Kirstie Farrar

Kirstie M. Farrar is an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication at the University of Connecticut. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2001) and a research affiliation with UConn’s Center for Health Intervention and Prevention. Her work focuses on media effects, particularly violent video games’ impact on aggression, children’s media exposure, and media representation of sexual and health-related content.

Education: Ph.D. in Communication (2001), University of California, Santa Barbara.

Research interests include psychological effects of mass media, children and media interactions, media violence and aggression, and the role of media context in shaping perceptions. Her studies frequently explore how game features (e.g., controllers, realism) influence player behavior and attitudes, as well as how media content like sexual and health-related narratives affect audiences.

Notable contributions include examining video game realism’s effects on aggression, the role of gun controllers in violent gameplay outcomes, and the portrayal of eating disorders in media. Her work spans journals like the Journal of Communication, Media Psychology, and Mass Communication & Society.

She leads the Video Game and Media Effects Lab, investigating immersive technologies and media interventions. Teaching responsibilities include graduate courses on mass communication theory, media effects, and research methods.