My Research

My research focuses on individuals in interpersonal relationships. I am especially interested in how people (consciously and unconsciously) communicate identities involving "taken-for-granted" societal forces (e.g., sex, gender, relational communication). My goal, with each research program, is to disseminate findings beyond solely academic outlets. Therefore, I strive to apply my research to community organizations, health practitioners, and classroom settings. In my work, I operate on the assumption that individuals shape society; by looking at people one-on-one, I seek to enable social change, even if "only" in minds of individuals in classrooms and communities.

My current programs of research all focus on relational communication (e.g., relational uncertainty, power, conflict, love, and sex occurring in violent & nonviolent relationships) as influenced by societal identities (e.g., gender, family roles, stigma, health norms).

Currently Collecting Data Online...

Publications

• Eckstein, J. J. (accepted). Writing a literature review. In M. Allen (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of communication research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Brule, N. J., & Eckstein, J. J. (accepted). Vulnerable groups. In M. Allen (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of communication research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Eckstein, J. J. (accepted). American Psychological Association. In M. Allen (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of communication research methods. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
• Eckstein, J. J. (in press). Intimate terrorism and situational couple violence: Classification variability across five methods to distinguish Johnson’s violent relationship types. Violence & Victims.
• Eckstein, J. J. (2016). "The more things change...?": Technology and abuse for intimate partner violence victims. In E. Gilchrist-Petty & S. D. Long (Eds.), Contexts of the dark side of communication. New York: Peter Lang Publishing.
• Eckstein, J. J. (2016). Is love blind to abuse?: Factors affecting victims' preferences for love-communication from abusive partners. In L. N. Olson & M. A. Fine (Eds.), Examining the darkness of family communication: The harmful, the morally suspect, and the socially inappropriate (pp. 175-197). New York: Peter Lang Publishing. ISBN: 978-1433125379
• Brule, N. J., & Eckstein, J. J. (2016). Am I really a bad parent?": Adolescent-to-parent abuse (AtPA) identity and the Stigma Management Communication (SMC) model. Journal of Family Communication, 16(3), 198-215. doi:10.1080/15267431.2016.1160908
• Eckstein, J. J. (2016). IPV stigma and its social management: The roles of relationship-type, abuse-type, and victims' sex. Journal of Family Violence, 31(2), 215-225. doi:10.1007/s10896-015-9752-4
• Eckstein, J. J., & Cherry, J. (2015). Perceived characteristics of men abused by female romantic partners: Blaming, Resulting, Blaming-Excuses, or Normal? Culture, Society & Masculinities, 7(2), 140-153. doi:10.3149/CSM.0702.140
• Eckstein, J. J., Brule, N. J., Wiss, K., Petkanas, W., & Bryant, L. E. (2015). Feature Article: It's all relational: Blinded or aided by our own lens? Relationship Research News, 14(1), 8-13.
• Eckstein, J. J. (2014). Review of The dark side of relationship pursuit: From attraction to obsession and stalking (2nd ed.) by B. Spitzberg & W. Cupach. Relationship Research News, 13(2), 20-21.
• Eckstein, J. J., & Allen, M. (2014). (Eds.). Special Issue: Reclaiming stigma: Alternative explorations of the construct. Communication Studies, 65(2), 1-3. doi:10.1080/10510974.2014.893708
• Eckstein, J. J., & Pinto, K. (2013). Collaborative participatory action strategies for re-envisioning young men’s masculinities. Action Research, 11(3), 234-250. doi:10.1177/1476750313487928
• Eckstein, J. J. (2013). Straus, Murray. In L. L. Finley (Ed.), Encyclopedia of domestic violence and abuse (pp. 483-484). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN: 978-1610690010
• Eckstein, J. J. (2013). Social change movements. In L. L. Finley (Ed.), Encyclopedia of domestic violence and abuse (pp. 463-465). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN: 978-1610690010
• Eckstein, J. J. (2013). Technology and abuse. In L. L. Finley (Ed.), Encyclopedia of domestic violence and abuse In L. L. Finley (Ed.), Encyclopedia of domestic violence and abuse (pp. 489-490). Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. ISBN: 978-1610690010
• Eckstein, J. J. (2013). Being a man: Challenging or reinforcing embodied masculinities in the university classroom. In M. J. Murphy & E. Ribarsky (Eds.), Activities for teaching gender and sexuality in the university classroom (pp. 155-160). Lanham, MA: Rowman & Littlefield Education. ISBN: 978-1475801804
• Eckstein, J. J. (2012). Sex, gender, and relationship type in the relational uncertainty of victims of partner violence. Partner Abuse, 3(1), 22-42. doi:10.1891/1946-6560.3.1.22
• Eckstein, J. J. (2012). Reasons for staying in abusive relationships: A resource for understanding gendered identities as internally and externally construed. In A. Browne-Miller (Ed.), Violence & abuse in society: Understanding a global crisis. Volume 4: Faces of intimate partner violence (pp. 53-75). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. ISBN: 978-0313382765
• Eckstein, J. J. (2012). Predicting victims’ contact with former abusive partners. In A. Browne-Miller (Ed.), Violence & abuse in society: Understanding a global crisis. Volume 4: Faces of intimate partner violence (pp. 107-123). Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger. ISBN: 978-0313382765
• Eckstein, J. J. (2011). Going viral in the classroom: Using emerging CMC technologies for social change. In S. Kelsey & K. St. Amant (Eds.), Computer-mediated communication: Issues and approaches in education (pp. 207-223). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. ISBN: 978-1613500774
• Eckstein, J. J. (2010). Reasons for staying in intimately violent relationships: Comparisons of men and women and messages communicated to self and others. Journal of Family Violence, 26(1), 21-30. doi:10.1007/s10896-010-9338-0
• Eckstein, J. J. (2010). Masculinity of men communicating abuse victimization. Culture, Society, and Masculinities, 2 (1), 62-74. doi:10.3149/CSM.0201.62
• Eckstein, J. J. (2010). “Make it real for me!”: Performing symbolic interactionism as a tool for critical analysis writing. Compendium 2: Writing, Teaching, and Learning in the University, 3(1), 22-25.
• Eckstein, J. J. (2009). Exploring the communication of men revealing abuse from female romantic partners. In D. D. Cahn (Ed.), Family violence: Communication processes (pp. 89-111). Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. ISBN: 978-0791493755
• Eckstein, J. J. (2008). Emotional animals: Creating controversy as perspective-taking in the interpersonally-focused classroom. Communication Teacher, 22(2), 39-43. doi:10.1080/17404620801935231
• Eckstein, J. J. (2005). Conversion conundrums: Listener perceptions of affective influence attempts as mediated by personality and individual differences. Communication Quarterly, 53(3), 401-419. doi:10.1080/01463370500101394