Persuasion is key to the success of promoting ideas and shifting behaviors. My research uses tools from communication neuroscience and social neuroscience to understand when and how persuasion works. Specifically, my research focuses on neurocognitive mechanisms associated with social influence and persuasive messages delivered through mass media and interpersonal communication in order to better understand subsequent behavior. More specifically, my research aims to: 1) understand the core mechanisms that drive behavior change in response to social influence and persuasive messages; 2) understand how situational social context (e.g., being in the presence of a risky versus safe peer), socio-demographic context factors (e.g., high versus low socioeconomic status (SES)), and development (e.g., adolescents versus young adults) moderate neural mechanisms associated with social influence and persuasion; and 3) understand how intervention strategies (e.g., self-affirmations) alter neural mechanisms associated with social influence and persuasion, and how these changes relate to behavior change.