Academic Researcher
2025
Sandra Asantewaa Mensah
+5yrs
Research Experience
+4
Publications
Hello 你好 Akwaaba

— It's Sandra Asantewaa Mensah

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About Me

I am a researcher specializing in digital sociality, focusing on how emerging media and technologies shape both online and offline human behaviour, communication, and society, including the development of online communities. My work explores the impacts, implications, and evolving dynamics of sociotechnical systems. I employ praxis by combining rigorous academic research with a hands-on approach to understanding the complex social dynamics shaped by emerging media and technologies, such as improving social behaviours, well-being, and mediated systems. I am deeply passionate about using evidence-driven insights to advance both scholarly understanding and practical solutions.

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With over 5 years of research experience, I specialize in mixed-methods approaches to unpacking the complex dynamics of sociality within mediated sociotechnical systems across diverse platforms, with a particular focus on anonymous apps and AI technologies in contexts such as Ghana, China, and beyond.

I am dedicated to transforming research findings into constructive recommendations for a wide range of stakeholders, including the public, tech developers, policymakers, and the academic community, with a focus on feature development, policy improvement, and the advancement of mediated systems for societal benefit..

10+

Achievements in research, academia and extra curricular

Outstanding Research Award
Sandra in park ↗

Published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, with a focus on topics such as anonymous platforms and well-being, audience-media interactions, mediated relational effects, and social bonding.

Committed to lifelong reciprocal learning, I contribute to research and the academic community through various volunteer and service roles, including reviewing, conference volunteering, mentoring peers and emerging scholars, and fostering academic environments that are inclusive, globally representative, and supportive of diverse perspectives.

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My
Resume

Sandra A. Mensah

Sandra A. Mensah

Full CV and publication list can be found here

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Education

⌄
Ph.D. Journalism and Communication
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China  ·  2021 – 2026
Specialization: New Media Studies
Dissertation: Toward a Theory of Negotiated Anonymity: Integrating Social Constructionism and Affordance Actualization in the Mutual Shaping of CAPs.
Advisor: Prof. Yuehua Wu
M.A. Journalism and Communication
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China  ·  Sept 2018 – March 2021
Specialization: New Media Studies
Thesis: Social Media and Political Participation: A Content Analysis of Cyber Interactions among Partisans through Online News Outlets in Ghana.
Advisor: Prof. Yuehua Wu
B.A. Archaeology and Theatre Arts
University of Ghana – Legon, Accra, Ghana  ·  2015

Professional Development

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Research Assistant
Shanghai Jiao Tong University  ·  2022 – present (Prof. Yuehua Wu)
Advanced research, report preparation and publications support.
Research Assistant
Shanghai Jiao Tong University  ·  June 2025 – present (Prof. Dongjing Kang)
Research, data collection and report preparation.
Fellowship (Short Course) Assistant
Shanghai Jiao Tong University  ·  Fall 2024
Facilitated the Science Communication Workshop for the International Seabed Authority Fellowship Program – Prof. Dongjing Kang.
Guest Lecturer – Interdisciplinary Workshop
University of Ghana, Accra  ·  February 2024
Delivered a workshop: "Navigating the Research Journey: My PhD Experience" at the Department of Material Science and Engineering – Prof. Benjamin Agyei-Tuffour.
Teaching & Administrative Assistant
University of Ghana, Accra  ·  Aug 2015 – Aug 2016
Theatre Arts Department – Dr. Rashida Resario.
Programming for Everybody (Python) – Coursera
University of Michigan  ·  January 2023
Grade: 95.04 / 100

Awards & Scholarships

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Outstanding Research Award
School of Media and Communication, SJTU  ·  2024–2025
Awarded for exceptional academic achievement and significant research contributions.
Academic Rising Star Award
School of Media and Communication, SJTU  ·  2023–2024
Awarded for exceptional academic achievement and remarkable research potential.
Full PhD Scholarship – Chinese Government Scholarship Council
2021 – 2025
Full Master's Scholarship – SJTU Scholarship Council
2018 – 2021
Michael Haley Travel Grant – 75th Annual ICA Conference
2025  ·  $750 USD
Michael Haley Travel Grant – 74th Annual ICA Conference
2024  ·  $1,000 USD
NCA Student Caucus Travel Grant
NCA Convention, New Orleans  ·  $200
LSI/ICA Student Travel Grant
73rd Annual ICA, Toronto, Canada  ·  2023  ·  $200

Leadership & Service

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Student & Early Career Representative
Language and Social Interaction Division, ICA, USA  ·  June 2024 – present
Lead Student Volunteer
74th Annual ICA Conference  ·  June 2024
Student Volunteer
73rd Annual ICA Conference  ·  May 2023
Women's Commissioner
National Union of Ghanaian Students  ·  Sep 2021 – Aug 2022
VEEP / Member
Inspiring Young Achievers' Network Africa  ·  Jan 2016 – present

Skills

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Languages
Twi (Native) English (Fluent) Chinese (Basic)
Research Software
NVivo SPSS R Python VOSviewer biblioshiny
Creative & Digital
MS Office Canva Social Media Management
Professional Affiliations
NCA (2024–present) ICA (2023–present) AEJMC (2022–2023)
Home About Me Research Resume Media
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Contact me

Have a question, a collaboration idea, or just want to connect? Whether you're a fellow researcher, a journalist, an institution, or simply curious about my work — I'd love to hear from you. Fill in the form or reach out directly through any of the channels below.

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Media

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Home About Me Research Resume Media
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Publications

Click to Cheat paper
Refereed Journal Article  ·  2025

Click to Cheat: Unraveling Internet-Facilitated Academic Misconduct among Undergraduate Students

Research in Higher Education  ·  Wu, Y., Wang, Y., & Mensah, S. A.

While the internet has revolutionized academic study and research, it has also facilitated academic misconduct, presenting new challenges in maintaining academic integrity worldwide... This study, primarily drawing on the social cognitive theory, surveyed undergraduates at three universities in China to examine the status and working mechanism of undergraduates' internet-facilitated academic misconduct (IFAM). The results revealed notable disparity in IFAM across different academic disciplines and highlighted the distinctive roles of personal and environmental factors in predicting IFAM behaviors. Specifically, moral attitude towards IFAM negatively predicted both IFAM actual and response behaviors. Peer IFAM demonstrated a significant positive effect on IFAM actual behavior. Surprisingly, the personal trait of dishonesty was found not predictive of IFAM behaviors.

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Prophet paper
Refereed Journal Article  ·  2025

Is a Prophet Not Appreciated in His Land? A Multimodal Interaction Analysis of Netizens' Stance-Taking on the "African of the Year 2021" Conferral

Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 102(3), 884–911  ·  Mensah, S. A.

Stance-taking has become a widespread phenomenon in social media discourses, and status conferral, an existing crucial media function. This study explores both concepts within the context of positive media status conferral and the audience's stances in evaluating modern-day conferrals... These phenomena are investigated concurrently using Forbes Africa's African of the Year 2021 conferral, related Twitter discourses, and multimodal interaction analysis. The findings reveal that social media news stance-taking differs from other contexts, expanding DuBois' stance-taking triangle. In addition, multimodal stance-taking emerges as the central concept in the public discourse, leading to three other distinct contextualized themes, emphasizing the importance of context in the stance-taking process.

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GoodVibesOnly paper
Refereed Journal Article  ·  2023

#GoodVibesOnly: Exploring Social Constructionism on High-Level Anonymous Social Applications: A Case of Jodel—Ghana

New Media & Society, 27(5), 3055–3078  ·  Mensah, S. A.

Several outcomes have been documented on the effect of anonymity on behaviors and norms. However, unlike similar Complete Anonymous Applications (CAPs) that have been discontinued, Jodel has been able to withstand the test of time since its inception... This study examines how the Jodel platform in Ghana, specifically Accra, constructs its community jointly to ensure positivity by utilizing the social construction framework. Three themes emerge from the data using iterative analysis. It was found that the community's communal construction was primarily based on user needs, later categorized as social solidarity, which influenced the other constructions: legalism and culture. Using them as a foundation, the community upheld social order through their constructions and Jodel's predefined affordances.

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We Found Love paper
Refereed Journal Article  ·  2023

"We Found Love": Romantic Video Game Involvement and Desire for Real-Life Romantic Relationships Among Female Gamers

Social Science Computer Review, 42(4), 892–912  ·  Wu, Y., Cai, W., & Mensah, S. A.

Despite the increasing popularity of female-oriented romantic video games (RVGs, also known as otome games) in Asia, research on this topic is scarce. Drawing upon social exchange theory and social cognitive theory, this study examined the association of RVG involvement and desire for real-life romantic relationships... A survey method was adopted to collect data from female RVG players on an online otome games forum in China. Results from a valid sample of 353 respondents showed the direct, indirect, and total effects of RVG involvement on players' interest in real-life dating and marriage relationships were all negatively significant. It was found that gamers' avatar identification and parasocial relationships with romantic targets significantly mediated the relationship between RVG involvement and RLRR desire.

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Conference Presentations

Conference E

Oracles of the Digital Ghost: Understanding Metaphors of AI Adoption among Gen-Z Entrepreneurs from 19 Developing Countries

Kang, D., *Jadamba, J., *Mensah, S.A., & *Soesanto, B.  ·  Co-second authors
111th NCA Annual Convention, Organizational Communication Division Preconference  ·  Denver, CO  ·  2025

Conference F

#Men'sLivesMatter: Examining the Gender-Centric Conversations Surrounding BCAM's Popular Discourses on Twitter

Mensah, S.A., van Noordwyk, A., Wu, Y., Korli, E.
75th Annual ICA Conference  ·  Denver, Colorado  ·  June 12–16, 2025

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Conference G

The Symphony of Laughter, Complaints, and Caring in Intercultural Communication: A Conversational Analysis of International Students' Social Interaction

Haand, R., Mensah, S.A.
75th Annual ICA Conference  ·  Denver, Colorado  ·  June 12–16, 2025

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Conference H

Participatory Politics in the Digital Era: An Analysis of "Holistic Outburst" Using the Fix the Country Movement in Ghana

Mensah, S.A., & Korli, E.
110th NCA Annual Convention  ·  New Orleans, Louisiana  ·  November 21–24, 2024

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Conference I

"Is a Prophet Not Appreciated in His Land?": An Analysis of Netizens' Discourses of "African of the Year 2021" Conferral

Mensah, S.A., & Ayi-Bonte, A.N.A.
74th Annual ICA Conference  ·  Gold Coast, Australia  ·  June 20–24, 2024

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Conference J

#GoodVibesOnly: Exploring Social Constructionism on Complete Anonymous Social Application Platforms. A Case of Jodel – Ghana

Mensah, S.A.
73rd Annual ICA Conference  ·  Toronto, Ontario, Canada  ·  May 25–29, 2023

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Conference K

"We Found Love": The Impact of Romantic Video Games on Female Gamers' Desire to Develop Real-Life Romantic Relationships

Wu, Y., Mensah, S.A., & Cai, W.
105th AEJMC Annual Conference  ·  Detroit, MI  ·  August 3–6, 2022

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