Sojung Claire Kim

Associate Professor

Health and Risk Communication, Strategic Message Design, Misinformation Correction, Social Media and Influence, Social Emotions, Quantitative Research Methods, Eye Tracking

Sojung Claire Kim is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication at George Mason University. At Mason, she directs the Communication, Health, and Relational Media (CHARM) Lab, where she conducts research on effective message design and evaluation and misinformation correction with eye tracking technology.

Kim received her doctorate in Mass Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed her post-doctoral fellowship in the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. At both UW and Penn, she was involved in the Center of Excellence in Cancer Communication Research (CECCR) supported by the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Her research interests broadly lie on intersections of interactive media, health risk communication, and strategic messaging. Research contexts primarily concern challenging health and environmental issues such as cancer, vaccination, addiction, and climate change.

Kim has published her work in top journals including Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Computers in Human Behavior, Health Communication, Science Communication, Environment and Behavior, and Psycho-Oncology. She has received Top Paper Awards from the International Communication Association (ICA) and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC).

Kim currently serves as an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Public Opinion Research and is elected to be a Vice-Head Elect for the AEJMC's ComSHER Division.

Selected Publications

Borah, P., Kim, S. C., & Lorenzano, K. (2024). Misinformation, risk perceptions, and intention to seek information about masks: The moderating roles of gender and reflective judgement. Health Communication, 1-16.

Xiao, X., Borah, P., Lee, D. K. L.*, Su, Y.*, & Kim, S. C. (2023). A story is better told with collective interests: An experimental examination of misinformation correction during the COVID-19 pandemic. American Journal of Health Promotion. [AEJMC COMMUNICATING SCIENCE, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, AND RISK (COMSHER) DIVISION 2022 TOP PAPER AWARD (2ND PLACE)]

Kim, S. C., Zhao, X., Brophy, N. S.*, Walker, M., & Alexander, T. (2022). Visual attention to the source matters: Using eye tracking to understand the FDA’s “Every Try Counts” campaign message effectiveness. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 24(2), 280-284.

Kim, S. C., Hawkins, R. P., Shah, D. V., Gustafson, D. H., & Baker, T. B. (2020). Understanding how e-Health intervention meets psychosocial needs of breast cancer patients: The pathways of influence on quality of life and cancer concerns. Psycho-Oncology, 29(10), 1704-1712.

Kim, S. C., Vraga, E. K., & Cook, J. (2020). An eye tracking approach to understanding misinformation and correction strategies on social media: The mediating role of attention and credibility to reduce HPV vaccine misperceptions. Health Communication, 1-10.

Kim, S. C., Pei, D.*, Kotcher, J., & Myers, T. (2020). Predicting responses to climate change health impact messages from political ideology and health status: Cognitive appraisals and emotional reactions as mediators. Environment and Behavior.

Kim, S. C., & Hawkins, K. H.* (2020). The psychology of social media communication in influencing prevention intentions during the 2019 U.S. measles outbreak. Computers in Human Behavior. 111, 106428.

Vraga, E. K., Kim, S. C., Cook, J., & Bode, L. (2020). Testing the effectiveness of correction placement and type on Instagram. The International Journal of Press and Politics, 25(4), 632-652. [AEJMC COMMUNICATING SCIENCE, HEALTH, ENVIRONMENT, AND RISK (COMSHER) DIVISION 2021 ARTICLE OF THE YEAR AWARD (1ST PLACE)]

Vraga, E. K., Kim, S. C., & Cook, J. (2019). Testing logic-based and humor-based corrections for science, health, and political misinformation on social media. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 63(3), 393-414.

Kim, S. C., Shaw, B. R., Shah, D. V., Hawkins, R. P., Pingree, S., McTavish, F. M., & Gustafson, D. H. (2019). Interactivity, presence, and targeted patient care: Mapping e-health intervention effects over time for cancer patients with depression. Health Communication, 34(2), 162-171.

Kim, S. C., Cappella, J. N., & Price, V. (2016). Online discussion effects on intention to participate in genetic research: A longitudinal experimental study. Psychology & Health, 31(9), 1025-1046.

Kim, S. C., Shah, D. V., Namkoong, K., McTavish, F. M., & Gustafson, D. H. (2013). Predictors of online health information seeking among women with breast cancer: The role of social support perception and emotional well-being. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 18(2), 98-118.

Grants and Fellowships

Co-PI, Facebook Foundational Integrity & Impact Research: Misinformation and Polarization Award, Meta Platforms Inc.

"Testing fact and logic-based responses to polarizing climate misinformation" (PI: Dr. John Cook, Climate Change Communication Research Hub, Monash University)

Co-PI, Alzheimer's and Related Diseases Research Award Fund (ARDRAF), Virginia Center on Aging, The Commonwealth of Virginia

"Alzheimer Research Inquiry and Care for Asian Americans (ARICAA): Protocol development of culturally tailored social media-based program" (PI: Dr. Alicia Hong, School of Health Administration and Policy, George Mason University)

PI, One for All Educational Grant, Free Speech Center, Middle Tennessee State University

"Supporting PR students’ campaign development and implementation to promote the First Amendment on Mason campus in COMM 331 Public Relations Campaigns"

PI, Faculty Research and Development Award, George Mason University

"Identifying barriers to public understanding of climate change impact on transportation management and policy: A theory-driven approach"

Co-PI, Climate Communication Award, International Environmental Communication Association

"Countering climate misinformation with humor and active inoculation" (PI: Dr. John Cook, Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University)

Courses Taught

COMM 750 Quantitative Methods

COMM 721 E-Health Communication

COMM 650 Introduction to Graduate Research Methods

COMM 637 Risk Communication

COMM 620 Health Communication

COMM 388 Special Topics in PR: PR Research and Analytics in the Age of AI

COMM 331 Public Relations Campaigns

COMM 302 Media Theory

COMM 204 Introduction to Public Relations

HNRS 110 Principles of Inquiry and Research (Mason Impact)

Education

Post Doctoral Fellowship Communication, University of Pennsylvania

Ph.D. Mass Communications, University of Wisconsin-Madison

M.A. Telecommunications, Indiana University-Bloomington

B.A. Mass Communication, Korea University

B.A. Education, Korea University

Recent Presentations

Global Convergence Content Research Center, Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea, November 2024. “Eye Tracking Research and Methods: A Case Study of the FDA’s Public Health Campaign Effectiveness”

Health Communication Research Symposium, Mass Communication Research Center (MCRC), School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, December 2023.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), February 2021. “Capacity Building Workshop”

Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China, November 2020. “Beyond Self-report: Using Eye Tracking as a Method to Study Message Attention”

Jinan University, Guangzhou, China, July 2020. “The Psychology of Social Media Communication on Contested Health Topics”

Food and Drug Administration (FDA), White Oak, MD, February 2020. “Every Try Counts’ Campaign Eye Tracking Pilot Study Presentation”

In the Media

Faculty Spotlight (August, 2021). #MasonCOMM Faculty, Sojung Kim, Does Cutting Edge Research with Eye Tracking Technology

GMU Student Media Newsletter (April, 2020). Learning Beyond the Classroom: COMM 331: PR Faculty Partnership

Werner, K., Parker, C., & Kaylor, J. (November 2017). Keep It Simple!: Our Logo Design Story