Hi, I'm Pengfei!

I am Pengfei Zhao, an assistant professor in communication & AI in the School of Communication at Florida State University. I obtained my Ph.D. from the Department of Communication at Cornell University (Advisor: Natalie Bazarova). I am a researcher at Cornell Social Media Lab. I am also a recipient of the 2022-2024 Meta Research Ph.D. Fellowship.

My research focuses on the psychological, interpersonal, and socio-technical processes and effects of emerging media and technology, such as social media and artificial intelligence (AI). I develop theory-driven and evidence-based interventions to reduce online harms, foster civil and constructive discourses, and improve digital literacy. Based on my past work on the interpersonal and relational processes within community technologies, my current research spans two key themes: 1) understanding how moral behaviors from humans and AI shape community norms and dynamics in digital spaces, and 2) developing AI-powered and community-driven interventions that reduce online harms and facilitate prosocial behaviors and norms.

My work has been published in interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journals, including PNAS Nexus, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Current Opinion in Psychology, Computers in Human Behavior, Review of Education Research, and Journal of Adolescent Health.

Methodologically, I primarily employ quantitative methods, including web-based behavioral experiments and longitudinal panel surveys, to draw causal inferences for my research. I also integrate computational techniques, such as web programming, machine learning, and natural language processing, into my research as complementary approaches.

Featured Publications

Zhao, P., Bazarova, N. N., DiFranzo, D., Hui, W., Kizilcec, R., & Margolin, D. (2024). Standing up to problematic content on social media: Which objection strategies draw the audience’s approval? Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 29(1), 1-13. [Link] [PDF]

Zhao, P., Bazarova, N. N., & Valle, N. (2023). Digital parenting divides: The role of parental capital and digital parenting readiness in parental social media mediation. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 28(5), 1-13. [Link] [PDF]

Zhao, P., Lapierre, M.A., Rains, S.A., & Segrin, C. (2021). When and why we disclose distress on SNSs: Perceived affordances, disclosure goals, and anticipated negative evaluations. Computers in Human Behavior, 125. [Link] [PDF]

Methods & Data Analytics

News and Updates

Computational Experiments

Experiments with programming-based simulated platforms/webpages
Behavioral data collection and analyses

Big Data Analytics

Longitudinal panel survey
Supervised machine learning

Advanced Statistical Methods

Mixed-effects/multilevel modeling
Structural equation modeling

[July 17, 2025] My co-authored paper "Interplay of Harassment and Objection against Harassment Online Community" has been accepted for the NCA 111th Annual Conference.

[May 16, 2025] I successfully defended my dissertation and officially became a Ph.D.! Huge thanks to my committee—Natalie Bazarova, Drew Margolin, Lee Humphreys, and Qi Wang—for their incredible support and guidance!

[Dec 10, 2024] I accepted a job offer as a tenure-track assistant professor at Florida State University!

[Nov 1, 2024] Submitted two co-authored papers to ICA 2025! Fingers crossed!

[Sep 20, 2024] Our paper on vigilante justice on a simulated social media platform has been accepted by the 2024 Conference on Digital Experimentation (CODE@MIT)! See you in Boston!

[July 17, 2024] Submitted another grant application for my dissertation study. Fingers crossed!

[May 31, 2024] Attended the Communication Science Futures Conference at MSU and presented a poster on my recent research regarding justice responses against online toxicity!

[May 15, 2024] It's my honor to have been awarded the Anson E. Rowe Award for advanced graduate students in communication at Cornell!

[May 03, 2024] I delivered a talk on my recent research regarding justice responses against online toxicity at the Communication Colloquium at Cornell. Thank you to those who attended and provided feedback!

[Apr 23, 2024] I have been awarded $5,000 by the 2024-2025 PCCW Frank T. Rhodes Grant and Mission Grant for my research proposal on online harassment victim support!

[Mar 21, 2024] Our new paper "Toward a Critical Framework of Social Media Literacy: A Systematic Literature Review" has been accepted by the Review of Education Research! [Link]

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