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Media Psychology Research Center

Newport Beach, CA

Hooked on True Crime: Why We Can’t Stop May 14, 2025
True crime media isn’t just a guilty pleasure—it can fulfill deep emotional and cognitive needs, especially for women. Key Points There’s something oddly engaging about listening to a stranger’s murder while unloading the dishwasher or walking the dog. That’s not a judgment—it’s an observation. The popularity of true crime media, especially among women, has become […]
Pamela Rutledge
The Real Costs of Trade Wars: Lost Hopes & Dreams April 21, 2025
When markets drop, it's not only our 401Ks that disappear—it's our future stories. No amount of financial doomscrolling can appease our anxiety or offset the grief for lost hopes and dreams. Key Points Doomscrolling during financial crises is deeply personal—it’s your future on the line. Compulsive balance-checking is driven by anxiety, loss aversion, and […]
Pamela Rutledge
7 Reasons Why ‘Bluey’ is a Masterclass in Parenting March 21, 2025
Key points I’m a huge Bluey fan, and I’ve been spreading my enthusiasm with mixed success because many people I talk to don’t have toddlers at home anymore and don’t get why I’m so passionate about a “kids’ show.” So, when Leena Tailor reached out about an article for The Hollywood Reporter on Bluey’s success […]
Pamela Rutledge

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