Bo Feng

Education

• Ph.D., Communication, Purdue University

About

Bo Feng has expertise in interpersonal, supportive and intercultural communication. Her scholarship focuses primarily on supportive communication, which includes a broad range of situations in which people interact with the intention of seeking or providing some form of aid or assistance to cope with a problematic situation. She has published research that examines supportive communication processes in face-to-face, personal relationship contexts as well as technologically mediated environments (e.g., online communities) and professional settings (e.g., physician-patient interactions during primary care visits). In addition to her appointment in the Department of Communication, she is a faculty member of the East Asian Studies, Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, and the Center for Design in the Public Interest.

Research Focus

Professor Feng’s research program centers on supportive communication, which aims to: A) investigate the processes through which people conceptualize, seek, conduct and respond to various forms of support — such as comforting and advice — and how these processes are similar and different for people of different cultures, genders and across contexts; B) examine the features of more and less effective supportive behaviors; and C) develop more viable theoretical frameworks for researching and practicing supportive communication. Her research has been funded by multiple external sources, including the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Mental Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Publications

• Liao, W., Oh, Y. J., Zhang, J., & Feng, B. (2023). Ritualistic dynamics of task and social-emotional interactions predict interpersonal influence outcomes in compliance-gaining and advice-giving conversations. Journal of Communication. https://doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqad003

• Liao, W., Oh, Y. J., Feng, B., & Zhang, J. (2023). Understanding the influence discrepancy between human versus artificial agents in advice interactions: The role of stereotypical perception of agency. Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221138427

• Jang, J. Y., & Feng, B. (2023). The effect of apology and appreciation in support-seeking messages on support provision in the U.S. and Korea. Journal of Language and Social Psychology. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0261927X221147274
• Li, S., Liao, W., Kim, C., Feng, B., & Pan, W. (2022). Understanding the association between online social support obtainment and coping during a public crisis. Journal of Health Communication, 27, 343-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2022.2107738
• Kim, C., & Feng, B. (2022). Digital inequality in online reciprocity between generations: A preliminary exploration of ability to use communication technology as a mediator. Technology in Society, 66, 101609. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101609
• Feng, B., Malloch, Z. Y., Kravitz, R., Verba, S., Iosif, A., Slavik, G., & Henry, S. (2021). Assessing the effectiveness of a narrative-based patient education video for promoting opioid tapering. Patient Education and Counseling, 104, 329-336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.08.019

• Li, S., Feng, B., & Wingate, V. S. (2018). Give thanks for a little and you will find a lot: The role of a support seeker’s reply in online support provision. Communication Monographs, 86, 251-270. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03637751.2018.1539237

• Pan, W., Feng, B., & Wingate, S. (2018). What you say is what you get: How self-disclosure in support-seeking affects language use in support provision in online support forums. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 37, 3-27. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0261927X17706983

• Feng, B., Li, S., & Li, N. (2016). Is a profile worth a thousand words? How online support-seeker’s profile features may influence the quality of received support messages. Communication Research, 43, 253-276. doi:10.1177/0093650213510942

• Li, S., & Feng, B. (2015). What to say to an online support‐seeker? The influence of others' responses and support‐seekers' replies. Human Communication Research, 41, 303–326. doi:10.1111/hcre.12055
• Feng, B. (2014). When should advice be given? Assessing the role of sequential placement of advice in supportive interactions in two cultures. Communication Research 41, 913–934. doi:10.1177/0093650212456203
• Feng, B., & Feng, H. (2013). Examining cultural similarities and differences in responses to advice: A comparison of American and Chinese college students. Communication Research, 40, 623–644. doi:10.1177/0093650211433826

Teaching

Bo Feng teaches CMN101 (Communication Theory), CMN123 (Intercultural Communication), CMN174 (Social Media), CMN201 (Theoretical Perspectives on Strategic Communication), CMN210 (Experimental Methods), CMN230 (Social Interaction Theory and Research), and CMN234 (Intercultural Communication).

Awards

• Graduate Program Advising and Mentoring Award, 2022
• Top Paper Award, Interpersonal Communication Division, International Communication Association, 2019, 2022
• Community Building Award, 2017
• Chancellor's Fellow, 2016-2021
• Provost Fellowship for Diversity in Teaching, 2012–2013
• Outstanding Dissertation Award, Interpersonal Communication Division, National Communication Association, 2008
• Distinguished Publication Award, Association for Women in Psychology, 2005