معرفی
Professor Sonya Dal Cin is a Professor of Communication and Media and Professor of Psychology (by courtesy) at the University of Michigan, holding a joint appointment in the Research Center for Group Dynamics at the Institute for Social Research. She serves as Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of Communication and Media. Her work integrates social-cognitive research with communication science to study how media experiences shape thought, emotion, and behavior, particularly focusing on narrative engagement, identification with characters, and health-related outcomes. Dal Cin’s research spans health communication, stereotyping, adolescent development, and aging, with a focus on media’s role in societal and individual well-being.
Education: Earned a B.A. (Hons.) from Queen’s University (Canada) and a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Waterloo, supported by a Canada Graduate Scholarship from CIHR. Postdoctoral training at the Norris Cotton Cancer Center (now Dartmouth Cancer Center) preceded her tenure at Michigan.
Research Interests:
- Media’s impact on health behaviors and decision-making
- Narrative persuasion and story-based belief change
- Adolescent media consumption and development
- Entertainment media’s role in reinforcing/stereotypes
- Older adults’ media engagement patterns
Advising & Grants: Currently prioritizing advising commitments beyond primary supervision for Fall 2025 applicants. Active in lab mentorship through the MAPiEL (Media And Psychology in Everyday Life) Lab, focusing on collaborative projects in media psychology.
Labs/Teams: Director of the MAPiEL Lab, exploring interdisciplinary questions at the intersection of media, psychology, and societal issues.
