Speakers
What does it take to disagree productively in an increasingly polarized world? Behavioral scientist Julia Minson’s new book, How to Disagree Better, explores the hidden skills that help people navigate conflict, build trust, and engage constructively across differences.
Join Harvard Kennedy School professors and Shorenstein Center resident faculty members, Julia Minson and Todd Rogers, for a conversation centered on the research in Minson’s, How to Disagree Better (to be published March 24, 2026). Drawing on insights from behavioral science, the discussion will explore why polarization and conflict can be so difficult to address and what research suggests about communicating across differences more effectively. The event will take place in person and will also be livestreamed.
Rogers will introduce Minson’s work on the psychology of disagreement, followed by a fireside chat about depolarization as a growing challenge, the promise of behavioral science approaches, and the difficulties of designing interventions that truly work. The event will conclude with audience Q&A.
Light refreshments will be served. No books will be sold at this event, but five copies of How to Disagree Better will be raffled off to attendees. Stay after the discussion to have your copy of the book signed (bring your own if you already have one), or to chat with Minson about her work!
Priority for in-person tickets is given to Harvard ID holders. The speaking program will also be livestreamed for the public on this page, and no registration is needed to watch the livestream.
Julia Minson is a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. She is a behavioral scientist whose research focuses on conflict, communication, negotiations, and decision making, with a primary emphasis on the “psychology of disagreement,” or how people engage with opinions, judgments, and decisions that differ from their own. Her work has been published in leading academic journals and covered by CNN, TIME, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.
Todd Rogers is the Weatherhead Professor of Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is a behavioral scientist who works to increase student attendance, strengthen democracy, and improve communication. He is coauthor of Writing for Busy Readers, with Jessica Lasky-Fink.
