David Peters

David Peters

Doctoral Advisor: Carol Liebler, Ph.D. and Makana Chock, Ph.D.

Education:
M.A., Media Studies, Newhouse School, Syracuse University
B.A., Writing Communication, Maryville College
B.A., Design, Maryville College

Areas of Research: Virtual Reality, generative AI, media and cognitive psychology, game studies, eudaimonic media experiences and news media.

Publications:

  • Green, K. N., Yao, S., Lee, H., Gratch, L. M., Peters, D., & Chock, T. M. (2024). Understanding Expressions of Self-Determination Theory in the Evaluation of IDEA-Themed VR Storytelling. Media and Communication, 12.
  • Chock, T. M., Gratch, L. M., Yao, S., Lee, H., & Peters, D. (2024). Understanding Others in Virtual Reality: Cognitive Empathy & Effort in Processing IDEA-Themed VR Stories. Newhouse Impact Journal, 2(1), 11.
  • Lim, J. S., Schneider, E., Grover, M., Zhang, J., & Peters, D. (2025). Effects of AI versus human source attribution on trust and forgiveness in the identical corporate apology statement for a data breach scandal. Public Relations Review, 51(1), 102520.
  • (Chapter, in print) N Bowman, D. Peters (Dill, Karen E., ed) (Spring 2024). Digital Games and Media Psychology: A Medium That Demands Our (Near-Constant) Attention. The Oxford handbook of media psychology. Oxford University Press, USA. 
  • D. Peters (2022). Searching for the Good Vibes: Examining the Relationship Between Self-Transcendent Social Media and Social Isolation (Order No. 29209060). Available from Dissertations & Theses @ Syracuse University; ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (2681079290).  

Presentations:

  • Cirasuolo, S., Harper, R., & Peters, D. (2024, September). Media literacy in the metaverse. Paper presented at the Meaningful XR 2024 Conference, Stanford University, Stanford California, United States
  • D. Peters, CM Liebler, (2024, June). Missing children, recall and social media sharing: Implications of 3D representation for narrowing disparities across identities [Paper Presentation]. The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) Conference 2024, Christchurch, New Zealand. 
  • S Yao, KN Green, D. Peters, LM Gratch, TM Chock (2024, June). Emotional and Cognitive Effort in Virtual Reality: Quantifying Empathy Evoking Effectiveness of Immersive Storytelling in DEIA-Themed Narratives.International Communications Association (ICA) Conference 2024, Broadbeach, Queensland, Australia.  
  • D. Peters, CM Liebler (2023, August) “We’re all in this together:” Self-Transcendent Social Media and the Eudaimonic Media ExperienceAssociation for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference 2023, Washington, DC, United States.  
  • CM Liebler, D. Peters (2023, July). Disrupting the silencing: Mothers, news and missing children [Paper Presentation]. The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) Conference 2023, Lyon, France.
  • CM Liebler, D. Peters, A. Powers (2022, August). Policing the media agenda: News, sources and the “Missing White Child Syndrome” [Paper Presentation]. Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC) Conference 2022, Detroit MI, United States.

Bio:
David Peters is a third-year doctorate candidate at the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. David’s dissertation focuses on emotional response and engagement to VR environments in terms of awe and media appreciation. As the manager of the Newhouse XR Lab, David is a team leader on various group research projects that include studies examining VR as an empathy machine, and the media literacy in the Metaverse. David also studies the representation of missing children in news media.

Prior to continuing his education as a doctoral student, David worked in advertising and web development, and occasionally works as a consultant for SEO development and PPC ad campaigns. While completing his undergraduate degree at Maryville College, he was the editor-in-chief of the Highland Echo Newspaper, vice president of Maryville’s AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) chapter, a member of the student philanthropy advisory board and department chair of the Study Abroad Ambassadors.

During his time at Syracuse University in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications as a master’s student and in the doctoral program, David has pursued numerous opportunities that have enriched his academic experience, serving as an instructional assistant and research assistant for several professors for the Tully Center for Free Speech, receiving numerous awards for his academic and journalistic writing, leadership, design, research and defense of the First Amendment.

Additionally, he managed the Extended Reality (XR) Lab - a multi-disciplinary research facility dedicated to examining the ways in which extended reality (VR, AR, and mixed reality) affects users - while continuing to explore issues related to media and diversity, including award-winning research examining newspaper representation of missing children of color and their families.

David's academic journey has taken him to conferences around the world, including South Africa, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand, where he has shared insights on virtual reality and media psychology. These experiences have shaped his passion for blending research with real-world impact.