COURSE OVERVIEW

Virtual Reality (VR) has been the next big thing for a few decades, but it is finally becoming mainstream …we think. In this class, I provide an introduction to VR through multiple lenses: historical, technological, psychological, and social. We will discuss the potential impacts of VR (and the metaverse)—both positive and negative—within important societal domains, such as health, education, business, and relationships. Most importantly, we will experience VR together, holding class discussions in virtual environments, with assignments that help you explore a multitude of VR platforms to apply course concepts and create new content. I am excited to be your guide on this virtual journey and hope it leads to some very real and relevant learning for you (and me!). 

This novel course focuses on a relatively new technology. As such, I hope we can all approach the semester with a flexible mindset and be open to changes as needed. 

COURSE GOALS

By engaging in class discussions and assignments, you will be able to: 

1. Describe what constitutes VR technology and how it has developed historically.

2. Articulate why and provide examples of how VR influences users psychologically. 

3. Identify likely positive and negative effects of VR and the metaverse in society.

4. Navigate and create content in VR that illustrates your understanding of course concepts

5. Compare non-gaming VR platforms according to mechanics (e.g., locomotion, tracking, controls, temporality, haptics, audio, creator tools, socialization, avatars). 

FULL SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW

This course covers the latest and greatest psychological research on avatars and is relevant to current and future designers of any medium that includes user self-representations (e.g., video games, virtual worlds, robots, automobiles, social media, etc.). We will examine recent research on the psychological experience and effects of avatar use. In addition to covering theoretical perspectives on these topics, the course will help you understand how avatar psychology is relevant to your own designs and how you can make a difference in your future work by considering avatar psychology. Most importantly, we will experience avatars and virtual reality (VR) together, holding class discussions in virtual environments, with assignments that help you explore a multitude of VR platforms to apply course concepts and create new content. I am excited to be your guide on this virtual journey and hope it leads to some very real and relevant learning for you (and me!). 

COURSE GOALS

By engaging in class discussion and assignments, you will be able to: 

1. define digital and non-digital avatars broadly (from virtual characters to automobiles) 

2. identify how avatars are applicable in everyday life. 

3. differentiate between the types of relationships people have with their avatars and motivations for using avatars that are more or less similar to the self.  

4. discern the importance of different avatar attributes (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, attractiveness, personality, humanity, body type, hair, controllability) and avoid common harmful stereotypes in your designs. 

5. design avatars that harness their psychological power to influence users toward specific (hopefully non-evil) outcomes, even beyond avatar use.

FULL SYLLABUS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

People interact with media every day, hour, and even minute of their lives. This course will introduce you to theory and research in the field of communication, focusing on how media (technologies, platforms, processes) affect individuals, relationships, and society. The readings and other course materials will help you understand how a selection of fundamental and evolving communication theories have emerged from a diversity of methodological approaches. The course assignments and in-person meetings (class and discussion section) will help you apply and evaluate these course concepts in the context of your own real-world experiences. The course is designed to be relevant and hopefully interesting to anyone who communicates through media regularly (probably you!) as well as foundational for anyone who plans to pursue a career in communication scholarship (possibly you?).

LEARNING GOALS

This course aims to introduce you to communication theories. You should be able to:

1. Describe and explain a selection of major communication theories from the socio-psychological and socio-cultural traditions 

2. Evaluate and compare communication theories based on their theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches

3. Apply communication theories to your daily life by using them to analyze your own real-world media experiences 

4. Develop an interest and ability to research, analyze, and communicate about a specific 

FULL SYLLABUS

COURSE OVERVIEW

In this course, we will examine the ways in which near-future science fiction—with a focus on the Black Mirror series—can help us think more creatively about research on the ways that people use and are psychologically influenced by communication technology (i.e., media psychology). We will read and connect influential research publications from this field, many of which were written by Stanford professors, to Black Mirror episodes that depict relevant themes. Weekly assignments will focus on synthesizing these research publications and Black Mirror episodes with relevant news stories and personal media use. The main course project will be to generate a research proposal, inspired by a Black Mirror episode or other work of science fiction, which creatively examines an issue of media psychology with societal importance. In line with the theme of the class, students will be encouraged to use any advanced media technology at their disposal, including generative AI tools, to develop the assignment content (e.g., writing, images). Grading will not focus on the mechanical output of the work, but instead will focus on project creativity, synthesis between topics, connections to personal experiences, and ability to present ideas verbally. 

COURSE GOALS

By engaging in class discussion and assignments, students will be able to: 

1. Articulate how science fiction can inspire insightful and creative social science research questions about the psychological and social influence of communication technology. 

2. Synthesize thematically related research publications, pieces of science fiction, current news, and personal experiences into coherent narratives. 

3. Develop a sci-fi inspired, novel, insightful, and creative social science research question along with a proposal to pursue this question using methods from the field of media psychology. 

PREREQUISITE

Students should have a general understanding of social science research methods used in the field of media psychology, including (but not limited to) experiments, surveys, content analysis, and log-data analysis, as well as an understanding of related research concepts (i.e., independent and dependent variables, operationalization, reliability and validity, random sampling, correlation vs. causation, confounding variables, statistical significance, effect size, moderation and mediation, hypothesis testing, informed consent, and ethics in research).

WAYS of Thinking, Ways of Doing Classification

This course fulfills the Social Inquiry (SI) Way by engaging students in the systematic study of social behavior, institutions, and change through the lens of media psychology. Using a blend of empirical research methods, students will critically examine how communication technologies—both real and imagined in Black Mirror—shape human interaction, identity, and societal structures.

Throughout the course, students will:

• Apply qualitative and quantitative research methods to analyze media technologies’ psychological and social effects.

• Develop original research proposals that address key questions about media, human behavior, and society.

• Use social science methodologies (e.g., surveys, experiments, content analysis) to investigate media-driven societal shifts.

• Synthesize academic research, contemporary news, and personal experiences to understand the evolving relationship between technology and social structures.

• With substantial focus on empirical inquiry, this course ensures that students gain the necessary skills to critically examine and contribute to discussions on the societal impacts of communication technologies.

FULL SYLLABUS