James Dillard conducts research on the production and effects of persuasive messages. His Goals-Plans-Action model of interpersonal communication has contributed to understaning how individuals create messages designed to change relationships, acquire goods, and shape political opinion. Professor Dillard’s research on the role of emotion in persuasion is often applied to the questions of public health.

He is a former Editor of Human Communication Research and co-editor of The Persuasion Handbook (with M. Pfau and L. Shen), a Fellow of the International Communication Association, the recipient of the John E. Hunter Award for Meta-Analysis (twice), and a recipient of the NCA Golden Anniversary Award for article of the year. Dillard serves as a member of the Risk Communication Advisory Committee to the Food and Drug Administration. He teaches graduate and undergraduate on persuasion/social influence (CAS550 and CAS302), on measurement in communication science (CAS597) and interpersonal influence (CAS497).