About

Professor Michael Schmierbach is a faculty affiliate of the Media Effects Research Lab at Pennsylvania State University. He teaches courses on media effects, political communication, quantitative research methods, and video game effects. His research primarily focuses on individuals' perceptions of media and the role of media exposure in shaping those perceptions. Specifically, Professor Schmierbach has conducted research exploring how enjoyment of video games is influenced by various factors such as interface and control schemes, multi-player game modes, perceptions of game difficulty, and other game characteristics. Additionally, he has studied third-person perceptions as they relate to video games, as well as information-seeking behaviors in relation to news and political coverage. Professor Schmierbach has presented his research at various academic conferences and has published articles in several respected journals, including Mass Communication and Society, Communication Research, Journal of Communication, and Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly.

Research topics

• Political Science
• Computer Science
• Sociology
• Psychology
• Internet privacy
• Epistemology
• Computer Security
• Advertising
• Social psychology
• Law
• Philosophy
• World Wide Web
• Environmental ethics
• Business

Selected publications

• The Necessary Evolution of Mass Communication Research in a Fragmenting Media Landscape

  Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly · 2026-02-17

  articleOpen access

  With the ongoing evolution of media channels, debates over the concept of mass communication have been reignited. When we live in a society of filter bubbles and AI-generated content, the very notion of a large uniform audience has been undermined. Indeed, the process of mass communication looks different today than in the early days of the field, which naturally affects how to define and measure media effects. In this forum, leading communication scholars provide arguments as to whether we should keep using the term “mass communication,” adapt its definition, or develop entirely new concepts that better reflect our fragmenting media environment.

  PublisherDOI

• Exploring Question-Order Effects

  2025-09-23

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  Surveys and experiments often depend on questionnaires in order to collect data. However, the validity of questionnaires can be affected by a number of factors including question-order effects. This chapter provides two direct tests of question-order effects using the context of third-person perception (TPP) research. Both Study 1 and Study 2 demonstrated question-order effects in some, but not all, cases. However, the frequency (40% in Study 1 and 33% in Study 2) was enough to reinforce that question-order effects can have real implications for questionnaire data. Implications and suggestions for researchers using questionnaire designs are provided.

  PublisherDOI

• Effects of Collectivism in Perceptions of Websites and Discussion Forums

  2025-09-23

  book-chapterSenior author

  The higher frequency of discussion forums on websites designed for collectivist cultures has been attributed to the higher group orientation and affiliation of collectivist cultures. However, empirical evidence to test the actual preference of users is lacking. In this chapter, we test this hypothesis through two online experiments, one conducted in Ecuador and the other in the U.S. Each experiment compared three websites: two discussion forums featuring responses either by other users or by the site administrator, and a frequently asked question site that served as a control condition. Our findings indicate that collectivism does not moderate the relationship between website format and user preference. Country was also not a significant moderator. However, we found evidence that audience considerations are important, as revealed by a main effect of country. Users from Ecuador found the content of the website (regardless of modality) less credible than participants from the United States.

  PublisherDOI

• Stimulus Creation for Experiments

  2025-09-23

  book-chapter

  Stimulus creation is a challenge in media research, particularly for experiments that require realistic media stimuli. Using existing content from media outlets poses threats to internal validity, whereas creating original content risks external validity. This chapter explores methodological issues in creating experimental media stimuli and describes various methods for doing so in a valid and cost-effective manner. It then provides a case study of stimulus creation for a study of media literacy interventions that address these issues. The methods of the case study provide a framework which includes: 1) reviewing existing literature and selecting an appropriate theoretical model to guide content, 2) partnering with collaborators to build relevant content, and 3) testing content with a combination of survey and focus group methods. The chapter concludes with a summary of lessons learned in the process and key implications for developing media stimuli for experimental research.

  PublisherDOI

• Amplifying Player Experience to Facilitate Prosocial Outcomes in a Narrative-Based Serious Game

  Media and Communication · 2024-09-30 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  The rise and development of serious games have shown promise in addressing critical social issues, including school bullying. However, prior work often compares game-based interventions with the conventional non-game approach, failing to generate insights about which game features should be emphasized to create more effective games. To bridge this research gap, in light of video games’ advantages for creating immersive experiences that benefit persuasion, we created a narrative-based serious game addressing school bullying and conducted two studies (Study 1, <em>N</em> = 130; Study 2, <em>N</em> = 250) to explore the persuasive effects of two game features, respectively player–avatar similarity and in-game control, on player experience (including player–avatar identification, narrative engagement, and empathy) and prosocial intention. We found mixed results subject to player perspective such that only when players took the bully’s perspective did one of the game features—in-game control—successfully create the intended empathy via amplified narrative engagement toward the desirable prosocial intention.

  PublisherDOI

• Biased processing of political fact-checks on social media: testing the effects of user comments and partisan worldview on misbeliefs and political candidate evaluation

  Internet Research · 2024-12-28 · 4 citations

  articleSenior author

  Purpose Social media platforms offer users the opportunity to engage with fact-checking posts aimed at countering misinformation surrounding political figures. However, limited research considers how the efficacy of fact-checking messages hinges on individuals’ perceptions and acceptance of the information, with user comments and individuals’ pre-existing partisan viewpoints both presenting possible barriers to positive reception of fact-checking messages. Design/methodology/approach To bridge this research gap, this study conducted a 2 (misinformation exposure types: partisan worldview-consistent misinformation vs partisan worldview-inconsistent misinformation) × 4 (correction exposure types: a fact-checking post with no comments vs a fact-checking post with negative comments vs a fact-checking post with positive comments vs no fact-checking post) between-subject online experiment. Findings We found significant main effects of user comments and partisan worldview on political misbelief and political attitudes. Importantly, among participants exposed to worldview-inconsistent misinformation, negative comments significantly decreased voting support compared to positive comments or no comments. Research limitations/implications This research is significant for the theoretical examination of the interaction between user comments and partisan worldview in influencing the effectiveness of political fact-checking messages. In addition, it has practical implications for fact-checking organizations and comment moderation in the fight against political misinformation. Originality/value This study presents original research examining the impact of social media user comments beneath a fact-checking post on beliefs in misinformation and evaluations of political candidates. While prior research has demonstrated how partisan worldview affects the effectiveness of corrections, the interaction between social media user comments and partisan worldview has not yet been explored.

  PublisherDOI

• Changes and Continuity for a Second Editorial Term

  Mass Communication & Society · 2024-02-29

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Influence of Fact-Checking Is Disputed! The Role of Party Identification in Processing and Sharing Fact-Checked Social Media Posts

  American Behavioral Scientist · 2023-05-18 · 9 citations

  article

  Social media play an important role in political communication, leading to growing concerns about the credibility of shared information. Attempts to slow the spread of misinformation by platforms such as Facebook and Twitter include adding fact-checking labels to social media posts, the effectiveness of which remains unclear. Using two experiments, we tested the credibility effects of fact-checking labels (confirmed vs. disputed) on graphical presentations of political (Democrat vs. Republican) quotes and social media news posts. Study 1 ( N = 312) tested the effects of these labels on political social media posts with political quotes, and Study 2 ( N = 356) replicated and extended this research to a news story post about a politician. Results indicate that the valence of verification labels on their own do not affect perceptions of the content. Instead, users find corrections of opposite-party political figures more credible and are more willing to share content when it negatively portrays opposite-party political figures. These results demonstrate potential limitations of fact-checking labels and highlight the importance of considering political ideology in correcting misinformation on social media sites.

  PublisherDOI

• Ethical Research

  2023-09-14

  book-chapterSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Why We Broke Up with X (And You Should Too)

  Mass Communication & Society · 2023-10-25 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Michael Boyle

  51 shared

• Frank E. Dardis

  Pennsylvania State University

  16 shared

• Douglas M. McLeod

  8 shared

• Brett Sherrick

  Purdue University West Lafayette

  8 shared

• Keunyeong Kim

  Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology

  7 shared

• Dhavan V. Shah

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  7 shared

• Alyssa Appelman

  University of Kansas

  7 shared

• Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch

  University of Connecticut

  7 shared

Labs

• Media Effects Research LabPI

  Investigates social and psychological effects of technological elements unique to web-based mass-communication.