research on media psychology

Research in Media Psychology

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The Stanford Department of Communication has long been a pioneer in studying the relationships between digital media, psychology and behavior. In the early nineties, Clifford Nass and his graduate students were among the first in the world to empirically examine constructs such as agency and anthropomorphism. Soon thereafter Byron Reeves and Clifford Nass published their landmark book,  The Media Equation , which set the stage for a new research paradigm based on the notion that the brain has not evolved to differentiate mediated experiences from actual ones. Indeed, one of the fastest growing divisions of the International Communication Association, Communication and Technology, is substantially based on the work of Stanford scholars.

Currently, the area focuses on a number of ways in which digital media affect people.  Jeremy Bailenson  directs the  Virtual Human Interaction Lab  and studies the phenomenon of digital human representation, especially in the context of immersive virtual reality.  Jeff Hancock  uses computational linguistics to analyze interpersonal relations in social media.  Gabriella Harari  studies the ways the digital technologies we use everyday reveal our personality structures and shape our life outcomes.  Nilam Ram  studies the dynamic interplay between psychological and media processes and how they change from moment-to-moment and across the life span.  Byron Reeves  utilizes physiological measures to understand media effects in multiplayer game technology, and develops applications for using those networked games to address critical issues such as global warming.

Students and faculty in the media psychology area collaborate frequently with other departments on campus. Current Communication faculty have active collaborations with scholars in computer science, education, psychology, engineering, linguistics, the business school, and MediaX. The department also draws a steady stream of visits from new media technology researchers.

Faculty — Media Psychology

Postdoctoral Scholars — Media Psychology

Doctoral Students — Media Psychology

Selected Graduates in Academia

• Mark Miller, Ph.D. 2023. Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Illinois Institute of Technology
• Mu-Jung Cho , Ph.D. 2020. Postdoc, Stanford School of Medicine, Pediatrics
• Dave Miller , Ph.D. 2019. Postdoc, Cornell University
• Dave Markowitz , Ph.D. 2018. Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, University of Oregon
• Jakki Bailey , Ph.D. 2017. Assistant Professor, School of Information, University of Texas at Austin
• Rene Kizilcec , Ph.D. 2017, Assistant Professor, Information School, Cornell University
• James Scarborough , Ph.D. 2017, Lecturer, Department of Communication, Cal Poly
• James Cummings , Ph.D. 2016. Assistant Professor, Emerging Media Studies, Boston University
• Jamy Li , Ph.D. 2016. Assistant Professor, Human Media Interaction, University of Twente, Netherlands
• Andrea Stevenson Won , Ph.D. 2016. Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, Cornell University
• Yeon Joo , Ph.D. 2014, Associate Professor, Department of Digital Media, Myungji University
• Dean Eckles , Ph.D. 2012, Professor, MIT Sloan School of Management
• Kathryn Segovia , Ph.D. 2012, Head of Learning Experience Design, Stanford d.school
• Grace Ahn , Ph.D. 2011, Associate Professor, College of Journalism, University of Georgia
• Jesse Fox , Ph.D. 2010, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, The Ohio State University
• Roselyn Jong-Eun Lee-Won , Ph.D. 2009, Assistant Professor, Department of Communication, The Ohio State University
• Leila Takayama , Ph.D. 2008, Associate Professor, Psychology, University of California Santa Cruz
• Sohye Lim , Ph.D. 2006, Associate Professor, EWHA Women’s University
• Kevin Wise , Ph.D. 2004, Associate Professor, Department of Advertising, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Eun-Ju Lee , Ph.D. 2000, Professor, Seoul National University
• Katherine Isbister , Ph.D. 1998, Professor, Department of Computational Media at University of California Santa Cruz
• Osei Appiah , Ph.D. 1998, Professor, School of Communication, The Ohio State University
• Brian Fogg , Ph.D. 1997, Research Scholar, Stanford
• Youngme Moon , Ph.D. 1996, Donald K. David Professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School
• Benjamin Detenber , Ph.D. 1995, Professor, School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University
• S. Shyam Sundar , Ph.D. 1995, Distinguished Professor, Penn State University
• Glenn Leshner , Ph.D. 1994, Professor, College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Oklahoma University
• Michael Basil , Ph.D. 1992, Professor, School of Business, University of Lethbridge
• Barbara Brown , Ph.D. 1989, School of Business, San Jose State (retired)
• Michael Slater , Ph.D. 1988, Director and Professor, School of Communication, The Ohio State University

Selected Graduates in Industry and Nonprofit

• Hanseul Jun, Ph.D. 2022. Software Engineer, Apple
• Mufan Luo , Ph.D. 2021. Robinhood
• Annabelle Ho , Ph.D. 2019, UX Researcher, Google
• Catherine Oh , Ph.D. 2019, Researcher, Google
• Megan French , Ph.D. 2018, UX Researcher, Facebook
• Ketaki Shriram , Ph.D. 2017, CTO, Krikey
• Leo Yeykelis , Ph.D. 2015, Head of UX Research, VMWare
• Lorin Dole , Ph.D. 2011, UX Researcher, Google
• Helen Harris , Ph.D. 2011, UX Research Manager, Google
• Jiang Hu , Ph.D. 2011, Oracle
• Katherine Murray , Ph.D. 2011
• Victoria Groom , Ph.D. 2010
• Shailendra Rao , Ph.D. 2010, Uber
• Vanessa Vega , Ph.D. 2010, Research Associate, Rockman Et Al
• Jane Wang , Ph.D. 2010
• David Danielson , Ph.D. 2008
• Nick Yee , Ph.D. 2007, Co-Founder and Analytics Lead, Quantic Foundry
• Eva Jettmar , Ph.D. 2006
• Scott Brave , Ph.D. 2003, CTO, Fullcontact, Inc.
• Li Gong , Ph.D. 2001, Researcher, SAP
• Raoul Rickenberg , Ph.D. 1999
• Peter Orton , Ph.D. 1995, Media Research Scientist, IBM (retired)
• David Voelker , Ph.D. 1994, Strategic Communication Consultant
• Seth Geiger , Ph.D. 1990, President, Smith-Geiger Media Research

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What Is Media Psychology?

Cynthia Vinney, PhD is an expert in media psychology and a published scholar whose work has been published in peer-reviewed psychology journals.

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

Christina Reichl Photography / Getty Images

• Media Psychology Topics
• Research and Practice

The Future of Media Psychology

Media psychology is a newer branch of psychology that examines the ways people are impacted by media and technology.

Our lives are constantly saturated with media and technology and, as a result, studying the impact of media has become an integral part of psychology. However, the field's interdisciplinary nature and the constant changes in how people interact with media make the area of study difficult to define.

Media psychology draws heavily from psychology and communication scholarship, but also incorporates research from other fields, including sociology, media studies, anthropology, and fan studies. The field is scattered across many disciplines with many scholars who do not consider psychology their primary area of interest of research to be media's influence on individuals, rather a subtopic within a larger subject of expertise.

Perhaps the definition that best captures the depth and breadth of the field is offered by Karen Dill in The Oxford Handbook of Media Psychology : "Media psychology is the scientific study of human behavior, thoughts, and feelings experienced in the context of media use and creation."

In other words, media psychology is the effort to understand the constantly evolving connection between humans and media from a psychological perspective.

History of Media Psychology

The roots of media psychology can be traced back over a century to early studies on the perception of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional canvas.

These ideas were applied in social psychologist Hugo Munsterberg's 1916 book, The Photoplay: A Psychological Study , which was the first work to empirically explore how an audience responded to film. By the time television became widespread in the 1950s, psychologists had started to investigate how media affects children.

However, media psychology wasn't recognized as an official field in the discipline of psychology until 1986 when Division 46: Media Psychology was established by the American Psychological Association (APA). Initially, the division focused on psychologists who appeared in media as expert sources, an objective that is still listed as part of its mission. But Division 46, which has since changed its name to the Society for Media Psychology and Technology, has now shifted its focus to research on the effects and influence of media.

In 2003 the first, and so far, only APA-accredited media psychology Ph.D. program in the United States was launched at Fielding Graduate University. David Giles published the first survey of the field with his text Media Psychology .

Since then, the field has continued to expand, with the emergence of several scholarly journals specifically dedicated to media psychology, the publication of additional books covering the area of study, and an increase in universities, including Stanford, Cornell, and Penn State, which dedicate an area of study and research to media psychology-related topics.

Topics in Media Psychology

There are myriad topics media psychology seeks to explore. These include, but are not limited to:

• Media influence, such as whether exposure to media depictions of violence increases aggression , how depictions of gender roles in media influence children's understanding of their own gender identity, and how media messages can be constructed to persuade someone to donate to charity or behave in other prosocial ways .
• Online learning , such as the way in-person lessons must be adjusted so they can most effectively be communicated to students online across different age groups, and the most effective ways to set up online learning platforms to sustain student attention and uphold information absorption.
• Impact of social media , such as how platforms can be adjusted to create a more comprehensive picture of the world rather than silos of like-minded individuals social media currently encourages, how relationships are impacted when they're conducted mostly or solely over social media , and how to decrease cyberbullying and other negative online behaviors.
• Audience involvement , such as why we laugh and cry at movies , TV shows, and podcasts, how stories influence our sense of self-esteem , and how and why popular culture fans come together to form supportive communities.

Media Psychology in Research and Practice

While many branches of psychology have more defined career paths , media psychology does not because it is a new area of study still in the process of determining its scope and purview. The most obvious goal for someone who wants to investigate the psychological impact of media is to become a research psychologist in academia.

Given the rapid growth of technology influencing how we get to know, communicate with, and understand one another, scholars who can perform media psychology research are increasingly necessary.

However, scholarly research is not the only path for people with an interest in media psychology. The ever-expanding world of media technologies leaves many opportunities to apply media psychology in a wide variety of industry settings, from entertainment to education to politics.

For example, people who design user experiences for everything from commercial websites to virtual reality require an understanding of how to create a user interface that is intuitive and engaging for people.

Similarly, it's increasingly important to teach children lessons in media and cyberliteracy starting from a young age. Media psychologists are especially well qualified to design and implement programs addressing this.

While early media psychology research almost exclusively focused on the negative impacts of media, media and technology aren't all good or all bad. It's how we use them that matters. And, because media is only becoming increasingly ubiquitous, we must learn to maximize the positives and minimize the negatives.

Media psychologists have an essential role to play in these developments and, while they shouldn't shy away from shedding light on the negative impacts of media as it continues to evolve, they should also increase their focus on the way media can be used to increase well-being and prosocial outcomes.

Dill, KE. Introduction . In: Dill KE, ed.  The Oxford Handbook Of Media Psychology . 1st ed. Oxford University Press; 2012.

Brown Rutledge P. Arguing for Media Psychology as a Distinct Field . In: Dill KE, ed.  The Oxford Handbook Of Media Psychology . 1st ed. Oxford University Press; 2012.

Tuma RM. Media Psychology and Its History . In: Dill KE, ed.  The Oxford Handbook Of Media Psychology . 1st ed. Oxford University Press; 2012.

Fischoff S. Media Psychology: A Personal Essay in Definition and Purview .  J Media Psychol . 2005;10(1):1-21.

Stever GS. Media and Media Psychology. In: Stever GS, Giles DC, Cohen JD, Myers ME.  Understanding Media Psychology . 1st ed. New York: Routledge; 2021:1-13.

By Cynthia Vinney, PhD Cynthia Vinney, PhD is an expert in media psychology and a published scholar whose work has been published in peer-reviewed psychology journals.

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The Oxford Handbook of Media Psychology

Karen E. Dill, School of Psychology, Fielding Graduate University

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The Oxford Handbook of Media Psychology explores facets of human behavior, thoughts, and feelings experienced in the context of media use and creation. Divided into six sections, chapters in this volume trace the history of media psychology; address content areas for media research, including children's media use, media violence and desensitization, sexual content, video game violence, and portrayals of race and gender; and cover psychological and physical effects of media such as serious games, games for health, technology addictions, and video games and attention. A section on meta-issues in media psychology brings together transportation theory, media psychophysiology, social influence in virtual worlds, and learning through persuasion. Other topics include the politics of media psychology, a lively debate about the future of media psychology methods, and the challenges and opportunities present in this interdisciplinary field.

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Media Psychology in New Era Communication

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• First Online: 23 July 2021
• Cite this conference paper

• Huzili Hussin   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-7327-3446 6 ,
• Adila Ismail   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-6485-8071 6 &
• Mohammad Rezal Hamzah   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4316-3518 6  

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Over a decade ago, media psychology emerged as a branch of discipline in psychology which studies the interaction between media technology and human beings. Nowadays, the focus of study has a shift to look at the effects of media technology on a human being. The discussion had made a significant remark to discuss what technology had done to our society critically. Psychology is the key to understand the implications of technology. Media psychologists’ goal is to find the answers and solutions by combining an understanding of human behavior, cognition, and emotions. However, media psychology is not just concerned with content, but it looks at the whole system. Just as the reciprocal relationship between environment, behavior, and cognition, media psychology evaluates the system’s interactive process. The rapid development of technology has triggered a variety of reactions, from enthusiasm to distrust. As technology changes our lives, we are forced to change how we view the world. The key to media psychology is you learn to understand psychology and technology. The tools of media psychology help individuals to take responsibility and part of the system. It is the only way to develop better technologies and use them well.

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Hussin, H., Ismail, A., Hamzah, M.R. (2021). Media Psychology in New Era Communication. In: Elias, N.F., Jenal, R., Mohd Amin, H., Mohamed, H., Hanawi, S.A. (eds) Service Excellence for Sustainability. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2579-4_6

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Social Media Use and Its Connection to Mental Health: A Systematic Review

Fazida karim.

1 Psychology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

2 Business & Management, University Sultan Zainal Abidin, Terengganu, MYS

Azeezat A Oyewande

3 Family Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

4 Family Medicine, Lagos State Health Service Commission/Alimosho General Hospital, Lagos, NGA

Lamis F Abdalla

5 Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences and Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Reem Chaudhry Ehsanullah

Safeera khan.

Social media are responsible for aggravating mental health problems. This systematic study summarizes the effects of social network usage on mental health. Fifty papers were shortlisted from google scholar databases, and after the application of various inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 papers were chosen and all papers were evaluated for quality. Eight papers were cross-sectional studies, three were longitudinal studies, two were qualitative studies, and others were systematic reviews. Findings were classified into two outcomes of mental health: anxiety and depression. Social media activity such as time spent to have a positive effect on the mental health domain. However, due to the cross-sectional design and methodological limitations of sampling, there are considerable differences. The structure of social media influences on mental health needs to be further analyzed through qualitative research and vertical cohort studies.

Introduction and background

Human beings are social creatures that require the companionship of others to make progress in life. Thus, being socially connected with other people can relieve stress, anxiety, and sadness, but lack of social connection can pose serious risks to mental health [ 1 ].

Social media

Social media has recently become part of people's daily activities; many of them spend hours each day on Messenger, Instagram, Facebook, and other popular social media. Thus, many researchers and scholars study the impact of social media and applications on various aspects of people’s lives [ 2 ]. Moreover, the number of social media users worldwide in 2019 is 3.484 billion, up 9% year-on-year [ 3 - 5 ]. A statistic in Figure  1  shows the gender distribution of social media audiences worldwide as of January 2020, sorted by platform. It was found that only 38% of Twitter users were male but 61% were using Snapchat. In contrast, females were more likely to use LinkedIn and Facebook. There is no denying that social media has now become an important part of many people's lives. Social media has many positive and enjoyable benefits, but it can also lead to mental health problems. Previous research found that age did not have an effect but gender did; females were much more likely to experience mental health than males [ 6 , 7 ].

Impact on mental health

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which people understand their abilities, solve everyday life problems, work well, and make a significant contribution to the lives of their communities [ 8 ]. There is debated presently going on regarding the benefits and negative impacts of social media on mental health [ 9 , 10 ]. Social networking is a crucial element in protecting our mental health. Both the quantity and quality of social relationships affect mental health, health behavior, physical health, and mortality risk [ 9 ]. The Displaced Behavior Theory may help explain why social media shows a connection with mental health. According to the theory, people who spend more time in sedentary behaviors such as social media use have less time for face-to-face social interaction, both of which have been proven to be protective against mental disorders [ 11 , 12 ]. On the other hand, social theories found how social media use affects mental health by influencing how people view, maintain, and interact with their social network [ 13 ]. A number of studies have been conducted on the impacts of social media, and it has been indicated that the prolonged use of social media platforms such as Facebook may be related to negative signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress [ 10 - 15 ]. Furthermore, social media can create a lot of pressure to create the stereotype that others want to see and also being as popular as others.

The need for a systematic review

Systematic studies can quantitatively and qualitatively identify, aggregate, and evaluate all accessible data to generate a warm and accurate response to the research questions involved [ 4 ]. In addition, many existing systematic studies related to mental health studies have been conducted worldwide. However, only a limited number of studies are integrated with social media and conducted in the context of social science because the available literature heavily focused on medical science [ 6 ]. Because social media is a relatively new phenomenon, the potential links between their use and mental health have not been widely investigated.

This paper attempt to systematically review all the relevant literature with the aim of filling the gap by examining social media impact on mental health, which is sedentary behavior, which, if in excess, raises the risk of health problems [ 7 , 9 , 12 ]. This study is important because it provides information on the extent of the focus of peer review literature, which can assist the researchers in delivering a prospect with the aim of understanding the future attention related to climate change strategies that require scholarly attention. This study is very useful because it provides information on the extent to which peer review literature can assist researchers in presenting prospects with a view to understanding future concerns related to mental health strategies that require scientific attention. The development of the current systematic review is based on the main research question: how does social media affect mental health?

Research strategy

The research was conducted to identify studies analyzing the role of social media on mental health. Google Scholar was used as our main database to find the relevant articles. Keywords that were used for the search were: (1) “social media”, (2) “mental health”, (3) “social media” AND “mental health”, (4) “social networking” AND “mental health”, and (5) “social networking” OR “social media” AND “mental health” (Table  1 ).

Out of the results in Table  1 , a total of 50 articles relevant to the research question were selected. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, duplicate papers were removed, and, finally, a total of 28 articles were selected for review (Figure  2 ).

PRISMA, Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Peer-reviewed, full-text research papers from the past five years were included in the review. All selected articles were in English language and any non-peer-reviewed and duplicate papers were excluded from finally selected articles.

Of the 16 selected research papers, there were a research focus on adults, gender, and preadolescents [ 10 - 19 ]. In the design, there were qualitative and quantitative studies [ 15 , 16 ]. There were three systematic reviews and one thematic analysis that explored the better or worse of using social media among adolescents [ 20 - 23 ]. In addition, eight were cross-sectional studies and only three were longitudinal studies [ 24 - 29 ].The meta-analyses included studies published beyond the last five years in this population. Table  2  presents a selection of studies from the review.

IGU, internet gaming disorder; PSMU, problematic social media use

This study has attempted to systematically analyze the existing literature on the effect of social media use on mental health. Although the results of the study were not completely consistent, this review found a general association between social media use and mental health issues. Although there is positive evidence for a link between social media and mental health, the opposite has been reported.

For example, a previous study found no relationship between the amount of time spent on social media and depression or between social media-related activities, such as the number of online friends and the number of “selfies”, and depression [ 29 ]. Similarly, Neira and Barber found that while higher investment in social media (e.g. active social media use) predicted adolescents’ depressive symptoms, no relationship was found between the frequency of social media use and depressed mood [ 28 ].

In the 16 studies, anxiety and depression were the most commonly measured outcome. The prominent risk factors for anxiety and depression emerging from this study comprised time spent, activity, and addiction to social media. In today's world, anxiety is one of the basic mental health problems. People liked and commented on their uploaded photos and videos. In today's age, everyone is immune to the social media context. Some teens experience anxiety from social media related to fear of loss, which causes teens to try to respond and check all their friends' messages and messages on a regular basis.

On the contrary, depression is one of the unintended significances of unnecessary use of social media. In detail, depression is limited not only to Facebooks but also to other social networking sites, which causes psychological problems. A new study found that individuals who are involved in social media, games, texts, mobile phones, etc. are more likely to experience depression.

The previous study found a 70% increase in self-reported depressive symptoms among the group using social media. The other social media influence that causes depression is sexual fun [ 12 ]. The intimacy fun happens when social media promotes putting on a facade that highlights the fun and excitement but does not tell us much about where we are struggling in our daily lives at a deeper level [ 28 ]. Another study revealed that depression and time spent on Facebook by adolescents are positively correlated [ 22 ]. More importantly, symptoms of major depression have been found among the individuals who spent most of their time in online activities and performing image management on social networking sites [ 14 ].

Another study assessed gender differences in associations between social media use and mental health. Females were found to be more addicted to social media as compared with males [ 26 ]. Passive activity in social media use such as reading posts is more strongly associated with depression than doing active use like making posts [ 23 ]. Other important findings of this review suggest that other factors such as interpersonal trust and family functioning may have a greater influence on the symptoms of depression than the frequency of social media use [ 28 , 29 ].

Limitation and suggestion

The limitations and suggestions were identified by the evidence involved in the study and review process. Previously, 7 of the 16 studies were cross-sectional and slightly failed to determine the causal relationship between the variables of interest. Given the evidence from cross-sectional studies, it is not possible to conclude that the use of social networks causes mental health problems. Only three longitudinal studies examined the causal relationship between social media and mental health, which is hard to examine if the mental health problem appeared more pronounced in those who use social media more compared with those who use it less or do not use at all [ 19 , 20 , 24 ]. Next, despite the fact that the proposed relationship between social media and mental health is complex, a few studies investigated mediating factors that may contribute or exacerbate this relationship. Further investigations are required to clarify the underlying factors that help examine why social media has a negative impact on some peoples’ mental health, whereas it has no or positive effect on others’ mental health.

Conclusions

Social media is a new study that is rapidly growing and gaining popularity. Thus, there are many unexplored and unexpected constructive answers associated with it. Lately, studies have found that using social media platforms can have a detrimental effect on the psychological health of its users. However, the extent to which the use of social media impacts the public is yet to be determined. This systematic review has found that social media envy can affect the level of anxiety and depression in individuals. In addition, other potential causes of anxiety and depression have been identified, which require further exploration.

The importance of such findings is to facilitate further research on social media and mental health. In addition, the information obtained from this study can be helpful not only to medical professionals but also to social science research. The findings of this study suggest that potential causal factors from social media can be considered when cooperating with patients who have been diagnosed with anxiety or depression. Also, if the results from this study were used to explore more relationships with another construct, this could potentially enhance the findings to reduce anxiety and depression rates and prevent suicide rates from occurring.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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• CORRESPONDENCE
• 21 May 2024

Social-media influence on teen mental health goes beyond just cause and effect

• Michael A. Spikes 0

Northwestern University Medill School, Evanston, Illinois, USA.

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In her review of Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation ( Nature 628 , 29–30; 2024 ), Candice Odgers focuses on whether there is a causal relationship between social-media use and poor social outcomes among young people. However, this gives an incomplete view of Haidt’s argument, which puts social-media use in a wider context.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01488-5

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Media Psychology

Media psychology is the psychological study of the causes and consequences of humans’ media use. Research within media psychology seeks to understand and explain the roles, uses, processes, and effects of mediated communication. It is interdisciplinary in nature and draws from a number of disciplines including political science, marketing, sociology, communication, public opinion, consumer behavior, and social, developmental, and personality psychology. 

Featured Research

Comartsci researchers present at 107th annual nca convention.

Following is a list of MSU researchers who will be presenting at the 107th annual NCA convention, Nov. 18-21, in Seattle. 

The Shape of News: Journalism Scholar Rachel Mourão Shows How News Can Affect Perception of Protests

Anastasia Kononova Named One of the Most Prolific Media Multitasking Researchers

Faculty and Ph.D. Students Present Research at National Communication Association

What marching band teaches us about shaping culture.

Saleem Alhabash

Saleem Alhabash is an Associate Professor of Public Relations and Social Media at the Department of Advertising + Public Relations, studying the persuasive effects of social media.

Allison Eden

Dr. Allison Eden (Ph.D. Michigan State University) is an associate professor in the Department of Communication.

Dar Meshi investigates the maladaptive, problematic use of social media. He earned his B.S. in biology from the University of California at Los Angeles, and his Ph.D. from Columbia University in New York. After his Ph.D., Dar spent some time in New York working at advertising agencies like Ogilvy and Mather.

Wei Peng is a Professor in the Department of Media and Information, Michigan State University. She is affiliated with the Games for Entertainment and Learning (GEL) lab and the Health and Risk Communication Center.

Rabindra Ratan

Ralf Schmälzle

Ralf Schmälzle, Ph.D. (SHMAL-ts-lee, 拉尔夫·舍马尔兹勒) is an Associate Professor of Communication Science in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University. His research focuses on brain responses to real-life messages in the domains of health communication and entertainment media. He is cross-trained in communication and psychology, and integrates methods from cognitive neuroscience and AI.

Ron Tamborini

Ron Tamborini (Ph.D., Indiana University) is the Director of Doctoral Studies and a Professor in the Department of Communication at Michigan State University where he teaches courses in media process and methods of communication inquiry.

Brandon Van Der Heide

Brandon Van Der Heide (Ph.D., Michigan State University) is a teacher and researcher working at the intersection of the domains of computer-mediated communication and interpersonal communication

Fashina Aladé,

Fashina (Shina) Aladé is an Assistant Professor of Advertising & Public Relations, and also holds a courtesy appointment in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. Her work lies at the intersection of media effects, developmental psychology, and early childhood education, with a focus on young children’s comprehension of and learning from educational media.

Chuqing Dong

Dan Hiaeshutter-Rice

Maria Molina

What's happening, centers and labs.

• CARISMA Lab

The Theoretical and Applied Research on Media Affect and Cognition (TARMAC) lab is a state of the art media psychology lab featuring four separate areas including: a welcome room, a room with 12 computers for web-based and reaction-time studies, a “living-room” area for television and video game research, and a virtual reality and gaming area with four computers equipped with eye-tracking and Oculus Rift headgear

Current studies include research on virtual reality and entertainment, games and violence, the social appeal of movies, and the role of motivation in media appeal.

Learn More about the TARMAC Lab

The Center for Avatar Research and Immersive Social Media Applications is focused on the interdisciplinary study of the effect of virtual reality experiences on human interaction.

Learn More about the CARISMA Lab

Media and Advertising Psychology Lab is focused on the study of media and advertising using biopsychological approaches, methods and theories.

Learn More about the MAP Lab

Leveraging our Network

Media Psychology is one of a number of thematic, collaborative research interest areas in ComArtSci. Although graduate students apply to one of the three doctoral areas or any masters areas in the college, they may become research collaborators in any of the interest areas. For example, students specializing in advertising, communication, and journalism participate in the Media Psychology interest group.

For more information, contact Allison Eden

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College of Education

McElroy-Heltzel’s research among International Journal of Psychology’s top cited articles

Stacey McElroy-Heltzel, University of Iowa assistant professor of counseling psychology and researcher in the field of psychology, has garnered recognition for her work on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. Her article titled "Resource loss and mental health during COVID-19: Psychosocial protective factors among US older adults and those with chronic disease," published in the International Journal of Psychology , has been listed among the top 10 most-cited papers from January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2023.

McElroy-Heltzel's research delves into the intricate relationship between resource loss and mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations such as older adults and individuals with chronic diseases. In the wake of unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic, understanding the psychosocial protective factors that mitigate adverse mental health effects is of paramount importance.

“During the pandemic, the prevailing narrative was that we were a nation experiencing multiple crises, including a mental health crisis. While that was true in many ways, I think it's important that that's not the only narrative out there,” McElroy-Heltzel says. “We have a tendency to over pathologize normal responses to stressful events, and that's not a good message to send. It’s normal and appropriate to experience distress when bad things happen. While some people will develop significant mental health symptoms, many people experience both stress and resilience by drawing upon social support or having an optimistic outlook. It’s possible to recognize that while things are difficult at the moment, there is hope that things will get better.” 

The study conducted by McElroy-Heltzel and her team sheds light on the resilience exhibited by certain segments of the population amidst adversity. By examining factors such as social support, coping strategies, and access to essential resources, the research elucidates some protective factors that allow individuals to maintain psychological well-being in the face of resource constraints and heightened stressors.

The recognition of McElroy-Heltzel's work as one of the top 10 most-cited papers underscores its significance and impact within the scientific community. Her findings not only contribute to the academic discourse on mental health resilience but also have practical implications for policymakers, health care professionals, and community stakeholders striving to support vulnerable populations during public health crises.

In an era characterized by unprecedented global challenges, McElroy-Heltzel's research serves as a positive outlook, offering insights into the resilience of human spirit and the potential for collective action to foster positive mental health outcomes amidst adversity. As the world continues to navigate the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath, the lessons gleaned from McElroy-Heltzel's work remain invaluable in shaping effective interventions and strategies to promote mental well-being for all.

“Many people find it difficult to reach out for social support during stressful times, especially if we believe everyone around us is distressed. We may fear being a burden. Yet, research has indicated that social support is one of the most consistent and robust correlates of psychological health. Therefore, we want to acknowledge that while many people are struggling, through connection, we can build resilience,” McElroy-Heltzel says. “Our findings support this idea. In this article, we were able to show how things like social support, resilience, and optimism mitigated some of the impacts of the pandemic related to factors on peoples’ mental distress, even for vulnerable populations.”

For McElroy-Heltzel, this recognition serves as a testament to the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and rigorous scientific inquiry in addressing pressing societal issues. Moving forward, she remains committed to advancing research that not only informs policy and practice but also empowers individuals and communities to thrive in the face of adversity.

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