Rachel Flynn

I am a Research Assistant Professor in MSS and the Associate Director for the Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences (DevSci). I received my PhD in Developmental Psychology from the University of California, Riverside and my MA in Clinical Psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University. I served as a post-doctoral research fellow at New York University at the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research within the Silver School of Social Work and also in the Department of Teaching and Learning. Prior to receiving my PhD I spent 10 years working directly with children and families in schools, communities and youth development programs, including the organizations Clearpool Education Center, Oasis Children's Services and Ramapo for Children (New York, NY). My primary research examines the mechanisms of media's impact on development. I have two lines of research: 1) how young children learn from media; and 2) how interactive media can promote health behaviors and cognition, specifically executive functioning (EF) skills, which include attention, inhibition, and working memory. Studying media's impact on children's physical, social, and cognitive development is particularly relevant for understanding the rapidly changing social and cultural environments in which children live. As technological innovations have become increasingly complex and media is increasingly pervasive in children's lives, my research helps reveal the implications, challenges, and benefits of these tools for their development. I am particularly interested in studying individual differences factors, such as prior exposure, enjoyment, social support, age, gender, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and culture, that differentially impact media effects. My most recent research has been focused on the mechanisms underlying changes in executive functioning — especially for those underserved by traditional programs, such as children with developmental disorders or living in poverty-impacted neighborhoods. I have been examining the intersections of exercise, Active Video Game play, and EF skills to elucidate the mechanisms underlying change.