Matthew Motta | Profiles RNS

Matthew Motta, PhD

Assistant Professor

Boston University School of Public Health

Health Law, Policy & Management

PhD, University of Minnesota
BA, Wesleyan University

Pronouns: he/him/his

Websites

	Personal Website
	ResearchGate
	Google Scholar

ORCID : 0000-0002-2824-6833

Welcome! I am an Assistant Professor of Health Law, Policy, & Management at Boston University's School of Public Health.

Previously, I was Assistant Professor of Political Science (American Politics, Research Methods) at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK. Before that, I was a Science of Science Communication postdoctoral fellow at the Annenberg Public Policy Center (University of Pennsylvania). I was also based at the Yale Law School, where I was an affiliated postdoctoral scholar at the Cultural Cognition Project. I received my PhD in Political Science from the University of Minnesota, where I was also a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellow and Doctoral Dissertation Fellow.

My research focuses on a wide range of topics related to American politics, public opinion, science communication, and both health and environmental policy. I am especially interested in identifying the social and political determinants of anti-science attitudes, and investigating their health policy impact. I am also broadly interested in designing communication strategies that promote effective engagement between the public and the scientific community on politically contentious issues. My forthcoming book Anti-Scientific Americans (Oxford University Press, 2024) explores the prevalence, origins, and consequences of anti-intellectualism in the United States, and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon.

My research has been published in academic journals across the social and medical sciences (e.g., American Journal of Public Health, Social Science & Medicine, Vaccine, Nature Climate Change, Scientific Reports), and featured in popular press outlets like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Scientific American, PBS Newshour, and the CBS Evening News.

As part of my research activities, I also conduct public health opinion research as a Research Fellow at the Policy Lab at Brown University, and piloting health communication campaign strategies as Affiliated Faculty with Harvard's TH Chan School of Public Health.

I am a political analyst for Spectrum News, and regularly comment on both my research and current events for print and television outlets. I am available for commentary on both local and national politics (including, but not limited to, discussions health politics and policy).

BU Research

Assessing the Effectiveness of Common Health Messaging Tactics on Self-Reported and Validated Vaccine Uptake: A Multi-Method Approach.
09/01/2023 - 08/31/2025 (Multi-PI)
PI: Matthew Motta, PhD
National Science Foundation
SES-2318512

Title

Yr	Title	Project-Sub Proj	Pubs

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

Motta M, Callaghan T, Ross JC, Gargano L, Yokum D. Promoting RSV vaccine confidence through reversal narrative (RN) messaging. Vaccine. 2025 May 22; 56:127178.View Related Profiles.

Ross, Jennifer
Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 40311215

Motta M, Callaghan T, Padmanabhan M, Ross JC, Gargano LM, Bowman S, Yokum D. Identifying and mitigating the public health consequences of meta-ignorance about "Long COVID" risks. Public Health. 2025 Apr; 241:19-23.View Related Profiles.

Ross, Jennifer
Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 39938278

Cologna V, Mede NG, Berger S, Besley J, Brick C, Joubert M, Maibach EW, Mihelj S, Oreskes N, Schäfer MS, van der Linden S, Abdul Aziz NI, Abdulsalam S, Shamsi NA, Aczel B, Adinugroho I, Alabrese E, Aldoh A, Alfano M, Ali IM, Alsobay M, Altenmüller M, Alvarez RM, Amoako R, Amollo T, Ansah P, Apriliawati D, Azevedo F, Bajrami A, Bardhan R, Bati K, Bertsou E, Betsch C, Bhatiya AY, Bhui R, Bialobrzeska O, Bilewicz M, Bouguettaya A, Breeden K, Bret A, Buchel O, Cabrera-Álvarez P, Cagnoli F, Calero Valdez A, Callaghan T, Cases RK, Çoksan S, Czarnek G, De Peuter S, Debnath R, Delouvée S, Di Stefano L, Díaz-Catalán C, Doell KC, Dohle S, Douglas KM, Dries C, Dubrov D, Dziminska M, Ecker UKH, Elbaek CT, Elsherif M, Enke B, Etienne TW, Facciani M, Fage-Butler A, Faisal MZ, Fan X, Farhart C, Feldhaus C, Ferreira M, Feuerriegel S, Fischer H, Freundt J, Friese M, Fuglsang S, Gallyamova A, Garrido-Vásquez P, Garrido Vásquez ME, Gatua W, Genschow O, Ghasemi O, Gkinopoulos T, Gloor JL, Goddard E, Gollwitzer M, González-Brambila C, Gordon H, Grigoryev D, Grimshaw GM, Guenther L, Haarstad H, Harari D, Hawkins LN, Hensel P, Hernández-Mondragón AC, Herziger A, Huang G, Huff M, Hurley M, Ibadildin N, Ishibashi M, Islam MT, Jeddi Y, Jin T, Jones CA, Jungkunz S, Jurgiel D, Kabdulkair Z, Kao JJ, Kavassalis S, Kerr JR, Kitsa M, Klabíková Rábová T, Klein O, Koh H, Koivula A, Kojan L, Komyaginskaya E, König L, Koppel L, Koren Nobre Cavalcante K, Kosachenko A, Kotcher J, Kranz LS, Krishnan P, Kristiansen S, Krouwel A, Kuppens T, Kyza EA, Lamm C, Lantian A, Lazic A, Lecuona O, Légal JB, Leviston Z, Levy N, Lindkvist AM, Lits G, Löschel A, López Ortega A, Lopez-Villavicencio C, Lou NM, Lucas CH, Lunz-Trujillo K, Marques MD, Mayer SJ, McKay R, Mercier H, Metag J, Milfont TL, Miller JM, Mitkidis P, Monge-Rodríguez F, Motta M, Mudra I, Muršic Z, Namutebi J, Newman EJ, Nitschke JP, Ntui NV, Nwogwugwu D, Ostermann T, Otterbring T, Palmer-Hague J, Pantazi M, Pärnamets P, Parra Saiani P, Paruzel-Czachura M, Parzuchowski M, Pavlov YG, Pearson AR, Penner MA, Pennington CR, Petkanopoulou K, Petrovic MB, Pfänder J, Pisareva D, Ploszaj A, Poliaková K, Pronizius E, Pypno-Blajda K, Quiñones DMA, Räsänen P, Rauchfleisch A, Rebitschek FG, Refojo Seronero C, Rêgo G, Reynolds JP, Roche J, Rödder S, Röer JP, Ross RM, Ruin I, Santos O, Santos RR, Schmid P, Schulreich S, Scoggins B, Sharaf A, Sheria Nfundiko J, Shuckburgh E, Six J, Solak N, Späth L, Spruyt B, Standaert O, Stanley SK, Storms G, Strahm N, Syropoulos S, Szaszi B, Szumowska E, Tanaka M, Teran-Escobar C, Todorova B, Toko AK, Tokrri R, Toribio-Florez D, Tsakiris M, Tyrala M, Ulug ÖM, Uzoma IC, van Noord J, Varda C, Verheyen S, Vilares I, Vlasceanu M, von Bubnoff A, Walker I, Warwas I, Weber M, Weninger T, Westfal M, Wintterlin F, Wojcik AD, Xia Z, Xie J, Zegler-Poleska E, Zenklusen A, Zwaan RA. Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries. Nat Hum Behav. 2025 Apr; 9(4):713-730. PMID: 39833424; PMCID: PMC7617525; DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5;

Mede NG, Cologna V, Berger S, Besley J, Brick C, Joubert M, Maibach EW, Mihelj S, Oreskes N, Schäfer MS, van der Linden S, Abdul Aziz NI, Abdulsalam S, Shamsi NA, Aczel B, Adinugroho I, Alabrese E, Aldoh A, Alfano M, Ali IM, Alsobay M, Altenmüller M, Alvarez RM, Amoako R, Amollo T, Ansah P, Apriliawati D, Azevedo F, Bajrami A, Bardhan R, Bati K, Bertsou E, Betsch C, Bhatiya AY, Bhui R, Bialobrzeska O, Bilewicz M, Bouguettaya A, Breeden K, Bret A, Buchel O, Cabrera-Álvarez P, Cagnoli F, Valdez AC, Callaghan T, Cases RK, Çoksan S, Czarnek G, De Peuter S, Debnath R, Delouvée S, Di Stefano L, Díaz-Catalán C, Doell KC, Dohle S, Douglas KM, Dries C, Dubrov D, Dziminska M, Ecker UKH, Elbaek CT, Elsherif M, Enke B, Etienne TW, Facciani M, Fage-Butler A, Faisal MZ, Fan X, Farhart C, Feldhaus C, Ferreira M, Feuerriegel S, Fischer H, Freundt J, Friese M, Fuglsang S, Gallyamova A, Garrido-Vásquez P, Garrido Vásquez ME, Gatua W, Genschow O, Ghasemi O, Gkinopoulos T, Gloor JL, Goddard E, Gollwitzer M, González-Brambila C, Gordon H, Grigoryev D, Grimshaw GM, Guenther L, Haarstad H, Harari D, Hawkins LN, Hensel P, Hernández-Mondragón AC, Herziger A, Huang G, Huff M, Hurley M, Ibadildin N, Ishibashi M, Islam MT, Jeddi Y, Jin T, Jones CA, Jungkunz S, Jurgiel D, Kabdulkair Z, Kao JJ, Kavassalis S, Kerr JR, Kitsa M, Klabíková Rábová T, Klein O, Koh H, Koivula A, Kojan L, Komyaginskaya E, König L, Koppel L, Cavalcante KKN, Kosachenko A, Kotcher J, Kranz LS, Krishnan P, Kristiansen S, Krouwel A, Kuppens T, Kyza EA, Lamm C, Lantian A, Lazic A, Lecuona O, Légal JB, Leviston Z, Levy N, Lindkvist AM, Lits G, Löschel A, López-Ortega A, Lopez-Villavicencio C, Lou NM, Lucas CH, Lunz-Trujillo K, Marques MD, Mayer SJ, McKay R, Mercier H, Metag J, Milfont TL, Miller JM, Mitkidis P, Monge-Rodríguez F, Motta M, Mudra I, Muršic Z, Namutebi J, Newman EJ, Nitschke JP, Ntui NV, Nwogwugwu D, Ostermann T, Otterbring T, Palmer-Hague J, Pantazi M, Pärnamets P, Parra Saiani P, Paruzel-Czachura M, Parzuchowski M, Pavlov YG, Pearson AR, Penner MA, Pennington CR, Petkanopoulou K, Petrovic MM, Pfänder J, Pisareva D, Ploszaj A, Poliaková K, Pronizius E, Pypno-Blajda K, Quiñones DMA, Räsänen P, Rauchfleisch A, Rebitschek FG, Refojo Seronero C, Rêgo G, Reynolds JP, Roche J, Rödder S, Röer JP, Ross RM, Ruin I, Santos O, Santos RR, Schmid P, Schulreich S, Scoggins B, Sharaf A, Sheria Nfundiko J, Shuckburgh E, Six J, Solak N, Späth L, Spruyt B, Standaert O, Stanley SK, Storms G, Strahm N, Syropoulos S, Szaszi B, Szumowska E, Tanaka M, Teran-Escobar C, Todorova B, Toko AK, Tokrri R, Toribio-Florez D, Tsakiris M, Tyrala M, Ulug ÖM, Uzoma IC, van Noord J, Varda C, Verheyen S, Vilares I, Vlasceanu M, von Bubnoff A, Walker I, Warwas I, Weber M, Weninger T, Westfal M, Wintterlin F, Wojcik AD, Xia Z, Xie J, Zegler-Poleska E, Zenklusen A, Zwaan RA. Perceptions of science, science communication, and climate change attitudes in 68 countries - the TISP dataset. Sci Data. 2025 Jan 20; 12(1):114. PMID: 39833242; PMCID: PMC11747281; DOI: 10.1038/s41597-024-04100-7;

Moghtaderi A, Callaghan T, Luo Q, Motta M, Tan TQ, Hillard L, Dor A, Portnoy A, Winter A, Black B. Evidence on trends in uptake of childhood vaccines and association with COVID-19 vaccination rates. Vaccine. 2025 Jan 25; 45:126631.View Related Profiles.

Portnoy, Allison
Motta, Matthew

PMID: 39700909

Landrum AR, Stecula DA, Motta M. Combating climate-induced health threats through Co-Constitutive Risk (CCR) Messaging: A One Health Communication approach. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2024 Dec; 18(12):e0012676. PMID: 39621773; PMCID: PMC11637427; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012676;

Motta M, Callaghan T, Padmanabhan M, Ross J, Gargano LM, Bowman S, Yokum D. Quantifying the prevalence and determinants of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine hesitancy in US adults aged 60 or older. Public Health. 2025 Jan; 238:3-6.View Related Profiles.

Ross, Jennifer
Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 39566218

Motta M, Motta G, Stecula D. Conceptual debates in the study of canine & feline vaccine hesitancy: A response to Haeder 2023. Vaccine. 2025 Jan 12; 44:126397. PMID: 39343704

Motta M, Haglin K. Exogenous Increases in Basic Income Provisions Increase Preventive Health-Seeking Behavior: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Am J Prev Med. 2025 Jan; 68(1):39-45. PMID: 39179181

Callaghan T, Ferdinand AO, Motta M, Lockman A, Shrestha A, Trujillo KL. Public Attitudes, Inequities, and Polarization in the Launch of the 988 Lifeline. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2024 Jun 01; 49(3):473-493.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 37987198

Showing 10 of 76 results. Show More

Pacheco J, Gollust SE, Callaghan T, Motta M. A Call for Measuring Partisanship in US Public Health Research. Am J Public Health. 2024 Aug; 114(8):772-776.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 38754062; PMCID: PMC11224640; DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2024.307691;

Heinrich T, Kobayashi Y, Motta M. Which foreign vaccine should the government purchase in a pandemic? Evidence from a survey experiment in the United States. Soc Sci Med. 2024 Apr; 347:116766. PMID: 38502981

Motta M, Liu Y, Yarnell A. "Influencing the influencers:" a field experimental approach to promoting effective mental health communication on TikTok. Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 11; 14(1):5864. PMID: 38467750; PMCID: PMC10928193; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56578-1;

Motta M, Callaghan T, Lunz Trujillo K. "The CDC Won't Let Me Be": The Opinion Dynamics of Support for CDC Regulatory Authority. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2023 Dec 01; 48(6):829-857.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 37497881

Motta M, Hwang J, Stecula D. What Goes Down Must Come Up? Pandemic- Related Misinformation Search Behavior During an Unplanned Facebook Outage. Health Commun. 2024 Sep; 39(10):2041-2052. PMID: 37674255

Motta M, Motta G, Stecula D. Sick as a dog? The prevalence, politicization, and health policy consequences of canine vaccine hesitancy (CVH). Vaccine. 2023 Sep 22; 41(41):5946-5950. PMID: 37640567

Goidel K, Callaghan T, Washburn DJ, Nuzhath T, Scobee J, Spiegelman A, Motta M. Physician Trust in the News Media and Attitudes toward COVID-19. J Health Polit Policy Law. 2023 Jun 01; 48(3):317-350.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 36441631; DOI: 10.1215/03616878-10358696;

Motta M, Benegal S. How pandemic-related changes in global attitudes toward the scientific community shape "post-pandemic" environmental opinion. Public Underst Sci. 2023 Oct; 32(7):907-925. PMID: 37204071; PMCID: PMC10200811; DOI: 10.1177/09636625231167735;

Motta M. The pre-political origins and policy consequences of environmental justice concern. Politics Life Sci. 2023 Mar; 41(2):182-199. PMID: 36880544

Motta M, Callaghan T, Lunz-Trujillo K, Lockman A. Erroneous Consonance. How inaccurate beliefs about physician opinion influence COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine. 2023 Mar 17; 41(12):2093-2099.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 36822967; PMCID: PMC9939402; DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.052;

Motta M. Is partisan conflict over COVID-19 vaccination eroding support for childhood vaccine mandates? NPJ Vaccines. 2023 Feb 02; 8(1):5. PMID: 36732345; PMCID: PMC9892671; DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00611-3;

Matt Motta, Dominik Stecula. The Effects of Partisan Media in the Face of Global Pandemic: How News Shaped COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy . Political Communication. 2023. View Publication
Steven Webster, Adam Glynn, & Matt Motta. Partisan Schadenfreude and the Demand for Candidate Cruelty. Political Psychology. 2023.
Goidel, Kirby, Timothy Callaghan, David J. Washburn, Tasmiah Nuzhath, Julia Scobee, Abigail Spiegelman, and Matt Motta. Physician Trust in the News Media and Attitudes toward COVID-19. Journal of Health Politics, Policy, & Law. 2022. View Publication
Salil Benegal & Matt Motta. Overconfident, Resentful, and Misinformed: How Racial Animus Motivates Confidence in False Beliefs. Social Science Quarterly. 2022.

Motta M. The Correlates & Public Health Consequences of Prospective Vaccine Hesitancy among Individuals Who Received COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters in the U.S. Vaccines (Basel). 2022 Oct 25; 10(11). PMID: 36366300; PMCID: PMC9698316; DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111791;

Matt Motta. The Correlates & Public Health Consequences of Prospective Vaccine Hesitancy Among Individuals who Received COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters in the U.S. Vaccines. 2022. View Publication
Kobayashi, Yoshiharu, Christopher Howell, Tobias Heinrich, & Matt Motta. Investigating how historical legacies of militarized violence can motivate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Evidence from global dyadic survey. Social Science & Medicine. 2022. View Publication

Kobayashi Y, Howell C, Heinrich T, Motta M. Investigating how historical legacies of militarized violence can motivate COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Evidence from global dyadic survey. Soc Sci Med. 2022 Oct; 311:115346. PMID: 36108562; PMCID: PMC9446603; DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.115346;

Sylvester S, Motta M, Trujillo KL, Callaghan T. Vaccinating across the aisle: using co-partisan source cues to encourage COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the ideological right. J Behav Med. 2023 Apr; 46(1-2):311-323.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 35543897; PMCID: PMC9092938; DOI: 10.1007/s10865-022-00323-4;

Smith B, Knapp E, Motta M. Complementary or Competing Frames? The Impact of Economic and Public Health Messages on COVID-19 Attitudes. The Journal of Experimental Political Science. 2022.

Callaghan T, Washburn D, Goidel K, Nuzhath T, Spiegelman A, Scobee J, Moghtaderi A, Motta M. Imperfect messengers? An analysis of vaccine confidence among primary care physicians. Vaccine. 2022 04 20; 40(18):2588-2603.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 35315324; PMCID: PMC8931689; DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.03.025;

Callaghan T, Washburn D, Goidel K, Nuzhath T, Spiegelman A, Scobee J, Mogthaderi A, Motta M. Vaccine Confidence among Primary Care Physicians during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States. Vaccine. 2022.
Stecula D, Motta M, Kuru O, Hall Jamieson K. The Great and Powerful (Dr.) Oz? Alternative Medical Media Consumption & Anti-Vaccine Views in the United States. Journal of Communication. 2022.
Motta MP. The Pre-Political Origins & Policy Consequences of Environmental Justice Concern. Politics and Life Sciences. 2022.

Motta M, Stecula D. Quantifying the effect of Wakefield et al. (1998) on skepticism about MMR vaccine safety in the U.S. PLoS One. 2021; 16(8):e0256395. PMID: 34411172; PMCID: PMC8376023; DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256395;

Callaghan T, Moghtaderi A, Lueck JA, Hotez P, Strych U, Dor A, Fowler EF, Motta M. Correlates and disparities of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Soc Sci Med. 2021 03; 272:113638.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 33414032; PMCID: PMC7834845; DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113638;

Motta M. Can a COVID-19 vaccine live up to Americans' expectations? A conjoint analysis of how vaccine characteristics influence vaccination intentions. Soc Sci Med. 2021 Mar; 272:113642. PMID: 33414031; PMCID: PMC7832269; DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.113642;

Motta MP. Can a COVID-19 Vaccine Live up to Americans’ Expectations? A Conjoint Analysis of how Vaccine Characteristics Influence Vaccination Intentions. Social Science & Medicine. 2021.
Motta MP, Sylvester S, Callaghan T, Lunz-Trujillo K. Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake through Effective Health Communication. Special Issue: Frontiers in Political Science – Politics of Technology. 2021.
Wynes S, Donner S, Motta M. Understanding the Climate Responsibility Associated with Elections. One Earth (Cell Press). 2021.
Motta MP, Goren P. Apolitical Values & Compliance with Government-Recommended Social Distancing Behavior. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion, & Parties. 2021.
Lunz-Trujillo K, Motta M. How Misinformation Access Drives Global Vaccine Skepticism. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 2021.
Motta MP, Callaghan T, Sylvester S, Lunz-Trujilo K. Identifying the Prevalence, Correlates, and Policy Consequences of Anti-Vaccine Social Identity. Politics, Groups, & Identities. 2021.
Motta MP. Republicans, not Democrats, are More Likely to Endorse Anti-Vaccine Misinformation. American Politics Research. 2021.
Jansa J, Motta M, Herrick R. Finding DORI: Using Item Response Theory to Measure Difficulty of Registration in the U.S. and Its Impact on Voters. American Politics Research. 2021.

Motta M. Could concern about climate change increase demand for a Lyme disease vaccine in the U.S.? Vaccine. 2020 Sep 11; 38(40):6191-6193. PMID: 32762870

Motta M, Callaghan T. The pervasiveness and policy consequences of medical folk wisdom in the U.S. Sci Rep. 2020 07 01; 10(1):10722.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 32612260; PMCID: PMC7329847; DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67744-6;

Motta M. Applications & critical reflections on the VANMaN taxonomy. Soc Sci Med. 2020 08; 259:112850. PMID: 32085911; DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2020.112850;

Goren P, Motta M. Values and Political Judgment: A New Approach. At the Forefront of Political Psychology: Essays in Honor of John L. Sullivan. 2020.
Motta MP. Campaign Advertising & Political Representation in the United States. Voting & Political Representation in America: Issues and Trends. 2020.
Lunz-Trujilo K, Motta M, Callaghan T, Sylvester S. Misinformation about the MMR Vaccine: Identifying Psychological Risk Factors and Effective Corrective Communication Strategies. Political Research Quarterly. 2020.
Goren PN, Smith B, Motta M. Basic Human Values and Sophistication Interaction Theory. Political Behavior. 2020.
Ralston RJ, Motta M, Spindel J. When OK is Not OK: Public Concern About White Nationalism in the US Military. Armed Forces & Society. 2020.
Motta MP, Stecula D, Farhart C. How Right-Leaning Media Coverage of COVID-19 Facilitated the Spread of Misinformation in the Early Stages of the Pandemic. Canadian Journal of Political Science. 2020.
Goren PN, Motta M, Smith B. The Ideational Foundations of Symbolic Ideology. Advances in Political Psychology. 2020.
Motta MP, Ralston R, Spindel J. A Call to Arms? The opinion dynamics and policy implications of climate change concern in the US military. Environmental Communication. 2020.
Motta MP. Could Climate Change Concern Increase Demand for a Lyme Disease Vaccine?. Vaccine. 2020.
Motta MP. Political Scientists? The Characteristics and Performance of Congressional Candidates with STEM Backgrounds. PS: Political Science & Politics. 2020.
Motta MP. Changing Minds or Changing Samples? Disentangling Micro-Level Stability and Macro-Level Growth in Anthropogenic Climate Change (ACC) Beliefs. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 2020.

Haglin K, Chapman D, Motta M, Kahan D. How Localized Outbreaks and Changes in Media Coverage Affect Zika Attitudes in National and Local Contexts. Health Commun. 2020 11; 35(13):1686-1697. PMID: 31475575; DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2019.1662556;

Callaghan T, Motta M, Sylvester S, Lunz Trujillo K, Blackburn CC. Parent psychology and the decision to delay childhood vaccination. Soc Sci Med. 2019 10; 238:112407.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 31366444; DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112407;

Motta MP, Chapman D, Stecula D, Haglin K. A Framework for Understanding Disparities in the Measurement of Climate Change Beliefs. Climatic Change. 2019.
Motta MP, Rohrman A. Quaking in their Boots? Seismic Risk Perceptions and Support for Preventative Public Policy. Behavioural Public Policy. 2019.
Callaghan TH, Motta M, Lunz-Trujilo K, Sylvester S, Blackburn C. Better Safe than Sorry: How Parent Psychology Influences the Decision to Delay Childhood Vaccination. Social Science & Medicine. 2019.
Motta MP, Chapman D, Haglin K, Kahan D . Reducing the Administrative Demands of the Science Curiosity Scale (SCS): A Validation Study. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 2019.

Motta M. Explaining science funding attitudes in the United States: The case for science interest. Public Underst Sci. 2019 Feb; 28(2):161-176. PMID: 30156123; DOI: 10.1177/0963662518795397;

Motta M, Callaghan T, Sylvester S. Knowing less but presuming more: Dunning-Kruger effects and the endorsement of anti-vaccine policy attitudes. Soc Sci Med. 2018 08; 211:274-281.View Related Profiles.

Motta, Matthew
Callaghan, Timothy

PMID: 29966822; DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.06.032;

Motta MP. The Polarizing Effects of the March for Science on Attitudes Toward Scientists. PS: Political Science & Politics. 2018.
Motta MP. The Enduring Effect of Scientific Interest on Trust in Climate Scientists in the U.S. Nature Climate Change. 2018. View Publication
Smith B, Murib Z, Motta M, Callaghan T, Theys M. Gay or Homosexual? The Implications of Social Category Labels for the Structure of Mass Attitudes. American Politics Research. 2017. View Publication
Luttig M, Motta MP. President Obama on the Ballot: Referendum Voting and Racial Spillover in the 2014 Midterm Elections. Electoral Studies. 2017. View Publication
Motta MP. The Dynamics and Implications of Anti-Intellectualism in the United States. American Politics Research. 2017. View Publication
Motta MP. What Do Interviewer Intelligence Ratings Actually Measure?. Research & Politics. 2016. View Publication
Motta M, Callaghan T, Smith B. Looking for Answers: Identifying Search Behavior & Improving Knowledge-Based Data Quality in Online Surveys. International Journal of Public Opinion Research. 2016. View Publication
Motta M, Franklin Fowler E. The Content and Effect of Political Advertising in Campaigns. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics. 2016.

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 76 publications over 10 distinct years, with a maximum of 14 publications in 2020

Bar chart showing 76 publications over 10 distinct years, with a maximum of 14 publications in 2020

Year	Publications
2016	3
2017	3
2018	4
2019	6
2020	14
2021	11
2022	12
2023	10
2024	9
2025	4

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NBC News 2/13/2025

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination signals a new era of anti-intellectualism in American politics

The Conversation 1/29/2025

Mass. health experts concerned about future of vaccines, ‘anti-science focus’ after RFK Jr.’s confirmation hearing

Boston.com 1/29/2025

America is incredibly polarized. It’s bad for our health.

Vox 11/27/2024

‘Keeps me up at night’: BU public health expert concerned about lack of confidence in science

Boston 25 11/15/2024

‘She’s like my child’: Mass. dog owners are bringing their pets everywhere, raising health concerns

Boston 25 News 11/7/2024

Will rampant health misinformation impact the 2024 election?

Macomb Daily 10/22/2024

The GOP’s New Anti-Vaccine Laws Will Hurt Kids

Bloomberg 10/7/2024

Getting fitness tips on social media can be harmful — but it doesn't have to be

CBC News 10/5/2024

Trump leads, and his party follows, on vaccine skepticism

CNN 9/30/2024

MAGA vs. Science Is No Contest

New York Times 9/11/2024

Should Health Researchers Ask If You’re a Democrat or a Republican?

BU Today 8/14/2024

The challenges of navigating an unrelenting news cycle

CBS News 7/17/2024

Raw milk sales are up despite bird flu outbreak in dairy cows

Fast Company 5/14/2024

There's bird flu in US dairy cows. Raw milk drinkers aren't deterred

Associated Press 5/14/2024

Bird flu and health warnings won’t stop raw milk drinkers getting their fix

The Independent 5/14/2024

Raw milk sales rise despite bird flu warnings

NBC 5/14/2024

Raw milk sales spike despite CDC’s warnings of risk associated with bird flu

PBS 5/14/2024

US TikTok ban: how the looming restriction is affecting scientists on the app

Nature 5/9/2024

Policymakers Are Entitled to Their Own Opinions. But Should They Be Entitled to Their Own Science?

BU Today 4/12/2024

Congress is using more science, but the two parties rarely cite the same studies

Science Magazine 3/11/2024

‘Rabies is nearly fatal’: Many local dog owners hesitant about mandatory vaccine, study finds

Boston 25 News 11/21/2023

Vaccine hesitancy affects dog-owners, too, with many questioning the rabies shot

NPR 10/11/2023

Vocal anti-vax movement spreading to dog owners

CBS News 9/27/2023

Vaccine Misinformation Spilling Over To Pets Puts Us All At Risk

Forbes 9/26/2023

Majority of US Dog Owners Hesitant About Canine Vaccines, Study Finds

US News & World Report 9/12/2023

Majority of US dog owners hesitant about canine vaccines, study finds

Reuters 9/12/2023

Anti-Vax Trend May Harm Pet Dogs, With Half of Owners Against Immunization

US News & World Report 9/7/2023

Nearly half of dog owners are hesitant to vaccinate their pups

Futurity 9/1/2023

Woof! Anti-vaxxer pet owners nix rabies shots over doggie ‘autism’ fears: study

New York Post 8/30/2023

More than half of dog owners are suspicious of rabies and other vaccines, new study finds

USA Today 8/30/2023

Anti-vaxxers extend their fears to Fido

The Boston Globe 8/28/2023

How the Mixed Messaging of Vaccine Skeptics Sows Seeds of Doubt

WFMZ 6/8/2023

CDC didn’t say it gave out deadly COVID-19 shots in red states

Associated Press 4/20/2023

Fox News Coverage Sowed Vaccine Hesitancy, Study Says

Bloomberg 3/10/2023

Is partisan conflict over COVID-19 vaccination eroding support for childhood vaccine mandates? (

Nature 2/2/2023

What Issues Will Decide the 2022 Midterm Elections?

BU Today 11/1/2022

Money Doesn't Motivate Vaccine Holdouts

Bloomberg 10/11/2022

2024 BUSPH Dept. of HLPM: DO Award

2024 BUSPH: Research Innovation Award

2023 BUSPH Dept. of HLPM: TEACH Award

2022 General Social Survey 2022 Module Competition: Winner

2021 APSA: Health Politics & Policy: Leonard S. Robins Award (Best Paper)

2021 Vox's The Weeds: Paper of The Week

2021 Module Competition: Most All-Time Reads, Conversation US Author

2020 American Political Science Association: Early Career Scholar Feature

2020 Oklahama State Universe: “Research at a Glance" newsletter feature

2019 Publons: Top Reviewer Award

2019 Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Scientists: "Faculty Scholar Spotlight" feature

2019 United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR): "“PreventionWeb" feature

2018 Elsevier: Atlas Award

In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Health Policy
Misinformation
Health Communication
Public Opinion
Survey Methods
Experimental Design
Public Policy

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