Lijie Zhou
Associate Professor of Professional Communications Southern Utah University
- Cedar City UT
Biography
Dr. Zhou's research, primarily rooted in strategic communication, centers on visual communication, structural equation modeling, visual branding, and psychological reactions to persuasive messages. He has done a wide range of strategic communication research in crisis communication, virtual reality advertising, interactive marketing, eye-tracking experiments, visual branding, native advertising, and social media fundraising.
Under the direction of Dr. Zhou, the Visual Communication Research Lab from the Communication Department at Southern Utah University has grown from a screen-based eye-tracking system to a research lab with multiple eye-tracking systems integrated with virtual reality, screens, mobile devices, and research-based data collection and analysis software. The lab can be used for conducting research projects by employing cutting-edge technologies such as eye-tracking, haptic feedback, motion capture, biometry systems, and virtual reality platforms.
Dr. Lijie Zhou earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Xinjiang University, a Master of Science in Mass Communication from Arkansas State University, and a Ph.D. in Mass Communication from The University of Southern Mississippi.
Media
Areas of Expertise
Education
The University of Southern Mississippi
Ph.D.
Mass Communication
2017
Arkansas State University
M.S.
Mass Communication
2013
Xinjiang University,
B.S.
Computer Science
2007
Accomplishments
Innovative Pedagogy Award
SUU College of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2024
Early Career Award
SUU College of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2019
Top Faculty Paper (second place)
AEJMC National Conference, Visual Communication Division, 2018
Top Scholar
Kappa Tau Alpha Journalism/Mass Communication Academic Honor National Society, 2016-2017
Affiliations
- Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication : Member
Media Appearances
Communication Faculty Achievements in Research and Innovation
SUU News online
2024-11-14
Dr. Lijie Zhou, associate professor of professional communication, ended this summer with two notable publications. His paper on charitable birthday wishes, published in the Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, expands on the theory of planned behavior. In a separate article for the International Journal of Marketing, Communication, and New Media, Dr. Zhou explores the impact of temporal distance and message concreteness in Facebook ads, emphasizing the moderating effects of social distance.
SUU Partners with UNLV for Annual Research Collaboration
SUU News online
2024-09-20
The VR study conducted with Dr. Zhou was notable for its utilization of SUU’s state-of-the- art Visual Communications lab. Dr. Zhou was specifically asked to help due to his expertise in virtual reality.
“The Visual Communications Research Lab is growing from a basic screen-based eye tracker system to a comprehensive lab with advanced visual communication technology and up-to-date eye tracking and virtual reality devices,” said Dr. Zhou. “This collaboration is a unique opportunity to demonstrate what this lab is capable of to [UNLV] and also show the expertises and research abilities from the researchers at SUU.”
SUU Introduces State-of-the-Art Social Brand and Visual Communication Research Labs
SUU News online
2024-04-01
The labs’ inception stemmed from a grant application written by communication professors Matt Barton and Lijie Zhou, in collaboration with Jean Boreen, dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Securing funding from the Utah System of Higher Education, the grant application was driven by Zhou's expertise in eye-tracking technology, positioning SUU as a leader in this field nationally.
New Software Installed for SUU Communication Department
SUU News online
2018-11-01
Generous funds for the Tobii Pro Lab and Tobii Studio devices came from Provost Brad Cook and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. SUU Communication Professor Lijie Zhou encouraged and prompted the department to acquire this new research tool. Much of Professor Zhou’s graduate research revolved around technology, specifically eye tracking.
“By using the eye tracker, students are able to conduct the professional usability tests and audiences analyses for their design works and campaign projects,” said Zhou. “Students will have a better understanding about marketable design and how to evaluate the consumer performances quantitatively and strategically.”
Research Grants
Eye tracker lab and digital branding lab funds
USHE Budget Office
2022
HSS Summer Research Grant
Southern Utah University
2020
Articles
Make a Charitable Birthday Wish on Facebook: An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior
Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing2024
Social media fundraising has become an important tool for nonprofits to raise money. Focusing on one specific fundraising tool, Facebook birthday fundraiser, the current study developed an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model and included three external variables, relationship strength with the fundraiser creator, perceived risk regarding personal information safety, and personal relevance of the fundraising cause.
Temporal Distance and Message Concreteness in Facebook Ads: The Moderating Effects of Social Distance.
International Journal of Marketing, Communication and New Media2024
The study examined the effects of social distance, temporal distance, and message concreteness on Facebook users’ response to News Feed advertising. A 2 (social distance: low vs. high) × 2 (temporal distance: near future vs. distant future) × 2 (message: abstract vs. concrete) between-group design was utilized to explore the main and interaction effects of three factors on Facebook users’ attitude-toward-the-ad, brand interest, and purchase intention.
Understanding social influence in Facebook fundraising: Relationship strength, immediacy of needs, and number of donations
Journal of Philanthropy and Marketing2022
Crowdfunding through social media has presented challenges and opportunities for nonprofit and voluntary sector organizations. To better understand how organizations can harness the power of social media in fundraising, the current research examined the effects of different types of Facebook fundraising posts on donor engagement.
Show products or show people: an eye-tracking study of visual branding strategy on Instagram
Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing2021
This paper aims to examine the effects of visual themes and view perspectives on users’ visual attention to brand posts on Instagram. The impact of visual attention on brand attitude and recognition is also explored.
Effects of Instagram User-Generated Content on Travel Inspiration and Planning: An Extended Model of Technology Acceptance
Journal of Promotion Management2021
Focusing on four types of user-generated content (UGC) on Instagram for travel planning, this study examined the impacts of UGC format, distribution channel, and engagement on travelers’ feelings of social presence, trustworthiness, and perceived enjoyment.
Courses
COMM 1450 Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations
This course introduces the concepts and practices of public relations and advertising to meet a variety of organizational goals. The focus of the course is the role of strategic communication in the process of marketing and strategic campaigns.
COMM 3020 Communication Research
This course emphasizes empirical and critical research appropriate for understanding mediated communication. An emphasis is placed on conducting surveys, focus groups, content analysis, and social marketing methods.
COMM 3080 Digital Design
This course develops advertising and layout skills applicable to digital/web design, usability and hard copy. Visual design principles as well as copywriting techniques applicable to various advertising media will be studied. Practical experience wil include website development for both web and mobile APIP, copy layout, and preparing ads for publication.
COMM 3150 Nonverbal Communication
A study of the sub-codes of nonverbal communication and how they affect human communication patterns and interpersonal relationships.
COMM 4030 Social Media Management
This course focuses on how to use and process user-generated content (UGC), organization of social media posts, and big data information to make analyses, recommendations, optimizations, and predictions for brand constructions on social media. By using case studies, usability tests, eye-tracking technology, and social media plan projects, students will also learn practical steps and response strategies for social media-based branding and crisis management.
COMM 6850 Individual Graduate Research
The project is individually arranged and negotiated with a faculty advisor to provide students an opportunity to gain experience in a communication field. This project is distinct from a capstone project.
COMM 4040 Advertising Psychology
Psychology in advertising has long been used as an effective means to attract people to buy wanted and sometimes unwanted products and services, donate to charity, vote for political candidates, and change people’s health-related lifestyles for better or worse. This course offers a comprehensive and state-of-the-art overview of the psychological findings on the impact of advertising and discusses these findings in the context of recent developments in the fields of social and consumer psychology.
COMM 6150 - Visual Literacy and Application
Students will explore an image’s narrative on multiple levels (ironic, indexical, and symbolic meaning) and understand how our image comprehension and construction are inextricably linked to the visual languages of advertising and photojournalism. Using eye-tracking and VR technology, students will also learn how to measure attention to entire visual messages and intra-stimulus attention allocation to specific messages.
