معرفی
Erina L. Farrell serves as Liberal Arts Professor and Associate Head in the Department of Communication Arts and Sciences at Pennsylvania State University's College of the Liberal Arts, where she has held faculty positions since joining in 2014.
Educational background:
- B.A. from University of Alaska (1992)
- Ph.D. from University of Illinois (1999)
Dr. Farrell specializes in interpersonal and health communication with pioneering work on social support systems and advice dynamics. Her research developed the influential Advice Response Theory, which analyzes how message characteristics, advisor attributes, situational contexts, and recipient factors determine advice outcomes. Current investigations examine doctor-parent communication regarding childhood antibiotic prescriptions, social network influences on breast cancer surgical decisions, and peer advice among college students navigating daily challenges. Her methodological approach integrates experimental and field studies across medical and everyday contexts.
As an educator, she teaches Communication Theory (CAS 202), Interpersonal Communication Theory and Research (CAS 403), and specialized courses on Advice (CAS 597) and Communication and Social Support. She co-authored the widely adopted textbook Inter-Act (14th edition) with Kathleen Verderber, demonstrating her commitment to advancing communication pedagogy.
