Chris Skurka is an assistant professor in the Department of Film Production and Media Studies and is a member of the Science Communication Program faculty. He is also a member of the Penn State Cancer Institute. His research centers on the effectiveness of mass-mediated efforts to promote engagement with health, science, and environmental issues. He is particularly interested in the role of emotion in how audiences respond to such media messages. Often, he studies how media messages can promote civic engagement, such as support for social policies and willingness to engage in political activism. He has studied matters related to climate change communication, anti-tobacco messaging, and communication about the social determinants of health.
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Recent Publications
The effects of self-disclosure and gender on a climate scientist’s credibility and likability on social media
Kim, N., Skurka, C. & Madden, S., 2024, (Accepted/In press) In: Public Understanding of Science.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Understanding Fake News Corrective Action: A Mixed-Method Approach
De Zúñiga, H. G., Goyanes, M. & Skurka, C., 2023, In: International Journal of Communication. 17, p. 3428-3450 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Leveraging Dynamic Norms to Reduce College Student Alcohol Use: A Test of Four Mediators
Reynolds-Tylus, T., Martinez Gonzalez, A. & Skurka, C., 2023, (Accepted/In press) In: Health Communication.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Awesome, Awful: Emotional Flow in Environmental Messaging
Skurka, C., Kim, N., Eng, N. & Oliver, M. B., 2023, (Accepted/In press) In: Media Psychology.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Fanning the flames or burning out? Testing competing hypotheses about repeated exposure to threatening climate change messages
Skurka, C., Myrick, J. G. & Yang, Y., May 2023, In: Climatic Change. 176, 5, 52.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Seeing the funny side: Humor in pro-environmental communication
Skurka, C. & Lee Cunningham, J. J., Oct 2023, In: Current Opinion in Psychology. 53, 101668.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Tuning Out (Political and Science) News? A Selective Exposure Study of the News Finds Me Perception
Skurka, C., Liao, M. & Gil de Zúñiga, H., 2023, (Accepted/In press) In: Communication Research.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Being outdoorsy indoors: Nature connectedness through 360-degree images and video
Troy, C. L. C. & Skurka, C., 2023, In: Journal of Environmental Media. 4, 1, p. 27-47 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Inoculating Black/African American and LGBTQ Communities Against the Tobacco Industry: The Role of Community Connectedness and Tobacco Denormalization Beliefs
Wheldon, C. W., Skurka, C. & Eng, N., 2023, (Accepted/In press) In: Health promotion practice.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Young Adults’ Willingness to Engage in Climate Change Activism: An Application of the Theory of Normative Social Behavior
Gonzalez, A. M., Reynolds-Tylus, T. & Skurka, C., 2022, In: Environmental Communication. 16, 3, p. 388-407 20 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Youth and Young Adult-targeted E-cigarette Warnings and Advertising Messages: An Experiment with Young Adults in the US
Kalaji, M., Mathios, A. D., Skurka, C., Niederdeppe, J. & Byrne, S., 2022, In: Journal of Health Communication. 27, 8, p. 574-584 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Choose Your Own Emotion: Predictors of Selective Exposure to Emotion-Inducing Climate Messages
Skurka, C., Romero-Canyas, R., Joo, H. H. & Niederdeppe, J., 2022, In: Environmental Communication. 16, 3, p. 424-431 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Efficacy constructs in media use and effects: organizing and appraising the literature
Skurka, C., Troy, C., Cui, Z. & Gil de Zúñiga, H., 2022, (Accepted/In press) In: Annals of the International Communication Association.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Emotional Appeals, Climate Change, and Young Adults: A Direct Replication of Skurka et al. (2018)
Skurka, C., Romero-Canyas, R., Joo, H. H., Acup, D. & Niederdeppe, J., Jan 1 2022, In: Human Communication Research. 48, 1, p. 147-156 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
On the Effects and Boundaries of Awe and Humor Appeals for Pro-Environmental Engagement
Skurka, C., Eng, N. & Oliver, M. B., 2022, In: International Journal of Communication. 16, p. 2709-2729 21 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review