Research Interests.
My research interests focus on communication within families and other interpersonal relationships. In particular, I concentrate on how relational partners communicate during periods of stress or crisis. My contexts of interest include grief, chronic illness, and military service. My goal is to discover information that can be used to help families become more aware, resilient, and self-sufficient when faced with life-changing stressors.
Research Publications and Presentations.
Publications:
Presentations:
- Wehrman, E. C. (in-press). Military family socialization: An examination of new U.S. military families in online forums. Western Journal of Communication.
- Wehrman, E. C. (in-press). Grief/bereavement. In E. Ho, C. Byland, J. van Weert, I. Basnyat, N. Bol, & M. D. Kruzel (eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Health Communication. Wiley.
Wehrman, E. C., & Abendschein, B. (in-press). Communication theory of identity. In E. Ho, C. Byland, J. van Weert, I. Basnyat, N. Bol, & M. D. Kruzel (eds.), The International Encyclopedia of Health Communication. Wiley. - McAninch, K. G., Delaney, A., Basinger, E., & Wehrman, E. C. (in-press). Validating communication in couples’ experience of chronic illness: Associations with relational and health circumstances and overarching relational perceptions. Western Journal of Communication.
- Knobloch, L., Kobloch-Fedders, L. M., Yorgason, J. B., Wehrman, E. C., & Monk, J. K. (2021). Trajectories of relational turbulence and affectionate communication across the post-deployment transition. Communication Monographs. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2021.1963792
- Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., Delaney, A. L., & McAninch, K. G. (2021). Couples managing chronic illness: A test of the extended theoretical model of communal coping. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407521999461
- Abendschein, B., Basinger, E. D., & Wehrman, E. C. (2021). Struggling together: Examining the narratives of interdependence and healing within romantic relationships after stroke. Qualitative Health Research, 31(7), 1275-1289. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497323211004101
Wehrman, E. C. (2019). “I was their worst nightmare”: The identity challenges of military widows. Death Studies, 45(8), 583-593. https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2019.1671540 - McAninch, K. G., Wehrman, E. C., & Abendschein, B. (2018). Identifying sequences of advice giving in online military discussion forums. Communication Quarterly, 66(5), 557–575. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2018.1473456
Caughlin, J. P., Huston, T. L., & Wehrman, E. C. (2018). The affective structure of marriage over time. In A. L. Vangelisti and D. Perlman (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of personal relationships (pp. 90–105). Cambridge University Press. - Knobloch, L. K., Basinger, E. D., Abendschein, B., Wehrman, E. C., Monk, J. K., & McAninch, K. G. (2018). Communication in online forums about the experience and management of relational uncertainty in military life. Journal of Family Communication, 18(1), 13–31. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 15267431.2017.1373355
- Basinger, E. D., & Wehrman, E. C. (2016). “They don’t get it, and I don’t want to try to explain it to them”: Perceptions of support messages for individuals bereaved by the death of a parent or sibling. In T. Socha (Series Ed.), E. C. Gilchrist-Petty, & S. D. Long (Vol. Eds.), Lifespan communication: Children, families and aging: Vol. 10: Contexts of the dark side of communication (pp. 13–23). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
- Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., & McAninch, K. G. (2016). Grief communication and privacy rules: Examining the communication of individuals bereaved by the death of a family member. Journal of Family Communication, 16, 285–302. doi:10.1080/15267431.2016.1182534
- Knobloch, L. K., Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., Ebata, A. T., & McGlaughlin, P. C. (2016). Communication of military couples during deployment and reunion: Changes, challenges, benefits, and advice. Journal of Family Communication, 16, 160–179. doi:10.1080/15267431.2016.1146723
- Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., Delaney, A., & McAninch, K. (2015). College students’ long distance coping with a family member’s cancer diagnosis and treatment. Qualitative Health Research, 25, 1085–1098. doi:10.1177/1049732315576710
- Knobloch, L. K., Theiss, J., & Wehrman, E. C. (2015). Communication of military couples during deployment: Topics discussed, topics avoided, and uncertainty experienced. In E. C. Sahlstein Parcell & L. M. Webb (Eds.), A communicative perspective on the military: Interactions, messages, and discourses (pp. 39–58). New York, NY: Peter Lang.
- Knobloch, L. K., & Wehrman, E. C. (2014). Family relationships embedded in U.S. military culture. In C. R. Agnew (Ed.), Social influences on romantic relationships: Beyond the dyad (pp. 58–82). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Presentations:
- McAninch, K. G., Delaney, A., Basinger, E., & Wehrman, E. C. (2021, November). Validating communication in couples’ experience of chronic illness: Associations with relational and health circumstances and overarching relational perceptions. [conference presentation]. National Communication Association 2021 convention, Seattle, WA.
Award: Top four paper award in the Interpersonal Communication Division - Reynolds-Tylus, T., Lukacena, K. M., Wehrman, E. C., & Moore, M. (2021, November). Factors influencing COVID-19 exposure notification: An application of the disclosure decision-making model [conference presentation]. National Communication Association 2021 convention, Seattle, WA.
Wehrman, E. C. (2020, November). Military socialization and adjustment: An examination of military newcomers and their families in online forums [conference presentation]. National Communication Association 2020 convention, virtual. - Basinger, E., Wehrman, E. C., Delaney, A., & McAninch, K. G. (2020, November). Predictors and outcomes of communal coping for couples managing health stress: A test of the extended theoretical model of communal coping [conference presentation]. National Communication Association 2020 convention, virtual. Award: Top four paper award in the Health Communication Division
- Delaney, A., Basinger, E., McAninch, K. G., & Wehrman, E. C. (2020, November). Turbulence and resilience in romantic relationships affected by health stress [conference presentation]. National Communication Association 2020 convention, virtual.
- Wehrman, E. C., Abendschein, B., Basinger, E. B., & McAninch, K. G. (2020). Breaking the normative bias: How to approach and study nonnormative relational trajectories [panel discussion]. Accepted for presentation at Central States Communication Association 2020 convention (cancelled due to COVID-19).
- Wehrman, E. C. (2019, November). Intrapersonal and interpersonal meaning-making: The process of identity reconstruction after the loss of a spouse [conference presentation]. National Communication Association 2019 convention, Baltimore, MD.
- Lukacena-Buzzetta, K. M., Reynolds-Tylus,T., Salmon, S. K., & Wehrman, E. C. (2019, November). Partner notification and stigma: An application and extension of the revelation risk model [conference presentation]. National Communication Association 2019 convention, Baltimore, MD.
- Knobloch, L. K., Basinger, E. B., Abendschein, B., Wehrman, E. C., Monk, J. K., & McAninch, K. G. (2017, November). Communication in online forums about the experience and management of relational uncertainty in military life. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Dallas, TX. Award: Top four paper award in the Interpersonal Communication Division
- McAninch, K. G., Wehrman, E. C., Abendschein, B. (2017, November). The prevalence of help seeking and help provision in online military discussion forums: Identifying sequences of advice giving. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Dallas, TX.
Spring 2016: Guest lecturer, CMN 230 Interpersonal Communication, Military Widows and Identity. - Wehrman, E. C. (2016, November). Grieving in the military: The bereavement experience of military widows. Paperpresented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Philadelphia, PA.
- Basinger, E. D., & Wehrman, E. C. (2016, November). Sources of uncertainty for individuals bereaved by the death of a parent or sibling. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Philadelphia, PA.
- Roaché, J. D., Caughlin, J. P., & Abendschein, B., Pusateri, K. B., Wang, N., Wehrman, E. C. (July, 2016). How the presence of mobile communication technology impairs conflict communication. Poster presented at the International Association of Relationship Research Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada.
- Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., & McAninch, K. G. (2015, November). Grief communication and privacy rules: Examining the communication of individuals bereaved by the death of a family member. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Las Vegas, NV.
- Basinger, E. D., & Wehrman, E. C. (2015, June). “They don’t get it, and I don’t want to try to explain it to them”: Perceptions of support messages for individuals bereaved by the death of a parent or sibling. Paper presented at the International Association for Relationship Research Mini-Conference, New Brunswick, NJ.
- Knobloch, L. K., Ebata, A. T., Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., & McGlaughlin, P. C. (2015, June). Communication of military couples reunited following deployment: Changes, challenges, benefits, and advice. Paper presented at the International Association for Relationship Research Mini-Conference, New Brunswick, NJ.
- Knobloch, L. K., Theiss, J. A., Wehrman, E. C. (2015, March). Communication of military couples during deployment: Topic avoidance and relational uncertainty. Paper presented at the meeting of the Central States Communication Association, Madison, WI. Award: Top paper award in the Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Division
- Basinger, E. D., Wehrman, E. C., Delaney, A., & McAnich, K. G. (2014, November). A grounded theory of students’ long distance coping with a family member’s cancer. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Chicago, IL.
- Wehrman, E. C. (2013, November). “I was their worst nightmare”: The narrative identity of military widows. Paper presented at the meeting of the National Communication Association, Washington, D.C.
- Wehrman, E. C., & Bedi, S. (2012, March). Mother-daughter communication and women’s health issues: The effects on the health-seeking behaviors of the female college student. Paper presented at the meeting of the Central States Communication Association, Cleveland, OH.
- Pridemore, E. C. (2011). ReThink Breast Cancer’s Fashion Targets Breast Cancer: A fantasy theme analysis of FTBC print advertisements. Paper presented at the Sooner Communication Conference, Norman, OK.
- Pridemore, E. C., Ashley, L., & Bi, J. J. (2011). A news-flow analysis of media coverage on BP oil spill crisis. Paper presented at the Sooners Communication Conference, Norman, OK.