RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research interests include the impact of media on development and the cognitive processes involved in children ’s media use. My primary goals as a researcher are to understand the impact of media in two specific domains: very early development and children’s health issues.

One of my objectives is to examine the impact of media exposure on infants and toddlers. This demographic is increasingly targeted by media producers, yet research assessing the impact of media use in the first years of life is almost non-existent. To this end, I have conducted projects with colleagues at the University of Massachusetts, University of South Carolina, and Georgetown University on topics such as young children’s attention and comprehension of infant-directed video, the effectiveness of infant-directed videos designed to promote parent-child interaction, and the types of production features (e.g., cuts, zooms, sound effects) used in infant-directed media products. A major goal on my ongoing work is to continue to address questions related to media use early in life.

Another focus of my research is the use of media to promote desirable health behaviors, such as proper nutrition and exercise. For instance, with my colleagues at Georgetown University, I conducted a study to assess the effectiveness of a Pac-Man videogame at promoting healthy eating among low income children. I hope to further develop this line of research by investigating ways in which media that are both entertaining and beneficial to health can be used to address the issue of childhood obesity.