Gavin Ploger

Gavin Ploger is a Howard R. Marsh Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow in the Department of Communication and Media at the University of Michigan. His research focuses on political communication, media effects, and the intersection of polarization with public perception. He explores how media coverage shapes societal views on political division, sentiment in news content, and the psychological underpinnings of political attitudes.

His work spans topics such as elite polarization spillover effects, identity-driven information ecosystems, and the physiological correlates of political behavior. Recent studies analyze sentiment in cable news during the 2024 campaign and link physiological threat sensitivity to anti-immigrant attitudes.

Dr. Ploger’s articles reflect a blend of empirical and interdisciplinary approaches, combining political science, media studies, and cognitive psychology. He is affiliated with the Department of Communication and Media in the LSA College at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus.