Research Summary
Saraswathi (Saras) Bellur (Ph.D., Penn State University, 2012) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, University of Connecticut (UCONN). Situated in media effects, Dr. Bellur’s research focuses on understanding the psychological and physiological effects of interactive media on key communication processes and outcomes. With several publications in flagship journals in the field, Dr. Bellur’s work has contributed to both theoretical and empirical body of knowledge surrounding interactivity research. Dr. Bellur’s research has also focused on explication and measurement issues related to interactivity, cognitive heuristics and user engagement. Dr. Bellur has co-developed a new theoretical framework called the motivational technology model, which examines how we can harness unique affordances of new media, such as interactivity, to boost individuals’ intrinsic motivation, and encourage them to engage in preventive health behaviors. Her recent work has also examined the effects of media multitasking on learning and enjoyment. Dr. Bellur looks forward to pursuing innovative and collaborative projects that contribute toward a theory-driven understanding of communication technologies and their effects.
Dr. Bellur's work adopts an interdisciplinary approach by combining theories from various disciplines such as media effects, human-computer interaction (HCI), computer-mediated communication (CMC), social cognition and health communication. So far, her work has explored —
(i) the concept of interactivity and its effect on users' evaluation of media interfaces, mediated content and user engagement;
(ii) the effect of interactive health technologies and their influence on attitudes toward preventive and proactive health behaviors;
(iii) the role of psychophysiological responses [heart-rate (ECG), skin conductance (EDA), and brain-wave (EEG)] in understanding user responses to different forms of media and mediated content.
Publications
Park, S., Xu, X., Rourke, B., & Bellur, S. (2019). Do you enjoy TV, while Tweeting? Effects of multitasking on viewer’s transportation, emotions and enjoyment. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 63(2), 231-249. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2019.1622340
Bellur, S. & DeVoss. C. (2018): Apps and Autonomy: Perceived interactivity and autonomous regulation in mHealth Applications, Communication Research Reports, DOI: 10.1080/08824096.2018.1501672
Oh, J., Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2018). Clicking, assessing, immersing and sharing: An empirical model of user engagement with interactive media. Communication Research, 45(5), 737-763. Doi: 10.1177/0093650215600493
Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2017). Talking health with a machine: How does message interactivity affect attitudes & cognitions? Human Communication
Research, 43(1), 25-53. doi:10.1111/hcre.12094
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., Oh, J., Jia, H., & Kim, H. S. (2016). Theoretical importance of contingency in human-computer interaction: Effects of message interactivity on user engagement. Communication Research, 43 (3), 595-625. Doi: 10.1177/0093650214534962
Bellur, S., Nowak, K. L., & Hull, K. (2015). Make it our time: In class multitaskers have lower academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 63-70.
doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.027
Dardis, F. E., Schmierbach, M., Ahern, L., Fraustino, J., Bellur, S., Brooks, S., & Johnson, J. (2015). The effects of in-game Virtual Direct Experience (VDE) on reactions to real-world brands. Journal of Promotion Management, 21, 313–334. Doi:10.1080/10496491.2015.1021503
Kim, K., Schmierbach, M. G., Bellur, S., Chung, M-Y., Fraustino, J. D., Dardis, F., & Ahern, L. (2015). Is it a sense of autonomy, control, or attachment? Exploring the effects of in-game customization on game enjoyment. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 695-705. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.011.
Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2014). How can we tell when a heuristic has been used? Design and analysis strategies for capturing the operation of heuristics. Communication Methods and Measures, 8 (2), 116-137. Doi:10.1080/19312458.2014.903390
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., Oh, J., Xu, Q., & Jia, H. (2014). User experience of on-screen interaction techniques: An experimental investigation of clicking, sliding, zooming, hovering, dragging, and flipping. Human–Computer Interaction, 29 (2), 109-152. Doi:10.1080/07370024.2013.789347
High, A., Oeldorf-Hirsch, A., Bellur, S. (2014) Misery doesn’t get company: The influence of emotional bandwidth on supportive communication in Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 34, 79-88. Doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.037
Xu, Q., Schmierbach, M., Bellur, S., Ash, E., Oeldorf-Hirsch, A., & Kegerise, A. (2012). The effects of “friend” characteristics on evaluations of an activist group in a social networking context. Mass Communication and Society, 15 (3), 432–453. Doi:10.1080/15205436.2011.583862
Sundar, S. S., & Bellur, S. (2010). Concept explication: The case of political interactivity. In E. P. Bucy & R. L. Holbert (Eds.), Sourcebook for Political Communication Research: Methods, Measures and Analytical Techniques (pp. 485-504). New York, NY: Routledge.
Geske, J., & Bellur, S. (2008). Differences in brain information processing between print and computer screens: Bottom-up and top-down attention factors. International Journal of Advertising, 27 (3), 399–423.
Selected Refereed Conference Papers and Proceedings
Bellur, S. (2018, November). Heuristics and health: Role of mental shortcuts in health and risk information processing. Paper to be presented at the 104th annual conference of the National Communication Association, Salt Lake City, UT.
Bellur, S. (2018, May). Contingency as key: Exploring the role of contingency in human machine communication. Paper presented at the Communicating with Machines: Theory and Practice pre-conference of the 68th annual conference of the International Communication Association, Prague, Czech Republic.
Bellur, S. (2018, May). Promoting interactivity and user engagement in online vaccine message boards. Paper presented at the Digital Health at the Intersection of Academia and Industry, 2nd annual conference of the UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media, Storrs, CT.
Bellur, S. & Devoss, C. (2017, August). Self-tracking with cell phones: Exploring the effects of self-monitoring and perceived control in mHealth applications. Paper presented at the 99th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Chicago, IL.
Bellur, S. & Devoss, C. (2017, May). Does interactivity makes users autonomous? Role of perceived interactivity and self determination in mHealth applications. Paper accepted for presentation at the 67th annual conference of the International Communication Association, San Diego, CA.
Devoss, C. & Bellur, S. (2016, November). Self-health: Self-determination theory, technology acceptance and mHealth applications. Paper accepted for presentation at the 102nd annual conference of the National Communication Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Nowak, K. L., Hamilton, M., A., Hull, K. H. & Bellur, S. (2015, May). Are virtual embodiments perceived distinctly from sources? The bifurcation of visual and verbal processing during viewer evaluation of online messages. Paper accepted for presentation at the 65th annual conference of the International Communication Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Bellur, S., Nowak, K. L., & Hull, K. (2014, November). Take your time: In-class multitaskers require more time studying to maintain academic performance. Paper presented in the Top Paper Panel of the Human Communication and Technology Division, at the 96th annual conference of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL. http://ww4.aievolution.com/nca1401/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&ev=4153
Sundar, S. S., Jia, H., Bellur, S., Oh, J., & Kim, H. S. (2014, August). News informatics: Engaging individuals with data-rich news content through interactivity in source, medium, and message. Paper accepted for presentation at the 96th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Montreal, Canada.
Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2013, June). Interactivity as Conversation: Can back and forth interactions affect user cognitions and attitudes? Paper presented at the 63rd annual conference of the International Communication Association, London, UK.
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., & Jia, H. (2012, June). Motivational technologies: A theoretical framework for designing preventive health applications. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Persuasive Technology (Persuasive 2012), LNCS 7284, 112-122. Doi:10.1007/978-3-642-31037-9_10
Sundar, S. S., Oh, J., Bellur, S., Jia, H., & Kim, H. S. (2012, May). Interactivity as self-expression: A field experiment with customization and blogging. Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI), ACM Press, 395-404. Doi: 10.1145/2207676.2207731
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., Oh, J. & Jia, H. (2011, September). Calls for interaction: The more the better? User experience of 3D carousel and additional interaction techniques. Proceedings of the 13th IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2011, 487–490. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-23768-3_64
Sundar, S. S., Xu, Q., Bellur, S., Oh, J., & Jia, H. (2011, May). Beyond pointing and clicking: How do newer interaction modalities affect user engagement? Proceedings of the 29th of the International Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA’11), 1477-1482. Doi: 10.1145/1979742.1979794
Sundar, S. S., Xu, Q., & Bellur, S. (2010, April). Designing interactivity in media interfaces: A communications perspective. Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI), ACM Press, 2247-2256. Doi: 10.1145/1753326.1753666
Sundar, S. S, Xu, Q., Bellur, S., Oh, J., & Jia, H. (2010, April). Modality is the message: Interactivity effects on perception and engagement. Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI), 4105-4110. Doi: 10.1145/1753846.1754110
Bellur, S. (2011, October). Designing interactive health risk assessments via friendly “small talk”. Poster presented at the Workshop on Interactive Systems in Healthcare (WISH) in the AMIA 2011 Annual Symposium, Washington D.C.
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., & Constantin, C. (2010, October). Processing interactivity: Is it automatic or controlled? Paper presented at the 50th annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Portland, OR.
Saraswathi (Saras) Bellur (Ph.D., Penn State University, 2012) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication, University of Connecticut (UCONN). Situated in media effects, Dr. Bellur’s research focuses on understanding the psychological and physiological effects of interactive media on key communication processes and outcomes. With several publications in flagship journals in the field, Dr. Bellur’s work has contributed to both theoretical and empirical body of knowledge surrounding interactivity research. Dr. Bellur’s research has also focused on explication and measurement issues related to interactivity, cognitive heuristics and user engagement. Dr. Bellur has co-developed a new theoretical framework called the motivational technology model, which examines how we can harness unique affordances of new media, such as interactivity, to boost individuals’ intrinsic motivation, and encourage them to engage in preventive health behaviors. Her recent work has also examined the effects of media multitasking on learning and enjoyment. Dr. Bellur looks forward to pursuing innovative and collaborative projects that contribute toward a theory-driven understanding of communication technologies and their effects.
Dr. Bellur's work adopts an interdisciplinary approach by combining theories from various disciplines such as media effects, human-computer interaction (HCI), computer-mediated communication (CMC), social cognition and health communication. So far, her work has explored —
(i) the concept of interactivity and its effect on users' evaluation of media interfaces, mediated content and user engagement;
(ii) the effect of interactive health technologies and their influence on attitudes toward preventive and proactive health behaviors;
(iii) the role of psychophysiological responses [heart-rate (ECG), skin conductance (EDA), and brain-wave (EEG)] in understanding user responses to different forms of media and mediated content.
Publications
Park, S., Xu, X., Rourke, B., & Bellur, S. (2019). Do you enjoy TV, while Tweeting? Effects of multitasking on viewer’s transportation, emotions and enjoyment. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 63(2), 231-249. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/08838151.2019.1622340
Bellur, S. & DeVoss. C. (2018): Apps and Autonomy: Perceived interactivity and autonomous regulation in mHealth Applications, Communication Research Reports, DOI: 10.1080/08824096.2018.1501672
Oh, J., Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2018). Clicking, assessing, immersing and sharing: An empirical model of user engagement with interactive media. Communication Research, 45(5), 737-763. Doi: 10.1177/0093650215600493
Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2017). Talking health with a machine: How does message interactivity affect attitudes & cognitions? Human Communication
Research, 43(1), 25-53. doi:10.1111/hcre.12094
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., Oh, J., Jia, H., & Kim, H. S. (2016). Theoretical importance of contingency in human-computer interaction: Effects of message interactivity on user engagement. Communication Research, 43 (3), 595-625. Doi: 10.1177/0093650214534962
Bellur, S., Nowak, K. L., & Hull, K. (2015). Make it our time: In class multitaskers have lower academic performance. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 63-70.
doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.027
Dardis, F. E., Schmierbach, M., Ahern, L., Fraustino, J., Bellur, S., Brooks, S., & Johnson, J. (2015). The effects of in-game Virtual Direct Experience (VDE) on reactions to real-world brands. Journal of Promotion Management, 21, 313–334. Doi:10.1080/10496491.2015.1021503
Kim, K., Schmierbach, M. G., Bellur, S., Chung, M-Y., Fraustino, J. D., Dardis, F., & Ahern, L. (2015). Is it a sense of autonomy, control, or attachment? Exploring the effects of in-game customization on game enjoyment. Computers in Human Behavior, 48, 695-705. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.011.
Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2014). How can we tell when a heuristic has been used? Design and analysis strategies for capturing the operation of heuristics. Communication Methods and Measures, 8 (2), 116-137. Doi:10.1080/19312458.2014.903390
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., Oh, J., Xu, Q., & Jia, H. (2014). User experience of on-screen interaction techniques: An experimental investigation of clicking, sliding, zooming, hovering, dragging, and flipping. Human–Computer Interaction, 29 (2), 109-152. Doi:10.1080/07370024.2013.789347
High, A., Oeldorf-Hirsch, A., Bellur, S. (2014) Misery doesn’t get company: The influence of emotional bandwidth on supportive communication in Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior, 34, 79-88. Doi:10.1016/j.chb.2014.01.037
Xu, Q., Schmierbach, M., Bellur, S., Ash, E., Oeldorf-Hirsch, A., & Kegerise, A. (2012). The effects of “friend” characteristics on evaluations of an activist group in a social networking context. Mass Communication and Society, 15 (3), 432–453. Doi:10.1080/15205436.2011.583862
Sundar, S. S., & Bellur, S. (2010). Concept explication: The case of political interactivity. In E. P. Bucy & R. L. Holbert (Eds.), Sourcebook for Political Communication Research: Methods, Measures and Analytical Techniques (pp. 485-504). New York, NY: Routledge.
Geske, J., & Bellur, S. (2008). Differences in brain information processing between print and computer screens: Bottom-up and top-down attention factors. International Journal of Advertising, 27 (3), 399–423.
Selected Refereed Conference Papers and Proceedings
Bellur, S. (2018, November). Heuristics and health: Role of mental shortcuts in health and risk information processing. Paper to be presented at the 104th annual conference of the National Communication Association, Salt Lake City, UT.
Bellur, S. (2018, May). Contingency as key: Exploring the role of contingency in human machine communication. Paper presented at the Communicating with Machines: Theory and Practice pre-conference of the 68th annual conference of the International Communication Association, Prague, Czech Republic.
Bellur, S. (2018, May). Promoting interactivity and user engagement in online vaccine message boards. Paper presented at the Digital Health at the Intersection of Academia and Industry, 2nd annual conference of the UConn Center for mHealth and Social Media, Storrs, CT.
Bellur, S. & Devoss, C. (2017, August). Self-tracking with cell phones: Exploring the effects of self-monitoring and perceived control in mHealth applications. Paper presented at the 99th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Chicago, IL.
Bellur, S. & Devoss, C. (2017, May). Does interactivity makes users autonomous? Role of perceived interactivity and self determination in mHealth applications. Paper accepted for presentation at the 67th annual conference of the International Communication Association, San Diego, CA.
Devoss, C. & Bellur, S. (2016, November). Self-health: Self-determination theory, technology acceptance and mHealth applications. Paper accepted for presentation at the 102nd annual conference of the National Communication Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Nowak, K. L., Hamilton, M., A., Hull, K. H. & Bellur, S. (2015, May). Are virtual embodiments perceived distinctly from sources? The bifurcation of visual and verbal processing during viewer evaluation of online messages. Paper accepted for presentation at the 65th annual conference of the International Communication Association, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Bellur, S., Nowak, K. L., & Hull, K. (2014, November). Take your time: In-class multitaskers require more time studying to maintain academic performance. Paper presented in the Top Paper Panel of the Human Communication and Technology Division, at the 96th annual conference of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL. http://ww4.aievolution.com/nca1401/index.cfm?do=ev.viewEv&ev=4153
Sundar, S. S., Jia, H., Bellur, S., Oh, J., & Kim, H. S. (2014, August). News informatics: Engaging individuals with data-rich news content through interactivity in source, medium, and message. Paper accepted for presentation at the 96th annual conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, Montreal, Canada.
Bellur, S., & Sundar, S. S. (2013, June). Interactivity as Conversation: Can back and forth interactions affect user cognitions and attitudes? Paper presented at the 63rd annual conference of the International Communication Association, London, UK.
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., & Jia, H. (2012, June). Motivational technologies: A theoretical framework for designing preventive health applications. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Persuasive Technology (Persuasive 2012), LNCS 7284, 112-122. Doi:10.1007/978-3-642-31037-9_10
Sundar, S. S., Oh, J., Bellur, S., Jia, H., & Kim, H. S. (2012, May). Interactivity as self-expression: A field experiment with customization and blogging. Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI), ACM Press, 395-404. Doi: 10.1145/2207676.2207731
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., Oh, J. & Jia, H. (2011, September). Calls for interaction: The more the better? User experience of 3D carousel and additional interaction techniques. Proceedings of the 13th IFIP Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT 2011, 487–490. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-642-23768-3_64
Sundar, S. S., Xu, Q., Bellur, S., Oh, J., & Jia, H. (2011, May). Beyond pointing and clicking: How do newer interaction modalities affect user engagement? Proceedings of the 29th of the International Conference Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA’11), 1477-1482. Doi: 10.1145/1979742.1979794
Sundar, S. S., Xu, Q., & Bellur, S. (2010, April). Designing interactivity in media interfaces: A communications perspective. Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI), ACM Press, 2247-2256. Doi: 10.1145/1753326.1753666
Sundar, S. S, Xu, Q., Bellur, S., Oh, J., & Jia, H. (2010, April). Modality is the message: Interactivity effects on perception and engagement. Proceedings of the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (ACM SIGCHI), 4105-4110. Doi: 10.1145/1753846.1754110
Bellur, S. (2011, October). Designing interactive health risk assessments via friendly “small talk”. Poster presented at the Workshop on Interactive Systems in Healthcare (WISH) in the AMIA 2011 Annual Symposium, Washington D.C.
Sundar, S. S., Bellur, S., & Constantin, C. (2010, October). Processing interactivity: Is it automatic or controlled? Paper presented at the 50th annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Portland, OR.