Zijian (Harrison) Gong

Biography

I study selective attention to persuasive messages. Specifically, most of my research examines the impact of attentional selectivity to subsequency message processing and memory formation. Most of my classes are related to advertising & persuasion, such as media planning and ad campaigns.

Research

Most of my research used quantitative methods to examine selective attention. Specifically, I am interested in studying 1) investigating motivated processing to understand how message design and layout impact selective attention, recall, and attitude formation, and 2) examining source and message factors that impact the persuasive ability of mass media content.

Selected Publications

 

• Gong, Z., Holiday, S., & Cummins, R. G. (2020). Can't Take my eyes off of the model: The impact of sexual appeal and product involvement on selective attention to advertisements. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice.
• Cummins, R. G., Gong, Z., & Reichert, T. (2020). The impact of visual sexual appeals on attention allocation within advertisements: an eye-tracking study. International Journal of Advertising, 1–25.doi:10.1080/02650487.2020.1772656
• Gong, Z.(2019). Crafting mixed sexual advertisements for mainstream media: Examining the impact of homosexual and heterosexual imagery inclusion on advertising effectiveness. Journal of Homosexuality.
• Gong, Z., & Cummins, R. G. (2019). Redefining rational and emotional advertising appeals as available processing resources: Toward an information processing perspective. Journal of Promotion Management.
• Sarge, M., & Gong, Z. (In press). Obstructing the Cascade: Motivational System Co-activation Dampening Defensive Reactions to Fear and Disgust Appeals. Media Psychology.
• Gong, Z., & Bichard, S. (2018). This Offer Self-Destructs in 3, 2, 1,: Improving the Effectiveness of "That's-Not-All" Techniques in Promotional Emails. Journal of Promotion Management. 45, 1-18.
• Gong, Z., & Bucy, E. P., (2016). When Style Obscures Substance: Visual Attention to Display Appropriateness in the 2012 Presidential Debates. Communication Monographs, 83, 349-372.

Teaching Focus

• Media Planning
• Research Methods
• Advertising Campaigns
• Data Insights

 

Leadership & Awards

• Top Faculty Paper Award (1st prize) for the paper “Processing Capacity in Visual Search: The Impact of Visual Salience and Involvement on Attention.” Advertising Division, 2016 AEJMC Annual Convention, Minneapolis, MN.
• Doctoral Dissertation Completion Fellowship. 2015 Texas Tech University
• Helen DeVitt-Jones Graduate Fellowship, 2014-2015. Texas Tech University
• Study Abroad Competitive Scholarship, 2012-2014. Texas Tech University
• Hutcheson Graduate Research Scholarship, 2013-2014. Texas Tech University
• First Place Panel Award. 2012 Arts and Humanities Graduate Student Research Conference. 
• Graduate Assistant Service of the Year. 2011. Abilene Christian University Communication Department.
• Graduate researcher of the Year Award. 2011. Abilene Christian University Communication Department.