Psychology and Law Lab

The Psychology and Law Lab is a group of people who come to do research on issues in psychology that pertain to law. Members of the lab may come from the Clinical, Social, or Cognitive Developmental graduate program, or may be directly admitted to the Psychology and Law graduate program. We have varied interests and have been known to pick up new research topics based on something we read. Psychology and Law applies to real world phenomenon. So we may study perceptions of police shootings based on an increased public interest in police shootings. Or we may do basic research in memory by using an eyewitness memory paradigm. Our research can be basic or applied. But we all agree, "Psychology and Law" is an amazingly interesting field of psychology.

Narina Nunez, PhD 

Email: narina@uwyo.edu

Research Interests

• Jury decision making
• Effect of emotion on decision making
• Judicial legitimacy
• Victim Impact Statements
• Lay understanding of forensic evidence

 

Karlee Provenza, M.S.

Email: kprovenz@uwyo.edu

Research Interests:

• Juror decision making
• Perceptions of police legitimacy and use of force
• Judicial legitimacy
• Scale development
• Science Communication
• Political psychology
• Legal decision making of coerced confessions

Samuel Choi

Email: schoi6@uwyo.edu

Research Interests:

• The influence of emotions on jury-decision making
• Impact of body-worn cameras on police and civilian behavior
• Psychology of teaching and learning in the classroom

Alex Bitter

Email: abitter@uwyo.edu

Research Interests:

• Weighing of trial evidence
• Jury motivation and mindsets
• Prosecutorial overcharging

Nick Michalski

Email: nmichal1@uwyo.edu

Research Interests:

• Psychology and Law
• Jury decision making
• Juror interpretation of various evidence types
• Emotions
• Stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination

Haley Sturges

Email: hsturges@uwyo.edu

Research Interests:

• Jury decision making, specifically in relation to:
  • Child victims
  • Vulnerable adults as victims and defendants
  • Sexual abuse or sexual assault crimes
• The impact of disgust on juror emotions and decision making
• Influence of judicial behavior and perceptions of judicial legitimacy on juror behavior