My name is Kathrin Karsay and I am a post-doctoral researcher at the Leuven School for Mass Communication Research at KU Leuven (Belgium). 

I was awarded my doctoral degree in February 2018 at the University of Vienna. I was holding a pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research position at the Advertising and Media Effects Research Group of the Department of Communication at University of Vienna. 

My research interests are related to several aspects of psychological wellbeing, particularly in the context of (social) media use and smartphone use. I study different aspects within the fields of media psychology (e.g., stereotypes, subjective wellbeing, sexualization) and body image research (e.g., self-objectification) by applying a multi-disciplinary and multi-method approach. I’m currently involved in research projects dealing with the consequences of digital media in children’s and adolescents’ well-being.

Learn more about my past and current research projects.

I have published in leading SSCI-ranked journals in the fields of communication research, women’s studies, and psychology (e.g., Communication Research; Psychology of Women Quarterly; Media Psychology; Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking) and my work has been awarded several competitive prizes (e.g., ICA Kyoon Hur Dissertation Award, Austrian Award of Excellence, Sowi-Doc.Award). 

Have a look at my publications.

Latest article: *Karsay, K., & Matthes, J. (2020). Sexualizing pop music videos, self-objectification, and selective exposure: A moderated mediation model. Communication Research, 47, 428–450. doi:10.1177/0093650216661434