Alex P. Leith, PhD

#about

Alex P. Leith, PhD

Assistant Professor of Mass Communications
Chair of the SIM Lab @ SIUE

I am a passionate researcher of social platforms and how the impact the lives of their users. I have historically studied mediated relationships between media figures and their fans. I a now studying emerging social platforms and their capacity to address hisotric inequities and exclusions present in traditional social environments. I am also a dedicated educator, teaching courses in research methods, data analytics, web design, and social media analytics. I am also the Chair of the SIM Lab at SIUE, where I mentor students in research and data analytics.

#employment

Summary

As an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mass Communications at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), I teachi and mentor students in research methods, data analytics, web design, and social media analytics. I teach undergraduate and graduate courses, including Research Methods in Mass Media and Social Media Analytics. I also teach practical skills through classes like Design and Writing for the World Wide Web and Digital Publishing and Design. I also mentor students through capstone projects (e.g., projects, theses).

#employment

Positions

Assistant Professor

SIU Edwardsville (Aug 2019 - Present)

Graduate Assistant

Michigan State University (Sep 2012 - May 2017)

SIU Edwardsville (Aug 2010 - May 2012)

Adjunct Instructor

St. Louis College of Pharmacy (Aug 2011 - May 2012)

McKendree University (Jan 2012 - May 2012)

SIU Edwardsville (Aug 2011 - Dec 2011)

Marketing Manager

BYU-Idaho (Aug 2008 - Aug 2009)

#education

Doctor of Philosophy (2019)

Michigan State University

Information and Media

Master of Arts (2012)

SIU Edwardsville

Speech Communication

Bachelor Degree (2009)

BYU - Idaho

Communication

#skills

Data Science

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Data Visualization

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3D & VR Designs

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Web Design

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Print Design

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Broadcast Media

#research

Journal Publications

Beyea, D., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., Klebig, B., Leith, A. P., & Chen, V. H. H. (2025). Metaverse-mediated communication: A call for theory-driven XR research [Editorial]. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories, Methods, and Applications, 37(2), 61–63. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000465
Beyea, D., Lim, C., Lover, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Leith, A. P. (2025). Zoom fatigue in review: A meta-analytical examination of videoconferencing fatigue’s antecedents. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 17(100571). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100571
Lim, C., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R., & Bouzek, D. (2025). Meeting needs: How social interaction anxiety, zoom fatigue, relatedness, and demographics predict virtual meeting feature preferences.Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 18, 100673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2025.100673
Lim, C., Ratan, R., Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Jeong, D., & Leith, A. P. (2025). Examining attitudes about the virtual workplace: Associations between Zoom fatigue, Impression management, and virtual meeting adoption intent. PLOS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312354
Ratan, R. A., Lin, Q., Lim, C., Park, R., Lover, A., Han, E., Jang, D., Leith, A. P., Bailenson, J. N. (2025). Time matters in VR: Students benefit from longer VR class duration, but certain outcomes decline after 45 minutes, with large individual variance. Computers & Education, 14(3), 466-477. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105328
Foxman, M., Beyea, D., Leith, A.P., Ratan, R. A., Chen, V. H. H., & Klebig, B. (2022). Beyond genre: Classifying virtual reality experiences. IEEE Transactions on Games, 14(3), 466-477. https://doi.org/10.1109/TG.2021.3119521
Leith, A. P., & Gheen, E. (2022). Twitch in the time of quarantine: The role of engagement in needs fulfillment. Psychology of Popular Media, 11(3), 275-280. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000372
Leith, A. P. (2021). Parasocial cues: The ubiquity of parasocial relationships on Twitch. Communication Monographs, 88, 111-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2020.1868544
Ratan, R., Fordham, J., Leith, A. P., & Williams, D. (2019). Women keep it real: Avatar gender choice in League of Legends. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 22, 254-257. https://doi.org/10.1080/03637751.2020.1868544
DeGroot, J. M., & Leith, A. P. (2018). R.I.P. Kutner: Parasocial grief following the death of a television character. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying, 77, 199-216. https://doi.org/10.1177/0030222815600450
Leith, A. P., Ratan, R. A., & Wohn, D. Y. (2016). The (de)evolution of evolution games: Analyzing the accuracy of evolution depiction in video games. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25, 655-664. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9620-x

#research

Book Chapters

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Conference Proceedings

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Conference Presentations

Leith, A. P., Lim, C., Foxman, M., Beyea, D., & Jeong, D. (2025, June). Stress and Coping in VRChat: A Mixed-Method Case Study of the Use of VRChat as a Coping Tool During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper to be presented at the International Communication Association 75th Annual Conference. Denver, CO.
Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Lim, C., & Beyea, D. (2025, June). What ASD finds in VRChat: The potential for VR to address the communication barriers faced by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Paper to be presented at the International Communication Association 75th Annual Conference. Denver, CO.
Mlikik, O., Ratan, R., Chen, V., Swati, S., Foxman, M., Leith, A. P. (2025, June). Looking Beyond Meet Space: Presenting a Research Platform in VRChat. Paper to be presented at the International Communication Association 75th Annual Conference. Denver, CO.
Beyea, D., Lim, C., Lover, A., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Leith, A. P. (2024, June). Zoom fatigue? A meta-analytical examination of research on the antecedents of videoconferencing fatigue. Paper presented at the International Communication Association 74th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, QLD.
Foxman, M., Bouzek, D., Lim, C., & Leith, A. P. (2024, June). Playing from home: Identity, cohesion, and communication for remote game makers. Paper presented at the International Communication Association 74th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, QLD.
Lim, C., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., Beyea, D., Jeong, D., & Leith, A. P. (2024, June). Touch-up my Zoom fatigue: Positive attitudes about online meeting platforms are negatively associated with virtual meeting fatigue and positively associated with using impression management features. Paper presented at the International Communication Association 74th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, QLD.
Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R., &Bouzek, D. (2023, May). Playfully Virtual: Finding Authentic Communication in Videoconferencing and Online Meetings. Paper presented at the International Communication Association 73rd Annual Conference. Toronto, ON.
Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Onuche, M., &Bouzek, D. (2023, May). Diffusion of gratification: The reception of VR as a modality for remote work and meetings. Paper presented at the International Communication Association 73rd Annual Conference. Toronto, ON.
Leith, A. P., Foxman, M., Ratan, R., & Lim, C. (2023, May). Feelings for meetings: A sentiment analysis of videoconferencing platforms a year apart. Paper presented at the International Communication Association 73rd Annual Conference. Toronto, ON.
Foxman, M., Leith, A. P., Sulzdorf-Liszkiewicz, A., Beyea, D., Klebig, B., Graciano, L., Bouzek, D., & Ratan, R. A. (2022, October). Playing at work: Finding and designing play into virtual meetings. Presented at the 2022 International Conference on Meaningful Play. East Lansing, MI.
Foxman, M., Beyea, D. G., Leith, A. P., Ratan, R. A. Chen, V. H. H., & Klebig, B. (2021, May). Hardly just hardware: Understanding games and genres in virtual reality experiences. Presented at the International Communication Association 71st Annual Conference. Virtual.
Leith, A. P. (2020, May). When Watching Isn’t Enough: Human Agents and their Influence of Gameplay and Gamespace through Synchronous Chat. Paper presented at the International Communication Association 70th Annual Conference. Gold Coast, AUS.
Leith, A. P. (2019, August). The affective messaging of gameplay livestream viewers. Paper presented at the 2019 Digital Games and Research Association Conference. Kyoto, Japan.
Leith, A. P. (2018, October). Giving you your space: Examining gamespace expandability. Paper presented at the 2018 International Academic Conference on Meaningful Play. East Lansing, MI.
Leith, A. P. (2015, November). Busking on a digital pitch: Investigating Internet-based gameplay broadcasting. Paper presented at the National Communication Association 101st Annual Convention. Las Vegas, NV.
Leith, A. P. (2015, November). Understanding the implications of uses and gratifications in gameplay viewing. Paper presented at the National Communication Association 101st Annual Convention. Las Vegas, NV.
Boehmer, J. H., & Leith, A. P. (2015, March). Tweeting the World Cup: Soccer teams’ use of dialogic communication during the 2014 World Cup. Paper presented at The Eighth Summit on Communication and Sport. Charlotte, NC.
Leith, A. P. (2014, November). Learning to play: Academic impacts of digital gameplay among disadvantaged African American students. Paper presented at the National Communication Association 100th Annual Conference. Chicago, IL.
Huang, T. K., Cotton, S. R., & Leith, A. P. (2014, May). The impact of emotional costs on students’ IT use and academic performance in the context of computer integration. Paper presented at the Digital Divide Preconference of the International Communication Association 64th Annual Conference. Seattle, WA.
Leith, A. P. (2013, June). A more accessible celebrity: A case for parasocial interactions with YouTube personalities and communities. Paper presented at International Association of Media and Communication Research 2013 Conference. Dublin, Ireland.