Mark Hamilton, Ph.D.

Visiting Professor
Department of Speech
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2560 Campus Rd.,
George Hall 326
Honolulu, HI 96822

Office
George Hall 314
ph: 808-956-4461
fax: 808-956-3947
email:markhamilton@charter.net

Mark Hamilton has returned to Manoa, where he taught years ago, as a Visiting Professor. He is on sabbatical from the University of Connecticut where he is Associate Professor of Communication Science and Psychology. His teaching and research focus on persuasion and social influence, as well as research methods. He is currently conducting research projects that investigate how audiences evaluate the messages they receive from sources of various types. These studies examine the effect of receiver attributes, message qualities, and source features on evaluations of topic, message, and source. Two of these message processing projects are more theoretical in nature. The first of these theoretical studies concerns the effect of a source’s language intensity on receiver attitude change in mediated messages. The second study concerns the effect that avatar features have on evaluations of source credibility (avatars are virtual representations of self in on-line environments). Three of these projects are more applied, with application in advertising and marketing. The first of these applied studies concerns the effect that archetypal imagery has on viewer attitudes toward advertisements. The second of these applied studies employs Kelman’s three-factor theory of persuasion to the study media choice and subsequent exposure. The third of these studies concerns the effect of implicit mood position statements (IMPS) on attitudes (e.g., “Just Do It”), providing an alternative explanation for mere thought effects.

Dr. Hamilton is also conducting research on message production during persuasive encounters. This research examines the language that sources use to express themselves when exerting social influence. One line of research concerns the effect of verbal aggressiveness on argumentativeness. The other line of research concerns the antecedents and consequences of pidgin use during interaction.

Dr. Hamilton currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Communication, Communication Monographs, and Communication Methods and Measures. He has also recently served on the editorial boards of Human Communication Research and Media Psychology. He is the past chair of the Information Systems Division of the International Communication Association and twice chair of the Social Cognition and Communication Division of the National Communication Association. He has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, Michigan State University, and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and has been a Research Associate at the East-West Center at the University of Hawaii.