About

Dr. Scott Parrott is an associate professor in the Department of Journalism and Creative Media. His research group examines how media exposure shapes our perceptions of social groups and social norms. The group uses quantitative content analysis to investigate media portrayals of social groups and issues. It uses surveys and experiments to study effects on cognition, emotion, and behavior. 

The research group’s primary interests include media and mental health and media and military veterans. The group studies how the media represent mental health and how exposure to media messages inform people’s attitudes, emotions, and behavioral intentions related to mental health.

The group studies questions such as: How does media exposure shape people’s willingness to talk about mental health and pursue mental health treatment? How does media exposure challenge the stigmatization of mental illness, and how does media exposure nurture the stigmatization of mental illness?

Parrott also directs the Veterans and Media Lab at UA. Founded in 2017, the Veterans and Media Lab partners with the UA Office for Military Families and Veterans to study how the mass media represent military veterans, service members, and families. It studies how exposure to media messages informs not only civilian but veterans’ perceptions of what it means to serve in the military. 

Contact
​Office: Reese Phifer Hall, 402-C
E-mail: msparrott@ua.edu