Haoyu Wang

About Me

I am currently an M.A. student in Communication Science at Renmin University of China, working under the mentorship of Dr. Xiaofen Ma. I also serve as a research assistant at Health Communication Research Center, College of Arts & Media, Tongji University. The center’s research themes include tobacco control among emerging adults in Chinese culture and health promotion through multimodal texts targeting China’s floating population. Additionally, I am currently a visiting student at the University of California, Davis, where I am working as a research assistant at the Human Development and Media Lab (led by Dr. Drew Cingel) from September to December this year. I am actively seeking a Ph.D. position for Fall 2025.

My research is motivated by the following crucial question: How can we promote a healthier and safer civil society? My exploration in this domain operates on two levels.

First, I focus on the role of digital technologies in promoting or hindering individual mental health. In the past, my research has included exploring the relationship between (dis)connectedness and individual Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), and analyzing the cognitive mechanisms underlying cyberchondria.

Second, I investigate how to promote public engagement towards health, environment, and science, and how to build a sustainable balance and interactive relationship between the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems from a One Health perspective. For instance, I have studied how to design persuasive messages to encourage public action on the issue of microplastics (MPs), which is a significant concern in both climate change and human health. I hope my research will contribute to the construction of a healthy and sustainable society, not only for individual members of the public but also for animals and the overall ecosystems.

My methodological toolkit encompasses a range of techniques, including web-based experiments, surveys, and meta-analysis. I am proficient in using software such as R, JASP, SPSS, and AMOS for data analysis. In terms of analytical methods, I am well-versed in fundamental statistical techniques such as regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA), as well as advanced methods including structural equation modeling (SEM), latent profile analysis (LPA), actor-partner interdependence modeling (APIM), and meta-analysis. Currently, I have enrolled in Tsinghua University’s six-month seminar on Big Data and Causal Inference at Lab of Computational Social Science and State Governance for strengthening my expertise in longitudinal data analysis and causal inference.

Research Interests

• Media Psychology and Social Cognition: Emerging digital technology and mental health (e.g., subjective well-being, FoMO); cognitive and affective mechanisms of persuasive message effects.
• Health, Environment, Science Communication: Public risk perception and engagement in health, environment and science (e.g., microplastics issue and climate change) from the perspective of “One Health”.

Awards

• [June. 2021] Outstanding Graduate of Jiangsu Province
  • Only 926 out of 600,000 2021 graduates in Jiangsu Province were awarded the title.

Publications

Selected Conference Presentations

Services

Reviewers and Volunteers

• Current Psychology (Journal Reviewer)
• National Communication Association (NCA) Annual Convention (Conference Paper Reviewer)
• Annual Inernational Communication Association(ICA) Conference (Conference Paper Reviewer)
• International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) Annual Conference (Conference Paper Reviewer)
• The 7th Peking University “Medicine, Humanity and Media” International Conference (Conference Volunteer)
• Communication University of China Press (Book reviewer)

News and Updates

• [Jul 11, 2024] Two of our papers have been accepted for presentation at the National Communication Association’s 2024 Annual Convention! #2024 NCA!
• [Apr 11, 2024] Completed my presentation at the #2024ECREA Journalism Study Conference hosted by the University of Sheffield!
• [Mar 11, 2024] Received a recommendation from Renmin University of China and a $5,500 grant. This September, I will be visiting and studying at the University of California, Davis!
• [Feb 29, 2024] A new paper on politically motivated unfriending has been accepted by #24ICA-Preconference Digital Asia!
• [Jan 10, 2024] Our paper on constructive journalism and pro-environment behaviors has been accepted by #24ICA! See you in Gold Coast, Australia!