Moonsun (Sunny) Jeon

Moonsun (Sunny) Jeon

Ph.D. Candidate (ABD)

Department
  • Communication
jeonmoo1@msu.edu

Bio

Sunny is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. She completed her MA in Communication Studies (Interpersonal and Health Communication) at the University of Georgia and BA in English Language and Literature & Media and Communication (double major) at Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), South Korea.

Research and Teaching

Sunny's research focuses on persuasion and social influence, especially in health and environmental contexts. She studies how people process persuasive messages and how those insights can guide interventions that promote positive behaviors among diverse communities.

To understand how audiences respond to messages, she combines experiments, randomized controlled trials, surveys, and thematic analysis with emerging tools such as eye-tracking, virtual reality, and AI chatbots. 

Her teaching rests on three pillars: experiential learning, accessible and tailored support, and inclusive course design. Through clear expectations, staged assignments, and multiple ways to participate, she helps students connect communication theory to problems they care about. 

Instructor of Record (Solo-Taught Courses)

Michigan State University

  • COM 475 Public Communication Campaign Design and Analysis (in person) — Spring 2026, Fall 2026
  • COM 275 Effects of Mass Communication (online) — Summer 2025
  • COM 100 Introduction to Human Communication (online) — Summer 2023

University of Georgia

  • COMM 1500 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication (in person) — Summer 2021, Fall 2021, Spring 2022

Teaching Assistant / Recitation Instructor

Michigan State University

  • COM 300 Methods of Communication Inquiry — Spring 2025, Fall 2025
  • COM 275 Effects of Mass Communication — Fall 2024
  • COM 240 Organizational Communication — Spring 2024
  • COM 100 Introduction to Human Communication — Fall 2022, Spring 2023, Fall 2023

University of Georgia

  • COMM 1500 Introduction to Interpersonal Communication (co-teaching) — Fall 2020, Spring 2021

Related Work

Personal Website

https://sites.google.com/view/moonsun-sunny-jeon/home

Recent Publications
Lim, S., Cho, H. J., Jeon, M., Cui, X., & Schmälzle, R. (in print). Immersive media messages that catch the eye: Examining factors that elicit attention and replicating the link between attention and memory. Journal of Media Psychology. (Second and third authors contributed equally.)
 
Cho, H. J., Jeon, M.*, & Turner, M. M. (in print). The use of effective persuasive strategies in obesity prevention campaigns: A content analysis. Health Promotion Practice. (First and second authors contributed equally*.) https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399261493467
 
Jeon, M., Lim, S., Lapinski, M. K., Bente, G., Spates, S. A., & Schmälzle, R. (2026). Visual attention and retention effects of a design element in culturally targeted messages: Introducing the virtual billboard paradigm. Communication Quarterly, 74(2), 165–195. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2026.2629568
 
Jeon, M., & Kim, Y. (2026). The role of fear, hope, message fatigue, and message shocking value in promoting the public’s understanding and support toward COVID-19 wastewater monitoring. JMIR Formative Research, 10, e83060. https://doi.org/10.2196/83060
 
Rasul, M. E., Oh, Y. J., Jeon, M., Cho, H. J., & Calabrese, C. (2026). When distrust shapes news choice: Perceptions of mis- and disinformation and news consumption across traditional and social media outlets. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 29(3), 151–158. https://doi.org/10.1177/21522715261424695
 
Oh, Y. J., Jeon, M., Cho, H. J., & Rasul, M. E. (2026). Narcissism predicts misinformation engagement through information seeking: Evidence from a representative survey. Acta Psychologica, 262, 106155. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.106155
 
Liu, J., Mi, R. Z., Jeon, M., Fabbricatore, J., Wicke, R., Cojulun, L., & Yang, S. (2025). Visual attention and memory retention of cannabis warning labels: An eye-tracking experiment with young adults. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 59(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaf094
 
Rasul, M. E., Calabrese, C., Oh, Y. J., Cho, H. J., Jeon, M., & Boukes, M. (2025). “It’s all fake news!”: How perceptions of misinformation and disinformation influence news consumption across traditional media, social media, and AI. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 102(4), 993–1019. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990251373085
 
Lapinski, M. K., Kerr, J. M., Miller III, H. W., Jeon, M., & Tracey, K. (2024). Persuasive communication, financial incentives, and social norms: Interactions and effects on behaviors. Current Opinion in Psychology, 59, 101851. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2024.101851
 
Jeon, M., Kim, Y., & Bouslavskaya, T. (2024). Do body positive images improve our body perception? The role of social comparison on body perception and moods. Asian Communication Research, 21(3), 385–403. https://doi.org/10.20879/acr.2024.21.023
Contact Information

404 Wilson Rd, Room 459