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"Propaganda and Persuasion" Published with "The Great Courses"

Roderick Hart Outstanding Book Award, National Communication Association's Political Communication Division

Robert M. Entman Award in Democracy and Political Communication, School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) at The George Washington Universit

TED Ideas Winner and Presenter, TED 2020: Uncharted

Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Delaware

University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center : Distinguished Fellow

University of Arizona's National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD) : Affiliated Researcher

“I feel it in my gut:” Epistemic Motivations, Political Beliefs, and Misperceptions of COVID-19 and the 2020 US Presidential Election

Psychosocial determinants of COVID-19 vaccination intention Among white, black, and Hispanic adults in the US

Uncertainty management and curve flattening behaviors in the wake of COVID-19’s first wave

vMOBilize: Gamifying civic learning and political engagement in a classroom context

Dannagal G. Young (Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication, 2007) is a Professor of Communication and Political Science at the University of Delaware where she studies the content, audience, and effects of nontraditional political information. She has published over sixty academic articles and book chapters on the content, psychology, and effects of political information, satire, and misinformation [Go to CV].  Her book "Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laugher in the U.S." won the 2022 Roderick Hart Outstanding Book Award from the National Communication Association's Political Communication division.  The book examines satire and outrage as the logical extensions of the respective psychological profiles of liberals and conservatives (Oxford University Press, 2020).  Her most recent book, "Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive our Appetite for Misinformation" with JHU Press is available for preorder and will be published in October 2023.

Dr. Young's 2020 TED Talk explaining how our psychology shapes our politics, and how media exploit these relationships, has been viewed over 1.9 Million times. She publishes extensively in the popular press with essays and Op-eds in outlets including Vox.com, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She has appeared on CNN, PBS Newshour, ABC News, NPR, and various national and international podcasts. As of 2020, her research has been cited in over 70 popular press articles, news stories, and interviews at such outlets as The Washington Post, USA Today, Politico, Christian Science Monitor, Variety, the New York Times, the Atlantic, PBS, Slate, and Vox.  Her popular University of Delaware course "Propaganda and Persuasion" was released by The Great Courses in 2023.  In recognition of her public facing work, in 2021, Dr. Young became the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Robert M. Entman Award in Democracy and Political Communication from the School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA) at The George Washington University. 

Young is a Research Fellow with the University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication and was awarded the University of Delaware's Excellence in Teaching Award  in 2014. She holds affiliations with the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center and the University of Arizona's National Institute for Civil Discourse (NICD).

Psychology of Political Beliefs

Public Opinion

Political Media Effects

Media Psychology

Intersection of Entertainment and Information

Psychology of Misinformation

Political Satire

University of Delaware Expert Profile

University of Delaware Faculty Profile

Google Scholar Citations

ResearchGate Citations

Personal Website

Science is revealing why American politics are so intensely polarized

Sarah McBride believes voters are ready for the first ever transgender member of Congress

Jacksonville shooting: 5 experts on the culture fueling racist attacks against Black people

Changing the Way Media Reports on Gun Violence

How media should cover gun violence

A ‘beautiful’ female biker was actually a 50-year-old man using FaceApp. After he confessed, his followers liked him even more.

Conspiracy theory thinking is rooted in distrust

As Trump supporters cling to conspiracies, here’s how to help them face the truth

new-survey-shows-lack-of-public-trust-in-musk-doge

Professor, Communication

 New data from the Center for Political Communication (CPC) at the University of Delaware shows many Americans have little trust in either Elon Musk or the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In a nationally-representative sample of 1,600 adult Americans surveyed by YouGov between February 27 and March 5, 2025, CPC researchers asked how much trust respondents had in various people and institutions, including Elon Musk, the Department of Government Efficiency, and President Trump.  

Among the key findings: • 25% of Americans report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Elon Musk 
26% report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 
• 33% report having “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in President Donald Trump.
• About half of Republicans report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in either (compared to 70% of Republicans who report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in President Trump).
• Among independent voters, only 11% report “a lot” or “a great deal” of trust in Musk and 13% in DOGE. 

“As constituents in Republican districts learn about and voice concerns about DOGE’s cuts to Veteran’s Affairs, The National Institutes of Health, National Parks, and the Federal Aviation Administration, it will be interesting to see how public trust in Musk and DOGE may be affected,” said Dr. Dannagal Young, Director of the Center for Political Communication and one of the authors of the survey.  “Understanding public sentiment about these unique government entities is essential to help ensure that elected officials are responsive to voter concerns."

Visit the CPC's website for full results of the survey. To connect with Young for an interview, visit her profile and click the contact button.


New survey shows lack of public trust in Musk, DOGE

expert-meta-ditches-fact-checking-a-major-loss-for-the-american-people

 Meta moving away from fact-checking towards a "community notes" model is the equivalent of crowd-sourcing truth, says the University of Delaware's Dannagal Young. This shift in policy is a victory for intuition, common sense and lived experience over data, expertise and evidence. It also stands as another example of media institutions acting preemptively to avoid political and economic fallout under the incoming administration.

Young, director of UD's Center for Political Communication and professor of communication, can talk about epistemology (how people understand the world) and how it relates to populism and populist leaders like incoming President Donald Trump.

Young can also discuss the following: • The contents of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's announcement video, in which he explains that recent elections mark a "cultural tipping point" in the direction of "free speech." "He's acknowledging that this policy change isn't a principled stance Meta is now taking, as much as a response to what he thinks the public is calling for (a dubious conclusion to draw from a narrow electoral victory)," Young said. 

• Zuckerberg's new stance, and how it will allow him to curry favor with the incoming administration because it allows Meta to avoid having to moderate Trump-friendly content.

• Why content moderation and fact checking are expensive, and how moving away from that model is a "WIN-WIN-WIN for Meta: politically, culturally, and economically. And a LOSE LOSE LOSE for the American people: socially, culturally, and democratically," Young said.


Expert: Meta ditches fact checking, a major loss for the American people

university-of-delawares-center-for-political-communication-unveils-new-vision-goals-and-leadership

Dr. Dannagal Young takes over as director of the center, which will produce research on media and politics and serve as a vital resource for journalists

 The University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication (CPC) is excited to announce a transformative new chapter with the unveiling of its updated vision, goals and leadership for 2024 and beyond. Since its founding in 2010, the CPC has been at the forefront of innovative public opinion research on politics and media, always with an eye towards protecting and improving American democracy.

With this new chapter, the CPC is actively integrating political psychology (the study of how and why people make political judgments and form political beliefs) into the study of public opinion and media effects.

“Our vision is responsible democracy-centered journalism informed by our rigorous research on Americans’ thoughts, feelings, knowledge and behaviors,” says Dr. Dannagal Young, incoming Director of the Center for Political Communication. “In a few weeks, will be releasing new data on Americans’ knowledge and beliefs about abortion – an issue on which there are widespread misperceptions. Later this fall we are also launching an interdisciplinary initiative to understand the relationship between Americans’ personal wellbeing and their support for democratic institutions and norms.”

By producing high-quality research at the intersection of media, politics and psychology, the CPC strives to elevate public conversations and inform news coverage to improve democratic health. Additionally, the Center seeks to serve as a vital resource for journalists, offering expert commentary and empirical data to encourage democratically responsible journalism.

With this new direction comes new leadership, bringing together a team of esteemed scholars from Political Science, Communication and Journalism:

Director Dr. Dannagal Young, Professor in the Departments of Communication and Political Science and International Relations, TED speaker, and author of Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive our Appetite for Misinformation (Johns Hopkins, 2023) and Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laugher in the U.S. (Oxford, 2020). Areas of Expertise: Misinformation, Political Satire, American Politics, the Psychology of Media Effects.

Associate Director Dr. Erin Cassese, Professor in the Departments of Political Science and International Relations, Communication, and Women and Gender Studies, co-author of Abortion Attitudes and Polarization in the American Electorate (Cambridge, 2024). Areas of Expertise: Gender, Abortion, Public Opinion, Campaigns and Elections.

Director of Research Dr. Phil Jones, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, current Editor-in-Chief at Public Opinion Quarterly. Areas of Expertise: Electoral Politics and Public Opinion.

Director of Engagement Dr. Lindsay Hoffman, Associate Professor in the Departments of Communication and Political Science and International Relations, and research leader for the American Council of Trustees and Alumni two-year Braver Angels project funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Areas of Expertise: Communication across Difference, Media Technologies, and Political Participation.

Delaware Politics Director Dr. Paul Brewer, Professor in the Departments of Communication and Political Science and International Relations, co-author of Science in the Media: Popular Images and Public Perceptions (Routledge, 2021), former editor of the International Journal of Public Opinion Research. Areas of Expertise: Delaware Politics, Media effects, Political and Science Communication, Public Opinion, and Perceptions of Science.

Delaware Debate Director: Nancy Karibjanian, Director of the University of Delaware’s Journalism program, faculty member in the Department of Communication, and former Director of the CPC with 30 years of broadcast experience. Areas of Expertise: Broadcast Journalism, and Delaware Debates.

The CPC’s goals reflect its commitment to a vibrant and collaborative research environment that engages scholars and students at all levels. The CPC will continue to spearhead interdisciplinary research across the domains of communication, political psychology, public opinion, media effects, and public policy. The Center offers applied research opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students in communication and political science, as well as an undergraduate minor in political communication, thus mentoring the next generation of scholars and practitioners. The CPC is proud to put its academic research to work in service of American democratic health. 


 

University of Delaware's Center for Political Communication unveils new vision, goals and leadership

Visit http://TED.com to get our entire library of TED Talks, transcripts, translations, personalized talk recommendations and more.

Social psychologist Dannagal G. Young breaks down the link between our psychology and politics, showing how personality types largely fall into people who prioritize openness and flexibility (liberals) and those who prefer order and certainty (conservatives). Hear why both sets of traits are crucial to any society -- and how our differences are being dangerously exploited to divide us. What if things weren't that way?

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The psychological traits that shape your political beliefs | Dannagal G. Young

Dr. Dannagal Young studies political humor. She pulls together psychology, communications, and political science, to understand how political satire works to change minds and expand political knowledge. She also has a new book: Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United States, which explores how satire became a tool of political left and outrage media because a tool of the political right.

Some things that come up on this episode:
-Daily Show viewers were particularly well-informed about the 2004 election (Young, 2004)
-Jon Stewart defending the Daily Show on Crossfire (2006)
-Jokes lead people to suspend critical thinking about a message (Polk, Young, & Holbert, 2009; Young, 2008)

**Released August 17, 2020**

For a transcript of this show, visit the episode's webpage: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/episode/political-humor-as-persuasion-with-danna-young

==================
Opinion Science is a psychology podcast exploring the science of our opinions, where they come from and how they change. Each week I talk to social scientists and professional communicators about how the work they do reveals key insights about public opinion and persuasion.

Follow this psychology podcast...
Website: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opinion-science/id1506227206
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OpinionSciPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpinionSciPod

Dr. Dannagal Young: Political Humor as Persuasion (Podcast Episode)

Dannagal Young studies political humor. She pulls together psychology, communications, and political science, to understand how political satire works to change minds and expand political knowledge. She also has a new book: Irony and Outrage: The Polarized Landscape of Rage, Fear, and Laughter in the United States, which explores how satire became a tool of political left and outrage media because a tool of the political right.

Listen to the full episode: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/episode/political-humor-as-persuasion-with-danna-young

==================
Opinion Science is a psychology podcast exploring the science of our opinions, where they come from and how they change. Each week I talk to social scientists and professional communicators about how the work they do reveals key insights about public opinion and persuasion.

Follow this psychology podcast...
Website: http://opinionsciencepodcast.com/
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/opinion-science/id1506227206
Twitter: https://twitter.com/OpinionSciPod
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OpinionSciPod

Dr. Dannagal Young: Why isn't there conservative political satire? (Ep 19 Preview)

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/irony-and-outrage-9780190913083

For almost a decade, journalists and pundits have been asking why we don't see successful examples of political satire from conservatives or of opinion talk radio from liberals. This book turns that question on its head to argue that opinion talk is the political satire of the right and political satire is the opinion programming of the left. They look and feel like two different animals because their audiences are literally, two different animals.

In Irony and Outrage, political and media psychologist Dannagal Goldthwaite Young explores the aesthetics, underlying logics, and histories of these two seemingly distinct genres, making the case that they should be thought of as the logical extensions of the psychology of the left and right, respectively. One genre is guided by ambiguity, play, deliberation, and openness, while the other is guided by certainty, vigilance, instinct, and boundaries. While the audiences for Sean Hannity and John Oliver come from opposing political ideologies, both are high in political interest, knowledge, and engagement, and both lack faith in many of our core democratic institutions. Young argues that the roles that these two genres play for their viewers are strikingly similar: galvanizing the opinion of the left or the right, mobilizing citizens around certain causes, and expressing a frustration with traditional news coverage while offering alternative sources of information and meaning. One key way in which they differ, however, concludes Young, is in their capacity to be exploited by special interests and political elites.

Drawing on decades of research on political and media psychology and media effects, as well as historical accounts and interviews with comedians and comedy writers, Young unpacks satire's liberal "bias" and juxtaposes it with that of outrage's conservative "bias." She details how traits like tolerance for ambiguity and the motivation to engage with complex ideas shape our preferences for art, music, and literature; and how those same traits correlate with political ideology. In turn, she illustrates how these traits help explain why liberals and conservatives vary in the genres of political information they prefer to create and consume.

© Oxford University Press

Irony and Outrage | Dannagal Goldthwaite Young

An associate professor of Communication and Political Science at the University of Delaware, Dannagal Young reflects on the formative years she spent getting her PhD at Annenberg and performing improv comedy.

Alumni Profile: Dannagal Young (PhD '07)

From Last Week Tonight to Sean Hannity, political opinion programming has flooded the media landscape as our political environment grows increasingly divisive. Political and media psychologist Dannagal Young seeks to flip the ideology that political satire only works on the left and opinion talk radio is reserved for the right. Her latest book “Irony and Outrage” unpacks satire’s liberal “bias” and juxtaposes it with outrage’s conservative “bias.” Join the LSU Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs on February 20, 2020 to hear Young’s take on why the two genres actually serve very similar purposes for their audiences while holding diametrically opposed political views.

Irony &amp; Outrage: An Evening of Humor With Danna Young

Dr. Dannagal G. Young, a political and social psychologist who studies how personality traits and outlooks can impact political beliefs, joins CBSN's Lana Zak to discuss her research and what it means in today's hostile political climate.

How personality traits impact political beliefs

Trump’s followers have found comfort in conspiracy theories, but it’s more urgent than ever to bring them back to reality. Professor of Communication and Political Science University of Delaware Dr. Dannagal Young and NBC News Reporter Ben Collins join MSNBC’s host of “American Voices” to share tips on bridging the divide. Aired on 01/11/2021.
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As Trump Supporters Cling To Conspiracies, Here’s How To Help Them Face The Truth | MSNBC

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