Yu-Hao Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor - Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology
Office: 3051 Weimer
Phone: (352) 392-3951
Email: leeyuhao@ufl.edu
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Yu-Hao Lee, Ph.D.
Associate Professor - Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology
Dr. Yu-Hao Lee studies the effects of communication through and with immersive media such as video games, online streaming, and virtual reality. He also examines how to design immersive media experiences that promote better decision-making and prosocial behaviors.
He is passionate about seeking new ways to communicate complex stories and motivate prosocial behaviors. His research has examined the use of immersive technologies across various contexts, including serious games to train intelligence analysts on cognitive biases and to improve law enforcement officers’ deception-detection skills. He has also examined the use of immersive technology to change attitudes toward climate change and refugees. As the research director of the Center for Public Interest Communications, he manages multiple projects with external partners in industry and non-profits to conduct research that generates insights to advance public interest.
He has published over 70 articles in high-impact journals and several book chapters. His research has received top paper awards (ICA, AEJMC) and external grant support from the National Science Foundation (NSF), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and Meta.
Education
Ph.D., Media & Information Studies, Michigan State University, 2013
M.A., Journalism, National Taiwan University, 2005
B.A., Economics, National Taiwan University, 2003
News
- Fair Play: How Justice Beliefs Drive Gaming Habits (December 17, 2024)
- Study: Belief in a Just World Can Influence Video Game Choices (September 23, 2024)
- Study: Organ Donation Videos Can Have a Negative Effect on Donation Rates (August 23, 2024)
- Pixels vs. People: The Battle for Consumer Trust in Influencer Marketing (August 16, 2024)
- The Effects of Natural- and Supernatural-Based Awe Experiences in Virtual Reality (April 30, 2024)
- All News About Yu-Hao Lee →
Publications
Recent Refereed Journal Articles
Yuan, C., & Lee, Y. (2026). How cultural cognition affects trust and perceived quality of AI explanations. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 22. DOI: 10.1016/j.chbr.2026.101021
You, L., Hon, L., & Lee, Y. (2026). How Value Congruence and Issue Relevance Affect Consumer Reactions to Corporate Political Advocacy. International Journal of Business Communication, 63(2), 432–461. DOI: 10.1177/23294884231200858
Lee, Y., Xu, Q., Yu, X., & He, H. (2026). Seeking justice in video games: Belief in a just world and video game preferences.. Psychology of Popular Media, 15(2), 133–141. DOI: 10.1037/PPM0000567
Lee, Y. (2026). Defensive Attribution of AI Fairness: The Role of Procedural Fairness in AI’s Moral Responsibility. Media Psychology, 1–30. DOI: 10.1080/15213269.2025.2610624
Chen, M., & Lee, Y. (2026). Defensive attribution of AI fairness: The role of procedural fairness in AI’s moral responsibility. Media Psychology. DOI: 10.1080/15213269.2025.2610624
Kong, S., & Lee, Y. (2025). Overcoming the fear of death: incorporating worldview values into sympathy appeal organ donation messages with perceived similarity. Cogent Psychology, 12(1). DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2025.2580029
Kong, S., & Lee, Y. (2025). Overcoming the fear of death: Incorporating worldview values into sympathy appeal organ donation messages with perceived similarity. Current Psychology, 12(1). DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2025.2580029
Lee, Y., & Yuan, C. (2025). The authenticity paradox of political AI chatbots: Effects on candidate credibility, social presence, and voting intentions. Telematics and Informatics, 103. DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2025.102339
Bruno, C.M., Waddell, F., & Lee, Y. (2025). Co-viewer discretion advised: Examining emerging adult willingness to co-view sensitive entertainment content with parents. Communication Studies. DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2025.2603289
Bruno, C.M., Waddell, F., & Lee, Y. (2025). Co-Viewer Discretion Advised: Examining Emerging Adult Willingness to Co-View Sensitive Entertainment Content with Parents. Communication Studies, 1–20. DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2025.2603289
Presentations
Asymmetric virtual reality interaction: Theory testing on social information processing theory and media richness theory. Paper Presentation at ICA 2026, June 4, 2026.
Navigating privacy in embodied social interactions: Cultural differences in social virtual reality. Paper Presentation at ICA 2026, June 4, 2026.
Shared awe, greater awe in virtual reality (VR) together: how multi-users and viewing direction influence prosocial and self-improvement through social presence and awe. Paper Presentation at ICA 2026, June 4, 2026.
Moral Dilemmas and Interactive Media. Keynote/Plenary Address at Moral Media Conference, February 22, 2026.
Restoring justice as a motivation for playing video games. Paper Presentation at Moral Media Conference, February 20, 2026.
We are in this together: The effects of abundance and scarcity metaphor frames on policy and organizational support. Paper Presentation at AEJMC, August 9, 2025.
Can watching awe-inspiring videos promote intellectual humility and tolerance towards opposing views? Poster Presentation at AEJMC, August 9, 2025.
Truth or trick? The effects of motivated reasoning and AI labels on political engagement with deepfakes. Paper Presentation at ICA 2025, June 1, 2025.
A personalized adventure: How interactivity and personalization in AI-driven adventure games affect player experiences. Poster Presentation at ICA 2025, June 1, 2025.
Face value: Cultural orientations and facial expressions in social virtual reality. Other. June 1, 2025.
Book Chapters
Lee, Y., Dunbar, N. E., Kornelson, K., Wilson, S. N., Ralston, R., Savic, M., Stewart, S., Lennox, E. A., Thompson, W., & Elizondo, J. (2022). A Digital Game for Undergraduate Calculus: Immersion, Calculation, and Conceptual Understanding. In Research Anthology on Developments in Gamification and Game-Based Learning (pp. 645-661). IGI Global.
Lee, Y., Dunbar, N., Miller, C., Bessarabova, E., Jensen, M., Wilson, S., Elizondo, J., Burgoon, J., & Valacich, J. (2021). Mitigating Bias and Improving Professional Decision-Making Through Digital Game Play. In Persuasive Gaming in Context (pp. 239-258). Amsterdam, the Kingdom of the Netherlands: Amsterdam University Press.
Lee, Y., Dunbar, N. E., Kornelson, K., Wilson, S. N., Ralston, R., Savic, M., Stewart, S., Lennox, E. A., Thompson, W., & Elizondo, J. (2019). A Digital Game for Undergraduate Calculus: Immersion, Calculation, and Conceptual Understanding. In Exploring the Cognitive, Social, Cultural, and Psychological Aspects of Gaming and Simulations (pp. 206-227). IGI Global.
Heeter, C., Lee, Y., Medler, B., & Magerko, B. (2013). Conceptually Meaningful Metrics: Inferring Optimal Challenge and Mindset from Gameplay. In Game Analytics (pp. 731-762). Springer London. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4471-4769-5_32