Adam Richards

Adam Richards

Associate Professor, Communication Studies

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Dr. Adam S. Richards is Associate Professor of Communication Studies at Furman University. His work focuses on the effects of persuasive communication on attitudes and behaviors across a variety of contexts, including public health, sustainability, politics, higher education, and conspiracy theory propaganda. He also studies processes associated with difficult information management decisions in face-to-face communication, such as conflict initiation and secret disclosure. Overall, this scholarship is guided by the question, “How can we strategically employ messages that facilitate well-being for individuals, relationships, and communities?” Dr. Richards has authored numerous articles appearing in journals like Communication Research, Communication Monographs, and Health Communication, and his research has received awards from regional, national, and international communication associations. At Furman, Dr. Richards teaches courses in strategic communication, health communication, social influence, and research methods.

Dr. Richards joined the Furman faculty in Fall 2020. Prior to that, he spent seven years on faculty at Texas Christian University. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, an M.A. from the University of Montana, and a B.A. from Wake Forest University, all in Communication. He is a member of the National Communication Association and International Communication Association.

Honors & Awards

  • Top Four Paper, Health Communication Division, Western States Communication Association, 2020
  • Top Four Paper, Health Communication Division, National Communication Association, 2019
  • Top Paper, Communication and Social Cognition Division, National Communication Association, 2016
  • Top Paper, Nonverbal Communication Division, National Communication Association, 2016
  • Top Paper, Health Communication Division, International Communication Association, 2015
  • Gerald R. Miller Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, National Communication Association, 2014
  • Top Four Paper, Interpersonal Communication Division, National Communication Association, 2011
  • Top Paper, Interpersonal Communication Division, National Communication Association, 2010
  • Top Thesis Award, Interpersonal Communication Division, International Communication Association, 2010

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Maryland
  • M.A., University of Montana
  • B.A., Wake Forest University

Research Interests

  • Strategic communication
  • Health Communication
  • Social Influence

Select Publications

  • Clyne, L., Fellers, M., & Richards, A. S. (2020). Metacognitive inoculation reduces the persuasiveness of sarcastic attack messages. Communication Reports, 33, 68-81. doi:10.1080/08934215.2020.1755876
  • Turner, M. M., Richards, A. S., Bessarabova, E., & Magid, Y. (2020). The effects of anger appeals on systematic processing and intentions: The moderating role of efficacy. Communication Reports, 33, 14-26. doi:10.1080/08934215.2019.1682175
  • Armstrong, K., Richards, A. S., & Boyd, K. (2019). Red-hot reactance: Color cues moderate the freedom threatening characteristics of health PSAs. Health Communication. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/10410236.2019.1700885
  • Keating, D., Richards, A., Palomares, N., Banas, J., Joyce, N., & Rains, S. (2019). Titling practices and their implications in communication research 1970-2010: Cutesy cues carry citation consequences. Communication Research. Advance online publication. doi:10.1177/0093650219887025
  • Hample, D., & Richards, A. S. (2019). Personalizing conflict in different interpersonal relationship types. Western Journal of Communication, 83, 190-209. doi:10.1080/10570314.2018.1442017
  • Nan, X., Daily, K., Richards, A., Holt, C. (2019). Parental support for HPV vaccination mandates among African Americans: The impact of message framing and consideration of future consequences. Health Communication, 34, 1404-1412. doi:10.1080/10410236.2018.1493419
  • Nan, X., Daily, K., Richards, A., Holt, C., Wang, M. Q., Tracy, K., & Qin, Y. (2019). The role of trust in health information from medical authorities in accepting the HPV vaccine among African American parents. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 15, 1723-1731. doi:10.1080/21645515.2018.1540825
  • Moore, K. P., & Richards, A. S. (2019). The effects of instructor credibility, grade incentives, and advantage framing of a technology policy on students’ intent to comply and motivation to learn. Communication Studies, 70, 394-411. doi:10.1080/10510974.2019.1617761. doi:10.1080/10510974.2019.1617761
  • Richards, A. S., & Banas, J. A. (2018). The opposing mediational effects of apprehensive threat and motivational threat when inoculating against reactance to health promotion. Southern Communication Journal, 83, 245-255. doi:10.1080/1041794X.2018.1498909
  • Banas, J. A., & Richards, A. S. (2017). Apprehension or motivation to defend attitudes? Exploring the underlying threat mechanism in inoculation-induced resistance to persuasion. Communication Monographs, 84, 164-178. doi:10.1080/03637751.2017.1307999
  • Cionea, I. A., Richards, A. S., & Straub, S. K. (2017). Factors predicting the intent to engage in arguments in close relationships: A revised model. Argumentation, 31, 121-163. doi:10.1007/s10503-016-9400-z
  • Richards, A. S., Banas, J. A., & Magid, Y. (2017). More on inoculating against reactance to persuasive health messages: The paradox of threat. Health Communication, 32, 890-902. doi:10.1080/10410236.2016.1196410
  • Richards, A. S., & Fink, E. L. (2017). Attributional chromatics: How does the color of written communication affect interpersonal perceptions? International Journal of Communication, 11, 1683-1704.
  • Richards, A. S., & Larsen, M. (2017). Anger expression moderates the effects of psychological reactance to sexual health messages. Health Communication, 32, 1491-1500. doi:10.1080/10410236.2016.1230811
  • Hample, D., & Richards, A. S. (2016). A cognitive model of argument, with application to the base-rate phenomenon and cognitive-experiential self-theory. Communication Research, 34, 739-760. doi:10.1177/0093650214534961
  • Luechtefeld, S., & Richards, A. S. (2016). The interaction of issue and image coverage on political candidate assessment. Communication Studies, 67, 20-36. doi:10.1080/10510974.2015.1088048
  • Nan, X., Madden, K., Richards, A., Holt, C., Wang, M., & Tracy, K. (2016). Message framing, perceived susceptibility, and intentions to vaccinate one’s child against HPV among African American parents. Health Communication, 31, 798-805. doi:10.1080/10410236.2015.1005280
  • Richards, A. S. (2016). Assessing the structure of efficacy and outcome expectancies in the decision to disclose secrets: A comparison of contrasting theories. Communication Reports, 29, 50-61. doi:10.1080/08934215.2015.1038841
  • Richards, A. S., & Hample, D. (2016). Facial similarity mitigates the persuasive effects of source bias: An evolutionary explanation for kinship and susceptibility to influence. Communication Monographs, 83, 1-24. doi:10.1080/03637751.2015.1014822
  • Hample, D., & Richards, A. S. (2015). Attachment, serial arguing, and taking conflict personally. Journal of Argumentation in Context, 4, 63-86. doi:10.1075/jaic.4.1.04ham
  • Nan, X., Dahlstrom, M., Richards, A., & Rangarajan, S. (2015). Influence of evidence type and narrative type on HPV risk perception and intention to obtain the HPV vaccine. Health Communication, 30, 301-308. doi:10.1080/10410236.2014.888629
  • Richards, A. S., & Banas, J. A. (2015). Inoculating against reactance to persuasive health messages. Health Communication, 30, 451-460. doi:10.1080/10410236.2013.867005
  • Richards, A. S., & Cionea, I. A. (2015). Extending the argument engagement model: Expected utility and interacting traits as predictors of the decision to argue with friends. Journal of Argumentation in Context, 4, 110-133. doi:10.1075/jaic.4.1.06ric
  • Richards, A. S. (2014). Predicting attitude toward methamphetamine use: The role of anti-drug campaign exposure and conversations about meth in Montana. Health Communication, 29, 124-136. doi:10.1080/10410236.2012.728469
  • Richards, A. S., & Sillars, A. L. (2014). Imagined interactions as predictors of secret revelation and health. Communication Research, 41, 236-256. doi:10.1177/0093650212438392
  • Sillars, A. L., Holman, A., Richards, A., Jacobs, K., Koerner, A., & Reynolds, A. (2014). Conversation and conformity orientations as predictors of observed conflict tactics in parent-adolescent discussions. Journal of Family Communication, 14, 16-31. doi:10.1080/15267431.2013.857327
  • Hample, D., Richards, A. S., & Skubisz, C. (2013). Blurting. Communication Monographs, 80, 503-532. doi:10.1080/03637751.2013.830316
  • Hample, D., Richards, A. S., & Na., L. (2012). A test of the conflict linkage model in the context of serial arguments. Western Journal of Communication, 76, 459-479. doi:10.1080/10570314.2012.703361
  • Paquin, R. S., Richards, A. S., Koehly, L. M., & McBride, C. M. (2012). Exploring dispositional tendencies to seek online information about direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 2, 392-400. doi:10.1007/s13142-012-0159-y
  • Richards, A. S. (2012). Course sequencing in the communication curriculum: A case study. Communication Education, 61, 395-427. doi:10.1080/03634523.2012.713500

 

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