Please join us for a lunch seminar with Joe Walther who is discussing his research titled “Social Influence and Social Media: A Framework for Web 2.0 Effects.

When: May 7, 2013 starting at 12 noon
Where: BelleVUe 0H-38

Please inform Katie if you would like to join before May 3, 2013 so that she can order you lunch.

Abstract: A new paradigm for studying participatory websites was advanced proposing that if we identify various actors on Web 2.0 in familiar conceptual terms, it brings to bear a wealth of traditional theories on social influence from persuasion, advertising, interpersonal interaction, and social identification. This presentation reviews the paradigm and a number of empirical studies that suggest its utility via YouTube, Amazon.com, Facebook, and elsewhere.

Joseph B. Walther is a professor of Communication & Telecommunication, and Information Studies & Media at Michigan State University, and a 2013 Fulbright Scholar in Amsterdam this semester. With a PhD in communication, management, and information systems from the University of Arizona, his research has focused on interpersonal and group interactions using computer-mediated communicationin personal relationships, virtual groups, and online education. He was formerly the chair of the Communication and Technology division of the International Communication Association, and the organizational communication and information systems division of the Academy of Management. In addition, Jwas recently recognized as a highly-cited scholar by the Institute for Scientific Information.