Seth Kalichman
Encyclopedia
Seth C. Kalichman is a clinical community psychologist
and professor of social psychology
at the University of Connecticut
, who researches HIV
/AIDS
prevention and care.
Kalichman is the director of the Southeast HIV/AIDS Research & Education Project in Atlanta, Georgia
and Cape Town, South Africa, the editor of the journal AIDS and Behavior and the author of Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy, an examination of AIDS denialism. Royalties from the book fund antiretroviral drugs for people with HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Kalichman spent a year infiltrating HIV denialist groups. He argues that denialism is often a coping strategy, and that followers are often anti-government, anti-establishment, and prone to cognitive distortion
s; he says that leaders in denialism exhibit paranoid personality disorder
. He began researching denialism after reading the work of Nicoli Nattrass.
Community psychology
Community psychology deals with the relationships of the individual to communities and the wider society. Community psychologists seek to understand the quality of life of individuals, communities, and society...
and professor of social psychology
Social psychology
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of others. By this definition, scientific refers to the empirical method of investigation. The terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors include all...
at the University of Connecticut
University of Connecticut
The admission rate to the University of Connecticut is about 50% and has been steadily decreasing, with about 28,000 prospective students applying for admission to the freshman class in recent years. Approximately 40,000 prospective students tour the main campus in Storrs annually...
, who researches HIV
HIV
Human immunodeficiency virus is a lentivirus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome , a condition in humans in which progressive failure of the immune system allows life-threatening opportunistic infections and cancers to thrive...
/AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
prevention and care.
Kalichman is the director of the Southeast HIV/AIDS Research & Education Project in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
and Cape Town, South Africa, the editor of the journal AIDS and Behavior and the author of Denying AIDS: Conspiracy Theories, Pseudoscience, and Human Tragedy, an examination of AIDS denialism. Royalties from the book fund antiretroviral drugs for people with HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Kalichman spent a year infiltrating HIV denialist groups. He argues that denialism is often a coping strategy, and that followers are often anti-government, anti-establishment, and prone to cognitive distortion
Cognitive distortion
Cognitive distortions are exaggerated and irrational thoughts identified in cognitive therapy and its variants, which in theory perpetuate certain psychological disorders. The theory of cognitive distortions was first proposed by Aaron T. Beck. Eliminating these distortions and negative thoughts is...
s; he says that leaders in denialism exhibit paranoid personality disorder
Paranoid personality disorder
Paranoid personality disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis characterized by paranoia and a pervasive, long-standing suspiciousness and generalized mistrust of others....
. He began researching denialism after reading the work of Nicoli Nattrass.
External links
- Page at the University of Connecticut
- AIDS and Behavior on Springer.com
- Kalichman's 'Denying AIDS' blog - video interview with Kalichman
- Interview with Kalichman on Little AtomsLittle AtomsLittle Atoms is a radio chat show broadcast weekly from London on Resonance FM 104.4. It is hosted by Neil Denny, Richard Sanderson, Padraig Reidy, Becky Hogge and special guest presenters...