Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Gender And Prosecutorial Decision Making: An Examination Of Representative Bureaucracy Theory, Maria Arndt

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Prosecutors are powerful actors in the American criminal justice system, yet relatively little is known about their decision making compared to other legal agents. They decide to bring charges against defendants and are granted substantial influence over plea negotiations, thus affecting the trajectory of case outcomes. While an emerging body of scholarship examines what factors influence prosecutorial discretion, there are few studies that examine how their identities influence case outcomes. Once a traditionally, white, male-dominated field, prosecution is becoming more diverse. Research suggests representation affects organizational output. This theory, known as representative bureaucracy, suggests that more diverse organizations have more …

The Politics Of The Self: Psychedelic Assemblages, Psilocybin, And Subjectivity In The Anthropocene, Joshua Falcon

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how psychedelic substances become drawn into particular sociohistorical and political arrangements, and how psychedelic experiences with psilocybin ‘magic mushrooms’ are used as tools of subjectivation. Guided by literatures in philosophy, critical theory, and the social sciences that focus on subjectivity, assemblage theory, and critical posthumanism, I argue that psychedelics are drawn into variegated assemblages, each of which conceptualizes the nature of psychedelics in highly specific ways that reflect implicit conceptions of the world and the self. In developing the concept of psychedelic assemblages, this research provides a window onto the politics of the self in the Anthropocene. …

Improving Witnesses' Predictive Confidence Judgments By Enhancing Test Domain Familiarity, Laura J. Shambaugh

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Recent research on witnesses’ pre-identification confidence (“predictive confidence”) suggests that these judgments are moderately related to identification accuracy when witnesses experience encoding variability and appropriate statistical techniques are used. However, other research shows that under ecologically valid conditions involving a single identification, the relationship between predictive confidence and accuracy deteriorates. One potential explanation for this lack of a meaningful confidence-accuracy relationship is that witnesses are unfamiliar with the lineup task leading them to underestimate its difficulty. Identification difficulty is partly determined by the similarity of lineup fillers to the suspect, which witnesses cannot anticipate when they make a predictive confidence …

Do Home Invasion Serial Killers Warrant A Distinct Classification From Other Serial Killer Location Types? A Retrospective Comparative Examination, Caroline V. Comerford

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to address the research gap in serial homicide regarding home invasion serial killers (HISKs) and add to existing policy by providing insight and approaches to assist in serial murder investigations of such killers. Data for the study was obtained from the 2019 Radford University/Florida Gulf Coast University Serial Killer Database (RU/FGCU SKD) and additional public information searches. A retrospective comparative design and proportionate stratified random sampling of 326 serial killers from the RU/FGCU SKD (2019) were used to examine the differences and classifications of HISKs and non-home invasion serial killers (non-HISKs) in three investigations: (1) common characteristics; …

Exploring Factors That Influence Human Trafficking Sentencing Lengths, Brent Blakeman

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The area of human trafficking and sentencing research is currently under-explored. Consequently, little foundational knowledge has been established in this area of sentencing research to ensure that sentencing biases do not exist that undermine the tenets of justice. This study produces research and findings that incrementally contribute to building this foundational knowledge on human trafficking and sentencing. It does this by creating and testing a conceptual framework of human trafficking and sentencing that identifies potential predictors of human trafficking sentencing lengths that can be used to identify potential problematic sentencing issues. The model tested in the study includes the following …

Predictors Of Officer Self-Confidence In Police Interactions With Disabled Individuals In Florida, Olga Vega

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

There has been limited research conducted on disability-related training for law enforcement officers. Past researchers have either prioritized training specific to mental illness or evaluated curriculum content rather than training effectiveness. The present research focuses on predictors of officers’ self-reported confidence in their ability to handle interactions with disabled individuals. The study took place in Florida and included 204 police officers. The study’s findings showed that, despite a common belief of minimum disability training provided to police officers (Reaves, 2016), more than 35% (n = 71) of the officers surveyed reported receiving some disability training during the police academy …

Mediators And Moderators Of The Associations Between Unstructured Socializing With Peers, Substance Use, And Handgun Carrying Among Adolescents, Anna Leimberg

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation seeks to provide an important addition to previous research on unstructured socializing with peers, adolescent substance use, and handgun carrying while also adding to future policy by providing new avenues by which to better identify the predictors of drugs use and handgun carrying.

The study contributes to knowledge in four ways. First, identifying variables that moderate and/or mediate the association between unstructured socializing and substance use and handgun carrying have theoretically relevant implications. Second, using a fine-grained measure of unstructured socializing with peers provides more precise results and greater insight for the line of research focusing on gender …

A Comprehensive Evaluation Of An Offender-Focused Domestic Violence Policing Strategy Using The Emmie Framework, Sara C. Mcfann

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

As the emphasis on increasing the body of evidence for (or against) policing interventions grows, so does scholars' responsibility to identify not only what works but why, for whom, and in what contexts. An emerging police approach to domestic violence (DV) using offender-focused strategies has grown in popularity. However, the evidence base is small and does not explore inside the “black box” of the main strategic activities. To address this evidence deficiency and provide the first-ever primary study of this type of program, a comprehensive evaluation of a focused deterrence-based policing intervention for DV situated around the EMMIE (Effects, …

Transformative Constitutionalism And The Adjudication Of Elections In Kenya, Carl Bevelhymer

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The judicialization of politics has been an ongoing and expanding global phenomenon for decades. In Kenya, the record number of cases brought before courts prior to and following the 2017 elections is evidence of the continued growth and spread of the judicialization of politics, and more specifically elections; it is also the result of Kenya’s 2010 Constitution, which introduced a new form of governance, expanded the number of elective seats and mandated judicial and electoral reforms. One of the most remarkable events of the 2017 election period was the Supreme Court’s nullification of the presidential election due to electoral irregularities. …

Elemental Analysis Of Adhesive Tapes By Laser-Based Methods, Claudia Martinez Lopez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Adhesive tapes are a common type of evidence involved in violent crimes and national security threats. This research evaluated the utility of LA-ICP-MS and LIBS for the characterization of the trace elemental signature in adhesive tapes for forensic comparisons. LA-ICP-MS and LIBS methods were developed, for the first time, for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of adhesive tapes.

The backings of 90 black electrical tapes, previously characterized by conventional techniques (physical examination, IR, Py-GC-MS, and SEM-EDS), were analyzed by LA-ICP-MS to evaluate the ability of the technique to discriminate samples originating from different sources and to associate pieces of tapes …

The Syrian Refugee Crisis And The European Union: A Case Study Of Germany And Hungary, Simone-Ariane Schelb

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis on the Common European Asylum System. It evaluates the extent to which the European Union was able to implement a common asylum system, identifies discrepancies between different European countries, primarily Germany and Hungary, and briefly examines the roots of these differences. To this end, the structure of the international refugee protection regime and the German and Hungarian asylum systems are analyzed. Furthermore, the thesis explores how the governments of the two countries perceive the rights of refugees and how their views have affected their handling of the crisis. The case …

The Optimization Of Pressure Cycling Technology (Pct) For Differential Extraction Of Sexual Assault Casework, Vanessa Martinez

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A two-step protocol has been devised as a rapid and selective alternative to conventional differential extraction techniques with an increased recovery of DNA. The protocol involves pressure cycling with the Barocycler^® NEP 2320 from Pressure Biosciences. Inc. in alkaline conditions for epithelial cell lysis and removal. This step is followed by alkaline lysis at 95^º C for extraction of sperm cell DNA. At 1:1 or 2:1 female to male cell ratios, high selectivity and complete separation can be achieved. But at higher ratios, male allelic dropout is observed. This protocol has been modified to generate a clean male …

The Field View: An Initial Examination Of An Exploratory Eyewitness Identification Procedure, Melissa Kavetski

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The field view is an identification procedure that was recently acknowledged in a national report assessing eyewitness identifications. However, the field view has not been empirically examined to date. In fact, very little is known regarding the effectiveness of the procedure. Because it is an exploratory procedure - used by police when they do not have a suspect in mind - it is important to determine how the field view fares in comparison to the traditional procedures such as lineups and showups, whereby police do have a suspect. Using a controlled, lab-based methodology, Study 1 examined correct and false identifications …

The Effects Of Post-Recall Feedback: Examining Witness Recall Quantity, Accuracy, And Confidence, Dana Elizabeth Hirn Mueller

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Most eyewitness identification protocols recommend withholding feedback after an identification has been made, at least until a measure of confidence can be gathered. Although much research has examined the impact of post-identification feedback on subsequent witness behavior and confidence, research addressing the importance of post-recall feedback remains largely incomplete. The current study examined the effects of post-recall feedback and question type on subsequent witness recall, confidence, and reports of view of the crime. In line with previous eyewitness identification research, it was predicted that participants receiving confirming post-recall feedback would be more confident in their prior recall compared to participants …

Exoneration Or Observation? Examining A Novel Difference Between Liars And Truth Tellers, Peter F. Molinaro

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Individual cues to deception are subtle and often missed by lay people and law enforcement alike. Linguistic statement analysis remains a potentially useful way of overcoming individual diagnostic limitations (e.g. Criteria based Content Analysis; Steller & Köhnken, 1989; Reality monitoring; Johnson & Raye, 1981; Scientific Content Analysis; Sapir, 1996). Unfortunately many of these procedures are time-consuming, require in-depth training, as well as lack empirical support and/or external validity. The current dissertation develops a novel approach to statement veracity analysis that is simple to learn, easy to administer, theoretically sound, and empirically validated.

Two strategies were proposed for detecting differences between …

The Prison System And The Media: How “Orange Is The New Black” Engages With The Prison As A Normalizing Agent, Eunice Louis

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this project is to ascertain the ways in which Orange is the New Black uses its platform to either complicate or reify narratives about the prison system, prisoners and their relationship to the state. This research uses the works of Giorgio Agamben, Colin Dayan, Michelle Alexander and Lisa Guenther to situate the ways the state uses the prison and social narratives about the prison to extend its control on certain populations beyond prison walls through police presence, parole, the war on drugs and prison fees.

From that basis, this work argues that while Orange does challenge some …

Identification Of Characteristic Volatile Organic Compounds Released During The Decomposition Process Of Human Remains And Analogues, Norma Iris Caraballo

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The manner in which remains decompose has been and is currently being researched around the world, yet little is still known about the generated scent of death. In fact, it was not until the Casey Anthony trial that research on the odor released from decomposing remains, and the compounds that it is comprised of, was brought to light. The Anthony trial marked the first admission of human decomposition odor as forensic evidence into the court of law; however, it was not “ready for prime time” as the scientific research on the scent of death is still in its infancy.

This …

A Phenomenological Exploration Of Black Male Law Enforcement Officers' Perspectives Of Racial Profiling And Their Law Enforcement Career Exploration And Commitment, Gregory A. Salters

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored Black male law enforcement officers’ perspectives of how racial profiling shaped their decisions to explore and commit to a law enforcement career. Criterion and snow ball sampling was used to obtain the 17 participants for this study. Super’s (1990) archway model was used as the theoretical framework. The archway model “is designed to bring out the segmented but unified and developmental nature of career development, to highlight the segments, and to make their origin clear” (Super, 1990, p. 201).

Interview data were analyzed using inductive, deductive, and comparative analyses. Three themes emerged from the inductive analysis …

Amplicon Length Heterogeneity (Alh)-Pcr Generated Bacterial Community Profiling : A Novel Application For The Forensic Examination Of Soil, Todd Martin Crandall

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Current forensic comparisons of soil most often rely upon physical characterizations. We hypothesized that bacterial community profiles obtained by Amplicon Length Heterogeneity-Polymerase Chain Reaction (ALH-PCR) of the 16S rRNA genes would provide discriminating data for soil comparisons. Dual extractions and replicate amplifications were performed on each soil. Chemical characterization by elemental analysis, pH, moisture content, percent Carbon and percent Nitrogen were performed. Supervised classification of the microbial community profiles using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) learning tool was over 95 % accurate labeling a microbial community profile to its originating soil type. By comparison, the chemical analysis data yielded accuracies …

Y-Chromosome Polymorphisms In Southern Arabia, Alicia M. Cadenas

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In order to explore south Arabia's role in the migratory episodes leaving Africa to Eurasia and back, high-resolution Y-chromosome analyses of males from the United Arab Emirates (164), Qatar (72) and Yemen (62) were performed. The distribution of specific haplogroups (E3bl-M35 and J1-M267) and their microsatellite-based age estimates in southern Arabia offer additional insight on their dissemination. With the exception of Yemen, southern Arabia displays high diversity in its Y-haplogroup substructure and share similarities with populations along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Oman, possibly serving as a coastal corridor for migrations. Elevated rates of consanguinity may have had …

Biochemical Characterization Of Mammalian High Mobility Group Protein A2, Lorraine Katy Edwards

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The high mobility group protein HMGA2 is an architectural transcription factor, which is expressed during embryogenesis. Aberrant expression causes benign and malignant tumor formation. The protein possesses three "AT hook" domains and an acidic Cterminal. HMGA2 is natively unstructured, however it forms a homodimer. In this study site-directed mutagenesis was used to create single methionine mutants, HMGA2Q37M, HMGA2I71M and HMGA2Q85M. These mutants were cross-linked using EDC and then cleaved using CNBr to determine which domains are involved in homodimer formation. Our results indicate that the second "AT hook" domain may interact with the C-terminal. We then labeled a peptide containing …

The Role Of Amplicon Length Heterogeneity-Polymerase Chain Reaction In Microbial Community Profiling And Presumptive Testing Of Bioagents, Melissa S. Doud

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the threat of bioterrorist acts, there is a need to develop techniques that rapidly detect possible bioagents. Amplicon length heterogeneity-polymerase chain reaction (ALH-PCR) presumptively identifies eubacteria in samples by detecting differences between the lengths of the hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene. To study the efficiency, reproducibility, and reliability of the technique, sputum from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients has been chosen as the model system. There is an abundance of microorganisms in the sputum of the CF lung. Using ALH-PCR, the complex microbial diversity and vast community composition in the lungs of the CF patients were studied. …

Improving Civil Jury Decision-Making : Evidentiary And Procedural Issues, Julian A. Gilbert

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The civil jury has been under attack in recent years for being unreliable and incompetent. Considering the myriad causes for poor civil juror decision-making, the current investigation explores both procedural and evidentiary issues that impact juror's decisions. Specifically, the first phase of this dissertation examines how jurors (mis)use evidence pertaining to the litigants when determining liability and awarding damages. After investigating how jurors utilize evidence, the focus shifts to exploring the utility of procedural reforms designed to improve decision-making (specifically revising the instructions on the laws in the case and bifurcating the damage phases of the trial). Using the results …

Evaluation Of Field Sampling And Analysis Methods For Fire Investigation Including Electronic Noses And Adsorption Sampling/Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry, Laura Conner

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluates the use of commercially available instruments for locating and collecting accelerants in the field. Electronic noses can be used to scan a fire scene for the possible presence of an accelerant. The TLV Sniffer® was found to be able to detect accelerants at low levels but did alert to some burned matrix alone. When subjected to a proficiency test designed for canines, the TLV Sniffer® was able to locate accelerants in two of the three tests. The tpi®Pocket was found not to be sensitive or selective enough to be useful in locating accelerants. Once the location of …

The Genetic Characterization Of Populations Comprising The Austronesian Language Family, Rachel Anne Chow

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Ascertaining the genetic relationships between Austronesian populations is pivotal to understanding their dispersal throughout the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The Austronesian expansion dates to approximately 6,000 years ago and from the linguistic and archeological evidence, the origin of this dispersal appears to be Taiwan. In this study, six polymorphic point mutation loci were studied in Taiwanese aborigines and compared with 32 other populations. The genetic relationships were characterized by maximum likelihood analysis, principal component maps, centroid gene flow plots, expected heterozygosities, power of discrimination values and pair wise G-tests. Following these analyses, it was apparent that genetic …

In Search Of The Fair Jury : Does Extended Voir Dire Remedy The Effects Of Pretrial Publicity?, Hedy Red Dexter

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study asked two important questions: Does prejudicial pretrial publicity produce bias which may impair juror objectivity and, if it does, can voir dire remedy its untoward effects? Subjects were 68 college undergraduates whose political attitudes had been assessed and who had or had not read case-specific pretrial publicity one week before viewing a murder trial. Trial proceedings took place at the University of Miami law school. Voir dire, trial viewing, and deliberations were conducted in UM's moot courtroom. As predicted, analyses revealed main effects for both voir dire and pretrial publicity such that pretrial publicity increased conviction rate …