Dr. Allison Earl

Biography

Allison Earl is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Michigan. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests focus on attitudes, identity, social influence, and persuasion, especially in the context of health. Dr. Earl investigates how people seek information that supports their existing beliefs and feelings while ignoring, derogating, or counterarguing information that challenges them, a phenomenon often referred to as confirmation bias. Her work seeks to identify functional reasons behind confirmation bias and the barriers that prevent individuals from engaging with counter-attitudinal information. In particular, Dr. Earl examines how attitudes and identities contribute to health information selection decisions, ultimately exacerbating health disparities. She is affiliated with the Health Attitudes & Influence Lab, conducting research that spans political and health issues.

Research Interests