Research & Publications

Recent findings first; selected publications by area below. The complete record lives on Google Scholar.

Recent findings

AI adoption in the workplace

Communication Research · 2023

A longitudinal study of how employees come to accept AI at work. Compatibility with existing work, relative advantage, and observability made employees more positive — but different groups moved for different reasons: optimists responded to trialability, skeptics to visible effects and perceived threats to job security.

Xu, S., Kee, K. F., Li, W., Yamamoto, M., & Riggs, R. E. (2023). Examining the Diffusion of Innovations from a dynamic, differential-effects perspective. Communication Research. doi.org/10.1177/00936502231191832

Machine learning meets collaboration diversity

Journal of Communication · 2024

76,217 publications across 73 communication journals, 1990–2023. Racially diverse co-authorship predicts higher citation counts — an effect that grows over time. Non-White lead authors collaborate more diversely yet receive significantly fewer citations, despite publishing in top journals at similar rates.

Xu, S., Jitkajornwanich, K., David, P., Park, H., Zhao, Y., Adu, J., & Chumthong, T. (2024). A longitudinal examination of collaboration diversity among communication scholars: 1990–2023. Journal of Communication. doi.org/10.1093/joc/jqae037

Selected publications

Artificial intelligence

Xu, S., Kee, K. F., Li, W., Yamamoto, M., & Riggs, R. E. (2023). Examining the Diffusion of Innovations from a dynamic, differential-effects perspective: A longitudinal study on AI adoption among employees. Communication Research. doi.org/10.1177/00936502231191832

Xu, S., & Li, W. (2022). A tool or a social being? A dynamic longitudinal investigation of functional use and relational use of AI voice assistants. New Media & Society. doi.org/10.1177/14614448221108112

Li, W., Xu, S., Zheng, X., & Sun, R. (2024). Bridging the knowledge gap in artificial intelligence: The roles of social media exposure and information elaboration. Science Communication. doi.org/10.1177/10755470241232352

Social support & social media

Xu, S., Li, W., & Zhang, W. (2021). The dynamics of social capital: Examining the reciprocity between network features and social support. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 26(6), 362–383. doi.org/10.1093/jcmc/zmab014

Xu, S., Li, W., Zhang, W., & Cho, J. (2021). The dynamics of social support and affective well-being before and during COVID: An experience sampling study. Computers in Human Behavior. doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106776

Li, W., Xu, S., Yamamoto, M., & Kee, K. (2023). The reciprocity of social media engagement and collective actions: A longitudinal study on Ukrainian refugees. Computers in Human Behavior, 149, 107959. doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107959

Media multitasking

Xu, S., & Wang, Z. (2022). Multiple selves and multitasking: A dynamic longitudinal study. Communication Research, 49(6), 891–914. doi.org/10.1177/0093650221991493

Xu, S., Wang, Z., & David, P. (2022). Social media multitasking and well-being: A review. Current Opinion in Psychology. doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101345

Xu, S., Kee, K., & Mao, C. (2021). Work-life balance and multitasking: Explicating multitasking when working from home. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 65(3), 397–425. doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2021.1976779

Complete list on Google Scholar