Kristy Hamilton

Kristy Hamilton is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Her research focuses on understanding how digital environments shape human memory, cognition, and decision-making processes. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Institute of Communications Research and a B.A. in Psychology and Communication from Trinity University.

Her key research interests include decision science, media effects, media psychology, and the broader implications of technology on cognition. Dr. Hamilton explores how digital tools influence metacognitive strategies, memory accuracy, and information processing. Recent work addresses topics like algorithmic bias, cognitive overconfidence in conversational search, and the role of smartphones in source memory.

She has published extensively in journals such as Computers in Human Behavior, Applied Cognitive Psychology, and New Media & Society, with a focus on digital cognition, technology ethics, and human-machine interaction. Her articles often highlight the dual potential and risks of digital media for cognitive processes.

Dr. Hamilton’s research has not yet been associated with explicit scientific awards, though her contributions to understanding digital ecologies and media psychology are widely recognized. She advises no students listed in current records and collaborates on grants related to cognitive strategies and technology design.

Her work emphasizes the 'extended organism' framework, exploring how humans and technology co-evolve cognitive roles. She maintains active research through her Media Skill Lab, focusing on decision-making in digital landscapes and the ethical implications of emerging technologies.