Myrick work on celebrity cancer in journal
Assistant professor Jessica Myrick’s research, “Public Perceptions of Celebrity Cancer Deaths: How Identification and Emotions Shape Cancer Stigma and Behavioral Intentions,” was published in Health Communication Science Digest of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Oct. 14.
The study focuses on how people respond to celebrity death by cancer. Myrick’s data follows an experiment based on cause of death and celebrity obituary, studying the effects on identification, reactions, perceptions and intentions in cancer deaths.
The research concludes that specific causes of death in celebrities with cancer do not directly impact cancer stigma but can indirectly influence stigma due to the emotions different types of cancer evoke in audiences.
Myrick’s research focuses on emotions, health and psychology in the media, as well as human-computer interactions.
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