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MEET A DEVELOPMENTAL FACULTY

“My current research aims to investigate heterogeneity in social media effects, including varied social media experiences and outcomes among diverse and vulnerable adolescents, using unsupervised machine learning techniques to derive profiles of online experiences.”
~Dr. Annie Maheux

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I completed my Ph.D. in Developmental and Social Psychology with a concentration in Quantitative Methodology at the University of Pittsburgh in 2023. I then joined the incredible faculty at UNC as an Assistant Professor and as the Winston Family Distinguished Fellow at the Winston National Center on Technology Use, Brain, and Psychological Development. My very favorite thing about my job is being a part of an academic community. I have loved becoming a part of the Carolina family, including connecting with and learning from many incredible colleagues and students.

2. Can you share one fun and interesting fact about yourself? Hobbies?
I love to cook, read, run on the Bolin Creek Trail, and snuggle with my dog, Mars. A fun fact is that I take marshmallow roasting very seriously and am quite proud of my s’more technique.

3. What initially sparked your interest in studying psychology?
In high school and early in college I was interested in visual art. Eventually I realized that I didn’t really like to make art, but artwork had a way of tapping into and explaining the rich, complex messiness that is the human experience. The opportunity to be curious about what it means to be human and find data-driven answers to these big questions led me to psychology. I am particularly passionate about understanding the lives of young people, who are faced with the incredible opportunities and challenges of adolescence, and supporting positive youth development.

4. What are some research projects that you’re currently working on?
A major goal for my current research is to move beyond studying “screen time,” which is an imprecise metric of how teens interact with digital media, and investigate the many specific behaviors, exposures, and subjective experiences youth have online. More broadly, research is increasingly suggesting that adolescents have different responses to online experiences, shaped by their social environments, social identities, and other individual differences. My current research aims to investigate heterogeneity in social media effects, including varied social media experiences and outcomes among diverse and vulnerable adolescents, using unsupervised machine learning techniques to derive profiles of online experiences.

5. What are you most excited about heading into the new academic year?
I am thrilled to be teaching Research Methods to the UNC Psychology & Neuroscience graduate students this year. Deep down, I am really just a methods nerd; I love thinking about how to do research in rigorous and creative ways, optimizing how we ask questions and share our research within academia and beyond, and making research fun in the process. I am also passionate about making advanced quantitative training accessible to diverse students who may face barriers to learning statistics. I recently started the Quant Family Collective, an international mentorship and community network, to support quantitative training for graduate students in psychology.

 

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