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Dr Charlie Griffin is a Lecturer in Psychological Sciences at the University of Gloucestershire, completing a PhD in Psychology at Cardiff University in January 2025 .
Her research bridges social psychology and cyberpsychology, with a focus on how accessible technology can reduce digital exclusion and foster social well-being, with a particular focus on populations at risk of digital exclusion.
As a mixed-methods researcher, she has produced a large-scale scoping review of 51 studies to produce a proposed model of parasocial relationship development, a survey of over 3,300 adults in South Wales, and structural equation modelling to link social wellbeing outcomes to digital skills.
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA)
Charlie’s research sits at the intersection of social psychology and cyberpsychology by examining the importance of the digital divide and the role of digital technology in supporting social wellbeing. She examines the role of technology in facilitating communication between humans, and the potential for technology to act as a social companion to humans. These functions focus on the use of technology to support social wellbeing through reducing isolation and loneliness.
Additionally, Charlie has researched the application of smart speakers as an intervention for older adults in social housing (a group at increased risk of social and digital exclusion). Smart speakers are an accessible and pro-social form of technology that can support older adults with low digital skills to become digitally engaged and act as a social companion to reduce isolation and loneliness. This work reflects two of her interests in accessible digital interventions and parasocial relationships with technology.
She is currently researching factors relating to digital exclusion, the social effects of assistive technology for people with sensory loss, and the role of monitoring software in protecting young people online.
More publications from Dr Charlie Griffin can be found in the Research Repository.
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