Dr. Jennifer Stevens Aubrey (Ph.D., University of Michigan, 2004) teaches classes on media, mass communication theory, and child and adolescent development in the Department of Communication at the University of Arizona. With an emphasis on gender and child/adolescent development, her research focuses on media effects on emotional, mental, and physical health in young people. Topically, her research tends to centers on issues related to sexuality and body image. Her research has been published in such top-tier journals as Health Communication, Media Psychology, and Journal of Communication.

Research Interests

• Media Processing and Effects
• Health Communication
• Entertainment Education
• Gender and Media
• Child and Adolescent Development

Selected Publications

Roberts, L., Aubrey, J. S., Terán, L., Dajches, L., & Ward, L. M. (2021, ONLINE FIRST). The super man: Examining associations between childhood superhero imaginative play and wishful identification and late adolescent men’s body image and gender beliefs. Psychology of Men & Masculinities. https://doi.org/10.1037/men0000335

Terán, L., Jiao, J., & Aubrey, J. S. (2021). The relational burden of objectification: Exploring how past experiences of interpersonal sexual objectification are related to relationship competencies. Sex Roles, 84, 610-625. https://doi.org/10.1007/s1199-020-01188-0

Aubrey, J. S., Pitts, M. J., Lutovsky, B. R., Jiao, J., Yan, K., & Stanley, S. J. (2020). Investigating disparities by biological sex and LGBTQ identity: A content analysis of sexual health information on college Student Health Center websites. Journal of Health Communication, 25(7), 584-593. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2020.1825567

Aubrey, J. S., Speno, A., & Gamble, H. (2020). Appearance versus health framing of health advice: Assessing the effects of a YouTube channel for adolescent girls. Health Communication, 35(3), 384-394. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2018.1564955

Aubrey, J. S., Yan, K., Terán, L., & Roberts, L. (2020). The heterosexual script on tween, teen, and young-adult television programs: A content analytic update and extension. Journal of Sex Research, 57(9), 1134-1145. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2019.1699895

Dajches, L., & Aubrey, J. S. (2020). Defining the relationship: An examination of sexual behaviors and relational contexts across tween, teen, and young adult U.S. television. Communication Reports, 33(3), 136-147. https://doi.org/10.1080/08934215.2020.1803389

Rousseau, A., & Aubrey, J. S., & Eggermont, S. (2020). The impact of sports magazine consumption on mesomorphic body standards and self-sexualizing behaviors: A panel study of preadolescent boys. Men and Masculinities, 23(2), 368-394. https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184X18767224

Terán, L., Yan, K., & Aubrey, J. S. (2020). “But first let me take a selfie”: U.S. adolescent girls’ selfie activities, self-objectification, imaginary audience beliefs, and appearance concerns. Journal of Children and Media, 14(3), 343-360. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2019.1697319

Behm-Morawitz, E., Aubrey, J. S., Pennell, H., & Kim, K. (2019). Examining the effects of MTV’s 16 and Pregnant on adolescent girls’ sexual health: The implications of media affinity, pregnancy risk factors, and health literacy on message effectiveness. Health Communication, 34(2), 180-190. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2017.1399506

Bond, B., Miller, B., & Aubrey, J. S. (2019). Sexual references and consequences for heterosexual, lesbian, gay, and bisexual characters on television: A comparison content analysis. Mass Communication and Society, 22(1), 72-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/15205436.2018.1489058

Speno, A. G., & Aubrey, J. S. (2019). Adolescent sexting: An examination of the roles of self-objectification and internalization of media ideals. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(1), 88-104. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684318809383

Stanley, S. J., Yan, K., Jian, J., Lutovsky, B., Aubrey, J. S., & Pitts, M. J. (2019). Communicating about sex when it matters: A content analytic investigation of sexual health information on college student health center websites. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 47(5), 591-610. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2019.1675895

Aubrey, J. S., Click, M., & Behm-Morawitz, E. (2018). The Twilight of youth: Understanding feminism and romance in Twilight Moms’ connection to the young-adult vampire series. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 7(1), 61-71. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000127

Hahn, R., & Aubrey, J. S. (2018). The tween television diet: A content analysis of tween program food references. Journal of Children and Media, 12(2), 175-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482798.2017.1405830

Speno, A. G., & Aubrey, J. S. (2018). Sexualization and age compression: A content analysis of adultification and youthification of girls and women in magazines. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 95(3), 625-646. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077699017728918