Jeffrey D. Robinson (Ph.D., 1999, Sociology, University of California at Los Angeles; MA, 1992, Communication, University of Southern California; BA, 1990, Communication, University of California at Santa Barbara) is a Full Professor in the Department of Communication at Portland State University and Affiliate Professor of Radiation Medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University. He previously taught in the Departments of Communication at Penn State University (1999-2004) and Rutgers University (2004-2009).
Dr. Robinson specializes in two subfields within the discipline of Communication. First, he specializes in ‘language and social interaction,’ which examines the rules that guide interactants’ use and interpretation of language, and the role of talk-in-interaction in the construction and negotiation of social meanings, identities, and relationships. Second, he specializes in ‘health communication,’ which examines how and why face-to-face communication (e.g., doctor-patient communication) affects aspects of healthcare and health promotion, including individuals’ physical, emotional, mental, and/or spiritual health.
In addition to two edited volumes (Handbook of Research Methods in Conversation Analysis, and Accountability in Social Interaction), Dr. Robinson has published over 90 journal articles and book chapters. Most recently, he completed a book on Turn Taking in Social Interaction (with Chase Raymond and Galina Bolden), to be published by Cambridge. His research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.