Curriculum Vitae
A comprehensive C.V. can be downloaded here: [Word] [.pdf]
also check Academia.edu profile for copies of some papers
Document last updated: 1.25.12A copy of my dissertation "The effect of task demand on mood repair and selective exposure to video games" can be found with Dissertation Abstracts International, UMI No. 3417694. Complete pre-publication copies are available in [.doc] [.docx] [.pdf].
Research Philosophy and Direction*
*Complete research statement available: [.pdf]
During my time as a graduate student, I have come to understand the value
of applying quantitative research methods in the study of social phenomenon.
For me, the way to truly understand human communication is through the
rigorous application of the scientific method. Thus, I have worked diligently
to develop a falsifiable and theoretically-sound program of research with
the stated goal of understanding the psychology behind media entertainment.
Generally, my interest in entertainment media are primarily driven by
a fascination for understanding how people use their leisure time; that
is, time not spent working or sleeping. As our society continues to modernize
and become more convenient, the amount of leisure time available to the
average person has dramatically increased. As far back as the early 20th
century, Hart (1925) noted that:
“the eight-hour work day is now the accepted working day in almost all
industries. That leaves eight hours in which people may follow their own
pursuits. It is a matter of concern in a democracy what those pursuits
shall be” (pp. 111).
I want to understand what people do with and get from leisure activities,
activities thought by Aristotle to bring us closest to happiness (c.f.
Arnold, 1989). Moreover, I want to understand the role of entertainment
media as a leisure activity, and the functional role of enjoyment as a
possible indicator for psychological well-being (Ryan & Deci, 2000).
Finally, I want to understand how using entertainment media affects our
thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
One area of particular interest to me lately is the increased popularity of digital and interactive media. Social media applications have found themselves into our work and play space, competing with our attention in an already-crowded media scape. How do we initiate and interact with these programs? What do we bring to these virtual communications, and how might the outcomes affect us? These too are questions that I strive to examine.
Primarily, I consider myself an experimentalist. The bulk of my research
takes great care to carefully explicate theoretically-relevant constructs
so that they can be experimentally manipulated in order to test predicted
outcomes. However, I also feel that at times it is important to step back
and simply ‘look under the microscope’, especially in areas where contemporary
theories may not offer sound or valid explanations for observed phenomenon
(for example, the often-discussed empathy paradox in that some theories
of enjoyment cannot explain the appeal of negatively-valenced entertainment
media; Zillmann, 1991). In these circumstances, I feel strongly that inductive
reasoning can be useful in helping create new theory from observed phenomenon;
at the very least, it can help us create testable situations in which
old and new logics can be compared. Thus, by striking a balance between
the strict experimentalist and the curious observant, I hope to further
our understanding of the psychology of entertainment media, and I strive
to reflect this epistemology in my scholarly work.
Recent Publications*
*see CV for full list of publications
JOURNAL ARTICLES (not including articles in submission
or under review)
hyperlinks redirect to full-text articles, when available
*Media Psychology and Communication Technology
Bowman, N. D., Schultheiss, D., Schumann, C. (in press). "I’m Attached, And I’m A Good Guy/Gal!": How Character Attachment Influences Pro- and Anti-Social Motivations To Play MMORPGs. Manuscript forthcoming in CyberPsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.
Joeckel, S., & Bowman, N. D. (in press). Graphics and gratification: Exploring the link between technology and enjoyment in video games. Manuscript forthcoming in Journal of Gaming and Virtual Worlds, 4(1).
Reinecke, L., Tamborini, R., Grizzard, M., Lewis, R., Eden, A., & Bowman, N. D. (in press). Characterizing behavioral affinity as needs satisfaction: Predicting selective exposure to video games and resultant mood repair. Manuscript forthcoming in Journal of Communication.
Tamborini, R., Eden, A., Bowman, N. D., Grizzard, M., & Lachlan, K. (2012). The influence of morality subcultures on the acceptance and appeal of violence. Journal of Communication, 62(1), 136-157.
Shao, G., Zhang, G., & Bowman, N. D. (2011). What is most important for my country is not most important for me: agenda setting effects in china. Communication Research, 38(5).
Bowman, N. D., & Groskopf, J. (2010). Appalachia: Where the Squids hate the Chalkies. KBJournal, (7)1.
Eden, A., Maloney, E, & Bowman, N. D. (2010). Gender attribution in video games. Journal of Media Psychology, 22(3), 114-124.
Tamborini, R., Bowman, N. D., Eden, A., Grizzard, M., & Organ, A. (2010). Defining media enjoyment as the satisfaction of intrinsic needs. Journal of Communication, 60(4), 758-777.
Tamborini, R., Weber, R., Eden, A., Bowman, N. D., & Grizzard, M. (2010). Repeated exposure to daytime soap opera and shifts in moral judgment toward social convention. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 54(4), 621-640.
Bowman, N. D. (2008). A PAT on the back: Media flow theory revis(it)ed: Rocky Mountain Communication Review, 4(1), 27-39.
Huh, S. & Bowman, N. D. (2008). Perception and addiction of online games as a function of personality traits. Journal of Media Psychology, 13(2).
Lewis, M. L., Weber, R., & Bowman, N. D. (2008). “They may be pixels, but they’re MY Pixels”: Developing a metric of character attachment in role-playing video games. CyberPsychology and Behavior, 11(4).
*Sports Marketing and Communication
Jensen, R., Bowman, N. D., Wang, Y., & Larson, B. (2012). New league, new market, new sponsorship: An exploratory study of attitudes towards shirt sponsorship in Major League Soccer. Soccer & Society, 13(3).
Larson, B., Jensen, R., & Bowman, N. D. (2011) Developing international sport markets: Professional sports selling to new segments with new promotions. Journal of International Business Disciplines, 6(2), 9-24.
Jensen, R., Larson, B., Wang, Y., & Bowman, N. D. (2011). International Strategic Marketing: Sports Promotions Aimed at New Segments. The International Academy of Business Research Yearbook, 28, 352-358.
*Health Communication
Neuberger, L. B., Silk, K, J., Yun, D., Bowman, N. D., & Anderson, J. (in press). Concern as motivation for protection: An investigation of mothers’ concern about their daughters’ breast cancer risk. Manuscript forthcoming in Journal of Health Communication.
Silk, K., Yun, D., Bowman, N. D., Neuberger, L., & Atkin, C. (2009). Factors influencing mothers’ intention to teach adolescent daughters preventive measures to reduce breast cancer risks: Self-efficacy, response efficacy, and personal responsibility. Communication Research Reports, 26(2), 134-145.
CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Bowman, N. D. (in press). In the mood to game: The extension
of mood management theory to video games. Paper to be published in
the Proceedings of the National Communication Association Doctoral Honor’s
Seminar, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Jöckel, S.; Dogruel, L. & Bowman, N. D. (in press): Die Übertragung einer Moralitätsskale für die Unterhaltungsforschung nach Deutschland [Transfering a morality scale for entertainment research to Germany]. Stark, B. et al. (in press): Conference Proceedings for the Annual Meeting of the Methods Section for the German Association for Media and Communication (DGPUK).
Schultheiss, D., Bowman, N.D., Schumann, C.(2008). Community
vs. solo-playing in multiplayer internet games. In Mosberg-Iverson,
S. (Ed.), IT University of Copenhagen. Proceedings of The [Player] Conference
2008 (pp. 452-471).
INVITED BOOK CHAPTERS
Bowman, N. D., McCabe, J., & Isaacson, T. (in press).
Fantasy Sports and Sports Fandom: Implications for Mass Media Research.
In A. Earnheardt, P. Hardikas, & B. Hugenberg (Eds.), Sports Fandom
Anthology (title pending). New York: Rowan & Littlefield. [overview from "On Media Theory"]
Mastro, D., Enriquez, M., Bowman, N. D., Prabhu, S., & Tamborini, R. (in press). Morality Subcultures and Media Production: How Hollywood Minds the Morals of its Audience. In R. Tamborini (Ed.), Media and the Moral Mind, London: Routledge.
Sherry, J. L., & Bowman, N. D. (in press). Computer games and child development, revised. In W. Donsbach (Ed). International Encyclopedia of Communication, Vol. 3. Oxford: Blackwell.
Jöckel, S.; Dogruel, L. & Bowman, N.D. (2011): Moralische Fundierung und unterhaltsame Mediennutzung. Die Übertragung einer US-amerikanischen Moralitätsskala nach Deutschland (Moral Foundation an Entertaining Media. The Transfer of an English Morality Scale to Germany). In: Stark, B., & Magnin, M. & (Eds.): Methodische Herausforderungen komparativer
Forschungsansätze (Methodological challenges in comparative designs). Köln: von Halem.
Tamborini, R., & Bowman, N. D. (2010). Presence
in Video Games. In C. Bracken & P. Skalski (Eds.) Immersed in
Media: Telepresence in Everyday Life. New York: Routledge.
Sherry, J. L., & Bowman, N. D. (2008). History
of the Internet. In H. Bidgoli (Ed.), The Handbook of Computer Networks,
Volume I: Key Concepts, Data Transmission, Digital and Optical Networks.
Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Sherry, J. L., & Bowman, N. D. (2008). Computer games
and child development. In W. Donsbach (Ed). International Encyclopedia
of Communication, Vol. 3. Oxford: Blackwell.
Top Papers/Competitive Papers
Bowman, N. D., Westerman, D., & Claus, C. J. (2012, April). How demanding is social media: Understanding social media diets as a function of perceived costs and benefits – a Rational Actor Perspective. Top Thee Papers in Communication and Technology, Eastern Communication Association, Cambridge, MA. [overview from "On Media Theory"]
Bowman, N. D., & Tamborini, R. (2010, June). User demand and mood repair: The intervention potential of video game interactivity. Top two faculty papers in Game Studies, International Communication Association, Singapore.
Tamborini, R., Eden, A., Bowman, N. D., Grizzard, M., & Lachlan, K. (2009, May). Moral subcultures in dispositional formation: The acceptance and appeal of violence. Top four papers in Mass Communication, International Communication Association, Chicago.
Bowman, N. D. (2008, June). In the mood to game: The extension of mood management theory to video games. Paper presented at the National Communication Association Doctoral Honor’s Seminar, Tuscaloosa, AL. [one of 12 papers invited for presentation].
Recent
Conference Papers*
*see CV for full list of papers, including those prior to 2010
2012 (includes forthcoming presentations)
Bowman, N. D., Hallett, J, & Boyan. A. (2012, April). Squid or Chalkie? The role of selective perception in processing Hillbilly humor. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Communication Association, Cambridge, MA.
Bowman, N. D., & Lewis, R. (2012, May). The morality of May 2, 2011: A content analysis of US headlines regarding the death of Osama bin Laden. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association, Phoenix.
Dogruel, L., Joeckel, S., & Bowman, N. D. (2012, May). Analyzing influencing factors on elderly people’s perceived usability of interactive media. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association, Phoenix.
Mastro, D. Enriquez, M, Tamborini, R., Prabhu, S., & Bowman, N. D. (2012, May). A content analytic examination of morality displays in Spanish and English language television programming. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association, Phoenix.
2011 (includes forthcoming presentations)
Bowman, N. D. (2011, November). Character attachment: When you are your avatar. Panel discussion at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, New Orleans.
Bowman, N. D., Crawford, M., & Walters, D. J. (2011, November). Washed out of the Sun Belt: The fall (and rise?) of intercollegiate sports at post-Katrina University of New Orleans. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, New Orleans.
Bowman, N. D., Schultheiss, D., & Schumann, C. (2011, November). “I’m attached, and I’m a good guy!": How character attachment influences (pro-social and anti-social) usage motivations. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, New Orleans.
Shao, G., Zhang, G., & Bowman, N. D. (2011, November). What is most important for my country is not most important for me: agenda setting effects in china. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, New Orleans.
Bowman, N. D. & Vela, L. (2011, November). When is a metropolis a village? Social media and the demise of Gessellschaft. Paper to be presented at Urban Communication Foundation, New Orleans.
Bowman, N. D., Joeckel, S., & Dogruel, L. (2011, August). The implications of cross-cultural differences in moral salience on media uses and effects research. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, St. Louis.
Bowman, N. D., Dogruel, L, & Joeckel, S. (2011, May). Binding Americans and separating Germans: The influence of moral salience and nationality on media choices. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association, Boston.
Dogruel, L., Bowman, N. D., & Joeckel, S. (2011, May). Elderly People and Morality in Virtual Worlds A cross-cultural analysis of elderly people’s morality in interactive media. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association, Boston.
Bowman, N. D., Joeckel, S., & Dogruel, L. (2011, April). Uphold morality, or finish the game?
The influence of moral intuitions on decisions in virtual environments. Paper presented at the Media and Morality Symposium of Broadcast Education Association, Las Vegas.
Lewis, R., Grizzard, M., Bowman, N. D., Eden, A., & Tamborini, R. (2011, April). Intuitive Morality and Reactions to News Events: Responding to News of the Lockerbie Bomber’s Release. Paper presented at the Media and Morality Symposium of Broadcast Education Association, Las egas.
Schultheiss, D., Bowman, N.D., Schumann, C. (2011, March). “Me, myself and my Avatar?” - Cultural differences of character attachment and usage motivation in MMORPGs. Presented at General Online Research (GOR), Duesseldorf, Germany.
2010
Bowman, N. D., & Tamborini, R. (2010, November). The effect of user demand and mood state on selective exposure to video games. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Communication Association, San Francisco.
Bowman, N. D., Schultheiss, D., & Schumann, C. (2010, October). The influence of character attachment on Internet video game play motivations. Paper to be presented at the Third European Communication Conference (ECREA), Hamburg.
Schultheiss, D., Schumann, C., & Bowman, N. D. (2010, October). Silvergamers: Elderly video gaming and the Internet. Paper to be presented at the Third European Communication Conference (ECREA), Hamburg.
Tamborini, R., Grizzard, M., Bowman, N. D., Lewis, R., Reinecke, L., & Eden, A. (2010, June). Defining media enjoyment in functional terms. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the International Communication Association, Singapore.
Bowman, N. D., & Groskopf, J. (2010, April). Appalachia: Where the Squids hate the Chalkies: A Burkeian analysis of The Squidbillies animated series. Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of Southern States Communication Association, Memphis.
Jensen, R., & Bowman, N. D. (2010, April). Will sports fans revolt if advertisements are placed on uniforms of their favorite teams? Paper to be presented at the Annual Meeting of International Academy of Business Disciplines, Las Vegas.
Isaccson, T., Bowman, N. D., & Atkin, C. (2010, April). Generating buzz or driving attendance? The influence of story type and source on university sports fan attitudes and behavioral intentions. Paper to be presented at the Scholarly Conference on College Sport, Chapel Hill, NC.
Bowman, N. D., Bryant, T., Campbell, R., & Mauldin, L. (2010, March). Pantry partners: Using media studies students to program and promote community events. Paper presented at the Gulf Shores Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Through Higher Education, Athens, GA.
Bowman, N. D., Sherry, J. L., & Harp, S. (2010, March). The Michigan State University School of Rock: Partnering communication students with communities in need of (communication) expertise. Paper presented at the Gulf Shores Summit on Service-Learning and Civic Engagement Through Higher Education, Athens, GA.
Bowman, N. D. (2010, March). Towns County Food Pantry and Media Studies Partnership. Panel presented at the Annual Meeting of the Appalachian Studies Association, Dahlonega, GA.
Jensen, R., Bowman, N. D., Sosa, J., Wang, W., & Larson, B. (2010, February). Preliminary results of a Web-based pilot study to gauge public opinions about advertisements in Major League Soccer jerseys. Paper presented at the Fourth Summit on Communication & Sport, Cleveland.