Scott Caplan, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director of Basic Course

Research Program
My interest in Internet use and well-being began after reading anecdotal and empirical reports suggesting that people who reported that their Internet use resulted in negative life outcomes were especially drawn to the interpersonal uses of the Internet (e.g., chat rooms, instant messaging, message board systems, and online social networks). Additionally, some literature suggested that people who were lonely, depressed, and socially anxious were more likely than healthier individuals to engage in problematic Internet use. I wanted to know why. Thus, I have been in the process of developing a detailed theoretical model that seeks to explain why interpersonal aspects of Internet behavior are associated with people’s psychosocial health. My research program entails applying prior research on face-to-face communication (e.g., literature on loneliness, social anxiety, impression-formation, social skills) to the new forms of computer-mediated communication in order to understand how these media might foster problematic Internet use. Most recently, I have begun to collaborate with several colleagues on projects related to other interpersonal online phenomena such as online multiplayer gaming, impression formation online, and online dating.

Teaching Philosophy & Goals
My interest in the relationship between communicative phenomena and well-being influences both my research and my teaching. In teaching, I strive to help students apply the findings from my own research and other communication scholarship to their own lives in order to enhance their psychosocial well-being. I see my teaching and research as an integrated whole, rather than two disparate areas of my work.

My guiding pedagogical philosophy is that true learning occurs when students become active participants in their own educations. Quite often, I meet students who do not share my philosophy; many of them have been trained to be passive, and non-critical, recipients of “information.” I firmly believe that encouraging students to become active, rather than passive, learners, helps them learn to recognize how class topics and assignments are relevant to their lives.

In every class I teach, I structure class meetings and assignments in ways that encourage students to take their share of responsibility for their education in an active manner. For instance, in my upper-level classes, I assign semester-long research projects. One part of the assignment involves selecting their own topics and then writing a proposal arguing why their selected topic is relevant, rather than having me assign topics (which they always ask me to do). By the end of the semester, most students are actually excited and interested in their projects and are eager to present their findings to the class. Ultimately, I believe that this orientation toward critical thinking and active learning helps me to educate students about communication in a manner that will help them transform their lives in beneficial ways.

Dr. Caplan's Curriculum Vitae

List of Recent Publications

Williams, D. Caplan, S., & XIong, L. (2007). Can you hear me now? The impact of voice in an online gaming community. Human Communication Research, 33, 427-449.

Holbert, R. L., Hansen, G. J., Caplan, S. E., & Mortenson, S. T. (in press). Presidential debate viewing and Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9-11 : A study of affect-as-transfer and passionate reasoning. Media Psychology.

 Caplan, S. E. (2007). Relations among loneliness, social anxiety, and problematic Internet use. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10, 234-241.

Caplan, S. E., & High, A. C. (2007). Beyond excessive use: The interaction between cognitive and behavioral symptoms of problematic Internet use. Communication Research Reports, 23¸p. 265-271.

Caplan, S. E., & Turner, J. S. (2007). Online emotional support: Bringing theory to research on computer-mediated supportive and comforting communication. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 985-998.

Caplan, S. E., Perse, E. M., & Gennaria, J. K. (2007). Computer-mediated social interaction technologies. In C. Lin & D. Atkin (Eds.), Communication technology and social change: Theory, Effects, & Applications (pp. 39-57). Mahwah , NJ : Lawrence Erlbaum.

Caplan, S. E. (2006).  Problematic Internet use in the workplace.  In M. Anandarajan, T.S.H. Teo, C.A. Simmers (Eds), The Internet and workplace transformation (pp. 63 – 79).  Armonk , NY :   M. E. Sharpe.

Holbert, R. L., Hansen, G. J., Mortenson, S. T., & Caplan, S. E. (2006) An analysis of the relative influences of Fahrenheit 9-11 and presidential debate viewing on shifting confidence in President George W. Bush. Communication Research Reports, 23, 209-216.

Caplan, S. E. (2005). A social skill account of problematic Internet use. Journal of Communication, 55, 721-736

Caplan, S. E., Haslett, B. J., & Burleson, B. R. (2005). Telling it like it is: The adaptive function of narratives in coping with loss in later life. Health Communication, 17, 233-251.

Courses Regularly Taught

COMM200: Communication in Family Systems
COMM330: Communication and Interpersonal Behavior
COMM417: Communication and Conflict Mgt
COMM630: Theories of Interpersonal Communication (Graduate Seminar)

Postal address
Communication Department
University of Delaware
250 Pearson Hall
Newark, DE 19716

Email address
caplan@udel.edu

Office phone
302-831-2958

Department office phone
302-831-8041

Department Fax
302-831-1892