Reza Shabahang

My research spans a broad spectrum of topics within Media Psychology and Communication and Media Studies, with particular emphasis on media effects, media use, user-media interactions, and media culture. Since 2020, I have contributed to the field of Media Psychology through thirty-one publications in peer-reviewed journals. These papers fall into four broad categories. (a) Introduction of novel constructs: Some of my publications introduce concepts that previously lacked scientific discourse. For instance, in one study (https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01605-z), I introduced the concept of social media-related nightmares—negative dreams related to social media (e.g., dreams of posting inappropriate personal content)—attempting to provide a new perspective on poor sleep quality in the digital age. (b) Empirical conceptualisation of unclear concepts: Another category of my work focuses on clarifying previously undefined constructs. For example, in this study (https://doi.org/10.1007/s12119-024-10240-0), I examined how media may be perceived as either a realistic or symbolic threat—individual or group-based—by LGBTQ+ users (perceived media threat; e.g., media portraying LGBTQ+ individuals as immoral) and discussed the potential impact of these perceptions on minorities. (c) Development of measurement tools: Some of my studies involve the creation and validation of psychometric tools for constructs that had not been sufficiently explored due to the absence of assessment measures. For example, in these two studies (https://doi.org/10.1177/00332941221122861 and https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-023-01420-y), I developed and validated the Online Oversharing Inventory and the Social Media Sadfishing Questionnaire to assess excessive sharing and sympathy-seeking negative online self-disclosure among adolescent users, respectively. These tools may help empirically investigate these behaviors, including their potential antecedents and consequences. (d) Exploration of understudied aspects of heated constructs: Another line of my research addresses understudied aspects of widely discussed constructs. For example, in this study (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2024.100438), it was posited that doomscrolling—excessive consumption of negative news—may have the potential to be associated with existential consequences for users, such as reduced life meaning and increased misanthropy.