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Considering Constitutionally Relevant Evidence: An Assessment Of Childhood Physical Abuse As A Non-Statutory Mitigating Circumstance, Fotine Konstantopoulou

Psychology Theses

The present study examines the role of a specific instruction designed to guide jurors on non-statutory mitigating circumstances in determining sentence recommendation. To date, there is no research examining whether specific instructions provide more guidance, and improve jurors’ discretion compared to the current general instructions. We predicted that specific mitigating instructions would increase confidence in life sentencing compared to generic instructions as well as revised instructions. We also predicted that expert testimony of childhood physical abuse would minimize death penalty recommendations. Contrary to our predictions, we found that exposure to generic instructions increased confidence in a life sentence. In addition, …

Dangerous Criminals Or Misunderstood? Assessing Police Perceptions Of The Mentally Ill, Amy Roach

Psychology Theses

People diagnosed with mental illnesses are often confronted with stigmatization and discrimination because they are stereotyped as dangerous and unpredictable. Police officers are typically the first to respond to a potentially dangerous mentally ill person and therefore, it is important to understand how police officers’ perceive mentally ill persons and how they respond to a call regarding a suspect displaying symptoms associated with mentally illness. Sixty police officers read one of six vignettes involving a call to investigate a suspicious male loitering behind a store. The vignettes differed only on the perceived severity of the mental illness (mild or severe) …

Supply Vs. Demand: Re-Entering America's Prison Population Into The Workforce, Marissa Leigh Enfield

Scripps Senior Theses

Because rejoining the workforce may prevent against ex-offender recidivism, securing gainful employment is one of the best indicators of successful societal reintegration for released prisoners. However, the stigma attached to a criminal history, combined with ex-prisoners’ lack of human capital, may threaten their ability to obtain a job. The present study examines hiring managers’ attitudes towards previously imprisoned offenders applying for positions in their workplace. Using a combination of brief, fictional applicant biographies and surveys, this mixed-groups factorial study explores how hiring managers (N= 28) consider gender, type of offense, and race when an ex-offender is assessed during the application …

Attitudes And Social Factors As Predictors Of Male Perpetration Of Sexual Assault, Andrea A. Massa

Honors Theses

Previous research has demonstrated a significant association between sexual assault perpetration and hooking up, male peer support for woman abuse, alcohol consumption, and rape myth acceptance (Burt, 1980; Flack, Daubman, Caron, Asadorian, D’Aureli, Gigliotti & Stine, 2007; Schwartz & DeKeseredy, 1997). In the present study, we tested these relationships on the collegiate level by asking male students to indicate levels of male peer support for woman abuse (MPS), acceptance of rape myths (RMA), alcohol consumption, and history of hooking up and sexual assault perpetration during their undergraduate experience. Participants in this study were 200 male Bucknell students (sophomores - seniors) …

Disclosing Sexual Assault Victimization To Others, Nicole S. Shea

Honors Theses

Previous research has demonstrated that victims of sexual assault disclose their assaults most frequently to members of their intimate social circle. Unfortunately, some friends and family members give support in ways that are perceived as unhelpful by victims. The present study found that victims' reports and non-victims' expectations of positive support after disclosure differed significantly. These results indicate that significant efforts are needed to change the campus culture by increasing support for sexual assault victims.

Life Without Parole: The Influence Of Age And Race On The Sentencing Of Juvenile Offenders, Maria Annabel Mireles

Psychology Theses

In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to sentence adolescents charged with non-homicide crimes to life without parole (Graham v. Florida, 2012). Currently, research regarding life without parole is assessed in conjunction with the death penalty, in which life without parole is proposed as a lesser alternative to the death penalty. The current study investigated whether age and race are predictive factors in sentencing juvenile offenders. A sample consisting of 225 undergraduate students were presented with one of six case scenarios adapted from Wilkins v. Missouri (1985) in which the defendant’s age (13, 15, 17) and race …

Young Black Children's Representations Of The Father Figure In Low-Income Households, Shawnae Shalae Thompson

Honors Scholar Theses

This study investigated the cognitive-emotional schemas surrounding the father role in 50 young, low-income, Black children in relation to the amount of father involvement in the first 5 years of their lives. These representations were framed within four parenting categories: Nice, Mean, Authoritative, and Authoritarian. Diana Baumrind’s parenting style framework was utilized to create the Authoritative and Authoritarian parenting categories. This question was investigated in low-income families; the impact of gender of the child was also considered. Information on fathers’ involvements in the children’s lives were gathered through interviews and self-reports from the children’s fathers and mothers. Story Stem Narrative …

Childhood Factors Affecting Aggressive Behaviors, Nicole Danielle Waddell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In the past there have been numerous studies regarding how childhood factors can affect adult behavior and attitudes. In the present study 124 East Tennessee State University students were given surveys. The surveys included items measuring demographics, parenting styles, and aggression. This study examined the impact of parenting styles on aggressive tendencies and perceptions the subjects have as young adults as well as the effects of socioeconomic status on parenting styles and aggression. The findings suggest that mid-level income families demonstrated more affection and less aggression to the subjects surveyed.

Blurring The Lines Of Traditional Gender Roles: Beliefs Of African American Women, Jasmine Abrams

Theses and Dissertations

Gender role beliefs of African American women in the United States should be investigated in a manner that considers their unique experiences and the distinct background of her cultural sharing group. In this study, gender role beliefs of African American women were examined by addressing the research question: What are the gender role beliefs of African American women for African American men and women? Eight focus groups comprising 44 African American women were conducted. Women were diverse in terms of age, religion, and socio-economic status. An ethnographic phenomenological approach was used to explore views related to gender roles among African …

A Public Dialogue On Child Sexual Abuse: Hope For Healing And Prevention, Hanna Louise Foster

Educational Specialist, 2009-2019

This paper describes the problem of child sexual abuse (CSA), including the prevalence, associated outcomes for survivors, and the importance of prevention in addition to treatment. The author reviews the current literature on three types of child sexual abuse prevention programs: criminal justice initiatives, educational programs for children, and community-based programs. The author examines a public dialogue approach that aims to engage adults in the prevention of child sexual abuse. An analysis of one dialogue project is provided, including the history of the panel and evaluation information. The author discusses the value of the project in terms of both prevention …

Racial Profiling Is Not Specifically Always Black Or White, Samantha Ollie

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

The following paper outlines different views of racial profiling. Racial profiling is painted in various lights due to the ambiguity and the magnitude that surrounds this concern. Accusations seem to be on every news headline, but how do we as a public know who was in the right and who was in the wrong and how can he or she prove the true intention of any given situation? Both pros and cons from each side, of an average citizen of the United States of America and also from the law enforcement personnel that live to serve and protect those citizens …

Preserving The Right To A Fair Trial An Examination Of The Prejudicial Value Of Visual And Auditory Evidence In The Context Of A Criminal Case, Emily Edwards

HIM 1990-2015

Federal Rule of Evidence 403 requires evidence's probative value to substantially outweigh its prejudicial value for the evidence to be admitted. To date, courts have opinioned that photographic evidence holds low prejudicial impact and rarely render court proceedings unfair (Futch v. Dugger, 1989). The present study sought to empirically investigate this issue. In a 2 (Auditory Present/Auditory Absent) x 3 (Graphic Photo/Neutral Photo/No Photo) factorial design, 300 participants reviewed case materials from a recent murder case and provided information concerning their verdict decision. Emotional state data was also collected prior to and following review of the case materials via the …

2011-2012, Full Issue

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

No abstract provided.

Knowledge, Attitudes And Skills Related To Disabilities Among Psychologists - Are We Competent To Practice In This Multicultural Domain?, Sharon M. Mclennon

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

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Temporal Shifts In Weapon Focus: Comparing Retrograde And Anterograde Effects, William Blake Erickson

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

When an eyewitness suffers an impairment of memory for a criminal's face because the criminal used a weapon during the commission of the crime, this impairment is called the weapon focus effect. Literature provides two explanations for how this effect arises: some implicate the narrowing of attentional cues to the weapon during the commission of a crime because arousal of the victim increases, while others claim that the weapon is merely a novel object in most everyday contexts, and novel objects demand more attention than contextually appropriate ones. The current study employed a simulated crime paradigm taking place in a …

An Experimental Test Of Trauma-Relevant Cue Exposure And Desire For Alcohol Among Adolescents, Heidemarie Blumenthal

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

A burgeoning literature suggests a linkage between adolescent traumatic event exposure and problematic alcohol use. Research conducted with adults indicates that exposure to trauma-relevant cues elicits a desire to drink; however, no work has examined this association among adolescents. The current study was designed to build upon and extend this line of work. Participants were 72 community-recruited adolescents (Mage = 16.19; 34.7% girls). Trauma-exposed (n = 47) and non-exposed (n = 25) youth were assigned to either a 3-minute experimental (voluntary hyperventilation) or control task (low-arousal picture viewing). Desire to drink was assessed (1) prior to task assignment, and (2) …

Sexual Harassment In Las Vegas, Jonathan Michael Birds

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Sexual harassment, either "quid pro quo" demands or the creation of a hostile environment harms both success and social confidence (Welsh, 1999). The nature of sexual harassment in an overtly sexual environment like Las Vegas has not yet been explored. The current study primarily analyzed responses from UNLV students who work in Las Vegas. Experiences of and attitudes towards sexual harassment were compared by gender. Finally, experiences of sexual harassment were compared between UNLV students and students at another university.

The Universality Of Emotional Facial Expressions Across Culture And Implications For Survival, Lindsay Trefney

Undergraduate Psychology Research Methods Journal

Emotion is one of the greatest links for human interaction. Emotion allows people from culture to culture to relate to and communicate with one another when language barriers exist. Emotional facial expressions were once thought to be culture specific, much like the emotions attached to those expressions. Research exists suggesting facial expressions across culture must be universal based on Darwin’s theories of evolution and survival (Ekman & Friesen, 1971; Hansen & Hansen, 1988; Hock, 2009; Pinkham, Griffin, Baron, Sasson, & Gur, 2010; Rosenberg & Ekman, 1993), and without some universal agreement about emotional facial expressions and their attached emotions, humans …

Preventative Behavioral Parent Training: Demonstration Of The Immediacy Effects Of An Innovative Conduct Problem Prevention Program In Young At-Risk Children, Alexis Bolton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Researchers propose to administer preventative behavioral parent training (PBPT) to young children who are displaying developmentally typical conduct problems (i.e., noncompliance and tantrums), with the intent of contributing valuable knowledge for preventing the development of chronic conduct problems in children.

Preventative behavioral parent training is an innovative model designed for conduct problems prevention. The scope of this study will be limited to demonstrating the immediate effects of PBPT. Given the nature and origins of PBPT, immediacy effects are expected and should be relevant to the maintenance of effects over time.

It is predicted that participation in PBPT would yield positive …

Neighborhood Disadvantage And Perceptions Of Neighborhood As Predictors Of Aggression In Urban African American Youth: A Multilevel Analysis, Edna Y. Romero

Theses (1 year embargo)

The link between aggression and criminal activity in urban, low-income African American neighborhoods has resulted in many studies examining the predictive role of individual and neighborhood characteristics in the development of aggressive behaviors. Factors such as neighborhood violence, poverty, perceptions of neighborhood danger have consistently been linked to poor behavioral outcomes in urban youth (Colder, Mott, Levy, & Flay, 2000; Sampson, Raudenbush, & Earls, 1997), whereas perceptions of neighborhood cohesion have been associated with reduced externalizing behavior in children (Silk, Sessa, Sheffield Morris, Steinberg, & Avenevoli, 2004). The purpose of this paper was to examine, through the use of multilevel …

Adaptive Behavior Malingering In Legal Claims Of Mental Retardation, Renee M. Kadlubek

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In 2002, the Supreme Court ruled that it is unconstitutional to put people with mental retardation to death for capital crimes (Atkins v. Virginia, 2002). Justice Scalia dissented, suggesting that mental retardation is a condition easy to feign. The current study examined whether participants provided with the definition of mental retardation and adaptive behavior ("informed malingering group") are any better at malingering having mental retardation than participants not provided with the definitions ("malingering group"). Three groups of participants participated in this study: the control group, the malingering group, and the informed malingering group. All participants completed an intellectual assessment and …

The Relation Between Gender Role Socialization, Work-School-Family Conflict And Mexican-American College Students' Academic Performance, Alma D. Trevino

Theses and Dissertations - UTB/UTPA

he present study investigated the relation between gender role socialization, work-school-family conflict and Mexican-American college students’ academic performance. Gender role socialization was measured with the gender role socialization scale (Raffaelli & Ontai, 2004). Work-Family Conflict was measured with the Work-School Family Conflict Scale (WFC) and Family-Work Conflict Scale (FWC) (Netemeyer, Boles, & McMurrian, 1996), School-Work Conflict Scale (SWC) and Work-School-Conflict Scale (WSC), Family-School Conflict Scale (FSC) and School-Family Conflict Scale (SFC) were modified versions of Netemeyer et al (1996). Academic performance was measured using participants disclosed GPA (Grade point average). Regression analyses were used to establish predictions between each variable. …

Decision-Making Following Sexual Assault: Reporting Decisions And Exposure To The Criminal Justice System, Ryan Michael Walsh

Dissertations

Violent crimes represent significant costs to society and survivors; costs which include mental health conditions which may emerge afterward. Victims of sexual assault are at particularly heightened risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Breslau, Davis, Andreski, & Peterson, 1991). Although Crime Victims’ Compensation (CVC) is available to assist with healthcare costs for some individuals who report the event to police (NACVCB, 2009), many crimes are not reported. Theories of crime-reporting behavior suggest that victims decide whether to report crimes to police through the use of a “cost-benefit analysis” (Gottfredson & Gottfredson, 1988, p. 25). Little research, however, has been …

What Propels Sexual Homicide Offenders? Testing An Integrated Theory Of Social Learning And Routine Activities Theories, Heng Choon Chan

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Sexual homicide is a rare occurrence. Little is known about the offending perspective of sexual homicide from a criminological standpoint. Recently, Chan, Heide, and Beauregard (2011) proposed an integrative theoretical framework using concepts and propositions of Social Learning Theory (differential association, definitions, differential reinforcement or punishment, and imitation) and Routine Activities Theory (a motivated offender, an attractive and suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian or guardianship) to elucidate the sexual homicide offending dynamics. According to this integrative model, the individual-level view of the sexual murderers is explained by …

Factors Impacting Counselor Competency When Counseling Sexual Minority Intimate Partner Violence Victims, Ryan Hancock

Counseling & Human Services Theses & Dissertations

A queer theory perspective and grounded theory techniques were used to examine perceptions of counselor competency with sexual minority intimate partner violence victims. Ten counselors participated in two rounds of individual interviews. Results indicate that beneficial aspects of competency development occurred prior to, during, and after their graduate counseling program. Training deficits and personal impediments were also identified. Implications for professional associations, supervisors, and counselor educators are discussed.

Media, Military, Militarism: Media Consumption, Awareness Of U.S. Military Foreign Policy, And Support For War, Daniel James Patten

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

This study examines the relationship between the media, attitudes towards supporting war, and military awareness. Online survey data were collected from a four-year university located in a heavily militarized area. This study found that having knowledge of Afghanistan and Iraq War facts negatively affected one's decision to support war and was the strongest predictor of this decision. The media was not found to be a significant predictor impacting this knowledge when controlling for other variables. Political ideology and other related variables were found to be more influential of this knowledge. These findings imply that the public may be imprudently supporting …

Father-Daughter Incest: Data From An Anonymous Computerized Survey, Sandra S. Stroebel, Stephen L. O’Keefe

Psychology Faculty Research

Retrospective data were entered anonymously by 1,521 adult women using computer-assisted self-interview. Nineteen were classified as victims of father–daughter incest, and 241 were classified as victims of sexual abuse by an adult other than their father before reaching 18 years of age. The remaining 1,261 served as controls. Incest victims were more likely than controls to endorse feeling damaged, psychologically injured, estranged from one or both parents, and shamed by others when they tried to open up about their experience. They had been eroticized early on by the incest experience, and it interfered with their adult sexuality. Incest victims experienced …

The Historical, Jurisprudential, And Empirical Wisdom Of Parental Responsibility Laws, Eve M. Brank, Leroy Scott

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

The parent-child relationship is woven deep within historical and contemporary culture, but strong retributive ideals have led to blaming parents because of their presumed vicarious role in juvenile crime. The current article will discuss the history, forms, legal challenges, and empirical research related to parental involvement laws in the United States. The parent-child relationship provides the historical framework behind the separate juvenile justice parens patriae system; however, with the juvenile justice system not as successful as originally imagined, blame has shifted to the parents. We examine the potential constitutional implications of enacting and enforcing parental involvement statutes and ordinances and …

Latent Print Examination And Human Factors: Improving The Practice Through A Systems Approach: The Report Of The Expert Working Group On Human Factors In Latent Print Analysis, David H. Kaye, Thomas Busey, Melissa R. Gische, Gerry Laporte, Scott A. Shappell, Et Al.

Publications

Fingerprints have provided a valuable method of personal identification in forensic science and criminal investigations for more than 100 years. Fingerprints left at crime scenes generally are latent prints—unintentional reproductions of the arrangement of ridges on the skin made by the transfer of materials (such as amino acids, proteins, polypeptides, and salts) to a surface. Palms and the soles of feet also have friction ridge skin that can leave latent prints. The examination of a latent print consists of a series of steps involving a comparison of the latent print to a known (or exemplar) print. Courts have accepted latent …

Attendance Rates Of Special Populations In One Rural County, Julie Bright

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this current study is to determine if a difference exists in the attendance rates for special education students and low socioeconomic status students when compared to their peers who do not have these designations. The attendance data from one rural county school district for the years of 2007-2011 were examined to determine if a difference in the attendance rates did exist. Results from this research revealed that students receiving special education services were absent significantly more than their general education peers. However, students of low socioeconomic status were not absent any more than their peers who were …