Melissa Michelson

In partnership with the LSU Ogden Honors College, the Reilly Center hosted Menlo College professor of political science Dr. Melissa Michelson.  

She discussed her latest co-authored book Listen, We Need to Talk: How to Change Attitudes about LGBT Rights (Oxford University Press, 2017), which tests a new theory, The Theory of Dissonant Identity Priming. This theory examines if and how people’s attitudes on controversial topics can be changed. The findings presented in her book suggest that people are more likely to change their attitudes when others with whom they identify, especially leaders and role models, are also supporters, and if that information is revealed to them when they are not expecting it.