PhD: Visual Studies

Detail from 2020 PhD Alumna, Jennifer Gradecki's 2023 project Epic Sock Puppet Theater (ESPT), a collaboration with Derek Curry. ESPT is based on research that has found that the revelation of a sock puppet has helped targeted members of the public identify other sock puppets and that controlled exposure to sock puppets can serve as a form of ‘inoculation’ against future disinformation. As participants scroll through a dataset of social media posts made by fake accounts that are performed by puppets, they become familiar with, and more resistant to, disinformation tactics.