Attitudes, Prior Interaction, And Petitioner Credibility Predict Support For Considering The Rights Of Robots, Patric Spence, Autumn Edwards, Chad Edwards
Dec 2017
Attitudes, Prior Interaction, And Petitioner Credibility Predict Support For Considering The Rights Of Robots, Patric Spence, Autumn Edwards, Chad Edwards
Patric R. Spence
The purpose of this study is to determine levels of support for consideration of the rights of robots and to identify predictors of support for robot rights. Findings demonstrated that negative attitudes toward robots, perceived credibility of the petitioner, and prior interaction with robots were significant predictors of individuals agreeing to sign a petition on the issue of robot rights. Gender of the participant and whether the petitioner was a human being or Pepper robot did not significantly predict willingness to sign the petition.
Social Media And Crisis Management: Cerc, Search Strategies, And Twitter Content, Kenneth Lachlan, Patric Spence, Xialing Lin, Kristy M. Najarian, Maria Del Greco
Dec 2015
Social Media And Crisis Management: Cerc, Search Strategies, And Twitter Content, Kenneth Lachlan, Patric Spence, Xialing Lin, Kristy M. Najarian, Maria Del Greco
Patric R. Spence
The current manuscript explores Twitter use and content in the precrisis stages of a major weather event in the northeast. A multi-level content analysis of tweets collected in the lead up to landfall suggests that emergency management agencies largely underutilized the medium, and that actionable information was easier to find when searching along localized hashtags. The findings are discussed in terms of the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) model of crisis management and implications for emergency management agencies.
Differences In Perceptions Of Communication Quality Between A Twitterbot And Human Agent For Information Seeking And Learning, Chad Edwards, Austin Beattie, Autumn Edwards, Patric R. Spence
Dec 2015
Differences In Perceptions Of Communication Quality Between A Twitterbot And Human Agent For Information Seeking And Learning, Chad Edwards, Austin Beattie, Autumn Edwards, Patric R. Spence
Patric R. Spence
Twitter’s design allows the implementation of automated programs that can submit tweets, interact with others, and generate content based on algorithms. Scholars and end-users alike refer to these programs to as “Twitterbots.” This two-part study explores the differences in perceptions of communication quality between a human agent and a Twitterbot in the areas of cognitive elaboration, information seeking, and learning outcomes. In accordance with the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) framework (Reeves & Nass, 1996), results suggest that participants learned the same from either a Twitterbot or a human agent. Results are discussed in light of CASA, as well as …
Crisis Communication, Learning And Responding: Best Practices In Social Media, Xialing Lin, Patric R. Spence, Timothy L. Sellnow, Kenneth Lachlan
Dec 2015
Crisis Communication, Learning And Responding: Best Practices In Social Media, Xialing Lin, Patric R. Spence, Timothy L. Sellnow, Kenneth Lachlan
Patric R. Spence
As noted by Seeger (2006) the notion of best practices is often use to improve professional practice; to create research and functional recommendations to use in a specific situation. This essay describes best practices in crisis communication specifically through the use of social media. It provides suggestions and approaches for improving the effectiveness of crisis communication and learning with and between organizations, governments and citizens. Seven best practices for effective crisis communication using social media are outlined.
Social Media As Information Source: Recency Of Updates And Credibility Of Information, David Westerman, Patric R. Spence, Brandon Van Der Heide
Dec 2013
Social Media As Information Source: Recency Of Updates And Credibility Of Information, David Westerman, Patric R. Spence, Brandon Van Der Heide
Patric R. Spence
Social media are increasingly being used as an information source, including information related to risks and crises. The current study examines how pieces of information available in social media impact perceptions of source credibility. Specifically, participants in the study were asked to view 1 of 3 mock Twitter.com pages that varied the recency with which tweets were posted and then to report on their perceived source credibility of the page owner. Data indicate that recency of tweets impacts source credibility; however, this relationship is mediated by cognitive elaboration. These data suggest many implications for theory and application, both in computer-mediated …
A Social Network As Information: The Effect Of System Generated Reports Of Connectedness On Credibility On Twitter, Patric R. Spence, David Westerman, Brandon Van Der Heide
Dec 2011
A Social Network As Information: The Effect Of System Generated Reports Of Connectedness On Credibility On Twitter, Patric R. Spence, David Westerman, Brandon Van Der Heide
Patric R. Spence
Social media have gained increased usage rapidly for a variety of reasons. News and information is one such reason. The current study examines how system-generated cues available in social media impact perceptions of a source’s credibility. Participants were asked to view one of six mock Twitter.com pages that varied both the number of followers and the ratio between followers and follows on the page and report their perceived source credibility. Data indicate that curvilinear effects for number of followers exist, such that having too many or too few connections results in lower judgments of expertise and trustworthiness. Having a narrow …
Using The Wiki In The College Classroom, Scott A. Richmond, Patric R. Spence, Brian D. Fuller
Dec 2010
Using The Wiki In The College Classroom, Scott A. Richmond, Patric R. Spence, Brian D. Fuller
Patric R. Spence
There is an ongoing challenge to integrate new media and forms of technology into the college class. This article presents the results of two studies which examine the role of a classroom Wiki in the development of class note taking. The results of the two studies are reported to demonstrate how Wiki’s can be used to supplement class material and test preparation.
Communicating Risks: Examining Hazard And Outrage In Multiple Contexts, Kenneth Lachlan, Patric R. Spence
Dec 2010
Communicating Risks: Examining Hazard And Outrage In Multiple Contexts, Kenneth Lachlan, Patric R. Spence
Patric R. Spence
This article examines the heuristic value of a model of risk communication outlined by Peter Sandman. It tests and expands the proposed constructs and seeks to establish a measurement model. Results in the first laboratory study indicated congruence between the model and data, while the second demonstrated the capacity for manipulation of the constructs. A field study then extended the measurement model in both scope and usefulness by demonstrating
its utility in an applied setting. Descriptive analyses indicate differences in perceptions of risk on the basis of sex and race. Implications for the use of the model are discussed.
Crisis Preparation, Media Use, And Information Seeking During Hurricane Ike: Lessons Learned For Emergency Communication, Jennifer A. Burke, Patric R. Spence, Kenneth Lachlan
Dec 2009
Crisis Preparation, Media Use, And Information Seeking During Hurricane Ike: Lessons Learned For Emergency Communication, Jennifer A. Burke, Patric R. Spence, Kenneth Lachlan
Patric R. Spence
This study was a replication and extension of a previous work that examined crisis preparation, information-
seeking patterns, and media use in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. A quantitative survey study was undertaken to examine the same variables after Hurricane Ike. Surveys were collected from 691 Hurricane Ike evacuees. Respondents were more likely to have an evacuation plan or emergency kit than those displaced by Katrina, and older respondents were less likely than younger respondents to have an emergency kit in place. Women, African Americans, and older respondents indicated a greater desire for information, with African American respondents desiring information …
Age, Gender, And Information-Seeking Patterns Following An Urban Bridge Collapse, Patric R. Spence, Kenneth Lachlan, Lindsay D. Nelson, Ashleigh K. Shelton
Dec 2009
Age, Gender, And Information-Seeking Patterns Following An Urban Bridge Collapse, Patric R. Spence, Kenneth Lachlan, Lindsay D. Nelson, Ashleigh K. Shelton
Patric R. Spence
Previous research suggests that mediated information seeking may be especially strong during crises
and other times of uncertainty, however, little is known about sex differences in both information seeking and
responses under these conditions. The current study explores these differences using data collected from
Minneapolis residents following the I-35W bridge collapse.
Audience Responses And Informational Needs: Considering Diversity In Crisis Communication, Kenneth Lachlan, Patric R. Spence
Dec 2007
Audience Responses And Informational Needs: Considering Diversity In Crisis Communication, Kenneth Lachlan, Patric R. Spence
Patric R. Spence
Natural disasters, organizational crises, and acts of terrorism have received increased attention in recent years from communication scholars. A consistent theme emergent in this literature is the diversity of responses to crisis messages. Affected publics hailing from different demographic and economic backgrounds have demonstrated different interests, informational needs, and psychological and behavioral responses to crisis messages. Although this research strongly recommends the consideration of multiple publics and custom tailoring messages to their informational needs, government agencies and crisis practitioners continue to produce generalized crisis messages that do not adequately address these diverse needs. Furthermore, cultural issues that affect message responses …
Teaching Intercoder Reliability: A Gentle Introduction To Content Analytic Methods For Graduate Students., Patric R. Spence, Kenneth Lachlan
Dec 2004
Teaching Intercoder Reliability: A Gentle Introduction To Content Analytic Methods For Graduate Students., Patric R. Spence, Kenneth Lachlan
Patric R. Spence
Quantitative content analysis has grown over the course of the last fifty years providing scientific evaluations of the nature of varying program elements in written, print, audio, and visual media. Despite its tremendous utility in communication research, graduate students often express apprehension at learning basic content analytic techniques. This is especially common among students who are fearful of quantitative research methods, or who are apprehensive about their own mathematical abilities. On the other hand, some students who have such apprehensions may actually move toward the method of content analysis due to an erroneous belief that it is not
statistical, not …
