Contact Information
702 South Wright St
M/C 456
Urbana, IL 61801
Research Areas
Research Interests
Health Communication
Interpersonal Communication
Family Communication
Patient-Provider Communication
Research Description
I study health communication in personal and patient-provider relationships, specifically focusing on the role communication plays in how people understand health. My research illuminates two perspectives: individuals’ understandings of their own health and individuals’ understandings of others’ health. My first line of research examines how people’s understandings of their own health are fundamentally shaped by their identity—who they are and who they want to be in relation to health. My second research area involves investigating how healthcare providers and personal social network members experience and manage uncertainty they have when trying to understand another’s health.
Education
University of Texas at Austin, Communication, Ph.D.
Arizona State University, Communication, B.A., M.A.
Courses Taught
CMN 462: Interpersonal Health Communication
Recent Publications
Romo, L. K., Thompson, C. M., & Ben-Israel, P. (Accepted/In press). An Examination of How People Appraise and Manage Health-Related Financial Uncertainty. Health communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2021.1876813
Kerr, A. M., Thompson, C. M., & Rubinsky, V. (2020). Memorable Messages Parents of Children with Vascular Birthmarks Receive from Others: Implications for Stigma and Identity. Health communication, 35(6), 685-695. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2019.1582314
Thompson, C. M., & Duerringer, C. M. (2020). Crying wolf: A thematic and critical analysis of why individuals contest family members’ health complaints. Communication Monographs, 87(3), 291-311. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2019.1709127
Thompson, C. M., Parsloe, S., & Acevedo Callejas, M. (2020). Dilemmas Managing Doubt about Family Members’ Health Complaints: A Normative Approach. Journal of Family Communication, 20(3), 236-249. https://doi.org/10.1080/15267431.2020.1773468
Thompson, C. M., Pulido, M. D., & Caban, S. (Accepted/In press). Why Is It Difficult for Social Network Members to Support People Living with Mental Illnesses? Linking Mental Illness Uncertainty to Support Provision. Health communication. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2020.1831166