Amber Reinhart

Dr. Amber Reinhart is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Missouri–St. Louis (UMSL), within the College of Arts and Sciences. Her expertise lies in health communication, with a focus on persuasive message design and behavioral change. She is particularly interested in how messages can be crafted to influence health-related decisions, such as organ donation and vaccine uptake, especially among diverse populations.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Communication, University at Buffalo
• M.A. in Communication, University at Buffalo
• B.A. in Communication, SUNY Geneseo

Research Interests: Dr. Reinhart’s research explores how message framing, psychological reactance, and narrative transportation affect health behaviors. She investigates strategies to reduce resistance to health messages and increase engagement, particularly in the context of organ donation and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Her work also examines the role of trust, religiosity, and cultural factors in health decision-making among African American and White populations.

Her recent research has increasingly focused on restoration scripts and autonomy-supportive messaging to counteract psychological reactance in public health campaigns. These efforts aim to improve the effectiveness of health communication interventions across different demographic groups.

Publications: Dr. Reinhart has published extensively in top-tier journals such as Communication Monographs, Health Communication, and Communication Reports. Her work spans from methodological contributions like meta-analyses and encyclopedia entries to applied studies on health behavior change. A consistent theme across her publications is the integration of communication theory with practical health interventions.

Teaching: She teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses, including Health Communication, Interpersonal Communication, Persuasion and Influence, and Advanced Research Methods. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the application of communication theory to real-world health challenges.

Contact: reinhartam@umsl.edu | Phone: 314-516-5489