Welcome to my website
I am an Assistant Professor of Communication at George Washington University. I completed my PhD in Communication at Ohio State University. My research is motivated by understanding how message design can reduce barriers to information processing, and how information processing evoked through message design can facilitate engagement and persuasion. I explore these relationships in health, science, and political contexts. I teach core communication classes and persuasion.
Publication Highlight
Jul 2019
Jargon As A Barrier To Effective Science Communication: Evidence From Metacognition
Citations: 80Bullock, O.M., Colon-Amill, D, Shulman, H.C., & Dixon, G.
Public Understanding of Science
Jargon Science communicationAbstract
In this experiment (N = 650), we examine the negative consequences of jargon on individuals’ perceptions of emerging scientific technology and aim to explain these effects. We find that the presence of jargon impairs people’s ability to process scientific information, and that this impairment leads to greater motivated resistance to persuasion, increased risk perceptions, and lower support for technology adoption. These findings suggest that the use of jargon undermines efforts to inform and persuade the public through the cognitive mechanism of metacognition.
Latest Publications
For a copy of any of the articles listed below, please feel free to email me through my website contact form.
See All PublicationsPredicting Vote Choice And Election Outcomes From Ballot Wording: The Role Of Processing Fluency In Low Information Direct Democracy Elections
Shulman, H.C., Sweitzer, D.M, Bullock, O.M., Coronel, J.C., Bond, R.M., & Poulsen, S.
Read AbstractHow Communicating About Discrimination Influences Attributions Of Blame And Condemnation
Citations: 1DeAndrea, D.C., & Bullock, O.M.
Read AbstractThe Interplay Of Jargon, Motivation, And Fatigue While Processing COVID-19 Crisis Communication Over Time
Citations: 12Shulman, H.C., Bullock, O.M., & Riggs, E.E.
Journal of Language and Social Psychology
Read AbstractNarratives Are Persuasive Because They Are Easier To Understand: Examining Processing Fluency As A Mechanism Of Narrative Persuasion
Citations: 9Bullock, O.M., Shulman, H.C., & Huskey, R.
Read AbstractEye Movements Predict Large-scale Voting Decisions
Citations: 1Coronel, J.C., Bullock, O.M., Sweitzer, M.D., Bond, R.M., Poulsen, S., & Shulman, H.C.
Read AbstractUtilizing Framing Theory To Design More Effective Health Messages About Tanning Behavior Among College Women
Citations: 16Bullock, O.M., & Shulman, H.C.
Read AbstractNews
As a former public relations practitioner, and an advocate of sharing scholarship publicly, I always enjoy it when my research makes it into the news. Check out this popular press coverage of some of my publications.
See All News Stories
For Political Candidates, Making Jokes Online Might Backfire
Read The British Psychological Society Story
