Can eyewitnesses give accurate and reliable testimonies? We investigate factors that influence eyewitness memory, as well as ways to improve the reliability of their testimonies. We also study how well people can recognise and match faces that are unfamiliar to them.
How can we increase the credibility of honest witnesses in legal settings? Can expert testimony effectively address misconceptions that jurors have about witness credibility?
How do personal, social, and cultural factors affect the recognition, interpretation and memory of Domestic, Family, & Sexual Violence? In our lab we focus on improving judicial responses to physical and non-physical forms of interpersonal violence.
How can we interview witnesses in ways that protect their psychological well-being? What are the effects of post-incident debriefing on post-traumatic stress symptomology? This research investigates how psychological responses to an event are related to memory and well-being.
Are you good at deceiving others? How can you tell if someone is lying? Our research looks at individual differences that people have in their abilities to lie and detect lies.
Occasionally we recruit motivated, hard-working students to volunteer in our Forensic Psychology Lab. This provides a good opportunity for students to gain some valuable experience and knowledge about psychological research. We request volunteers to commit about three to five hours per week of their time to work on a number of projects (e.g., coding data, piloting studies, acting as a confederate). Preference is given to:
Spaces are limited and selection can be quite competitive. If you are interested, please send your CV to Helen Paterson (helen.paterson@sydney.edu.au).
