RESEARCH
My work has been recognized with the 2026 Giffin Research Award from the Department of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas.
Li, X., Cui, W., Olatunji, S., & Piercy, C. W. (2026). Effects of empathetic responses, agent identity, and gender match on users’ self-disclosure of depression and perceptions in human–chatbot interactions. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2026.2692012
This study examined how chatbot response style, agent identity, and gender match affect perceptions and self-disclosure of depressive experiences. In a 2×2×2 between-subjects experiment with 417 U.S. adults, empathetic responses increased willingness to disclose, while anthropomorphic identity and gender match showed no significant effects. Trust predicted disclosure and satisfaction but did not mediate empathy’s effect on satisfaction, highlighting emotional responsiveness over informational approaches for support.
Cui, W. (2026). Body positivity and beauty standards on Xiaohongshu: A quantitative content analysis. Southern Communication Journal, 91(4), 323–337. https://doi.org/10.1080/1041794X.2026.2639702
The study analyzes 565 Xiaohongshu posts about body positivity. Results show dominant portrayals of slim, young, light-skinned women, reflecting the Chinese “bai shou you” beauty ideal. Although some posts promote self-acceptance, most emphasize fitness and appearance improvement. Overall, body positivity on the platform reinforces rather than challenges narrow beauty standards.
Cui, W., Piercy, C. W., Smith, S. A., & Zhu, Y. (2026). Big Five traits and self-determination in preferences for working in person: The moderating role of communication overload. Journal of Communication Management. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCOM-06-2025-0136
This study examines how Big Five traits, self-determination needs, and communication overload shape return-to-office preferences among 301 full-time U.S. employees. Results showed that extraversion and relatedness favored in-person work, while conscientiousness, autonomy, competence, and higher communication overload generally favored remote work.
Cui, W., Zhang, Y. B., & Li, X. (2026). Understanding Chinese Weibo users’ frames of the LGBTQ+ athletes during the 2024 Olympic Games: A content analysis. Communication & Sport, 14(4), 1622–1642. https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795251363157
This study analyzed 598 Weibo posts about LGBTQ+ athletes using framing and moral foundations theories. Most posts (60.7%) were negative, citing Fairness/Cheating and personal or peer views. Positive posts (22.2%) emphasized Care/Harm. Findings highlight prevalent negative moral framing, especially regarding transgender athletes, and extend FT and moral foundations theory.
Cui, W. (2026). Social power motives, gendered traits, and aggression in eSports: Evidence from two survey waves. Frontiers in Psychology, 17, 1833661. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1833661
Across two survey waves of eSports players, dominance consistently predicted greater aggression, while prestige was also linked to higher aggression. Leadership showed cautious negative effects after controlling for dominance. Masculinity related to power motives, whereas femininity predicted less aggression, highlighting dominance-oriented status striving as the clearest aggression correlate.
Manuscripts Under Review
Cui, W., & Piercy, C. W. Visibility and algorithmic monitoring: A job demands-resources perspective on the relationship between algorithmic monitoring, job autonomy, competence, and satisfaction. Revise and resubmit, resubmitted June 2026.
Cui, W. Facework in upward error reporting: How the language of composition shapes accountability, repair, and relational reassurance. Revise and resubmit, resubmitted October 2026.
Cui, W., Wang, X., Zhang, Y. B., & Piercy, C. W. Overtime-request framing, decision visibility, and employees’ freedom to refuse: The mediating role of perceived moral obligation. Revise and resubmit, resubmitted October 2026.
Piercy, C. W., & Cui, W. Socio-technical exchange at work: Developing and validating a partner-focused measure of human and machine coworker evaluations. Under review.
Cui, W., & Mostafa, H. K. Communicating through algorithms: Algorithmic evaluation, employee autonomy, and the organization–employee relationship. Under review.