Meara H Faw | Colorado State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Meara H Faw

Frontiers in Psychology

This co-design study examined salutogenic potential of mobile virtual reality (VR) experiences as... more This co-design study examined salutogenic potential of mobile virtual reality (VR) experiences as an alternative to participation in a community-based symphonic engagement program (B Sharp), previously found to benefit people with dementia (PWD) and their informal caregivers. Six focus groups were conducted with sixteen adults aged 76–90; three participants had dementia, and two were informal spousal caregivers. No participants had prior VR experience. The study assessed the feasibility of replicating the community-based-arts program in VR, with the goal of enhancing its salutogenic qualities (e.g., positive distraction, engagement, and social connection). Video-recordings of participants while using a mobile head-mounted display (HMD) were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis to compare perceptions of different virtual experiences, including replication or enhancement of B Sharp and a campus tour. Findings suggest participants had positive perceptions of enhanced VR experie...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Communication Studies

In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences’ “replication crisis,” we have endeavor... more In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences’ “replication crisis,” we have endeavored to replicate Xu and Burleson’s (2001) research study, “Effects of Sex, Culture, and Support Type of Perceptions of Spousal Support: An Assessment.” This study, which examines the support gap hypothesis and its different manifestations among men and women from the United States of America and China, has contributed greatly to scholarly conversations on social support, sex, culture, and support gaps. Results from our study partially replicate Xu and Burleson’s (2001) original findings and provide general empirical evidence for the support gap hypothesis. Differences in findings between the two studies and their implications are discussed.

The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication

Communication Quarterly

ABSTRACT This study considers ways to improve conceptualization of listening types through explor... more ABSTRACT This study considers ways to improve conceptualization of listening types through exploration of widely used listening scales: the 24-item and 8-item revised Listening Styles Profiles (LSP-R and LSP-R8) and the revised Listening Concepts Inventory (LCI-R). Using an online survey, we examined the ways that these scales correlate within and across each other. Our results demonstrate several robust correlations between the subscales of each listening inventory. Additionally, our results echo previous findings, showing strong correlations between different subscales of the LCI-R and the LSP-R, while also adding to the literature by illuminating previously unidentified correlations between the LCI-R and the LSP-R8. These results carry significant implications for future listening scholarship related to measurement within and across each subscale for these important listening types and styles.

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child wit... more The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child with disabilities can be overwhelming, and it is not uncommon for caregivers to experience burnout, emotional distress, and significant health ailments as a result of their commitment to their child. Social support can be a key resource to combat these negative effects, as ample research has shown that social support can act as a buffer to the negative effects of stress. The current study explored whether short-term supportive interactions between parents of children with disabilities and members of their supportive network ( n = 40 dyads) influenced the physiological stress responses (as measured by salivary cortisol) of both interactants. Results indicated that receiving support in a short interaction resulted in parents experiencing decreases to their physiological stress, though the quality of the support played a key role in determining how beneficial the interaction was in this contex...

As a graduate student, I became interested in understanding how people talk with their friends an... more As a graduate student, I became interested in understanding how people talk with their friends and family when they want to lose weight. Talking about a desire to lose weight can be quite difficult, but previous research has made a very strong case for the importance of receiving social support from friends and family in achieving success when attempting to lose weight. The bulk of this research, however, focused on social support received through a doctor-or researcher-supervised intervention. For most people, this type of support is not very common, and instead, they rely on social support from their friends and family to try and achieve their goals. This case study provides an account of how I recruited individuals dealing with a sensitive issue (their desire to lose weight) to participate in the study as well as how I conducted in-depth interviews with participants to understand their efforts to get their friends and family to support them when trying to lose weight. This case sheds light on the advantages and challenges of using in-depth interviews to collect data about a relatively understudied topic and how researchers can preemptively manage some of these challenges through careful research design and implementation. Particular attention is paid to the creation of the interview protocol as well as the use of probing to elicit more information from participants. Learning Outcomes By the end of this case students should be able to Understand the challenges and benefits of conducting in-depth interviews for health research purposes Distinguish between the three broad types of interviews and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of each Identify practical strategies for preparing for interviews and improving interviewing techniques Describe the essential tools of a successful interview, including interview protocols and probing questions Project Overview and Context: Asking for Support When Trying to Lose Weight When I began this study in the spring of 2011, the majority of research examining the effects of social support on achieving weight loss showed that it is incredibly important and helpful. Social support is a broad term that refers to acts that communicate caring and concern for another individual. Social support provides assistance and communicates that individual is loved, valued, and an integral part of a larger community (Kim, Sherman, & Taylor, 2008).

Interpersonal Communication, 2014

Communication Quarterly, 2021

Communication Studies, 2019

Communication between parents and their young adult children serves as an impor- tant foundation ... more Communication between parents and their young adult children serves as an impor- tant foundation for healthy development and successful socialization. When commu- nicating support, parents may struggle to find a balance between comforting their child while also encouraging their personal growth and development. In certain situations, parents may communicate tough love in order to accomplish their different goals. This study examines 67 interviews involving parents and their young adult children to explore how they discuss and understand tough love in their relationships. Results illuminate five themes regarding the distinguishing features of tough love and three themes around the outcomes of tough love in parent-child relationships.

Communication Reports, 2019

Following stressful experiences like relational transgressions, individuals often turn to members... more Following stressful experiences like relational transgressions, individuals often turn to members of their personal network for support. This study explored how third-party network members approach coping (communal vs. individual) with a transgressed individual. Fifty network members accompanied transgressed individuals to a communication lab where they completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions and feelings about the transgression. Findings show that network members’ reports of communal coping with another person’s transgression experience are associated with feelings of hurt and anger, as well as unforgiveness towards the transgressor. This study expands communal coping research to understand the outcomes of communal approaches within stressors typically perceived as individual and suggests that effects of stressors and their subsequent coping behaviors ripple throughout personal networks.

Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 2019

Relational transgressions are emotionally difficult for those who directly experience the transgr... more Relational transgressions are emotionally difficult for those who directly experience the transgression. Less is known about how transgressions affect those located within the personal network of a relational transgression victim. This study explored how network members engaged in support marshaling in response to another’s transgression experience. Results indicate that some participants marshaled support, citing four reasons for their actions: perceived insufficiency, camaraderie, personal ramifications, and personal values. We explore these reasons for marshaling support and discuss them within the broader context of support marshaling and relational transgressions.

In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences' "replication crisis," we have endeavor... more In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences' "replication crisis," we have endeavored to replicate Xu and Burleson's (2001) research study, "Effects of Sex, Culture, and Support Type of Perceptions of Spousal Support: An Assessment." This study, which examines the support gap hypothesis and its different manifestations among men and women from the United States of America and China, has contributed greatly to scholarly conversations on social support, sex, culture, and support gaps. Results from our study partially replicate Xu and Burleson's (2001) original findings and provide general empirical evidence for the support gap hypothesis. Differences in findings between the two studies and their implications are discussed.

Cancer caregivers often experience significant challenges in their motivation and ability to comf... more Cancer caregivers often experience significant challenges in their motivation and ability to comfort cancer survivors , particularly in a spousal or romantic context. Spousal cancer caregivers have been known to report even greater levels of burden and distress than cancer sufferers, yet still take on the role of acting as an informal caregiver so they can attend to their partner's needs. The current study tested whether a theoretical model of supportive outcomes—the dual-process model of supportive communication—explained variations in cancer caregivers' motivation and ability to create high-quality support messages. The study also tested whether participant engagement with reflective journaling on supportive acts was associated with increased motivation or ability to generate high-quality support messages. Based upon the dual-process model, we posited that, following supportive journaling tasks, caregivers of spouses currently managing a cancer experience would report greater motivation but also greater difficulty in generating high-quality support messages, while individuals caring for a patient in remission would report lower motivation but greater ability to create high-quality support messages. Findings provided support for these assertions and suggested that reflective journaling tasks might be a useful tool for improving remission caregivers' ability to provide high-quality social support to survivors. Corresponding theoretical and applied implications are discussed.

Despite the growing popularity of mHealth applications, their usage outcomes have received limite... more Despite the growing popularity of mHealth applications, their usage outcomes have received limited empirical attention. Drawing on server-level user activity data and an online survey (N = 384), this study examines the use of an mHealth application for weight loss to elucidate the ways in which it can help individuals harness the power of self-efficacy and group support to enact behavior change and accomplish their health goals. The results of structural equation modeling based on 6-month user activity data demonstrated that (a) self-efficacy had a positive impact on persistent food logging in an mHealth application; (b) social support received from a mobile group was positively associated with food logging and group participation; and (c) both food logging and group participation predicted weight loss success. Extending these findings, this study suggests theoretical and practical implications for designing individually tailored and evidence-based health intervention strategies using advanced mHealth technologies.

The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child wit... more The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child with disabilities can be overwhelming, and it is not uncommon for caregivers to experience burnout, emotional distress, and significant health ailments as a result of their commitment to their child. Social support can be a key resource to combat these negative effects, as ample research has shown that social support can act as a buffer to the negative effects of stress. The current study explored whether short-term supportive interactions between parents of children with disabilities and members of their supportive network (n ¼ 40 dyads) influenced the physiological stress responses (as measured by salivary cortisol) of both interactants. Results indicated that receiving support in a short interaction resulted in parents experiencing decreases to their physiological stress, though the quality of the support played a key role in determining how beneficial the interaction was in this context. These results suggest the importance of considering support quality when examining the influence of social support on physical outcomes for support recipients.

Verbal person-centeredness (VPC) is an important component in understanding social support, as it... more Verbal person-centeredness (VPC) is an important component in understanding social support, as it is one way to distinguish between supportive messages of different quality and associated outcomes. VPC is typically measured from the perspective of support recipients and/or trained coders rather than support providers. The goal of this study was to test a self-report scale measuring support providers’ perceptions of their own VPC communicated during interactions. This manuscript outlines four studies detailing the construction and evaluation of the Provider Expressions of Verbal Person-Centeredness (PE-VPC) scale along with its limitations and research practicality.

Frontiers in Psychology

This co-design study examined salutogenic potential of mobile virtual reality (VR) experiences as... more This co-design study examined salutogenic potential of mobile virtual reality (VR) experiences as an alternative to participation in a community-based symphonic engagement program (B Sharp), previously found to benefit people with dementia (PWD) and their informal caregivers. Six focus groups were conducted with sixteen adults aged 76–90; three participants had dementia, and two were informal spousal caregivers. No participants had prior VR experience. The study assessed the feasibility of replicating the community-based-arts program in VR, with the goal of enhancing its salutogenic qualities (e.g., positive distraction, engagement, and social connection). Video-recordings of participants while using a mobile head-mounted display (HMD) were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis to compare perceptions of different virtual experiences, including replication or enhancement of B Sharp and a campus tour. Findings suggest participants had positive perceptions of enhanced VR experie...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Communication Studies

In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences’ “replication crisis,” we have endeavor... more In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences’ “replication crisis,” we have endeavored to replicate Xu and Burleson’s (2001) research study, “Effects of Sex, Culture, and Support Type of Perceptions of Spousal Support: An Assessment.” This study, which examines the support gap hypothesis and its different manifestations among men and women from the United States of America and China, has contributed greatly to scholarly conversations on social support, sex, culture, and support gaps. Results from our study partially replicate Xu and Burleson’s (2001) original findings and provide general empirical evidence for the support gap hypothesis. Differences in findings between the two studies and their implications are discussed.

The Routledge Handbook of Health Communication

Communication Quarterly

ABSTRACT This study considers ways to improve conceptualization of listening types through explor... more ABSTRACT This study considers ways to improve conceptualization of listening types through exploration of widely used listening scales: the 24-item and 8-item revised Listening Styles Profiles (LSP-R and LSP-R8) and the revised Listening Concepts Inventory (LCI-R). Using an online survey, we examined the ways that these scales correlate within and across each other. Our results demonstrate several robust correlations between the subscales of each listening inventory. Additionally, our results echo previous findings, showing strong correlations between different subscales of the LCI-R and the LSP-R, while also adding to the literature by illuminating previously unidentified correlations between the LCI-R and the LSP-R8. These results carry significant implications for future listening scholarship related to measurement within and across each subscale for these important listening types and styles.

Journal of Social and Personal Relationships

The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child wit... more The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child with disabilities can be overwhelming, and it is not uncommon for caregivers to experience burnout, emotional distress, and significant health ailments as a result of their commitment to their child. Social support can be a key resource to combat these negative effects, as ample research has shown that social support can act as a buffer to the negative effects of stress. The current study explored whether short-term supportive interactions between parents of children with disabilities and members of their supportive network ( n = 40 dyads) influenced the physiological stress responses (as measured by salivary cortisol) of both interactants. Results indicated that receiving support in a short interaction resulted in parents experiencing decreases to their physiological stress, though the quality of the support played a key role in determining how beneficial the interaction was in this contex...

As a graduate student, I became interested in understanding how people talk with their friends an... more As a graduate student, I became interested in understanding how people talk with their friends and family when they want to lose weight. Talking about a desire to lose weight can be quite difficult, but previous research has made a very strong case for the importance of receiving social support from friends and family in achieving success when attempting to lose weight. The bulk of this research, however, focused on social support received through a doctor-or researcher-supervised intervention. For most people, this type of support is not very common, and instead, they rely on social support from their friends and family to try and achieve their goals. This case study provides an account of how I recruited individuals dealing with a sensitive issue (their desire to lose weight) to participate in the study as well as how I conducted in-depth interviews with participants to understand their efforts to get their friends and family to support them when trying to lose weight. This case sheds light on the advantages and challenges of using in-depth interviews to collect data about a relatively understudied topic and how researchers can preemptively manage some of these challenges through careful research design and implementation. Particular attention is paid to the creation of the interview protocol as well as the use of probing to elicit more information from participants. Learning Outcomes By the end of this case students should be able to Understand the challenges and benefits of conducting in-depth interviews for health research purposes Distinguish between the three broad types of interviews and evaluate the benefits and drawbacks of each Identify practical strategies for preparing for interviews and improving interviewing techniques Describe the essential tools of a successful interview, including interview protocols and probing questions Project Overview and Context: Asking for Support When Trying to Lose Weight When I began this study in the spring of 2011, the majority of research examining the effects of social support on achieving weight loss showed that it is incredibly important and helpful. Social support is a broad term that refers to acts that communicate caring and concern for another individual. Social support provides assistance and communicates that individual is loved, valued, and an integral part of a larger community (Kim, Sherman, & Taylor, 2008).

Interpersonal Communication, 2014

Communication Quarterly, 2021

Communication Studies, 2019

Communication between parents and their young adult children serves as an impor- tant foundation ... more Communication between parents and their young adult children serves as an impor- tant foundation for healthy development and successful socialization. When commu- nicating support, parents may struggle to find a balance between comforting their child while also encouraging their personal growth and development. In certain situations, parents may communicate tough love in order to accomplish their different goals. This study examines 67 interviews involving parents and their young adult children to explore how they discuss and understand tough love in their relationships. Results illuminate five themes regarding the distinguishing features of tough love and three themes around the outcomes of tough love in parent-child relationships.

Communication Reports, 2019

Following stressful experiences like relational transgressions, individuals often turn to members... more Following stressful experiences like relational transgressions, individuals often turn to members of their personal network for support. This study explored how third-party network members approach coping (communal vs. individual) with a transgressed individual. Fifty network members accompanied transgressed individuals to a communication lab where they completed a questionnaire assessing their perceptions and feelings about the transgression. Findings show that network members’ reports of communal coping with another person’s transgression experience are associated with feelings of hurt and anger, as well as unforgiveness towards the transgressor. This study expands communal coping research to understand the outcomes of communal approaches within stressors typically perceived as individual and suggests that effects of stressors and their subsequent coping behaviors ripple throughout personal networks.

Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, 2019

Relational transgressions are emotionally difficult for those who directly experience the transgr... more Relational transgressions are emotionally difficult for those who directly experience the transgression. Less is known about how transgressions affect those located within the personal network of a relational transgression victim. This study explored how network members engaged in support marshaling in response to another’s transgression experience. Results indicate that some participants marshaled support, citing four reasons for their actions: perceived insufficiency, camaraderie, personal ramifications, and personal values. We explore these reasons for marshaling support and discuss them within the broader context of support marshaling and relational transgressions.

In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences' "replication crisis," we have endeavor... more In response to recent calls regarding the social sciences' "replication crisis," we have endeavored to replicate Xu and Burleson's (2001) research study, "Effects of Sex, Culture, and Support Type of Perceptions of Spousal Support: An Assessment." This study, which examines the support gap hypothesis and its different manifestations among men and women from the United States of America and China, has contributed greatly to scholarly conversations on social support, sex, culture, and support gaps. Results from our study partially replicate Xu and Burleson's (2001) original findings and provide general empirical evidence for the support gap hypothesis. Differences in findings between the two studies and their implications are discussed.

Cancer caregivers often experience significant challenges in their motivation and ability to comf... more Cancer caregivers often experience significant challenges in their motivation and ability to comfort cancer survivors , particularly in a spousal or romantic context. Spousal cancer caregivers have been known to report even greater levels of burden and distress than cancer sufferers, yet still take on the role of acting as an informal caregiver so they can attend to their partner's needs. The current study tested whether a theoretical model of supportive outcomes—the dual-process model of supportive communication—explained variations in cancer caregivers' motivation and ability to create high-quality support messages. The study also tested whether participant engagement with reflective journaling on supportive acts was associated with increased motivation or ability to generate high-quality support messages. Based upon the dual-process model, we posited that, following supportive journaling tasks, caregivers of spouses currently managing a cancer experience would report greater motivation but also greater difficulty in generating high-quality support messages, while individuals caring for a patient in remission would report lower motivation but greater ability to create high-quality support messages. Findings provided support for these assertions and suggested that reflective journaling tasks might be a useful tool for improving remission caregivers' ability to provide high-quality social support to survivors. Corresponding theoretical and applied implications are discussed.

Despite the growing popularity of mHealth applications, their usage outcomes have received limite... more Despite the growing popularity of mHealth applications, their usage outcomes have received limited empirical attention. Drawing on server-level user activity data and an online survey (N = 384), this study examines the use of an mHealth application for weight loss to elucidate the ways in which it can help individuals harness the power of self-efficacy and group support to enact behavior change and accomplish their health goals. The results of structural equation modeling based on 6-month user activity data demonstrated that (a) self-efficacy had a positive impact on persistent food logging in an mHealth application; (b) social support received from a mobile group was positively associated with food logging and group participation; and (c) both food logging and group participation predicted weight loss success. Extending these findings, this study suggests theoretical and practical implications for designing individually tailored and evidence-based health intervention strategies using advanced mHealth technologies.

The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child wit... more The social, economic, and physical costs associated with providing long-term care for a child with disabilities can be overwhelming, and it is not uncommon for caregivers to experience burnout, emotional distress, and significant health ailments as a result of their commitment to their child. Social support can be a key resource to combat these negative effects, as ample research has shown that social support can act as a buffer to the negative effects of stress. The current study explored whether short-term supportive interactions between parents of children with disabilities and members of their supportive network (n ¼ 40 dyads) influenced the physiological stress responses (as measured by salivary cortisol) of both interactants. Results indicated that receiving support in a short interaction resulted in parents experiencing decreases to their physiological stress, though the quality of the support played a key role in determining how beneficial the interaction was in this context. These results suggest the importance of considering support quality when examining the influence of social support on physical outcomes for support recipients.

Verbal person-centeredness (VPC) is an important component in understanding social support, as it... more Verbal person-centeredness (VPC) is an important component in understanding social support, as it is one way to distinguish between supportive messages of different quality and associated outcomes. VPC is typically measured from the perspective of support recipients and/or trained coders rather than support providers. The goal of this study was to test a self-report scale measuring support providers’ perceptions of their own VPC communicated during interactions. This manuscript outlines four studies detailing the construction and evaluation of the Provider Expressions of Verbal Person-Centeredness (PE-VPC) scale along with its limitations and research practicality.

This course will introduce students to communication research methods, applications, and issues. ... more This course will introduce students to communication research methods, applications, and issues. The purpose of this class is to show students how to think about research, how to understand its purposes, and how it is used in our social worlds. By the end of the class, you will better understand how research is conducted, how research results are used, and how to interrogate if those results are sound.

This course features critical exploration of the theory and research regarding personal and commu... more This course features critical exploration of the theory and research regarding personal and community experiences of social support, its influences on interpersonal relationships and health, and its social functions.

This course features critical examination of the theory and research concerning the dimensions, d... more This course features critical examination of the theory and research concerning the dimensions, dynamics, and functions of interpersonal interaction.