- Role
- Doctoral Researcher
- In the lab
- Fall 2021 – present · expected Fall 2026
- Projects
- Misinformation & Community Norms
AI-Mediated Communication
AI trust & anthropomorphism
I study political and social media behaviour using hybrid field and laboratory methods, with particular attention to how anthropomorphic AI systems influence judgement, trust, and social response.
My methodological work develops experimental approaches that keep ecological validity without giving up control — including controlled content manipulation inside live platform interfaces.
Funding history
- Faculty start-up funds (Fall 2021 – Fall 2022)
- Teaching Assistant (Spring 2023)
- NSF HCC “Making Meaning out of Crisis” (Fall 2023 – present)
Publications
Published
- 2025
Sharing anti-vaping social media messages
Lazard, DiFranzo, Nicolla, Aghajari, Pulido, Mao, Vereen & Dasgupta · Journal of Adolescent Health 77(2), 253–261
- 2025
Young people are willing to intervene against rape myths online: a simulated social media experiment
Nicolla, McKenzie, Lazard, DiFranzo, Aghajari, Mao & Dasgupta · Journal of Adolescent Health 76(5), 839–846
- 2026
arXiv
Outer Limits: an experimental approach to controlled content manipulation within the Reddit interface
Mao, Shi, Jia, Unguryan, Baumer & DiFranzo · CSS 2026, Santa Fe · camera-ready October 2026
Preprints & work in progress
- 2026
arXiv
When readability and source retention diverge: an evaluability gap in AI translation
Mao, Shi, Jia, Wegrzyn & DiFranzo · arXiv:2608.19083
- 2026
The quiet anthropomorphism: trust and unguarded disclosure in cue-free AI translation
Mao, Shi, Jia, Wegrzyn & DiFranzo · under review · AIES 2026
- 2026
A hybrid field–lab methodology for experiments on live social media
Mao, Jia, Baumer & DiFranzo · under review · ACM GROUP 2027
- 2026
The attention–engagement discrepancy in political social media
Miyoun, Zhong, Zhang, Mao, Pruden, Yang & DiFranzo · under review · Journal of Information Technology and Politics