Welcome to the LAB Lab!

In the LAB Lab (Luttrell Attitudes & Behavior Lab) at Ball State University, we study people’s opinions (or “attitudes”), where they come from, and how they change. We’re especially interested in the subjective qualities people’s opinions can have and how these qualities relate to how much those opinions are likely to change. At the same time, we’re interested in the kinds of messages that change minds.

Our research has focused on the influence of moral arguments for health and political communication, the experience of feeling conflicted about an issue, and the kinds of opinions that last over time.

These days, we’re also starting to do a lot of work on the social dynamics of having opinions. That is, when are we open to having conversations with people we disagree with and what impressions do we form of them? How can people open their minds to ideas they initially disagree with and have productive conversations about topics that usually divide us?

So poke around the lab site for more about the people doing this research and what we’ve found! Let me know if you want to get involved!

-Dr. Luttrell