Dara N. Greenwood

Associate Professor of Psychological Science and Director of Media Studies
Dara N. Greenwood wearing a blue top and black jacket against a light background.

Dara Greenwood earned her BA from Wesleyan University and her MS and PhD in Social/Personality Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Before joining the Vassar faculty in 2010, she was on faculty in the interdisciplinary Communication Studies Department at the University of Michigan. She teaches courses in social psychology and media psychology (e.g., media and the social self).

Professor Greenwood’s research explores how individuals’ psychological tendencies (e.g., attachment style, body image, belongingness needs) are related to the nature and degree of their engagement with the social environment of the mass media. She is also interested in how representations of gender in the mass media interact with and affect individuals’ perceptions of themselves and each other. Methodologically, Professor Greenwood relies on self-report surveys as well as lab experiments.

BA, Wesleyan University; MS, PhD, University of Massachusetts Amherst
At Vassar since 2010

Contact

845-437-7377
New England Building
Box 49

Departments and Programs

Courses

MEDS/PSYC 204 Social Psychological Approaches to Mass Media: Understanding Content, Motivation, and Impact
PSYC 105 Introduction to Psychological Science

In the Media

Photos

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