Sabrina Heike Kessler- Dr. phil.
- Senior Researcher at University of Zurich
Sabrina Heike Kessler
- Dr. phil.
- Senior Researcher at University of Zurich
About
49
Publications
12,816
Reads
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455
Citations
Introduction
Current institution
Additional affiliations
February 2019 - July 2020
Position
- Lecturer
Description
- Method seminar (Master, 14*90 MIN) "Quantitative content analysis and frame analysis"
August 2017 - present
Position
- Lecturer
Description
- Lectures (each 14x90 MIN) "Health communication on the Internet" (Master); "Science communication on the Internet" (Master); "Health myths online: Search, selection and reception processes of users on the internet" (Bachelor)
October 2011 - July 2017
Position
- Lecturer
Description
- Bachelor / Undergraduate level (Seminars, each 14x90 MIN) „Communication and media theories I – System theory“ „Communication and media theories II – Mediatization of Science and Politics“
Education
October 2006 - May 2011
Field of study
- Communication Science, Germanic Linguistics and Psychology
Publications
Publications (49)
Relying on a multimethod approach with eye tracking, cued retrospective reporting, and a memory test, this experimental study (N = 45) shows how individuals engage with static, interactive, and interactive-animated data visualizations embedded in online science news. The results suggest that interactivity and animation engage participants most stro...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the field of science communication research. We conducted a literature review of 35 articles published between 2002 and 2024, which reveals that research on AI in science communication is still in its infancy, but growing, predominantly concentrated in Western contexts, and methodologically inclined toward...
In the era of COVID-19 and the Ukraine war, the proliferation of misinformation on social media raises concerns for both individuals and society. This study delves into its reception and effects on attitudes, with a focus on individual verification processes through independent online information search. Drawing on a multimethod laboratory experime...
Since the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic began, large amounts of (mis)information have been disseminated worldwide. We conducted an online survey in Switzerland (N = 1,129) in April 2021 to ask respondents which information has received too little attention in public discourse, which measures help containing coronavirus infection and Covid-19, a...
The internet is increasingly used as a source of health-related information by individuals making a medical decision. Online consultation services offer a safe and anonymous time- and place-independent space in which users can ask health-related questions combined with related individual health narratives, including associated emotions. Research on...
Artificial intelligence (AI) is fundamentally transforming science communication. This editorial for the JCOM Special Issue "Science Communication in the Age of AI" explores the implications of AI, especially generative AI, for science communication, its promises and challenges. The articles in this Special Issue can be categorized into four key ar...
This chapter explores the pervasive issue of health-related misinformation and fake news, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It defines key terms, examines how misinformation spreads, and discusses its prevalence and impact on public health. The chapter highlights the role of social media in the rapid dissemination of false information and...
In the spring of 2023, as part of the Swiss Young Academy project "Science vs Activism? Exploring the Boundary," we conducted qualitative interviews with 33 young researchers from Switzerland representing various disciplines (28 disciplines: Natural Sciences (45%), Social Sciences (27%), Humanities (27%); mean age = 35; 67% female). The aim was to...
Social media platforms like YouTube can exacerbate the challenge of ensuring public adherence to health advisories during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to the spread of misinformation. This study delves into the propagation of antivaccination sentiment on YouTube in Switzerland, examining how different forms of misinformation...
Die Open Access Database of Variables for Content Analysis DOCA sammelt, systematisiert und evaluiert Operationalisierungen für die standardisierte manuelle und automatisierte Inhaltsanalyse in der Kommunikationswissenschaft. DOCA soll Forschenden das Finden von geeigneten und etablierten bzw. getesteten Operationalisierungen (sowie den gesamten Co...
DOCA soll sich zu einem relevanten Werkzeug für Forschende und Studierende der Kommunikationswissenschaft entwickeln. Um die aktuelle Datenbank zu bewerten, Bedürfnisse zu identifizieren sowie
Ideen für die Weiterentwicklung und Optimierung der Datenbank zu sammeln, wurde im November
2022 eine Evaluationsstudie durchgeführt. Das Interesse der Eva...
Objectives:
COVID-19 vaccination misinformation on YouTube can have negative effects on users. Some, after being exposed to such misinformation, may search online for information that either debunks or confirms it. This study's objective is to examine the impact of YouTube videos spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccination and the influenc...
Zusammenfassung
Der Grundlagenbeitrag fokussiert auf die Methode der Inhaltsanalyse inkl. Medienanalyse und reflektiert den Einsatz dieser im Bereich der Evaluation von Wissenschaftskommunikation. Nachdem einleitend deren Relevanz reflektiert wird, wird diese vorgestellt, indem Untersuchungsgegenstände, Analyseprozesse und Ziele der quantitativen/s...
Visuell präsentierte Belege werden in der Wissenschaftskommunikation nicht nur zur Veranschaulichung von wissenschaftlichen Zusammenhängen genutzt, sondern sie stehen mitunter auch stellvertretend für die Evidenz demonstrierter Sachverhalte und suggerieren Objektivität. Verschiedene (visuelle) Evidenzpraktiken können unterschieden werden, welche al...
Online medical consultation services (also called “e-consultation” or “e-visit” services) are Internet-based remote patient–doctor (consumer–provider) services from different hospitals and medical institutes; these are a part of telemedicine (telehealth or e-health) usually for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment. Research has identified various...
Eye-tracking methodologies are becoming a common research tool for those in the field of health communication research. The process-tracking method allows researchers to collect an objective assessment of visual behavior. Eye movements and positions are seen as indicators of the uptake of visual information that provide insights into the cognitive...
Science communication has been defined as encompassing “all forms of communication by and about the sciences, within science (professional audience) as well as in the [broader] public sphere (general audience)”. This broad understanding of science communication includes all kinds of communication focusing on scientific work or scientific results, w...
This chapter summarizes the gaps and merits of this book and identifies research gaps as well as trends and challenges in research using standardized content analysis. In addition, this chapter introduces the Database of Variables for Content Analysis (DOCA), an open-access resource that contains the analytical variables discussed in this book.
Zusammenfassung
Die manuelle Inhaltsanalyse gilt nach wie vor als zentrale Methode kommunikationswissenschaftlicher Forschung. Die nachfolgenden Ausführungen sollen ein Grundverständnis über Merkmale, Schritte, Qualitätskriterien und Schwerpunkte der manuellen Inhaltsanalyse vermitteln, die für die Nachvollziehbarkeit von Konzept und Idee des Handb...
Misinformation and disinformation pose major challenges to effective health communication around the globe during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this special issue, we present research on mis- and disinformation about Covid-19 in the European context and describe challenges and potential solutions for health communication. More specifically, the special...
Biotechnology might contribute to solving food safety and security challenges. However, gene technology has been under
public scrutiny, linked to the framing of the media and public discourse. The study aims to investigate people’s perceptions
and acceptance of food biotechnology with focus on transgenic genetic modification versus genome editing....
Aim: Developing evidence-based recommendations on how to debunk health-related misinformation and more specific health myths in (online) communication is important for individual health and the society. The present study investigated the effects of debunking/correction texts created according to the latest research findings with regard to four diff...
Digitale Selbstvermessung (Self-Tracking) ist integraler Bestandteil
vieler digitaler gesundheitsbezogener Kommunikationstechnologien
und wird intensiv genutzt. Während sich die GesundheitswissenschaftlerInnen
auf die Chancen dieser Anwendungen für die Gesundheitsförderung und -versorgung
konzentrieren, warnen bspw. die KulturwissenschaftlerInnen v...
The mental models that individual scholars have of science communication – how it works, what it is supposed to achieve and so on – shape the way these academics actually communicate to the public. But these mental models, and their prevalence among scholars, have rarely been analysed. Drawing on a large-scale, representative web survey of academic...
Wie Menschen online nach politischen Informationen suchen, bestimmt entscheidend darüber, welche Informationen rezipiert werden und in der Konsequenz über das generierte Wissen. Das Suchverhalten in Bezug auf politische Informationen und der Einfluss verschiedener Personenmerkmale auf das resultierende Wissen ist jedoch weitgehend unerforscht. Dies...
Previous studies have emphasized a person’s biological sex as a factor which influences online search behavior. This study aims to investigate how people ( N = 44 students) search online for political information ( N = 220 search tasks) and if gendered online search exists. We examined online search behavior via eye tracking while the participants...
In dieser Studie untersuchen wir die Darstellung von Frauen in der Schweizer Medienberichterstattung. Wir zeigen mittels zweier Teilstudien, wie sich die mediale Repräsentation von Frauen und Männern seit 2015 verändert hat und wie Frauen und Männer in den Medien dargestellt werden. Unsere Resultate zeigen, dass Frauen im Vergleich zu Männern in Sc...
Die 2020 gegründete Junge Akademie Schweiz (Swiss Young Academy, SYA) vernetzt Angehörige des akademischen Mittelbaus aus allen Wissenschaftsbereichen. Sie bildet ein inspirierendes Umfeld für inter- und transdisziplinäre Begegnungen, Kollaborationen und innovative Ideen. Die Mitglieder sind Ansprechpartner:innen für
die Schweizer Wissenschaft im...
Do journalistic relevance criteria still matter in digital news environments where news is selected and aggregated by algorithms? This article investigates how news factors (e.g., conflict, power elite) influence users’ news attention and selective exposure on the news aggregator website Google News. Alongside direct effects, the study also examine...
CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing is a monumental leap in genetic engineering with considerable societal implications – but it is a complex procedure that is difficult to understand for non-scientists. Wikipedia has been shown to be an important source of information about scientific topics. But research on search, selection, and reception processes...
CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing is a monumental leap in genetic engineering with considerable societal implications – but it is a complex procedure that is difficult to understand for non-scientists. Wikipedia has been shown to be an important source of information about scientific topics. But research on search, selection, and reception processes...
The study examines the state of science communication research in the German-speaking countries. Based on a standardized content analysis of all extended abstracts submitted to the annual conferences of the German Communication Association's science communication division from 2014 to 2018 (N = 141), it describes the respective scholarly community,...
From the 1960s onwards, communication scientists have analyzed science communication. This article provides an overview of the empirical evidence that this research has generated. First, it describes the structures of the research field based on available meta-analyses. Then, it describes what is known about the communicators of science (such as sc...
Internet users are increasingly able to select messages that are in line with their existing attitude and to avoid counter-attitudinal information. When measuring selective exposure to online information, scholars have mainly applied self-reports and behavioral measurements such as log file analysis or eye-tracking. However, the typical research de...
In Germany, the Internet is gaining increasing importance for laypeople as a source of health information, including information about vaccination. While previous research has focused on the characteristics of online information about vaccination, this study investigated the influence of relevant user-specific cognitive factors on users’ search beh...
The aim of this study is to analyze the reasons behind users’ selection of news results on the news aggregator website, Google News, and the role that news factors play in this selection. We assume that user’s cognitive elaboration of users influences their news selection. In this study, a multi-method approach is used to obtain a complete picture...
Der vorliegende Beitrag adressiert mögliche Unterschiede im wissenschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Begriffsverständnis von politischer Online-Partizipation. Die Basis für den Vergleich bilden eine deduktive Analyse existierender Definitionen von politischer Online-Partizipation im Schnittpunkt der kommunikations- und politikwissenschaftlichen Li...
In (in)formal learning scenarios, individuals should develop epistemological beliefs (i.e., individual conceptions about the nature of knowledge and knowing) that are advantageous for understanding everyday science- and health-related information. To date, researchers measuring how to foster students’ discipline-specific epistemological beliefs hav...
Polit-Talkshows sind ein bedeutsames Format für die demokratische Politikvermittlung in Deutschland. Wichtige gesellschaftliche und politische Themen wie die Griechenlandkrise werden dort diskursiv behandelt. Das Erkenntnisinteresse dieser Studie richtet sich auf sendungsübergreifende Belegmuster und somit auf das Argumentationsverhalten von Talksh...
Purpose:
Using the Internet parallel to or after television consumption changes the way people receive news. The way information is framed by the media has been found to influence the behavior of news recipients. We hypothesized that exposure to television media frames would affect a lay audience’s online information-seeking behavior.
Design/met...
Beitrag auf der Jahrestagung der Fachgruppe Kommunikation und Politik der deutschen Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft (DGPuK) in Jena (Germany), 16.-18. February.
Dargestellte medizinische Sachverhalte werden in TV-Wissenschaftsbeiträgen unterschiedlich untermauert oder widerlegt; sie werden unterschiedlich evident dargestellt. Wissenschaftsjournalisten stellen dabei verschiedene Quellen von Evidenz (bspw. Studien, Fallbeispiele oder Expertenmeinungen) mit jeweils unterschiedlich dargestellten Argumentatione...
In der Presse, im Rundfunk und in den Online-Medien finden sich vermehrt Berichte über Wissenschaft, Technik und ihre Folgen. Neuerdings gerät dabei die wissenschaftliche (Un-)Sicherheit der zugrunde liegenden Forschung in den Fokus öffentlicher Aufmerksamkeit. Nicht nur Forscherinnen und Forscher sprechen darüber, auch in Presse, Fernsehen und im...
Regelmäßige körperliche Aktivität ist eine der effektivsten Präventionsmaßnahmen, um einer Vielzahl an Gesundheitsrisiken vorzubeugen (Warburton, Nicol, & Bredin, 2006). Evaluationen zeigen, dass sich massenmediale Kampagnen eignen, um die körperliche Bewegung eines Individuums zu steigern (Leavy, Bull, Rosenberg, & Bauman, 2011). Unklar ist indes,...
Für Rezipienten ist die Glaubwürdigkeit von Quellen für die Einschätzung medial vermittelter wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse besonders wichtig. Neben sichtbaren Akteuren ist der Off-Sprecher eine der typischen Informationsquellen in TV-Wissenschaftsmagazinen. Er stellt ebenfalls argumentativ Evidenz für wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse bereit. Vom Jo...
Ergebnisse der empirischen Bildungsforschung werden seit den PISA-Studien verstärkt massenmedial und damit öffentlich dargestellt und diskutiert. Um die (Un)Gesichertheit der dabei präsentierten wissenschaftlichen Evidenz zu verstehen, müssen Rezipienten über ausgereifte epistemologische Überzeugungen verfügen. Ausgereifte epistemologische Überzeug...
For laypeople, media coverage of science on television is a gateway to scientific issues. Defining scientific evidence is central to the field of science, but there are still questions if news coverage of science represents scientific research findings as certain or uncertain. The framing approach is a suitable framework to classify different media...
Questions
Question (1)
The Database of Variables for Content Analysis DOCA has been available to researchers since spring 2022. Therefore, we now want to find out how DOCA has been used in research and teaching so far, what the benefits of the database are so far, and what improvements and thematic extensions would be desirable.
We would be very grateful if you would fill in the short questionnaire (maximum duration 10 minutes):
www.hope.uzh.ch/doca/Survey
We will publish the results of the survey as soon as possible.
The DOCA Editorial Team
Franziska Oehmer, Edda Humprecht, Katharina Sommer, Laia Castro Herrero & Sabrina H. Kessler
