My research focuses on the origins or "etiology" of media and communication behavior in genetic traits and parent-child socialization patterns.  In particular, I’m interested in knowing how genes and parent socialization of media behaviors in childhood influence our long-term news and political communication habits.  

Recent Publications and Working Projects

In a collaborative project with my doctoral GA, Toqa Hassan, we replicate a classic media framing experiment with biological twin participants to examine the amount of variance in responses to media stimuli explained by shared genetic, shared environmental, and unique environmental sources. We find both genetic and environmental sources of variation for individual differences in responses to media stimuli. This is the first evidence we're aware of to suggest genetic variation partly explains variation in media effects responses.

This solo project investigates candidate gene associations with media use using nationally representative panel survey data paired with DNA data collected from respondents. Of eight genes examined, polymorphisms in 5HTT and MAOA are commonly associated with various indicators of media use. These genes are involved in the transportation and regulation of excess serotonin in the brain. This work is a starting place for a GWAS.