Benjamin Johnson

Can star ratings for political content on platforms like Amazon alter our feelings towards others with similar or opposing political preferences? When we see ratings that disagree with our own, are we more likely to believe the ratings are manipulated? And when we see ratings that agree with our own,…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is the co-author of “Online Products and Consumers: Partisan Ratings and Mechanisms for Affective Polarization” published in Telematics and Informatics on July 19. Johnson and Rachel Neo from the University of Hawaii at Manoa conducted two experiments…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, was selected as one of three special issue editors for “This is (Not) Fine,” an upcoming special issue of Psychology of Popular Media. The special issue will curate research on the collision of current crises and popular…

Spending time watching TV, hanging out with friends or scrolling through social media can be viewed as a waste of time and energy. But what if the use of this leisure time actually helps improve self-control (e.g. capacity to self-regulate behavior) and can satisfy intrinsic psychological needs (autonomy, competence, and…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is the co-author of “Self-Control and Need Satisfaction in Primetime: Television, Social Media and Friends Can Enhance Regulatory Resources Via Perceived Autonomy and Competence” published in Psychology of Popular Media on April 6. Johnson, and co-authors Allison…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, was selected as one of four co-editors of Media Psychology, one of the leading journals in communication research. Johnson will edit the journal alongside Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn, Marina Krcmar and Leonard Reinecke. They will begin accepting…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is quoted in “The Case for Spoilers” published on Vox.com. Johnson and Judith E. Rosenbaum spent years researching how people react to spoilers. In their latest research, they found that why some people love spoilers and others…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is featured in “Don’t Tell Me! The Science of Spoilers” published on Canvas8 on Nov. 1. Canvas8 is a consumer behavior insights practice offering expert analysis on the latest trends. Johnson has researched the effect that television and…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is a co-author of “Issues, Involvement, and Influence: Effects of Selective Exposure and Sharing on Polarizations and Participation” published in Computers in Human Behavior on Oct. 1. Johnson, along with Rachel Neo from the University of Hawaii…

Benjamin Johnson, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications Advertising assistant professor, is the quoted in “Spoilers Have Little Effect on Our Enjoyment, Research Shows. Is Our Anxiety Misguided?” posted on the Australian Broadcast Corporation website on June 5. The story focuses on the impact of accidentally finding out…

By April Frawley Lacey Instagram users prefer sponsored ads that mimic posts from their friends over traditional advertising, although this type of advertising may seem sneaky or deceptive, new research shows. Scrolling through posts on the social media platform Instagram, a typical user probably sees a cat or two, selfies…

For years, spoilers have been the bane of entertainment media audiences everywhere. The word itself has become almost synonymous with ruined enjoyment. But, are spoilers really that bad? New research suggests that the effects of spoilers may be more complicated than initially thought. Some studies have revealed that spoilers can…