Research

Lippman, J. R. (2015). I did it because I never stopped loving you: The effects of media portrayals of persistent pursuit on beliefs about stalking. Communication Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/0093650215570653

People vary in the extent to which they see stalking as a serious crime; could the lessons people learn from the media partially explain this variation? This study suggests that the answer is “yes”: people who watched a scary depiction of persistent pursuit (Enough or Sleeping with the Enemy) endorsed lower levels of “stalking myths” (i.e., beliefs about stalking that serve to minimize its seriousness), whereas people who watched a romanticized depiction of persistent pursuit (There’s Something About Mary or Management) endorsed higher levels of stalking myths—IF they saw these pursuits as realistic or experienced narrative engagement. Further, mediation analyses suggest that the association between media exposure and stalking myth endorsement can be explained by the extent to which viewers see the pursuer’s behavior as appropriate. (If you are looking for the supplemental materials referenced in this article, please click here.)

Lippman, J.R. & Ward, L. M. (2014). Associations between stalking myth endorsement and unwanted pursuit behaviors among college students. Aggression Research Program Report, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. doi: 10.7826/ISR-UM.05.3020.0001

Is stalking myth endorsement related to unwanted pursuit perpetration and/or victimization? Yes, for the most part. Higher levels of stalking myth endorsement were associated with higher levels of unwanted pursuit perpetration among both men and women, and with higher levels of unwanted pursuit victimization among women (but not men).

Lippman, J. R., Ward, L. M., & Seabrook, R. C. (2014). Isn’t it romantic? Differential associations between romantic screen media genres and romantic beliefs. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 3(3), 128-140. doi: 10.1037/ppm0000034

Existing research suggests a link between total exposure to “romantic media” (i.e., media that emphasize romantic relationships, such as romantic comedies and situation comedies) and idealistic beliefs about romance.  In this study, we examine links between exposure to specific types of romantic media and idealistic romantic beliefs.  We find that romantic media genres are differentially associated with romantic beliefs in ways that are consistent with the differing romantic messages promoted by these genres.

Lippman, J. R. & Campbell, S. W. (2014). Damned if you do, damned if you don’t…if you’re a girl: Relational and normative contexts of adolescent sexting in the United States. Journal of Children & Media, 8(4), 371-386 doi: 10.1080/17482798.2014.923009

In this qualitative inquiry, we aimed to gain insight into why adolescents sext.  We find that although girls and boys sext at roughly equal rates, girls are far more likely to experience pressure to do so, especially from boys. We also argue that a sexual double standard appears to inform evaluations of sexters.  That is, although boys seemed to be virtually immune from criticism for their sexting practices, girls faced intense scrutiny for theirs.  Specifically, girls who did sext were characterized as “slutty” or “insecure,” whereas girls who did not sext were described as “prude” or “stuck up.”

Lippman, J. R., & Greenwood, D. N. (2012). A song to remember: Emerging adults recall memorable music. Journal of Adolescent Research, 27(6), 751-774. doi: 10.1177/0743558412447853

What causes a particular piece of music to attain significance in autobiographical memory?  We identified three themes in participants’ written accounts of autobiographically significant music.  Specifically, the music participants identified was music that had helped them cope with transitions, facilitated self-reflection, or elicited positive memories.

Greenwood, D. N. & Lippman, J. R. (2010). Gender, media use and impact. In J. C. Chrisler and D. R. McCreary (Eds.), Handbook of Gender Research in Psychology (pp. 643-669). New York: Springer.

We review research on gender differences in three related domains: media content, media selection, and media effects.