread of mobile media devices (MMDs), such as smartphones and tablet computers, has been markedly rapid around the world in recent years. The diffusion of mobile media technology has turned some early adopters into “power users,” using MMD more innovatively, efficiently and thoroughly than others. Going beyond the research of innovative users and heavy users, this study proposes the concept of power users by investigating the interactions between the power use of MMD and personality attributes, online activities as well as traditional media use. The findings showed that personality attributes were strong predictors for power use, which was also partially predicated by media multitasking and traditional media use. Research in this stream should assist in understanding the diffusion of mobile media technology and its impact on human interaction.

Sports Reporters' Attitudes about Ethics Vary Based on Beat

This survey of 263 sports reporters found that reporters on the high school beat are often the youngest and most inexperienced and are more likely to believe they can operate with a more relaxed code of ethics than their counterparts.

The Root of Journalistic Plagiarism Contested Attribution Beliefs

Journalists condemn plagiarism, yet rarely acknowledge disagreements over attribution standards. To document and evaluate those differences, journalists in broadcasting and print operations were surveyed (N = 953). Respondents were far less willing to attribute press releases than they were their colleagues’ work. They were more likely to consider attribution optional if they were under pressure to produce, worked for a broadcast medium, were a content creator, were less experienced, or saw their principles as flexible. The findings reveal that attribution beliefs are far more pliant than ethics policies suggest and illuminate some of the reasons why plagiarism occurs.

Readers' Mood Affects News Information Processing

This study investigates the impact of three moods—happy, sad or neutral—on the way readers process news. Happy individuals recognize more global or general news but less local or detailed information than do those in a sad or neutral mood.

The Personality of Plagiarism

Contrary to the water-cooler hypothesis of educators, journalism and mass communication students who plagiarize do not differ from their non-copying peers in the “Big Five” personality traits (study 1, n = 908). However, the two groups differ in a scale that measures integrity on a continuum between principles and expediency (study 2, n = 483). They also differ when asked to evaluate types of copy-and-paste Internet plagiarism. JMC majors do not differ from those in other disciplines in their propensity to commit plagiarism. The two studies show students consider plagiarism a relative offense and offer suggestions for educators trying to reduce its prevalence.

The Communication Anxiety Regulation Scale: Development and Initial Validation

A series of studies present the development and validation of the Communication Anxiety Regulation Scale (CARS), a self-report measure designed to assess the use of emotion regulation strategies to manage acute communication anxiety—in contrast to measures of general emotion regulation tendencies. Study 1 delineates the item derivation and selection process that yielded the final 12 CARS items. Results of an exploratory factor analysis supported the existence of four distinct subscales, each representing one of four anxiety regulation strategies (suppression, reappraisal, avoidance, and venting). Study 2 confirmed this factor structure and also examined correlations of the CARS with existing measures in an attempt to establish concurrent validity. Finally, Study 3 presents results of an item-sort task demonstrating the scale’s face validity and items’ substantive validity. Overall, findings provide preliminary support for the utility of the CARS as measure of communication anxiety regulation to be used by communication and psychology researchers.

How college students read and write on the web: The role of ICT use in processing online information

The diffusion of information and communication technology (ICT) has enabled people to process more information than at any time in human history. Despite a growing body of scholarship in ICT use and information processing, we still know very little about how people process mediated information in an online environment. This study contributes to the understanding of this process by investigating the connection between ICT use and processing of online news information. Through an experiment (N=114), several interesting relationships were detected. First, perceived credibility of a news article was significantly correlated with enjoyment, knowledge gain, and motivation. In addition, recall was significantly related to credibility, enjoyment, knowledge, and motivation. Implications and avenues for future research are discussed.

To name or not to name: a cross-cultural comparison of on-air attribution in US and Chinese TV news

This study investigates the Sino-US difference in the journalistic practice of providing on-air attribution for those interviewed in television news. Through a content analysis, this study compares how CBS News, a premier US TV network, and CCTV, Chinas most watched network, attributed their interviewees with on-screen name credits (names, titles and affiliations). The findings show that US journalists were more likely to provide on-screen name credits than their Chinese colleagues who, in turn, were more likely to give credits to interviewees who were older, male and government officials. This study should contribute to a better understanding of how cultural values and political ideologies may affect the way interviewees are treated in television news.

When algorithms meet journalism: The user perception to automated news in a cross-cultural context

Abstract Automated journalism – the use of algorithms in writing news reports – underscores the new direction of media transformation in the 21st century as it may reshape how the news is produced and consumed. Such writing algorithms have been increasingly adopted in U.S. and Chinese newsroom, but how well they are accepted by news users deserves more research. A comparative study was thus conducted to examine how U.S. and Chinese news users perceive the quality of algorithm-generated news reports, how much they like and trust such reports. Results show that U.S. and Chinese users demonstrated more shared, rather than different, perceptions to automated news. The users did not perceive automated content in a linear way, but viewed them by considering the interaction of the authors (i.e., journalists or algorithms), the media outlets (i.e., traditional or online media) and cultural background (i.e., U.S. or Chinese users).