Her work has focused on the power of stories. In particular, Melanie’s research examines the power of narrative to change beliefs, including the effects of fictional stories on real-world attitudes. Her theory of “transportation into a narrative world” focuses on immersion into a story as a mechanism of narrative influence. She has examined narrative persuasion in a variety of contexts, from health communication to social issues. She has edited two books on these topics (Narrative Impact and Persuasion: Psychological Insights and Perspectives, Second Edition), and has published numerous articles in leading psychology, communication, and interdisciplinary journals. Her work has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the Spencer Foundation, and the Russell Sage Foundation. She received her Ph.D. in Psychology from Ohio State University in 2000.