Matthew Leitao

Topics

The subjects I can speak to, from topics I have published and taught to topics I studied in depth.

Topics

I can speak to 15 topics from direct research, teaching, or professional work, and to 10 more from graduate study. Each topic lists the work behind it.

Expertise from research, teaching, and work

  • Trust in AI and algorithms Dissertation, six studies (2019 to 2024); Study of choice and the use of outside judgments (2023); Master's thesis on computer authority (2018 to 2019)
  • Human-AI collaboration at work Preprint on employees working with generative AI (2026)
  • Anthropomorphism and mind perception Dissertation, six studies (2019 to 2024)
  • Medical AI and health decisions Dissertation, six studies (2019 to 2024); NIH study protocol on genomic results and AI review (2026)
  • Genetic risk and health beliefs Study of genetic risk in virtual doctor visits (2026); NIH study protocol on genomic results and AI review (2026); Accepted paper on beliefs about genes and body weight (2026)
  • Digital health behavior change Dissertation, six studies (2019 to 2024)
  • Psychology of technology Psychology of Technology course (2022); Social cognition and technology seminar (2018); Master's thesis on computer authority (2018 to 2019); Poster on predicting app use (2019)
  • Smartphones and wellbeing Published analysis pooling eight phone experiments (2020 to 2024); Published review of smartphones and wellbeing (2020); Poster on screen time in bed and sleep (2021); Published study of social contact during COVID-19 (2020 to 2021); Seven-day student diary studies (2019 to 2023)
  • Virtual reality in research Published study of a VR symptom questionnaire (2020); Published analysis of a drug trial with a VR buffet (2025 to 2026); Text and VR research lab at CSUN (2018 to 2019)
  • Clinical drug trials, behavioral outcomes Published analysis of a drug trial with a VR buffet (2025 to 2026); NIH postdoctoral fellowship (2024 to 2026)
  • COVID-19 and social behavior Paper under review on risk-taking early in COVID-19 (2020 to 2022); Published study of social contact during COVID-19 (2020 to 2021)
  • Parasocial relationships Published study of fans and their favorite characters (2022)
  • Gaming and motivation Published survey of why people play games (2025)
  • Obedience to authority Master's thesis on computer authority (2018 to 2019)
  • Open science and reproducibility Dissertation, six studies (2019 to 2024); Master's thesis on computer authority (2018 to 2019); Published analysis pooling eight phone experiments (2020 to 2024); Open-science group and journal club (2022 to 2024); Introduction to Open Science workshop (2022)

Knowledge from graduate study

  • Memory and cognition Memory seminar (2017)
  • Educational neuroscience Mind, Brain and Education course (2020)
  • Neurophilosophy and consciousness Neurophilosophy seminar (2020)
  • Human development and policy Human development and policy course (2019)
  • Public policy process Policy process, management and ethics courses (2019 to 2021)
  • Public management Policy process, management and ethics courses (2019 to 2021)
  • Ethics and values in policy Policy process, management and ethics courses (2019 to 2021)
  • Microeconomics and public economics Microeconomics courses (2019 to 2020)
  • AI, cloud computing and data systems AI to the Cloud course (2021)
  • AI and data ethics AI to the Cloud course (2021); Data science for public policy (2021)