Brant Burleson

Research

Brant R. Burleson (Ph.D., University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1982) is a Professor of Communication and an Affiliate Professor of Psychological Sciences at Purdue University.  His research examines supportive forms of communication (such as comforting) and their effects on varied forms of well-being, and focuses on how people both produce and process supportive messages.  Other research interests include communication skill acquisition and development, the effects of communication skills on relationship outcomes, and the role of emotion in communication and relationships.  He has authored more than 140 articles, chapters, and reviews, and has edited several publications, including The Handbook of Communication and Social Interaction Skills, Communication of Social Support, and Communication Yearbook.  He is a Fellow of the International Communication Association, a Distinguished Scholar of the National Communication Association, and a recipient of the Berscheid-Hatfield Award for Distinguished Mid-Career Achievement from the International Association for Relationship Research.

Representative Publications

• Burleson, B. R. (2009). Understanding the outcomes of supportive communication: A dual-process approach. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 21-38.
• Burleson, B. R. (2009). The nature of interpersonal communication: A message-centered approach. In C. R. Berger, M. E. Roloff & D. Roskos-Ewoldsen (Eds.), The handbook of communication science (2^nd ed., pp. 145-163). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Burleson, B. R. (2009). Explaining recipient responses to supportive messages: Development and tests of a dual-process theory. In S. W. Smith & S. R. Wilson (Eds.), New directions in interpersonal communication (pp. 159-179). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
• Burleson, B. R., Hanasono, L. K., Bodie, G. D., Holmstrom, A. J., Rack, J. J., Rosier, J. G., et al. (2009). Explaining gender differences in responses to supportive messages: Two tests of a dual-process approach. Sex Roles, 61, 265-280.
• Denton, W. H., Burleson, B. R., & Brubaker, P. H. (in press). Avoidance may be bad for the heart:  A comparison of dyadic initiator tendency in cardiac rehabilitation patients and matched controls. Behavioral Medicine.
• Mortenson, S. T., Burleson, B. R., Feng, B., & Liu, M. (2009). Cultural similarities and differences in seeking social support as a means of coping:  A comparison of Americans and Chinese and an evaluation of the mediating effects of self-construal. Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, 2, 208-239.

Teaching

Com 318: Principles of Persuasion
Com 374: Social Interaction Skills: Assessment & Development
Com 412: Theories of Human Interaction
Com 512: Theories of Interpersonal Communication
Com 518: Theories of Persuasion
Com 600: Foundations of Communication Theory
Com 612e: Communication and Emotion
Com 612s: Social Support and Well-Being