Research Interests

Communication about and across social identity differences (LGBTQ+, political identity, religious identity, etc.), interpersonal and family communication, intergroup communication, psychosocial and relational well-being

Publications

Decker, H., & Schrodt, P. (2022). A communication and identity process that mediates parents’ nonaccommodation and sexual minorities’ mental well-being. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 39(12), 3535–3557. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075221101902.

Decker, H., & Soliz, J. (2023). “I love ‘em, but we just see the world in completely different ways”: Communication (non)accommodation in interfaith family relationships. In S. Symonds LeBlanc & S. O’Shay (Eds.), Casing the Family: Theoretical and Applied Approaches to Understanding Family Communication (2nd ed.). Kendall Hunt.

Schrodt, P., & Decker, H. (2023). Does feeling caught between parents magnify or reduce the association between parents’ nonaccommodation and sexual minorities’ personal-enacted identity gap with family? Communication Research Reports, 40(4), 181–192. https://doi.org/10.1080/08824096.2023.2227840

Schrodt, P., & Decker, H. (2023). Parents’ nonaccommodation and sexual minorities’ topic avoidance and surface acting as mediators of family communication patterns and shared family identity. Communication Quarterly, 1–25. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2023.2237085

Conference Presentations

Schrodt, P., and Decker, H. (2023, November 16-19). Parents’ nonaccommodation and sexual minorities’ topic avoidance and surface acting as mediators of family communication patterns and shared family identity [Paper presentation]. National Communication Association Convention, National Harbor, MD, United States. (Top Paper Award in Family Communication.)

Decker, H., Soliz, J., and Koenig-Kellas, J. (2023, May 25-29). Addressing the elephant/donkey in the room: The role of political difference and communication in predicting family harmony [Paper presentation]. International Communication Association Convention, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Decker, H., & Schrodt, P. (2022, March 30-April 3). A communication and identity process that mediates parents’ nonaccommodation and sexual minorities’ mental well-being [Paper presentation]. Central States Communication Association Convention, Madison, WI, United States. (Top Paper Award.)

Decker, H, (2020). At the crossroads of gay and straight: A qualitative study of communicated bisexual identity [Paper presentation]. National Communication Association Convention, Indianapolis, IN, United States.