Department of Communication Arts
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Lyn van Swol

Communication Science

Professor

she/her/hers

 

vanswol@wisc.edu

608-262-1947

6152 Vilas Hall

Office Hours:

  • Tuesday noon to 2pm
  • And by appointment

Current and Future Projects

  • Emotional contagion of positive and negative emotional language in a discussion with a chatbot partner
  • How group discussion of climate change can change attitudes towards taking action to combat climate change
  • Applying research on advice communication to environmental settings, like forestry, aquatic invasive species, and PFAS.

Expertise and Activities

I research information sharing in groups, utilization of advice, persuasion, language use in groups, chatbot communication, and the role of strategic persuasive messages in environmental communication. All my research shares the theme of examining what factors are likely to increase acceptance of information during an interaction.

The role of group discussion in facilitating persuasion, especially concerning environmental topics is a theme of several current research projects. I’m especially interested in how peer groups can set norms through group discussion to encourage pro-environmental behavior.

I am also collaborating with several researchers to examine what factors can increase the utilization of advice. Current research examines how strategic messages can increase acceptance of advice for the mitigation of PFAS harms.

Other research projects examine how language used in groups or by chatbot partners can affect emotions, conflict, and persuasion in a group discussion.  Language use may be a window into group processes.

Education

  • Ph.D. Social Psychology with minor in Quantitative Psychology, University of Illinois, 1999
  • M.A. Social Psychology, University of Illinois, 1995
  • B.A. Psychology, summa cum laude, Loyola University, 1993

Honors/Awards

  • Top three paper award in group communication, NCA, 2005, 2006, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022
  • Dennis Gouran Research Award for best published paper in group communication, NCA, 2007, 2018, 2021
  • Top paper in interpersonal communication, ICA, 2020
  • Top paper in Communication Science and Biology, ICA, 2020
  • Best published paper in Small Group Communication, presented at INGroup 2019

Books

L. MacGeorge & L. M. Van Swol, editors (2018). Oxford Handbook of Advice. In Oxford Handbook Series. Oxford University Press.

Selected Recent Articles

Kane, A., & van Swol, L. M. (2023). Using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software to analyze group interaction language data. Group Dynamics, 27(3), 188-201.

van Swol, L. M., & Chang, C. T. (2023). Plain language formatting of health advice messages may help to increase accessibility and understanding through more elaboration and processing of the message. JAMA Pediatrics,177(9), 892–893.

Ahn, P. H., van Swol, L. M., Kim, S. J. Park, H. (2023). A reversed serial-order effect and a liberating cognitive constraint for innovative teams. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 36(4), e2312.

van Swol, L. M., Chang, C., & Gong, Z. (2023). The benefits of advice from outgroup members on decision accuracy and bias reduction. Decision, 10(1), 81–91.

Kane, A., van Swol, L. M., & Sarmiento-Lawerence, I. (2023). Emotional contagion in online groups as a function of valence and status. Computers in Human Behavior, 139, 107543.

van Swol, L. M., Polman, E., Paik, J. E., & Chang, C. T. (2022). Effects of frames on telling different kinds of lies. Cognition and Emotion, 36(7),1287-1298.

Paik, J. E., & van Swol, L. M. (2022). The effects of expertise, status power, and language use on perception of task partner. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 41(4), 396–427.

van Swol, L. M., Lee, S., & Hutchins, R. (2022). The banality of extremism: The role of group dynamics and communication of norms in polarization on January 6. Group Dynamics, 26(3), 239-251.

van Swol, L. M., Ahn, H., Prahl, A., & Gong, Z. (2022). Language use and feelings of ostracism in an online chat group. Communication Reports, 35(2), 65-77.

Ahn, P. H., van Swol, L. M., Kim, S. J. Park, H. (2022). Motivational gains from going hybrid and a systems model of brainstorming. Small Group Research, 53(3), 427-463.

van Swol, L. M., Bloomfield, E. F., Chang, C. T., & Willes, S. (2022). Fostering climate change consensus: The role of intimacy in group discussions. Public Understanding of Science, 31(1),103-118.

Sarmiento, I. G., van Swol, L. M., Shaw, B. R., Chung, J., & Koshollek, A. (2022). The uses of stages of change and language within a forestry context. Journal of Forestry, 120(1), 10-21.

Prahl, A., & van Swol, L. M. (2021). Out with the humans, in with the machines?: Investigating the behavioral and psychological effects of replacing human advisors with a machine. Human-Machine Communication, 2, 209-234.

van Swol, L. M., Ahn, H., Prahl, A., & Gong, Z. (2021). Language use in group discourse and its relationship to group processes. Sage Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211001852

Chung, J. H., Sarmiento, I. G., van Swol, L. M., Shaw, B. R., Koshollek, A., & Ahn, P. H. (2020). Promoting reforestation to landowners: The role of advice-giving through information, efficacy, narrative, and identification in storytelling, Journal of Forestry, 118(5), 474–486.

Bloomfield, E. F., van Swol, L. M., Chang, C. T., Willes, S., & Ahn, P. H. (2020). The effects of establishing intimacy and consubstantiality on group discussions about climate change solutions. Science Communication, 42(3), 369–394.

Polman, E., van Swol, L. M., & Hoban, P. R. (2020). Harbinger of foul play: A field study of frames and regulatory focus. Judgment and Decision-Making, 15, 353-370.

van Swol, L. M., Paik, J. E., & Prahl, A. (2020). The effects of apologies and language on reactions to imposed advice. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 39(3), 318–333.

van Swol, L. M., Chang, C., Kerr, B., and Moreno, M. (2020). Linguistic Predictors of Problematic Drinking in Alcohol-related Facebook Posts. Journal of Health Communication, 25, 214-222

Chapters

  • Kane, A., & Van Swol, L. M. (2023). Language use in groups. In M. M. Dehghani & R. L. Boyd (Eds.), The Atlas of Language Analysis in Psychology. Guilford Press.
  • Van Swol, L. M., Polman, E., & Ahn, H. (2019). “Deterring deception: Theory and new directions.” In T. Docan-Morgan (Ed.). Deceptive Communication, Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Toma, C., Bonus, A., & Van Swol, L. M. (2019). “Deception production, detection, and beliefs in online environments.” In T. Docan-Morgan (Ed.). Deceptive Communication, Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Van Swol, L. M., & Prahl, A. (2018). Giving and receiving advice in groups, networks, and organizations. In E. L. MacGeorge & L. M. Van Swol (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Advice, Oxford University Press.
  • Van Swol, L. M., J. E. Paik, & Prahl, A. (2018). Advice Recipients: The Psychology of Advice Utilization. In E. L. MacGeorge & L. M. Van Swol (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Advice, Oxford University Press.
  • MacGeorge, E., & Van Swol, L. M. (2018). Advice Across Disciplines and Contexts. In E. L. MacGeorge & L. M. Van Swol (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Advice, Oxford University Press.
  • MacGeorge, E., & Van Swol, L. M. (2018). Advice: Communication with Consequence. In E. L. MacGeorge & L. M. Van Swol (Eds.) Oxford Handbook of Advice, Oxford University Press.

Courses

  • CA 575 – Communication in Complex Organizations
  • CA 368 – Theory and Practice of Persuasion
  • CA760 – Theory in Communication Science

Links

Curriculum Vitae