Marshall University Psychology Professor Dr. April Fugett will lead a discussion Friday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. in Anaheim, California, on “Psychology of Fanfiction, Fandoms and Shipping” at WonderCon. WonderCon is part of the Comic-Con International family of conventions.
The term “shipping” describes pairings of favorite characters into relationships, romantic or platonic. Shipping comes in many different forms. The project explores how love and fandom identification affect shipping.
Fugett is the interim executive director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Marshall. She says her research team is always grateful for the opportunity.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of WonderCon,” Fugett said. “There is a lot of discussion in this panel about inclusivity, diversity and the importance of representation. I am excited about the opportunity to share it with a broad audience.
Along with Fugett, the research team is made up of:
- Britani Black, Psy.D. – Assistant Professor from the Marshall University School of Medicine
- Keith Beard, Psy.D. – Professor of Psychology at Marshall University
- Morgan Kinsey – Marshall University Psy.D. Student
- Liberty Kinder – Marshall University Psy.D. Student
While this part of their research focuses on those who identify as fanfiction readers and writers, their research also includes work on other psychological factors that impact how we interact with popular culture. For more information on the presentation, Fugett can be reached at fugett5@marshall.edu.