Medienpsychologie
Leitung
Medienpsychologie 

Professurinhaber

Portrait: Prof. Dr. Jan-Philipp Stein
Prof. Dr. Jan-Philipp Stein
Sprechzeiten: nach Vereinbarung per E-Mail

Forschungs- und Lehrschwerpunkte

  • Phänomene der Social-Media-Nutzung: Selbst und Identität, Körperbild, virtuelle Influencer
  • Parasozialität: PSI/PSR, Parasocial Contact
  • Sozialpsychologische Perspektiven der Mediennutzung: Intergruppenprozesse, Diversität, Kultivierung
  • Extended Realities: Abbau von Vorurteilen mithilfe von VR/AR, Digital Afterlife Technology
  • AI/Soziale Robotik: Akzeptanz von künstlich intelligenten Technologien, Uncanny Valley, CASA

Publikationen

2025 / accepted for publication

  • Gnambs, T., Stein, J.-P., Zinn, S., Griese, F., & Appel, M. (2025). Attitudes, experiences, and usage intentions of artificial intelligence: A population study in Germany. Telematics and Informatics, 98, 102265. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2025.102265  
  • Gnambs, T., Stein, J.-P., Appel, M., Griese, F., & Zinn, S. (2025). An economical measure of attitudes towards artificial intelligence in work, healthcare, and education (ATTARI-WHE). Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 3, 100106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2024.100106  

2024

  • Breves, P. L., Paryschew, L., & Stein, J.-P. (2024). Be positive? The interplay of Instagram influencers’ body type and favorable user comments on young women’s perceptions, affective well-being, and exercise intentions. Psychology of Popular Media, 13(4), 709–720. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000499
  • Grundke, A., Appel, M. & Stein, J.-P. (2024). Aversion against machines with complex mental abilities: The role of individual differences. Computers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans, 2, 100087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbah.2024.100087  
  • Stein, J.-P., Breves, P. L., & Anders, N. (2024). Parasocial interactions with real and virtual influencers: The role of perceived similarity and human-likeness. New Media & Society, 26(6), 3433–3453. https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448221102900  
  • Stein, J.-P., Liebers, N., & Faiss, M. (2024). Feeling better…but also less lonely? An experimental investigation of how parasocial and social relationships affect people’s well-being. Mass Communication & Society, 27(3), 576–598. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2022.2127369 
  • Stein, J.-P., & MacDorman, K. F. (2024). After confronting one uncanny valley, another awaits. Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering, 1, 276–277. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44287-024-00041-w  
  • Stein, J.-P., Messingschlager, T., Gnambs, T., Hutmacher, F., & Appel, M. (2024). Attitudes towards AI: Measurement and associations with personality. Scientific Reports, 14, 2909. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-53335-2  
  • Stein, J.-P., Scheufen, S., & Appel, M. (2024). Recognizing the beauty in diversity: Exposure to body-positive content on social media broadens women’s concept of ideal body weight. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 153(11), 2642–2656. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0001397  

2023

  • Appel, M., Hutmacher, F., Politt, T., & Stein, J.-P. (2023). Swipe right? Using beauty filters in male Tinder profiles reduces women's evaluations of trustworthiness but increases physical attractiveness and dating intention. Computers in Human Behavior, 148, 107871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107871  
  • Breves, P. L., & Stein, J.-P. (2023). Cognitive load in immersive media settings: The role of spatial presence and cybersickness. Virtual Reality, 27, 1077–1089. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-022-00697-5
  • Grundke, A., Stein, J.-P., & Appel, M. (2023). Improving evaluations of advanced robots by depicting them in harmful situations. Computers in Human Behavior, 140, 107565. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107565
  • Stein, J.-P. (2023). Smile back at me, but only once: Social norms of appropriate nonverbal intensity and reciprocity apply to emoji use. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 47, 245–266. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10919-023-00424-x 
  • Stein, J.-P., & Banks, J. (2023). Valenced media effects on robot-related attitudes and mental models: A parasocial contact approach. Human–Machine Communication, 6, 155–182. https://doi.org/10.30658/hmc.6.9  

2022

  • Grundke, A., Stein, J.-P., & Appel, M. (2022). Mind-reading machines: Distinct user responses to thought-detecting and emotion-detecting robots. Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.1037/tmb0000053  
  • Stein, J.-P., Cimander, P., & Appel, M. (2022). Power-posing robots: The influence of a humanoid robot’s posture and size on its perceived dominance, competence, eeriness, and threat. International Journal of Social Robotics, 14, 1413–1422. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12369-022-00878-x
  • Stein, J.-P., Koban, K., Joos, S., & Ohler, P. (2022). Worth the effort? Comparing different YouTube vlog production styles in terms of viewers’ identification, parasocial response, immersion, and enjoyment. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 16(3), 426–436. https://doi.org/10.1037/aca0000374
  • Weber, S., Messingschlager, T., & Stein, J.-P. (2022). This is an Insta-vention! Exploring cognitive countermeasures to reduce negative consequences of social comparisons on Instagram. Media Psychology, 25(3), 411–440. https://doi.org/10.1080/15213269.2021.1968440

2021

  • Mara, M., Stein, J.-P., Latoschik, M. E., Lugrin, B., Schreiner, C., Hostettler, R., & Appel, M.  (2021). User responses to a humanoid robot observed in real life, virtual reality, 3D, and 2D. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633178
  • Stein, J.-P. (2021). Conjuring up the departed in virtual reality: The good, the bad, and the potentially ugly. Psychology of Popular Media, 10(4), 505–510. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000315 
  • Stein, J.-P., & Appel, M. (2021). How to deal with researcher harassment in the social sciences. Nature Human Behavior, 5, 178–180. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-01011-6
  • Stein, J.-P., Krause, E., & Ohler, P. (2021). Every (Insta-)gram counts? Applying cultivation theory to explore the effects of Instagram on young users' body image. Psychology of Popular Media, 10(1), 87–97. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000268
  • Stein, J.-P., & Yeo, J. (2021). Investigating meal-concurrent media use: Social and dispositional predictors, intercultural differences, and the novel media phenomenon of “mukbang” eating broadcasts. Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies, 3(5), 956–968. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbe2.306

2020

  • Stein, J.-P., Appel, M., Jost, A., & Ohler, P. (2020). Matter over mind? How the acceptance of digital entities depends on their appearance, mental prowess, and the interaction between both. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 142, 64–73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2020.102463

2019

  • Appel, M., Krisch, N., Stein, J.-P., & Weber, S. (2019). Smartphone zombies! Pedestrians’ distracted walking as a function of their fear of missing out. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 63, 130–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.04.003
  • Stein, J.-P., Liebold, B., & Ohler, P. (2019). Stay back, clever thing! Linking situational control and human uniqueness concerns to the aversion against autonomous technology. Computers in Human Behavior, 95, 73–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.01.021

2018

  • Koban, K., Stein, J.-P., Eckhardt, V., & Ohler, P. (2018). Quid pro quo in Web 2.0. Connecting personality traits and Facebook usage intensity to uncivil commenting intentions in public online discussions. Computers in Human Behavior, 79, 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.10.015
  • Stein, J.-P., Lu, X., & Ohler, P. (2018). Mutual perceptions of Chinese and German students at a German university: Stereotypes, media influence, and evidence for a negative contact hypothesis. Compare, 49(6), 943–963. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2018.1477579
  • Stein, J.-P., & Ohler, P. (2018). Saving face in front of the computer? Culture and attributions of human likeness influence users’ experience of automatic facial emotion recognition. Frontiers in Digital Humanities, 7, 18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdigh.2018.00018
  • Stein, J.-P., & Ohler, P. (2018). Uncanny... but convincing? Inconsistency between a virtual agent's facial proportions and vocal realism reduces its credibility and attractiveness, but not its persuasive success. Interacting with Computers, 30(6), 480–491. https://doi.org/10.1093/iwc/iwy023

2017

  • Stein, J.-P. & Ohler, P. (2017). Venturing into the uncanny valley of mind – The influence of mind attribution on the acceptance of human-like characters in a virtual reality setting. Cognition, 160, 43–50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2016.12.010

Herausgeberschaften

  • Appel, M., Hutmacher, F., Mengelkamp, C., Stein, J.-P., & Weber, S. (2023). Digital ist besser?! Psychologie der Online- und Mobilkommunikation. Springer.

Buchbeiträge

  • Stein, J.-P. (2024). Mind & morality: Seeing the ghost in the shell. In J. Banks (Ed.), Android Assembled (pp. 251–263). Peter Lang.
  • Stein, J.-P., & Lugrin, B. (2023). Virtuelle Realität und sozial interaktive Agenten. In M. Appel, F. Hutmacher, C. Mengelkamp, J.-P. Stein, & S. Weber (Eds.), Digital ist besser?! Psychologie der Online- und Mobilkommunikation (pp. 261–279). Springer.
  • Stein, J.-P., Messingschlager, T., & Hutmacher, F. (2023). Künstliche Intelligenz. In M. Appel, F. Hutmacher, C. Mengelkamp, J.-P. Stein, & S. Weber (Eds.), Digital ist besser?! Psychologie der Online- und Mobilkommunikation (pp. 247–260). Springer.
  • Stein, J.-P., Weber, S., Hutmacher, F., & Appel, M. (2023). Social Media und Wohlbefinden. In M. Appel, F. Hutmacher, C. Mengelkamp, J.-P. Stein, & S. Weber (Eds.), Digital ist besser?! Psychologie der Online- und Mobilkommunikation (pp. 95–110). Springer.
  • Weber, S., & Stein, J.-P. (2023). Gender, Diversität und digitale Kommunikation. In M. Appel, F. Hutmacher, C. Mengelkamp, J.-P. Stein, & S. Weber (Eds.), Digital ist besser?! Psychologie der Online- und Mobilkommunikation (pp. 77–93). Springer
  • Stein, J.-P., Sehic, S., & Appel, M. (2019). Machtvolle Bilder und Bildmanipulationen. In M. Appel (Ed.), Die Psychologie des Postfaktischen (pp. 177–187). Springer.
  • Stein, J.-P. (2017). Cloud Strife. In J. Banks, R. Meija, & A. Adams (Eds.), 100 greatest video game characters (pp. 39–40). Rowman & Littlefield.

2025

  • Bornemeier, J., & Stein, J.-P. (2025, September 10–12). How values and attitudes shape evaluations of biased AI-generated content [Conference presentation].14th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Essen, Germany.
  • Breves, P., Boerman, S., Stein, J.-P., Ischen, C., & van Berlo, Z. (2025, June 12–16). Evolving parasocial relationships with body-positive and fitspirational influencers: A longitudinal study of their impact on body satisfaction [Conference presentation]. 75th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Denver, USA.
  • Forner, L., Lutz, S., & Stein, J.-P. (2025, June 12–16). The dark side of fandom—Exploring the association between parasocial relationships with celebrities and aggression [Conference presentation]. 75th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Denver, USA.
  • Forner, L., Valtin, G., & Stein, J.-P. (2025, September 10–12). Parasocial contact with transgender individuals via social media: Cross-sectional and longitudinal effects on prejudice reduction [Conference presentation]. 14th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Essen, Germany.
  • Stein, J.-P., Lutz, S., & Pietschmann, D. (2025, September 10–12). Reconnecting in virtual worlds: Does VR help overcome social exclusion episodes? [Conference presentation]. 14th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Essen, Germany.
  • Stein, J.-P. (2025, June 12–16). Watched by a machine audience: How the presence and behavior of multiple social robots affect human performance in a cognitive task [Conference presentation]. 75th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Denver, USA.
  • Yeo, J., Classen, K., & Stein, J.-P. (2025, June 12–16). A window into the other side of the world: Predictors of viewers' interest in foreign-language media [Conference presentation]. 75th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Denver, USA.
  • Yeo, J., & Stein, J.-P. (2025, September 10–12). Digitally created body positivity: The effects of virtual influencers’ body types on viewer perceptions [Conference presentation]. 14th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Essen, Germany.

2024

  • Bornemeier, J., & Stein, J.-P. (2024, July 16–19). Exploring the impact of social dominance orientation and ambivalent sexism on the perception of AI-generated gendered images [Conference presentation]. 53rd DGPs Congress, Vienna, Austria.

2023

  • Forner, L., Valtin, G. & Stein, J.-P. (2023, September 8–10). How observed persona–follower interactions on Instagram shape parasocial relationships: A four-week online experiment [Conference presentation]. 13th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychology Society (DGPs), Luxemburg.
  • Stein, J.-P., Gnambs, T., & Appel, M. (2023, September 8–10). Virtual reality: The future of anti-prejudice endeavours? A review and meta-analysis of experimental evidence [Conference presentation]. 13th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychology Society (DGPs), Luxemburg.
  • Stein, J.-P., Gnambs, T., & Appel, M. (2023, March 15–17). Reducing prejudice via virtual reality: A meta-analysis of experimental evidence [Conference presentation]. Hybrid Societies Conference, Chemnitz, Germany.
  • Valtin, G., Fiolka, J., Forner, L., & Stein, J.-P. (2023, September 8–10). Elaborated choice or heuristic decision? Exploring users' media selection in the context of video streaming services [Conference presentation]. 13th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychology Society (DGPs), Luxemburg.
  • Yeo, J., & Stein, J.-P. (2023, September 8–10). "Female propaganda"? The relationship between threatened masculinity, hostile media perception, and corrective actions [Conference presentation]. 13th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Psychology Society (DGPs), Luxemburg.

2022

  • Grundke, A., Stein, J.-P., & Appel, M. (2022). The potential of human empathy to alleviate the uncanny valley of mind [Conference presentation]. 52nd Annual Meeting of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Hildesheim, Germany.
  • Grundke, A., Stein, J.-P., & Appel, M. (2022). Can empathy for a harmed robot buffer the uncanny valley of mind? [Conference presentation]. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Paris, France.
  • Klingelhöfer, J., Stein, J.-P., Feiler, T., Yeo, J., & Appel, M. (2022). Senators with superpowers? The role of authenticity and appropriateness perceptions for the sharing of heroization memes in the political context [Conference presentation]. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Paris, France.
  • Stein, J.-P. (2022). Smile…but not too much! Social norms of emotional expressivity and reciprocity also apply to the use of emojis [Conference presentation]. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Paris, France.
  • Stein, J.-P., & Banks, J. (2022). Extending the parasocial contact hypothesis to social robots [Conference presentation]. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Paris, France.
  • Stein, J.-P., Breves, P. L., & Anders, N. (2022). Parasocial interactions with virtual influencers: Are digitally created online personas as engaging as their human counterparts?  [Conference presentation]. 52nd Annual Meeting of the German Psychological Society (DGPs), Hildesheim, Germany.
  • Stein, J.-P., Scheufen, S., & Appel, M. (2022). Recognizing the beauty in diversity: Exposure to body-positive content on Instagram broadens beauty ideals and alters the perception of other people’s bodies [Conference presentation]. 72nd Annual Conference of the International Communication Association, Paris, France.

2021

  • Grundke, A., Stein, J.-P., & Appel, M. (2021). Mind-reading machines: Distinct user responses to thought-detecting and emotion-detecting robots [Conference presentation]. 12th Conference of the Media Psychology Division of the German Society for Psychology (DGPs), Aachen, Germany.
  • Stein, J.-P., Cimander, P. & Appel, M. (2021). Power-posing robots: The influence of a humanoid robot’s posture and size on its perceived dominance, competence, eeriness, and threat [Conference presentation]. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (Virtual conference).
  • Stein, J.-P., Liebers, N., Faiss, M., & Barzdziute, A. (2021). I’ll find my friends in Hogwarts then! Investigating parasocial interactions and relationships as compensatory means to alleviate loneliness and improve well-being [Conference presentation]. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (Virtual conference).
  • Stein, J.-P., & Yeo, J. (2021). Media, meals, and mukbang! Exploring meal-concurrent media use in two cultures, including the emerging phenomenon of digital eating broadcasts [Conference presentation]. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (Virtual conference).
  • Weber, S., Messingschlager, T., & Stein, J.-P. (2021). Intervening in Instagram: Can cognitive countermeasures reduce the negative consequences of social comparisons? [Conference presentation]. 71st Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (Virtual conference).