Given my training in developmental psychology and my experience working in marketing, my research interests are of an interdisciplinary nature. I explore how marketing efforts influence human behavior and how individual differences in human development determine the extent to which different people are impacted differently by media. My overarching research agenda is to gain insights into human behavior to enhance the wellbeing of children, teens, and young adults.

Sample papers are listed below. A full list is in my downloadable CV. ​

Sample Papers

  • McAlister, A.R., & Kononova, A. (2022). Consumption of fruits, vegetables, and nuts can be increased when multitasking with screen devices. Health Communication, 37(2), 141-151. DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2020.1827527
  • Levine, K., Miller, V., Taylor Quilliam, E., McAlister, A.R., & Aley, M. R. (2021). Socialization to science: Using media to help young people in the United States consider a career in a STEM-related field. Communication Studies., 72(4), 547-562. DOI: 10.1080/10510974.2021.1953556
  • Alhabash, S., Mundel, J., Deng, T., McAlister, A.R., Taylor Quilliam, E., Richards, J.I., & Lynch, K. (2021). Social media alcohol advertising among underage minors: Effects of models’ age. International Journal of Advertising, 40(4), 552-581. DOI: 10.1080/02650487.2020.1852807.
  • Albuquerque, P., Brucks, M., Campbell, M.C., Chan, K., Maimaran, M., McAlister, A.R., & Nicklaus, S. (2018). Persuading children: Long-lasting influences on children’s food consideration sets, choices, and consumption. Customer Needs & Solutions, 5(1-2), 38-50. DOI: 10.1007/s40547-017-0083-x
  • Kononova, A., McAlister, A.R., & Oh, H.J. (2018). Screen overload: Pleasant multitasking with screen devices leads to the choice of healthful over less healthful snacks when compared with unpleasant multitasking. Computers in Human Behavior, 80, 1-11. 
  • Hartmann, M., Cash, S.B., Yeh, C.-H., Landwehr, S.C., & McAlister, A.R. (2017). Children’s purchase behavior in the snack market: Can branding or lower prices motivate healthier choices? Appetite, 117, 247-254.
  • McAlister, A.R., & Bargh, D.M. (2016). Dissuasion: The Elaboration Likelihood Model and young children. Young Consumers, 17(3) 210-225.
  • Alhabash, S., McAlister, A.R., Kim, W., Lou, C., Cunningham, C., Taylor Quilliam, E., & Richards, J.I. (2016). Saw it on Facebook, drank it at the bar! Effects of exposure to Facebook alcohol ads on alcohol-related behaviors. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 16(1), 44-58. 
  • Alhabash, S., McAlister, A.R., Lou, C., & Hagerstrom, A. (2015). From clicks to behaviors: The mediating effect of intentions to like, share, and comment on the relationship between message evaluations and offline behavioral intentions. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 15(2), 82-96.
  • Alhabash, S., McAlister, A.R., Quilliam, E., Richards, J.I., & Lou, C. (2015). Alcohol’s getting a bit more social: When alcohol marketing messages on Facebook increase young adults' intentions to imbibe. Mass Communication and Society, 18(3), 350-375.
  • Alhabash, S., & McAlister, A.R. (2015). Redefining virality in less broad strokes: Predicting viral behavioral intentions from motivations and uses of Facebook and Twitter. New Media & Society, 17(8), 1317-1339.
  • Cornwell, T.B., McAlister, A.R., and Polmear-Swendris, N. (2014). Children's knowledge of packaged and fast food brands and child BMI: Why the relationship matters for policy makers. Appetite, 81(1), 277-283.
  • Alhabash, S., McAlister, A.R., Hagerstrom, A., Quilliam, E., Rifon, N.J., & Richards, J.I. (2013). Between ‘likes’ and ‘shares’: Effects of emotional appeal and virality on the persuasiveness of anti-cyberbullying messages on Facebook. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 16(3), 175-182. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2012.0265
  • Cornwell, T.B., & McAlister, A.R. (2013). Contingent choice: Exploring the relationship between sweetened beverages and vegetable consumption. Appetite, 62, 203-208.
  • McAlister, A.R., & Cornwell, T.B. (2012). Collectible toys as marketing tools: Understanding preschool children’s responses to foods paired with premiums. Journal of Public Policy and Marketing, 31(2), 195-205. doi: 10.1509/jppm.10.067
  • Cornwell, T.B., & McAlister, A.R. (2011). Alternative thinking about starting points of obesity: Development of child taste preferences. Appetite, 56(2), 428-439.
  • McAlister, A.R., Cornwell, T.B., & Cornain, E.K. (2011). Collectible toys and decisions to share: I’ll gift you one to expand my set. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 29, 1-17.
Media Mentions
(images are clickable)
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Anna McAlister