Matea Mustafaj
mmustafaj.bsky.social
Matea Mustafaj
@mmustafaj.bsky.social
Assistant professor of communication at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Researching the role of entertainment media in shaping perceptions of the world and the people in it. Media psychology, narrative processing and positive social change.
Reposted by Matea Mustafaj
From Joe Francemone and me: Moral information about one character doesn’t just shape how we see them—it reshapes how we see others around them. In social networks, moral judgments spread through contrast or assimilation depending on how the network is structured.

academic.oup.com/joc/advance-...
Evidence of balance theory as a predictive framework for character interdependence
Abstract. Across three studies, we examined how balance theory can be used to predict interdependent character evaluations. Leveraging the propositions of
academic.oup.com
June 20, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Reposted by Matea Mustafaj
🧵New publication alert! with @ismaharif.bsky.social Does media shape identity, or does identity guide media use? Our new 3-year study with Muslim American youth tests this bi-directional link @rcgd-isr.bsky.social @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social @hcr-journal.bsky.social @theispu.bsky.social
May 14, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Matea Mustafaj
This one was a journey. Jobs changed, roles changed, zip codes changed, babies were born, but the meta-analysis kept going. Grateful to the brilliant team (most not on Sky) who made it happen. @stewartcoles.bsky.social
@rcgd-isr.bsky.social @ucsantabarbara.bsky.social @mediamosaiclab.bsky.social
@nibasaleem.bsky.social and colleagues’ meta-analysis reveals that negative media depictions of ethnic minorities lead to unfavorable evaluations of these groups, while positive portrayals produce the opposite effect.
May 7, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Matea Mustafaj
Reposted by Matea Mustafaj
A study by Matea Mustafaj and Sonya Dal Cin @rcgd-isr.bsky.social finds viewers who endorse intelligence-related stereotypes may find brilliant characters more believable when they are white males. #CommSky #UmichResearch

rcgd.isr.umich.edu/news-events/...
December 9, 2024 at 2:55 PM
Reposted by Matea Mustafaj
Continuing our #OpenScience series by highlighting the work of Matea Mustafaj (University of Michigan), Stuart Soroka (UCLA) and Jan Van den Bulck (University of Michigan) who investigated the ways in which sleep and media use affect sociopolitical attitudes. (1/3)
May 30, 2024 at 7:58 PM