Welcome to Brazen Careerist!

About Me

I am the Director of the Media Psychology Research Center. My background is a combination of communication, business management, and media psychology. As a media psychologist, I focus on positive psychology values and the effective use of media. My current research involves the intersection of social media, augmented reality, positive psychology, and cognitive mapping working with the Imagined Communities project.

I am on the faculty at Fielding Graduate University in the Media Psychology and Social Change Master’s Program. I am also an instructor of Media Psychology at UCLA Extension, on the advisory committee for the UC Irvine Extension social media certificate program and an instructor of social media and audience profiling in that program. I have experience in the business and financial world at Rutledge Capital, LLC, where I use psychological principles to develop financial, economic and investment educational media and marketing strategies.

I began my career in visual design doing identity development programs, recruiting programs, and media production for financial and educational institutions and received several awards for creativity and innovation in Alumni Magazine design.

A trained Redecision therapist, I spent several years working as a clinician with lifestyle issues, including disordered eating, depression, and parenting.

Research interest include the user-experience and meaning of social media technologies and the impact of media literacy and image alteration on self-image. Recent research involved the impact of media on measures of cooperation and conflict between the U.S. and China using the Olympics as a focal point. My major passion is helping people to understand media technologies and the use of media technologies to develop individual strengths and positive cognitive restructuring.

Find me on Twitter at pamelarutledge or mediapsychology
Media Psychology Research Center http://www.mprcenter.org
Imagined Communities http://www.imaginedcommunities.org

Work History

• Media Psychology Research Center
• Director
• July 2007 to Present

• Fielding Graduate University
• Faculty
• November 2008 to Present

• Graduate level, media psychology, social media and emerging technologies

Education

• Fielding Graduate University
• PhD, Media Psychology
• 2003 - 2008

• Claremont Graduate University Drucker School of Business
• MBA
• 1985 - 1988

• Pomona College
• BA, Visual Design
• 1972 - 1975