Skip to main content
Northwestern School of Communication

Daniel O’Keefe

(he/him)
Emeritus Professor of Communication Studies
My work focuses on persuasion—how and why persuasive messages have the effects they do. I have taken up the project of organizing and synthesizing the substantial body of social-scientific research on the effects of messages on persuasion and hence addressing the distinctive problems associated with the development of dependable generalizations about persuasive message effects.

Department

Communication Studies

Area(s) of Expertise

Public Persuasion and Opinion
Daniel O’Keefe

Daniel O'Keefe's research focuses on organizing and synthesizing the substantial body of work derived from persuasion studies—the effects of messages on persuasion and the distinctive problems associated with the development of dependable generalizations about persuasive message effects. His work seeks to derive and integrate findings from the large number of extant persuasion effects studies, especially through quantitative methods for research synthesis (meta-analysis).

Education

  • Ph.D., Speech Communication, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • A.M., Speech, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
  • A.B., Speech (Psychology Minor), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (with High College Honors and Departmental Distinction)

Selected Publications

O'Keefe, D. J. (2013). The relative persuasiveness of different message types does not vary as a function of the persuasive outcome assessed: Evidence from 29 meta-analyses of 2,062 effect sizes for 13 message variations. Annals of the International Communication Association, 37, 221-249. 

O'Keefe, D. J. (2015). Message generalizations that support evidence-based persuasive message design: Specifying the evidentiary requirements. Health Communication, 30, 106-113. 

O'Keefe, D. J. (2016). Persuasion: Theory and research (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.

O’Keefe, D. J. (2018). Message pretesting using assessments of expected or perceived persuasiveness: Evidence about diagnosticity of relative actual persuasiveness. Journal of Communication, 68(1), 120-142. 

O’Keefe, D. J. (2020). Message pretesting using perceived persuasiveness measures: Reconsidering the correlational evidence. Communication Methods and Measures, 14(1), 25-37. 

O’Keefe, D. J. (2021). Persuasive message pretesting using non-behavioral outcomes: Differences in attitudinal and intention effects as diagnostic of differences in behavioral effects. Journal of Communication, 71(4), 623-645. 

O’Keefe, D. J., & Hoeken, H. (2021). Message design choices don’t make much difference to persuasiveness and can’t be counted on—not even when moderating conditions are specified. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 2533.

Recent Awards and Honors

  • 2022: John E. Hunter Meta-Analysis Award, Information Systems Division, International Communication Association
  • 2020: Outstanding Health Communication Scholar Award, Health Communication Division, National Communication Association
  • 2019: Innovation in Method Award, Mass Communication Division, International Communication Association
  • 2018: Fellow, International Communication Association
  • 2016, Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence
  • 2010, Galbut Outstanding Faculty Award
  • 2008, Article of the Year Award, Health Communication Division, National Communication Association
  • 2005, Distinguished Scholar Award, Rhetorical and Communication Theory Division, National Communication Association
  • 2004, Best Article Award, International Communication Association
  • 2002, Distinguished Research Award, International Society for the Study of Argumentation

Courses

CS 205-0: Theories of Persuasion

CS 395-0: Advanced Theories of Persuasion

CS 394-0: Undergraduate Research Seminar: Persuasion in Health Contexts

CS 525-0: Advanced Theories of Persuasion