Scholarship Actions

Translating this dismantled lens into action means being intentional about the program of research I build, the methods I use, and the kinds of knowledge products I create. Substantively, I plan to develop a coherent line of quantitative studies around three interlocking themes: (1) social media–induced self‑fragmentation and self‑concept clarity, (2) group dynamics and close relationships as media‑effects contexts, and (3) platform affordances and metrics as mechanisms that shape identity and aggression. These themes give me a roadmap for a series of studies that progressively refine constructs, test more complex models, and incorporate more diverse populations and platforms.

Methodologically, my scholarship actions center on using quantitative tools in ways that reflect my critical commitments. I will continue to prioritize robust measurement via developing and validating scales for emerging constructs and testing measurement invariance across demographic and contextual groups. Structural equation modeling and related techniques will remain central: I want to model indirect effects, reciprocal relations, and multi‑level influences rather than simple bivariate links. Multi‑group SEM, moderation, and nested data structures will allow me to ask not just “Is there an effect?” but “For whom, under what conditions, and via which social and structural pathways?” When possible, I will design longitudinal or experimental studies to move beyond cross‑sectional claims and examine how identity processes and group dynamics unfold over time in digital contexts.

At the same time, I intend to be more deliberate about how my work is generated and where it circulates. In designing studies, I will seek collaborations that bring in participants and partners from underrepresented groups and under‑studied settings, allowing my models to reflect more than the default Western undergraduate experience. I also plan to pursue mixed‑methods sequences when needed, using qualitative or participatory approaches to inform scale development and construct definition, even when the main study is quantitatively driven. On the dissemination side, my scholarship actions include targeting journals and conferences that welcome both media‑effects and critical/cultural work, and translating my findings into accessible formats for practitioners, educators, and youth‑serving organizations. Ultimately, my goal is a body of scholarship that is recognizably rigorous to quantitative media psychologists, while also being accountable to the communities and power structures it studies.