Why Do We Care Who Taylor Swift Dates?

2023-10-02T08:59:37-07:00

Parasocial relationships can increase meaning and enjoyment. KEY POINTS Taylor Swift’s level of success can attract our curiosity, even if we’re not a fan. Swifties, and other fans, feel deep emotional parasocial connections due to media’s "illusion of intimacy.” Swift-Kelce dating rumors multiply emotional stakes for fans invested in Taylor's romances. Most parasocial relationships are perfectly healthy, adding to meaning, sense of community, and enjoyment. Taylor Swift attended several recent Chiefs games, amidst rumors that she’s dating NFL star and Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. If you didn’t know this, you probably haven’t been paying attention, either to the news or to social [...]

Why Do We Care Who Taylor Swift Dates?2023-10-02T08:59:37-07:00

Dr. April Harris-Britt Elected to APA Board for Professional Affairs

2023-09-27T07:14:30-07:00

American Psychological Association (APA) Board for Professional Affairs April Harris-Britt, Ph.D. April Harris-Britt, Ph.D., has been elected to serve a 3-year term on the Board for Professional Affairs (BPA) for the American Psychological Association (APA). The Board of Professional Affairs is responsible for recommending and implementing APA policy, standards, and guidelines for the profession of psychology; maintaining relationships with other professional organizations and groups appropriate to its mission; recognizing contributions to the profession of psychology through awards and honors; proposing to the association ways to enhance the profession of psychology; and fostering the application of psychological knowledge to [...]

Dr. April Harris-Britt Elected to APA Board for Professional Affairs2023-09-27T07:14:30-07:00

#GirlMath: How Social Media Trends Perpetuate Stereotypes

2023-09-18T03:05:33-07:00

Jokes that infantilize women and glorify irresponsible spending aren't funny. KEY POINTS #GirlMath is a popular TikTok trend, rationalizing spending purchases with irresponsible logic. Mental accounting provides the theoretical logic for the human tendency to subjectively value money. Even in jokes, labeling women as "girls" can undermine self-esteem and perpetuate stereotypes. I don't know whether to laugh or cry when I see #GirlMath. It is one of those TikTok trends that has grown out of the popularity of "girl" hashtags (#girldinner, #hotgirlsummer, #lazygirljob). I don't know what bothers me most: the continued labeling of women as "girls," a gender-neutral cognitive bias being attributed [...]

#GirlMath: How Social Media Trends Perpetuate Stereotypes2023-09-18T03:05:33-07:00

Why Is Digital Literacy So Often Overlooked as a Solution?

2023-09-11T15:47:29-07:00

Digital literacy builds protective internal strengths for every tech use.KEY POINTSParents are very concerned about media's impact on kids' mental health.Digital literacy builds protective factors for healthy media engagement.Digital literacy is often overlooked as a solution despite the psychological benefits.Whether it's AI, social media, or video games, the headlines are dire about the threats that media poses to our kids' mental health. In fact, in a 2023 Pew Research Center study, parents' main post-pandemic concern was their kids' mental health (Minkin & Horowitz, 2023), and fingers often point to media use. With so much concern over the negative impact of media on [...]

Why Is Digital Literacy So Often Overlooked as a Solution?2023-09-11T15:47:29-07:00

Fielding Faculty Dr. Karen Shackleford and Alum Dr. Don Grant Named APA Fellows

2023-09-07T07:11:16-07:00

Faculty and alum of Media Psychology recognized at the American Psychological Association (APA) 2023. Fielding Faculty Dr. Karen Shackleford and Alum Dr. Don Grant Named APA Fellows Fielding Media Psychology Faculty Dr. Karen Shackleford and Media Psychology alum Dr. Don Grant were named APA Fellows and Fellows of Div. 46 – Society for Media Psychology and Technology at the 2023 APA conference held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C. earlier this month.APA Fellow status is an honor bestowed upon APA members who have shown evidence of unusual and outstanding contributions or performance in the field [...]

Fielding Faculty Dr. Karen Shackleford and Alum Dr. Don Grant Named APA Fellows2023-09-07T07:11:16-07:00

A Celebrity With a Stress Patch Was Big News: Do They Work?

2023-08-29T05:47:01-07:00

Celebrity endorsements change product desirability but do not guarantee results. KEY POINTS Celebrity endorsements enhance perceptions about product desirability but are not evidence for efficacy. A placebo effect can impact well-being, even if an intervention can’t be “clinically proven” to work. Any tools that increase our mindfulness and self-awareness can help decrease stress. Nothing raises the visibility of a product faster than seeing it on a celebrity. When Meghan Markle was photographed wearing a NuCalm stress patch, it got a lot of attention on social media and the popular press. Many theories circulated about why Markle was wearing the patch, but aside from all [...]

A Celebrity With a Stress Patch Was Big News: Do They Work?2023-08-29T05:47:01-07:00

Fielding Provost Dr. Wendi S. Williams Delivers Keynote at APA 2023

2023-12-24T05:16:58-08:00

Fielding Provost and Senior Vice President Wendi S. Williams, Ph.D., delivered a strong keynote address at the annual American Psychological Association (APA) 2023 conference held in Washington D.C. earlier this month. Provost Williams's presentation was titled "On Refusal and Recovery: What Black women teach us about reclaiming our wellness in our work." In her keynote address, Dr. Wendi Williams explained to a standing-room-only packed auditorium how Black women's refusal and recovery offer key lessons to positively shape our collective reclamation of wellness in our work lives. Black women have a complicated relationship with labor in the U.S. context and beyond. [...]

Fielding Provost Dr. Wendi S. Williams Delivers Keynote at APA 20232023-12-24T05:16:58-08:00

Alum Tahlia Bragg, Ph.D., Receives APA’s Foremothers Mentorship Award

2023-08-29T11:13:18-07:00

Tahlia Bragg, Ph.D. Fielding clinical psychology alum and the founding president of the Black Student Association Tahlia Bragg, Ph.D. (2023), received the Foremothers Mentorship Award, presented by American Psychological Association’s Div. 35, Section I (The Psychology of Black Women). Div. 35, Section I is a prestigious group within APA. Among other goals, the section aims to promote the development of methods of research and models of treatment and intervention that are ethnically, culturally, and gender appropriate for Black women. The Foremothers Mentorship Award celebrates Black women’s commitment to supporting the growth and development of students, peers, and/or colleagues in [...]

Alum Tahlia Bragg, Ph.D., Receives APA’s Foremothers Mentorship Award2023-08-29T11:13:18-07:00

Alum Cynthia Vinney, Ph.D., Offers a Perspective on Social Identity Theory

2023-08-10T12:35:28-07:00

Alum Cynthia Vinney, Ph.D., Offers a Perspective on Social Identity Theory Fielding Media Psychology alum (Media PSY, 2016), recently penned an article titled “Social Identity Theory—Are We the Company We Keep?” for Verywell Mind. Dr. Vinney is a scholar, author, and freelance writer who focuses on psychology and popular culture topics. Her research examines how audiences understand, engage with, and respond to popular media. She has published two books and numerous academic articles in peer-reviewed journals, including Psychology of Popular Media Culture, Social and Personality Psychology Compass, and Review of Communication. Her latest book, Finding Truth in Fiction, was published [...]

Alum Cynthia Vinney, Ph.D., Offers a Perspective on Social Identity Theory2023-08-10T12:35:28-07:00

Why Did Influencer Kai Cenat’s Live NYC Meetup Turn Ugly?

2023-08-10T04:45:31-07:00

Influencers have no experience translating online audiences into live events. KEY POINTS Young influencers don't have relevant experience understanding influence or managing fame. Gen Z and Millennials relate more to influencers than to traditional celebrities. Parasocial attachment increases an influencer's persuasiveness because they feel like a friend. The popular social media streamer Kai Cenat and fellow streamer Fanum announced to their followers that they would give away electronics, including PlayStation 5 consoles, on Friday, August 4, at 4 p.m. Thousands of fans showed up to get the prizes, filling the street, stopping traffic, and becoming increasingly unruly. Police were [...]

Why Did Influencer Kai Cenat’s Live NYC Meetup Turn Ugly?2023-08-10T04:45:31-07:00

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