Email: sjheo2@illinois.edu
Research Interests
My research focuses on human–AI interaction in advertising and marketing contexts, with particular emphasis on how AI-driven advertising shapes consumer perception, attitude, and underlying psychological mechanisms. Specifically, I examine (1) virtual influencers as persuasive agents, (2) large language model (LLM) interfaces as persuasive environments, and (3) social robots as embodied communicators. Across these domains, my work aims to advance theory on AI-mediated persuasion by integrating insights from social and cognitive psychology.
Recent Publications/Presentations
Heo, S.-J., Park, S.-I., Lee, & Y.-J. (2025) Finessing Realism: Harmonizing Mixed Reality and Message Framing in Virtual Influencer Advertising – Mind Perception Theory Application. Proceedings of the 2025 American Academy of Advertising (AAA)
Park, S.-I., Lee, Y.-J. & Heo, S.-J. (2025) In Watermark We Trust? Exploring How Consumers Cope with AI Influencer Advertising: Multidimensional Persuasion Knowledge and Construal Level Approach. Proceedings of the 2025 American Academy of Advertising (AAA)
Lee, Y.-J., Heo, S.-J. & Park, S.-I. (2025) When Virtual (vs. Human) Celebrity Voice Matters: Interplay between Celebrity Type and Endorsing Message – Construal Level Theory Application. Proceedings of the 2025 American Academy of Advertising (AAA)
Heo, S.-J. & Ham, C.-D. (2024), Exploring Motivation to Follow Virtual Influencers (VIs): The Role of Emotional Attachment as a Mechanism for Generating Positive Effects in VI-Endorsed Advertising, Global Advertising Colloquium, Korean Advertising Society, July 2024, Seoul, Korea.
Courses Taught
- ADV 360: Innovations in Advertising, instructor of record
- ADV 283: Advertising & Brand Strategy, instructor of record
- ADV 281: Advertising Research Method, instructor of record
- ADV 150: Introduction to Advertising, teaching assistant
Awards and Honors
- Fall 2025 Washington Media Scholars Foundation Fund for Graduate Students, Advertising Division, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC), 2025
- Competitive award recognizing outstanding graduate research potential in advertising and media scholarship. Sponsored by the Washington Media Scholars Foundation.
- Fall 2025 Maureen Moore Fellowship, Graduate College, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 2025 Graduate fellowship awarded by the UIUC Graduate College in recognition of academic excellence and research achievement.
- Spring 2023 List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Fall 2023 List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, Charles H. Sandage Department of Advertising, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign