Asst. Professor at University of Kansas, Ph.D. The Ohio State University. Research on narrative persuasion, children and media, media effects, media psychology. Sometimes, I grow sunflowers (see pic) and tomatoes. Aspiring scuba diver.https://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3mj7wdx6nqs2xNarrative scholars will appreciate this study [contains quote post or other embedded content]11 Apr 2026 13:17 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj7wdx6nqs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3mhw3lgcmf22gMy university had a nice write up of my recent research investigating audience enjoyment of easter eggs. Check it out here #commsky https://news.ku.edu/news/article/finding-easter-eggs-in-entertainment-boosts-enjoyment-fan-behavior-study-finds25 Mar 2026 21:59 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhw3lgcmf22ghttps://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3mgncaoemcs2uMy students are conducting a survey for a class project to understand perceptions of media literacy and training they may have received. Please take this short survey, which closes today. #medialiteracy #AI #tech #phonebans #digitalliteracy https://kusurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1YRZQJZOYIixuDk09 Mar 2026 16:39 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgncaoemcs2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3mgnao45rjs26Thanks to the research cultivation grant from the National Communication Association, my latest study investigates the relationship between anthropomorphic characters & socioemotional lessons, which are often found in children's media. Read the study for more info https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/7SNG9PFSAZSZ4C4KRJKW/full?target=10.1080/15205436.2026.263574209 Mar 2026 16:11 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgnao45rjs26https://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3mgiiifkobs2vThis is the reality behind every CV. I recently received two rejects in one day. Onwards and upwards! [contains quote post or other embedded content]07 Mar 2026 18:48 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgiiifkobs2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3mggai36hqk2kPlease consider taking this survey about your opinions on media literacy and social media use for my senior students who are designing a campaign to increase the visibility of media literacy week. #medialiteracy #ai #socialmedia https://kusurvey.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1YRZQJZOYIixuDk06 Mar 2026 21:19 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mggai36hqk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3mer3d7pnzc2lCheck out my latest research conducted with the wonderful and brilliant Hannah Wing. We examined whether audiences search for "easter eggs" in entertainment and whether finding them contributes to their enjoyment. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.034158813 Feb 2026 17:56 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3mer3d7pnzc2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/wattsupdoc.bsky.social/post/3m73xybbucc2uWhen you're digging around into the history of a theory and come across an interesting note about the origins of the academic who developed the theory. My goodness, mental models indeed!03 Dec 2025 17:24 +0000at://did:plc:a5pmfcp7lphxeyq6uphokfdk/app.bsky.feed.post/3m73xybbucc2u