I've been studying inoculation as a way to confer resistance to influence for more than 20 years. Persuasion inoculation is modeled after medical inoculation: a weakened form of a challenge motivates resistance to stronger challenges encountered later. Most of my work of late focuses on the theory itself—how it works, why it works, and whether it might work better. My applied work is in mis- and disinformation, science communication, health communication, sport, and other areas.
Institute for Writing and Rhetoric
Compton, J., & Compton, J. (2022). Playoff losses, mayoral politics, image repair,and inoculation: Open letter sport communication. Communication & Sport. https://doi.org/10.1177/21674795211067471
Compton, J., Ivanov, B., & Hester, E. (2022). Inoculation theory and affect.International Journal of Communication 16, 3470-3483. doi:1932-8036/2022FEA0002
Compton, J., Wigley, S., & Samoilenko, S. (2021). Inoculation theory and public relations. Public Relations Review47(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2021.102116
Compton, J. (2021). Threat and/in inoculation theory. International Journal of Communication 15, 1-13. doi:1932–8036/2021FEA0002
