I am most interested in how health information gets communicated in narrative media, such as entertainment television, and the unique influence social norms have in those decisions. Much of my work has been focused on vaccination intentions, however, I consider myself a media psychologist interested in health behaviors. That is, my work is not isolated to a single health behavior as I am most intrigued by the underlying cognitive mechanisms responsible for successful persuasion.
As can be seen below, my work has been published in various outlets, including Health Communication, Human Communication Research, and the Journal of Environmental Management.
Papers
Steinhardt, J., & McClaran, N. (in press). Separating the art from the artist: The role of narratives on music enjoyment and appreciation. Psychology of Music.
https://doi.org/10.1177%2F03057356221098781
McClaran, N., Rhodes, N., & Yao, S.X. (in press). Trust and coping beliefs contribute to racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination intention. Health Communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2022.2035944
McClaran, N., & Rhodes, N. (2021). Portrayals of vaccination in entertainment television: A content analysis. Health Communication, 36(10), 1242-1251.
https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1749356
McClaran, N., Behe, B. K., Huddleston, P., & Fernandez, R. T. (2020). Recycled or
reclaimed? The effect of terminology on water reuse perceptions. Journal of
Environmental Management, 261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.110144
Rhodes, N., Shulman, H., & McClaran, N. (2020). Changing norms: A meta-analytic integration of research on social norm appeals. Human Communication Research, 46(2-3), 161-191. https://doi.org/10.1093/hcr/hqz023
Nikki McClaran, PhD 