Western Illinois University Communication professor Chris Carpenter has been honored with the 2025 John E. Hunter Meta-Analysis Research Program Award by the Information Systems Division of the International Communication Association (ICA).
The international award recognizes Mr. Carpenter’s significant contributions to meta-analysis research within the communication field. The ICA Information Systems Division presents this award biennially to a scholar whose work demonstrates excellence in integrating and synthesizing empirical data through meta-analysis, a WIU news release said.
The ICA recognized Mr. Carpenter’s achievement during its annual conference in June in Denver, Colorado.
Mr. Carpenter’s research focuses on how individuals strategically disclose personal information in digital contexts and the psychological mechanisms influencing such behavior. His work provides critical insights into self-presentation, interpersonal communication and the dynamics of digital interaction.
“I’m deeply honored to receive this award, especially because it’s named after John Hunter, who was a pioneer in the field of meta-analysis,” Mr. Carpenter said in the release. “Hunter was one of the people who helped invent the set of statistical techniques known as meta-analysis. Meta-analysis is a method for averaging the relationship between two variables across multiple studies.”
Mr. Carpenter cited an example from his own work: a meta-analysis study examining the effectiveness of adding the phrase “but you are free to refuse” to a small request. “That paper found that people are about twice as likely to say yes when you add that phrase. That was based on combining the results of 42 studies.”
The award recognizes Mr. Carpenter’s entire body of work utilizing and improving meta-analysis methods. “I have published 11 articles using meta-analysis and three articles about meta-analysis techniques. It is a kind of career award for this method. It is called the ‘John E. Hunter Meta-Analysis Research Program Award’ because it covers my entire research program in this area.”
Mr. Carpenter joined WIU in 2010 and has since established an international reputation for his innovative scholarship and data-driven approach to communication research. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has mentored undergraduate and graduate students in research methods and critical inquiry.
