Julia Minson

Julia Minson is Professor of Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, with affiliations at the Center for Public Leadership, Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, and Taubman Center for State and Local Government. She teaches core courses including MLD-220 Negotiations Analysis and Practice and MLD-257 Why Won't You Listen to Me? Understanding People, Conflict, and People in Conflict.

Her research centers on the psychology of disagreement, examining how people engage with conflicting opinions on identity-relevant topics including politics, professional decisions, and health. Minson investigates interventions to improve receptiveness to opposing views and studies group decision-making biases that prevent optimal collaboration. Through the Constructive Disagreement Lab (CDL), she explores conversational listening, political polarization, and strategies to bridge divides in democratic discourse.

Recent publications reveal trends toward practical applications of conflict resolution research, with increasing focus on political polarization, media trust, and democratic resilience. Her work spans experimental studies in conversation dynamics, political behavior, and healthcare decision-making, demonstrating interdisciplinary approaches to understanding disagreement.

Minson leads externally funded projects including Generative AI Chatbots to Foster Constructive Disagreement Skills in College Students (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, 2025) and Bridging Divides and Strengthening Democracy (Stanford University, 2024). She advises graduate students through the Constructive Disagreement Lab and collaborates with numerous researchers across disciplines.

She founded the Constructive Disagreement Project to disseminate research to professionals in government, education, healthcare, and media, and established Disagreeing Better, LLC, a behavioral science consulting firm offering training on conflict management. Minson maintains active speaking engagements with organizations including AACSB, Confluence Health Consulting, and Washington State Hospital Association.