Draft:Jody Chin Sing Wong

Jody Chin Sing Wong (Chinese: 黄景星; pinyin: Huáng Jǐng Xīn; born 1992) is an associate policy researcher at the RAND Corporation. Her work focuses on the cognitive and emotional processes underlying decision-making in uncertain environments, particularly in areas such as public health, vaccination, and community resilience. She is also known for her expertise in strategic communication and survey research methodology..

Early life and education

Wong was born in Singapore in 1992. She earned her Ph.D. and Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Magna cum laude) from the University at Buffalo, as well as a Master of Research in Communication Studies from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) at Nanyang Technological University. While at the University at Buffalo, she was actively involved in the Social Well-being Laboratory, contributing to research on interpersonal communication, health behaviors, and social interaction in digital and offline environments.

Research and Publication

Wong’s research often addresses public risk perception and decision-making, particularly related to emerging infectious diseases and public health.

Her notable publications include:

• "Doing More with Less: A Proposal to Advance Cigarette Packaging Regulations in the United States" (2024) – A discussion of legal and practical issues surrounding cigarette packaging regulations.
• "How Media Narratives Can Be Used in Decision Making Under Deep Uncertainty Practice?" (2024) – Examining the role of media in influencing complex decision-making.
• "Leading with Artificial Intelligence: Insights for U.S. Civilian and Military Leaders on Strengthening the AI Workforce" (2024) – Insights into integrating AI across sectors.
• "Partisanship and Risk Talk on Twitter: A Multipronged Analysis of the Prominence, Targets, and Drivers of Risk-Related Expression by Democrats Versus Republicans During the COVID-19 Pandemic" (2024) – A study of political discourse on social media during the pandemic.
• "Risk Perception of the COVID-19 Vaccines: Revisiting the Psychometric Paradigm" (2023) – Analyzing trends in vaccine risk perception through national survey data.
• "Misinformation, Anticipated Regret, and Vaccine-Related Behaviors" (2022) – Investigating the impact of misinformation on vaccine acceptance.

Her research has contributed to understanding how individuals and communities respond to risk, with a focus on improving communication equity and public health strategies.

Professional Focus

At RAND, Wong’s work integrates principles of communication and social psychology to address critical issues like infectious disease management, natural hazards, and community resilience. Her contributions aim to inform policy through experimental methodologies and practical insights.

Selected Media Coverage

• "Why it’s so hard to make risk decisions in the pandemic." Smithsonian Magazine. May 10, 2022.
• "Pandemic lessons: COVID-19 is cooling, but misinformation spread is even harder to stop." The Buffalo News. May 7, 2022.
• "Pandemic lessons: How is the info-epidemic impacting us?" The Buffalo News. July 25, 2021.
• "Pandemic lessons: We all agree on something big, so why are we still divided?" The Buffalo News. June 2, 2021.
• "Who’s to blame? How the media has shaped public understanding of the COVID-19 pandemic." Society for Risk Analysis. December 15, 2020.
• "UB expert says Biden’s emphasis on unity can take the politics out of pandemic response." University at Buffalo News. December 14, 2020

Languages

Wong is fluent in English and Mandarin Chinese.

See Also

• RAND Profile
• Google Scholar