My research interests
My name is Seth McCullock (M.A. University of Connecticut). I am a third-year doctoral student in the Brian Lamb School of Communication at Purdue University. My research focuses on health and mass communication; specifically, it examines how messages can be used to reduce stigmatizing attitudes toward different health conditions and on understanding effective strategies for combating the spread of health-related misinformation online. My work can be found published in journals such as the Journal of Health Communication, Health Promotion Practice, The American Journal of Managed Care, and the Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics. In addition, my work has received several top paper awards from national conferences, such as the National Communication Association and the Kentucky Conference for Health Communication.
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Please see my Google Scholar profile for more information about my research!
Research Areas
Health Stigma
Stigma toward different health issues represents one of the major roadblocks for creating health equity. People belonging to stigmatized groups often face decreased social opportunities and poorer quality of life.
My research seeks to address health stigma by using theory-driven methods. I have conducted several projects in this capacity, including interviewing Liberian Ebola survivors and partnering with the National Alliance for Mental Illness.
Message Design and Evaluation
I strive to apply knowledge learned from past communication and public health research to the development of effective messages that can create meaningful change in target populations.
I have worked to develop numerous messages used in interventions with topics ranging from mental health, to STI screening behaviors, and the opioid epidemic.
Health-related Misinformation
Misinformation circulated through online channels represents a threat to public health initiatives as it undermines the public's ability to make informed decisions and creates distrust in the scientific community. However, I believe in empowering individuals to prevent the spread of misinformation online.
My dissertation focuses on understanding factors that (1) may inhibit the spread of misinformation and (2) empower everyday people to help combat the spread of misinformation.