David Giles

Dr. David Giles is a Reader in Media Psychology at the University of Winchester, leading modules such as "Society and the Individual" and "Media Psychology." His research focuses on media influence, celebrity psychology, qualitative methods, parasocial interaction, and online mental health communities. He previously held positions at universities including Lancaster and Coventry before joining Winchester in 2007. Giles earned his PhD from the University of Bristol, exploring children's spelling, and transitioned from a music journalism career to academia. He co-founded the journal Qualitative Research in Psychology and leads the MOOD network for online data analysis. His work challenges traditional audience research assumptions in the digital age.

Education:

• Bachelor's in Psychology, University of Manchester
• PhD in Psychology, University of Bristol

Research Interests: Giles explores how media shapes human behavior, particularly through celebrity dynamics and online communities. His recent work examines social media's transformation of celebrity-audience relationships, qualitative methods for digital analysis, and mental health discourse online. Key themes include parasocial interaction, fame's psychological dimensions, and media framing in news.

Grants & Funding:

• British Academy grant for media representations of voluntary childlessness (£7,131)
• University of Winchester grants for mental health and internet research (£3,915)

Labs/Networks: Co-leads the Microanalysis of Online Data (MOOD) network, advancing qualitative methods for digital communication analysis.