Rachel L. DiCioccio

Rachel DiCioccio
  • Professor, Director of Office of Innovation in General Education
  • Communication Studies
  • Phone: 401.874.9072
  • Email: dicioccio@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Carothers Library, Rm 270B

Biography

Dr. DiCioccio is the Director of the Office of Innovation in General Education. Her research utilizes a social psychological perspective to examine interactive aggression processes. Specifically, her research interests include teasing, humor communication, and family argument processes. Currently, she is focused on studying humor communication, how and why people use teasing communication in their relationships, and examining family communication and the argument process during crisis decision-making.

DiCioccio’s research has been published in various academic outlets including: The Journal of Communication, Communication Reports, Human Communication, and The Review of Communication. She edited the book, Humor Communication: Theory, Impact, and Outcomes and has published numerous book chapters on the topic of humor.

Dr. DiCioccio enjoys teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in conflict management, family communication, humor communication, nonverbal communication, personality theory, and communication pedagogy. She was the 2009 recipient of the College of Arts & Sciences Teaching Excellence Award.

Research

Examining interactive aggression processes using a social psychological perspective; specifically teasing, humor communication, and family argument processes

Education

  • Ph.D., Interpersonal Communication, Kent State University, 2001
  • M.A., Communication Studies, Michigan State University, 1994
  • B.A., Art History, University Of Rhode Island, 1992

Selected Publications

DiCioccio, R. L. (2015). We could sure use a laugh: Building hope and resilience through humor communication. In T. Socha & G.A. Beck (Eds.), Communicating Hope and Resilience Across the Lifespan (34-52). Peter Lang International.

DiCioccio, R. L. & Miczo, N. (2014). Intercultural humor. In S. Attardo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Humor Studies (387-388). Sage Publishing.

DiCioccio, R. L. (2013). Make me laugh–Make me listen: Using humor to accomplish interpersonal influence. In C.J. Liverman (Ed.), Casting Persuasive Communication (51-65). Kendall Hunt Publishing.

DiCioccio, R. L. (Ed.) (2012). Humor communication: Theory, impact, and outcomes. Kendall Hunt Publishing.

DiCioccio, R. L. (2012) Humor as aggressive communication. In R. L. DiCioccio (Ed.), Humor communication: Theory, impact, and outcomes (93-108). Kendall Hunt Publishing.

DiCioccio, R. L. (2011). Converting immediacy to the online classroom: A course in family communication. In K.M. Torrens & J.S. Amador (Eds.), Taking your course online: An interdisciplinary journey (53-65). Information Age Publishing.

DiCioccio, R. L. (2010) The interactionist model of teasing communication. In T.A. Avtgis & A.S. Rancer (Eds.), Arguments, Aggression, and Conflicts: New Directions in Theory and Research (340-355). Routledge.

Ketrow, S. M., & DiCioccio, R. L. (2010). Family argument: A model of family communication in crisis. In D.S. Gouran (Ed.), The Functions of Argument and Social Context: Selected Papers From the 16th Biennial on Argumentation (241-249). National Communication Association.