I am a Ph.D. candidate (ABD) at the Department of Communication in Michigan State University.
I study relationships and technology.
My findings are published in journals like the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships and Computers in Human Behavior. Some of them are covered by scientific media like
PsyPost (2024, 2025).
I am good at identifying problems and employ various data types (e.g., experimental, longitudinal, network) and advanced statistical models (e.g., SEM, MLM) to generate insights and offer solutions.
I have been focused on three research lines. First, I study how AI-driven technology, like algorithms, shapes formation of relationships and social structure at large.
Second, I examine the link between the structure of voluntary relationships and personal well-being.
Third, I explore how social support is provided within the structure of voluntary relationships.
My research was funded by the Strosacker Research Grant. I was also funded by the University of Michigan to Participate in the Summer Training Session of the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
A longitudinal analysis of how romantic and friendship involvement are associated with depressive symptoms
Junwen Hu
Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, Feb, 2025.
Key concern
Applying mixed effects models, I produced findings about friendships and romantic relationships that contradict common perceptions. Click to read more.
Does online dating make relationships more successful? Replication and extension of a previous study
Junwen Hu, Rui Zhu, and Yue Zhang
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, Jul, 2024.
Key concern
We compared the success of relationships that began online and offline and showed noteworthy patterns.
The relationship between preference for online social interaction and affective well-being via compulsive dating app use: The moderating role of algorithmic beliefs
Junwen Hu and Jian (Raymond) Rui
Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, Sep, 2023.
Key concern
We showed that beliefs in algorithms' matchmaking efficacy may enhance experiences in online mate selection.