Building Bridges: Fostering Respectful Conversations Using Psychological Science

A professor of psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill, and the incoming Weary Family Foundation Endowed Chair in the Social Psychology of Polarization and Misinformation at Ohio State. He directs the Deepest Beliefs Lab and is the author of Outraged: Why we Fight about Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground (Pantheon).

A professor of counseling psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara and award-winning author of Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide (APA, 2020) and Facing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation (Greenleaf, 2024). Israel’s work on navigating political conflict has been received enthusiastically by professional conferences, corporations, campuses, political organizations, and faith communities. She has shared her expertise with top media outlets, such as the TODAY show, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR, as well as on her podcast, Ready to Be Strong. Israel has facilitated educational programs and difficult dialogues about a range of topics, including abortion, law enforcement, religion, and sexual orientation. She has received honors from Congress, the California State Legislature, and APA. Learn moreopens in new window.

An associate professor of public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. She is a decision scientist with research interests in conflict management, negotiations, and judgment and decision-making. Her main line of research addresses the “psychology of disagreement.” Minson also studies group decision-making to uncover the psychological biases that prevent managers, consumers, and policymakers from maximizing the benefits of collaboration. Much of Minson’s research is conducted in collaboration with the graduate and post-doctoral members of Constructive Disagreement Lab (CDL)opens in new window. Minson is the founder of the Constructive Disagreement Project—a project dedicated to disseminating cutting edge research and developing interventions for professionals in government, education, healthcare, and the media. Julia is also the founder of Disagreeing Better, LLC.opens in new window—a behavioral science consulting firm that offers speaking and training on effective management of disagreement and conflict.