Joe Walther
CRML Affiliated Faculty
Distinguished Professor, Communication
Dr. Walther's research focuses on mediated interactive communication, and the impact of interpersonal and social forces in the attitudes, behaviors, and relationships people develop via mediated interaction, in groups, educational settings, and inter-ethnic conflict. He developed the social information processing theory of mediated communication, the hyperpersonal model of online communication (by which people experience exceptionally intense emotions and connections), and warranting theory, accompanied by numerous behavioral studies. He is currently extending his work into new explanations for online hate.
Joseph B. Walther is the Mark and Susan Bertelsen Presidential Chair in Technology and Society, and a Distinguished Professor of Communication, and Director of the Center for Information Technology and Society at UCSB. He has been a Fulbright Senior Scholar, a Fellow of the International Communication Association, and a Distinguished Scholar in the National Communication Association.