Dr. Carcioppolo’s research focuses on the development and assessment of persuasive communication intervention materials to influence health decision-making and outcomes. Dr. Carcioppolo’s approach to research is largely divided among three complementary approaches: (1) the identification of salient attitudinal, belief-based, and normative risk perceptions that can be addressed through intervention; (2) the design and evaluation of persuasive messaging interventions to improve health outcomes; and (3) the development and validation of health communication measurement. Taken together, his research involves understanding the complex network of attitudes, beliefs, and norms that contribute to the (non)performance of recommended health behaviors, designing and testing strategic interventions targeted toward specific audiences, and developing sound measurement to empirically assess intervention effectiveness. His research has been published in such journals as: Social Science & Medicine, Health Education & Behavior, Health Communication, Journal of Health Communication, JAMA Dermatology, Patient Education & Counseling, Journal of Communication, Communication Research, and Human Communication Research, among others.
He has extensive experience conducting translational research in interdisciplinary teams to address behavioral issues of health. He was previously a fellow in the National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention Internship Program, where he led a project designed to identify risk factors associated with unnecessary exposure to ultraviolet (UV) through indoor tanning. He often conducts research in collaborative, interdisciplinary teams to develop persuasive messaging interventions to encourage the adoption of health behaviors, including cancer prevention, HIV prevention, and vaccination.
Specialty Areas: Health communication; health decision-making; health risks; health message interventions
Recent Awards
2025 Staub Award, School of Communication award in recognition of outstanding achievement in teaching
2025 Top Paper Award, Health Communication Division of the National Communication Association Conference
Featured Projects