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Psychology and Law Research Lab

The Psychology and Law Lab
Top Row (left to right): Jessica Hatz, Andre Kehn, Narina Nunez, Scott Culhane, Marty Bourgeois, and Mike Johns.
Bottom row: Suzanne Karis, Jennifer Gray, Dana Binder, Bridget Waack, Nick Schwab, and Chrissy Adams

Click here to see pictures of our 2005 Psychology Lab Retreat


Psychology and Law Faculty:

  • Marty Bourgeois, Social Psychology, Psychology Department
  • Scott Culhane, Social Psychology, Criminal Justice Department
  • Michael Johns, Social Psychology, Psychology Department
  • Narina Nunez, Developmental Psychology, Psychology Department


Current and Recent Research Activities
  • Juror reasoning and its impact on jury decision making
  • Verbal overshadowing & post-event information on eyewitness memory
  • Cues to deception in judging witness credibility
  • Victim impact statements
  • Eyewitness accuracy
  • Credibility of child witnesses
  • Credibility and suggestibility of mentally retarded witnesses
  • Impact of courtroom technology on jurors' perceptions
  • Perception of juvenile defendants
  • Assessment of death penalty attitudes
  • Perceptions of the NGRI plea
  • Juror motivation and information processing

Recent Publications/Conferences

Kehn, A., Gray, J.M. & Nunez, N. Hearsay Testimony: Protecting the Needs of Children at the Expense of the Defendant’s Right to a Fair Trial, Journal of Forensic Psychology Practice.

Perkins, J., & Bourgeois, M.J. (in press). Perceptions of police use of deadly force. Journal of Applied Social Psychology.

Adams, C.M.S., & Bourgeois, M.J. (in press). Separating compensatory and punitive damage award decisions by trial bifurcation. Law and Human Behavior.

Nunez, N., Dahl, M.J. & Tang, C. M. & Jensen, B.L. (in press) Trial Venue Decisions in Juvenile Cases: Mitigating and Extralegal Factors Count. Legal and Criminological Psychology.

Culhane, S. E., & Hosch, H. M. (2005). Law enforcement officers serving as jurors: Guilty because charged? Psychology, Crime and Law, 11, 305-313.

Culhane, S. E. & Hosch, H. M. & Weaver, W. G. (2004). Crime victims serving as jurors: Is a bias present? Law and Human Behavior, 28, 649-659.

Culhane, S. E. & Hosch, H. M. (2004). An alibi witness’s influence on juror’s decision making. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 34, 1604-1616.

Papers in progress/under review

Bourgeois, M.J., Nunez, N., Adams, C.M.S., Binder, D.M. (under review) Effects of Note taking and Early Discussion on Juror Reasoning.

Steblay, N., Hosch, H. M., Culhane S. E. & McWethy, A. (under review). Instructions to disregard inadmissible evidence: A meta-analysis.

Espinoza, R. K. E., Willis-Esqueda, C., & Culhane, S. E. (under review). Effects of ethnicity, SES and stereotypical-congruent or stereotypical-incongruent crimes on juror decision making.

Graduate Students:

Chrissy Adams
Dana Binder

Jennifer Gray

Jessica Hatz

Suzanne Karis
Andre Kehn

Nick Schwab
Bridget Waack


Grant activity:
Enhancing juror and jury reasoning, National Science Foundation

An examination of variations in juror reasoning and pre-deliberation verdicts and its impact on jury processes and decision-making, National Science Foundation

Ph.D.'s from our lab. They are gone but not forgotten.
  • Monica McCoy (Ph.D. 1997) Developmental Psychology, Dissertation "Jurors' reasoning skills and verdict decisions: The effect of jury deliberations." Currently an Associate Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at Converse College.
  • Matt Dammeyer, (Ph.D. 1999) Clinical Psychology, Dissertation- "Self-reported levels of anxiety and depression among law students." Currently the Director of Behavioral Health atCentral Peninsula General Hospital, Alaska
  • Walt Peters, (Ph.D. 2000) Developmental Psychology, Dissertation- "Adult perceptions of child witnesses." Currently a Research Associate at Neilson in Australia.
  • Kami London (Ph.D. 2001) Developmental Psychology, Dissertation "Investigative courtroom interviews of children: Examining the efficacy of Truth/Lie Discussions in increasing the veracity of children's reports." Currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Toledo.
  • Mindy Dahl (Ph.D. 2005) Developmental Psychology Dissertation- "Adolescent decisions in situations of uncertainty: The impact of risky choice framing and decision making competency." Currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at Arizona State University.
  • Connie Tang (Ph.D. 2005) Developmental Psychology- Dissertation "Young Children's Awareness of When New Learning Occurred." Currently an Assistant Professor at Stockton College.

Every year the Psychology Department has a bowling tournament that we call Bowlorama. Research labs compete for the coveted bowling trophy. We are proud to say we have won the trophy more times than any other lab. This year was no exception. We smoked the competition and kept the traveling trophy in our lab.


2006 Winning Team 2004 Team


The Winners!!!!2003 Team