Welcome!

 

The Vienna Media Change and Innovation (VMCI) Lab, as part of the Department of Communication of the University of Vienna, deals with changes in the media environment due to the presence of digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) and their consequences on the individual, social relationships, and society as a whole.

The research focus of our group includes areas like media socialization, political engagement, bias and stereotypes, as well as digital media literacy with a particular focus on media use and effects across the life-span. Integrating theoretical perspectives from communication science, social and developmental psychology, sociology and political science, we study these pressing questions using quantitative, qualitative and computational methods. In doing so, we strive to generate knowledge that both advances the scholarly debate and is relevant for society and practice.

 News

13.08.2026
 

A new article by Margot Lissens, Cato Waeterloos, Laura Vandenbosch, and Desirée Schmuck is now out in Political Communication.

13.08.2026
 

A new study by Maximilian Klesl, Christine Liebenwein, and Desirée Schmuck has been published in the Journal of Children and Media.

12.08.2026
 

This summer, three of our team members brought their research to a young audience at the Vienna Children’s University.

30.06.2026
 

At the end of this month, Darian Harff will be leaving the VMCI Lab. Thank you, Darian!

23.06.2026
 

A new article by Alexandra Wölfle and Desirée Schmuck is now out in the International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction.

16.06.2026
 

A new paper by Alexandra Wölfle and Desirée Schmuck is now out in Computers in Human Behavior Reports.