معرفی
Megan Knowles is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Franklin & Marshall College since 2009. Her research focuses on social rejection, belonging regulation, and the psychological mechanisms underlying social connection. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Social Psychology from Northwestern University (2007, 2003) and a B.A. in Psychology and Sociology (Summa Cum Laude) from the University of Kentucky (2001).
Her research program explores enhanced social monitoring, indirect belonging regulation, parasocial attachments (e.g., TV character bonds), motivational hierarchies between belonging and esteem needs, and embodiment in social contexts. Key findings include how rejection improves social cue decoding and shifts attention to others, and the role of social surrogacy in mitigating isolation.
Her publications span topics like Facebook's impact on belonging, loneliness and social monitoring, and the psychological effects of social exclusion. Over 20+ peer-reviewed articles and book chapters demonstrate her expertise in social cognition and exclusion dynamics. No scientific awards are listed, but her work has been widely cited in social psychology literature.
Dr. Knowles collaborates with researchers like Roy Baumeister, William Gardner, and others. Her advising and grant activities are not detailed here, but her research consistently bridges laboratory findings with real-world social challenges. She maintains active research programs on social rejection, digital media effects, and embodied social cognition without affiliations to specific labs or teams beyond her institutional role.
