Alexandria Caple
Visiting Assistant Professor, Psychology
Ph.D., University of Michigan
What are your thoughts on teaching?
Students will develop a passion for learning if their instructor shares a passion for teaching. It is Dr. Caple’s belief that students cannot learn by simply regurgitating information. Rather, they learn by making connections from course material to their lived experiences. Her goal as an instructor revolves around ensuring students take what they have learned from her courses and apply it to other aspects of their lives. She strives to make her classroom environment inclusive by promoting diversity and equity initiatives in her pedagogical approach.
Tell us about your field of expertise.
Dr. Caple’s research explores motivated reasoning and the degree to which individuals alter or change attitudes and beliefs that may be rooted in misinformation. Specifically, Dr. Caple explores attitude and belief change as it relates to vaccine hesitancy (the MMR vaccine and COVID-19 vaccines)–what motivates individuals to believe what they do and hold the attitudes they hold, and are those attitudes and beliefs malleable.
What hobbies/interests do you enjoy outside of academia?
In Dr. Caple’s free time, she enjoys playing the bass guitar, painting, listening to music, reading, and spending time with her two pets.
