Hannah Ball

Dr. Hannah Ball is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication at Chapman University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in health communication theory, message design, and research methods. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from West Virginia University, and a B.A. from Canisius College.

Her research program focuses on health campaigns, social marketing, persuasion, and family caregiving dynamics. She employs mixed-methods approaches to study theory-driven health messaging (e.g., reducing prescription stimulant misuse, increasing vaccine confidence), psychological reactance in social influence processes, and communication patterns in adult child-older parent caregiving relationships.

Dr. Ball's publications demonstrate consistent focus on health behavior change, psychological reactance applications, and relational communication in caregiving contexts. Her most frequent methodologies include experimental designs, survey research, and campaign evaluations targeting college populations and family caregivers.

She holds significant editorial roles, including current Editor of Communication Quarterly and former Associate Editor of Communication Research Reports (2019-2021). Dr. Ball recently completed her term as Chair of the National Communication Association’s Communication and Aging Division.