Previous Research
Individual's Opinion on Expert Testimony
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Social Media Consumption and Perceptions of Safety
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Mental Illness of Incarcerated Individuals Seeking Parole Eligibility
This project studies the impact a diagnosed mental illness has on parole eligibility. The American Corrections System is currently the most populated in the world, with a number of individuals suffering from a mental illness. Parole is used to shorten the sentence of an individual, allowing for reintegration back into society, under supervision. This study is examining the opinions of college students on the parole eligibility of a hypothetical individual suffering from a mental illness. With this study, we hope to bring awareness to the vulnerable populations within the Corrections System and the processes used by our Justice System.
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Language Bias: Victim Testimony of a Violent Crime
The purpose of this study was to examine the believability of a date rape victim’s testimony based on different language barriers. This study tested whether there was a bias in a witness’s testimony based on the different language barriers that can occur. Many studies look at bias in race on believability of a witness or verdict of a defendant; however, there is little to no research that focuses specifically on the language of the witness giving the testimony, particularly involving sign language.
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Policy Issues Regarding the Creation of Deepfakes
This project focused on the legality of the new phenomenon of deepfakes. Currently the legal system does not have anything in place specifically towards the creation of deepfakes and how to protect those whose pictures are being used. The study looked at people at different public levels whose photos have been used, and the different types of deepfakes being made. With this study we hope to bring more awareness to the issue of deepfakes and to help those who will potentially be harmed by them.
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Entrapment with Online Sting Operations
This project examined the impact of law enforcement incentives on juror opinions of entrapment in an online sex sting operation. The goal of a sting operation is to catch a potential criminal before they commit a crime. However, whenever a sting operation occurs, the possibility of law enforcement going too far and entrapping a normally innocent individual exists. This project specifically examined how mock jurors will view law enforcement’s actions when their funding is directly related to how many arrests they make in their sting operations.
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Mental Health Issues for the Deaf Community
This project studied the Deaf community's experience with trauma and mental health services. The project was centered around a survey distributed to members of the Deaf community which aimed to measure their personal experience with traumatic events, their help-seeking behaviors in relation to mental health services, and their experience with behavioral healthcare. We hope to raise more awareness about this population that is often glanced over and underserved in behavioral health services, and to further reveal this population's unique needs in relation to mental healthcare and how existing services can better accommodate this group.
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