Seth P. McCullock, PhD is an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a Research & Evaluation Scientist at the Division on Addiction, Cambridge Health Alliance, a Harvard Medical School teaching hospital. He joined the Division in September of 2022. His primary research interest is in understanding how to effectively design health promotion messages to influence human behavior, especially in the contexts of health stigma and misinformation. He received his PhD in Communication from Purdue University in 2022.
At the Division, Dr. McCullock contributes to writing for the Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS) research blog and is currently involved with several ongoing research projects. These projects relate to understanding responsible drinking behaviors, assessing a mental health screening tool, and conducting community education, engagement, and outreach efforts. His research has appeared in several journals including Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, Communication Studies, Journal of American College Health, and Health Promotion Practice. Dr. McCullock has presented his research at regional, national, and international conferences and has received several top paper awards for his research.
Current Projects
Principal Investigator: Examining Responsible Gambling Advertising Practices and Testing Effects of Actual Responsible Gambling Messages on Behavior
Responsibility, Research, and Resources: 2024 Plan for Responsible Gambling Activities
Selected Publications
2023
Edson, T. C., Louderback, E. R., Tom, M. A., McCullock, S. P. & LaPlante, D. A. (2023). Exploring a multidimensional concept of loss chasing using online sports betting records. International Gambling Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/14459795.2023.2276741
McCullock, S. P. & Scrivano, R. M. (2023). The effectiveness of mental illness stigma-reduction interventions: A systematic meta-review of meta-analyses. Clinical Psychology Review, 100, 102242. https://doi.org/10.
Perrault, E. K., McCullock, S. P., Hildenbrand, G. M., & Walter, K. J. (2023). The effects of safe zone badges in physicians’ online biographies: Evidence from an experimental study. Health Communication. https://doi.
2022
Keating, D. M., Perrault, E. K., & McCullock, S. P. (2022). Probing the Effects of Normative Beliefs, Attitude Strength, and Attitude Certainty on Opinion Expression Behavior. Communication Studies, 73(1), 53-67.
2021
McCullock, S. P., Hildenbrand, G. M., Schmitz, K. J., & Perrault, E. K. (2021). The state of health communication research: A content analysis of articles published in Journal of Health Communication and Health Communication (2010-2019). Journal of Health Communication, 26(1), 28-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2021.1879320
2020
Hoewe, J., & McCullock, S. P. (2020). Stereotypes of immigrants and refugees: The role of media. In: A. C. Billings & S. Parrott (Eds.), Media stereotypes: From ageism to xenophobia. New York, NY: Peter Lang.
McCullock, S. P., & Perrault, E. K. (2020). Exploring the Effects of Source Credibility and Message Framing on STI Screening Intentions: An Application of Prospect and Protection Motivation Theory. Journal of Health Communication, 25(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2019.1692262
2019
Perrault, E. K., Hildenbrand, G. M., McCullock, S. P., Schmitz, K. J., & Dolick, K. N. (2019). Hashtag Health: College Health on Social Media and Students’ Motivations to Follow, Interact, and Share their Social Media Content. Health Promotion Practice, 20(5), 721-729. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839919853820
Perrault, E. K., & McCullock, S. P. (2019). Concise consent forms appreciated – Still not comprehended: Applying revised common rule guidelines in online studies. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics, 14(4), 299-306. https://doi.org/10.1177/1556264619853453