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Media Psychology Research Center

Media Psychology Research Center

Media Psychology: The Psychology of Media Behavior

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Dr. Erik M. Gregory

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Dr. Erik M. Gregory, Executive Director

Dr. Erik M. Gregory is the founder and Executive Director of MPRC. He received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed his clinical work at the Tavistock Clinic in London, where he treated refugee children suffering from trauma. His post-doctoral studies took place at Harvard Medical School (McLean Hospital). He also received master’s degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Human Development and Psychology and the Harvard Kennedy School Of Government in Public Leadership as a Littaeur Fellow. At the Kennedy School, he examined 21st Century models of leadership and followership and their intersections with psychology.  

Dr. Gregory has served as a Fellow with the National Cancer Institute in Hawaii, a Spencer Fellow with the Spencer Foundation, and Visiting Scholar at the University of Chicago.  He most recently completed an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Dr. Erik M. Gregory is a leading proponent of positive psychology. In addition to being a leadership consultant and a psychotherapist in private practice, he has advised clients in government, the non-profit sector, and the world of children’s educational television.

He is the psychotherapist in residence at the Humanist Hub and serves as the Executive Director of the Media Psychology Research Center of Boston.

As part of his support for the LGBTQ community, he has advised the Human Rights Campaign, Fenway Health, and the Harvard Gender and Sexuality Caucus. Dr. Gregory is an ordained Humanist Minister.

Dr. Gregory can be reached at egregory@mprcenter.org or at erikgregory.com

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FOR THE PRESS

Dr. Pamela Rutledge is available for comments on the psychological and practical impact of technology, and media on people and society. Send an email!

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RSS RECENT POSTS

  • The Legacy of Daytime Talk Shows Lives in Your Feed January 11, 2026
    The talk shows never disappeared. Their conflict, confessions, and emotional manipulation became shareable spectacles on social media. Key Takeaways Talk shows turned emotional exposure into entertainment, but what was episodic is now continuous Algorithms replaced studio audiences and reward emotional intensity, not reflection or accuracy. Social media inherited “talk show” emotional logic and removed ethical […]
    Pamela Rutledge
  • Oprah's High Road: Diverging Paths in Daytime Talk Shows January 10, 2026
    Oprah Winfrey’s shift away from sensationalism reframed vulnerability and altered how audiences engaged with emotional storytelling. Key Takeaways Reframing Vulnerability to Reshaped Media Culture While many 1990s talk shows escalated conflict, one major figure moved in a different direction. Oprah Winfrey’s shift away from sensationalism reframed vulnerability in public life and altered how audiences engaged […]
    Pamela Rutledge
  • Daytime Talk Shows: Why We Couldn’t Look Away January 10, 2026
    The psychology behind the rise of 1990s daytime talk shows.  Back in July 2025, I had the privilege of talking with Steve Morrison, the director and executive producer of a docuseries on daytime television, about the psychology behind the appeal and evolution of shows like Jerry Spring and Sally Jessy Raphael. The shows will air […]
    Pamela Rutledge

The Media Psychology Research Center (MPRC) is an independent organization dedicated to psychological science as the foundatio of media and technology research, assessment, and education.Our mission is to promote the positive development and use of media and technology.

RESEARCH TO PRACTICE

Ubiquitous technology means we need a better understanding of:

- Digital and Transmedia Storytelling and constructing and sharing additive narratives across media channels
-Participatory and collaborative media
On-demand information access
-The use of technology to promote positive experiences through cognitive and emotional engagement: positive mood inducement, sense of self-efficacy, social connectedness
-Immersive Environments and new arenas for expression and social modeling of new attitudes, skills, social roles, and personal identity
-Human relationships mediated by technology
-Tools and environments for learning across the lifespan
-Psychological, perceptual and cognitive aspects of using technology and understanding usability

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