Dr WANG Sai

Dr. WANG Sai

Research Assistant Professor

	Ph.D. in Media and Communication, City University of Hong Kong M.A. in Advertising, The University of Texas at Austin B.A. in Advertising (Major) & Marketing (Minor), East Tennessee State University
	(852) 3411-8048
	saiwang@hkbu.edu.hk
	CVA Room 933

Sai Wang (Ph.D., City University of Hong Kong) is a research assistant professor in the Department of Interactive Media at Hong Kong Baptist University. Before joining HKBU, she was a postdoctoral fellow in the School of Journalism and Communication at The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Her research lies at the intersection of computer-mediated communication, media psychology, and human-computer interaction. She primarily uses quantitative research methods (e.g., experiments, surveys, and meta-analyses) to investigate how social interactions via various communication technologies affect users’ psychological processes and outcomes. Specifically, her recent research emphasizes three primary areas of interest: (a) public perceptions and understanding of AI’s involvement in the communication process (e.g., content moderation and production), (b) factors and underlying mechanisms of online prosocial behaviors (e.g., bystander intervention in cyberbullying), and (c) intergroup dynamics in mediated communication.

Her works have been published in top-tier journals in communication disciplines, including Communication Research, New Media & Society, and Digital Journalism. Her research has been recognized with several prestigious awards, such as the Top Student Paper Award from the Communication and Technology Division of the International Communication Association (ICA) and the Outstanding Research Papers Award from the City University of Hong Kong.

Research interests

Computer-mediated communication
Media psychology
Human-computer interaction
Persuasion and social influence

Publications

Wang, S., Chu, T. H., & Huang, G. X. (Forthcoming). Do bandwagon cues affect credibility perceptions? A meta-analysis of the experimental evidence. Communication Research. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221124395

Wang, S. (2022). Hostile media perceptions and consumption of genetically modified and organic foods: Examining the mediating role of risk-benefit assessments. Risk Analysis: An International Journal. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.14054

Wei, R., Guo, J., Wang, S., & Huang, Y. H. C. (2022). The role of digital information accessibility in shaping the relationships of exposure to COVID-19 misinformation and cognitive and attitudinal effects in Asia. Communication and Society, 62, 127-159. https://doi.org/10.30180/CS.202210_62.0008 [ICA Annual Bilingual Paper]

Kang, H., Kim, K. J., & Wang, S. (2022). Can the IoT persuade me? An investigation into power dynamics in human-IoT interaction. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.883110

Song, Y., Wang, S*, & Qian, X. (2022). Fighting misinformation on social media: The roles of evidence type and presentation mode. Health Education Research, 37(3), 185-198. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyac011 [SSCI] [*corresponding author]

Wang, S., & Kim, K. J. (2021). Effects of victimization experience, gender, and empathic distress on bystanders’ intervening behaviors in cyberbullying. The Social Science Journal. https://doi.org/10.1080/03623319.2020.1861826

Kim, K. J., & Wang, S. (2021). Understanding the acceptance of the Internet of Things: An integrative theoretical approach. Aslib Journal of Information Management, 73(5), 754-771. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJIM-03-2021-0073

Sun, Y., Oktavianus, J., Wang, S., & Lu, F. (2021). The role of influence of presumed influence and anticipated guilt in evoking social correction of COVID-19 misinformation. Health Communication, 37(11), 1368-1377. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1888452

Wang, S. (2021). Standing up or standing by: Bystander intervention in cyberbullying on social media. New Media & Society, 23(6), 1379-1397. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820902541

Wang, S. (2021). Moderating uncivil user comments by humans or machines? The effects of moderation agent on perceptions of bias and credibility in news content. Digital Journalism, 9(6), 64-83. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2020.1851279

Wang, S. (2020). The influence of anonymity and incivility on perceptions of user comments on news websites. Mass Communication and Society, 23(6), 912-936. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2020.1784950

Wang, S., & Kim, K. J. (2020). Restrictive and corrective responses to uncivil comments on news websites: The influence of presumed influence. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 64(2), 173-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2020.1757368

Wang, S., & Kim, K. J. (2019). Consumer response to negative celebrity publicity: The effects of moral reasoning strategies and fan identification. Journal of Product and Brand Management, 29(1), 114-123. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBM-10-2018-2064

Wang, S., Cunningham, N. R., & Eastin, M. S. (2015). The impact of eWOM message characteristics on the perceived effectiveness of online consumer reviews, Journal of Interactive Advertising, 15(2), 151-159. https://doi.org/10.1080/15252019.2015.1091755

Awards/Grants/Honors

Awards:

Top Student Paper Award, Communication and Technology Division, International Communication Association (ICA), 2021.

Outstanding Research Papers Award, The College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, 2021.

Qihao Youth Outstanding Academic Research Award, Sina Weibo Think Tank, 2021.

Grants:

Effects of South Korean Homogeneity on the Perceptions of Patients with Coronavirus Disease: A Comparison of Hybrid Social Identities in Hong Kong. Korean Studies Grant (Co-Investigator). The Academy of Korean Studies, Ministry of Education.

Faculty Members

Dr. WANG Sai