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- Member of: Theses and Dissertations
Description
Determining what leads to a 911 caller being perceived as suspicious is crucial. Confirmation bias can be detrimental to an investigation, particularly when the suspect is innocent. Law enforcement are engaging in unreliable 911 analysis techniques when investigating violent crimes, which can exacerbate this confirmation bias against innocent suspects and lead to wrongful convictions. Little is known about what leads to someone being targeted as a suspect in an investigation, so previous studies in our lab sought to find common behavioral indicators that predict suspicion for 911 callers. In this study, participants heard eight 911 calls and gave their impressions of each caller based on these behavioral indicators. We replicated many of the findings from these previous studies; callers perceived as more verbally fluent, under greater cognitive load, and engaging in information and impression management were more suspicious, while callers perceived as more urgent for the victim and emotional were less suspicious. The caller’s gender did not have a moderating impact on perceived suspicion with regards to emotionality. The significant negative relationship between perceived emotionality of the caller and suspicion was significantly stronger when they knew the victim relative to when they did not know the victim. Of note, callers deemed suspicious in this study were not necessarily guilty of the crime they were reporting. When law enforcement use behavioral cues to form suspicion and determine a caller's guilt, it can lead to downstream consequences for wrongful convictions.
ContributorsReeder, Isabelle (Author) / Salerno, Jessica (Thesis director) / Wulff, Alia (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This creative project is about the investigation conducted by Detectives Madison Fox and Mia Katz into the series of murders orchestrated by Professor Grimm at ChemScholars Institute. Professor Grimm uses his botany expertise to locate toxic plants all over the college campus, which he uses to kill the students who mock him, creating a reign of terror. The detectives use toxicology, forensic science, crime scene reports, and autopsy reports to solve the puzzle. An essential part of the investigation is toxicological analysis, which is used to detect toxic substances in the bodies of the victims and link their deaths to Professor Grimm's botanical knowledge. Forensic examination of the crime scenes provides evidence of the traces of poisonous plants found at the murder scene as well as the traces of toxins, and this helps in the reconstruction of how the crime occurred. Fox and Katz combine the various disciplines of forensic science to solve the case, bringing the professor to justice in the end. The interdisciplinary cooperation they demonstrated shows the importance of working together to pursue truth and justice, providing closure for the families of the victims.
ContributorsLevy, Madeleine (Author) / Moore, Amelia (Co-author) / Sweat, Ken (Thesis director) / Sartorio, Adriana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
A six episode podcast series with length averaging 20 minute long episodes describing and analyzing two prominent killers in Phoenix, AZ. The podcast compares and contrasts the murders committed by Mark Goudeau and Cleophus Cooksey in 2005 and 2017 respectively. With the background of both forensic science and forensic psychology, Jack and Lauren look at the forensic evidence and theories that led to the arrests and convictions of two prolific murderers.
ContributorsWatkins, Lauren (Author) / Leeman, Jack (Co-author) / Weidner, Lauren (Thesis director) / Parrott, Jonathan (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
An Investigation of Serial and Spree Killings in Phoenix, A Podcast, is a six-episode podcast with episodes about 20-30 minutes about two different killers in Phoenix. The first episode presents the two cases involving Mark Goudeau and Cleophus Cooksey Jr. Two episodes are dedicated to each killer describing their timeline, victims, and case information. The final episode compares and contrasts the killers as well as touches upon the death penalty and the differences between spree and serial killers.
ContributorsLeeman, Jack (Author) / Watkins, Lauren (Co-author) / Parrott, Jonathan (Thesis director) / Weidner, Lauren (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This study explores the intersection of gender identity and death investigations. The concept of gender is examined across cultures, highlighting how societies recognize and respect gender expression (Farra, 2010). The growing acceptance of transgender identities necessitates the reevaluation of death investigation protocols to ensure deceased individuals are identified and remembered according to their lived gender. (Bloshnich et al., 2022). The paper explores the challenges faced in achieving this goal, and concludes with a case study demonstrating the importance of respecting a transgender person’s identity in death rituals (Bloshnich et al. 2022)
ContributorsFrias, Armin (Author) / Bolhofner, Katelyn (Thesis director) / Marshall, Pamela (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Social anxiety is a growing problem for multiple demographics in our society. One such group of people dealing with social anxiety is the college student population, specifically honors students. College students have been struggling with the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused social anxiety to become more prominent than it has ever been before. Honors students have been hit especially hard with this, because expectations and requirements are held to higher standards than for traditional students. Having social anxiety does not have to halt life for students, however. There are many different paths that a person can take to manage their social anxiety and better their lives overall. From managing social anxiety on your own time, to using university resources, to exploring therapies and other available options, there are multiple avenues that a person can take depending on their situations and preferences. This project also includes a guidebook for the practical application of techniques researched in this paper.
ContributorsGnerer, Rhiannon (Author) / Sturgess, Jessica (Thesis director) / Gruber, Diane (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
Understanding the long-term effects of decomposition on soil microbial communities is critical for advancing forensic science and environmental microbiology. This study investigates the microbial DNA present in soil samples from pig burial sites to identify if microbial indicators of decomposition are still present three years after the pigs were removed from the site. This is a continuation of a study done which analyzed the soil approximately one year after the pigs were removed from the burial site. The comparison of the microbial signatures years apart highlights how the community affected by decomposition will change over time. Sequencing techniques and bioinformatics tools were used to detect both shared and site-specific microbial families across sun and shade environmental conditions. Statistical analysis of the data from the soil samples revealed that the decomposition markers disappeared and the soil has started to return to normal. These results have significant implications for forensic taphonomy, providing insight into the thanatomicrobiome timeline in a desert setting. Ultimately, this research contributes to the development of microbial forensics as a reliable tool for estimating postmortem intervals and death investigation.
ContributorsJones, Emmalee (Author) / Bolhofner, Katelyn (Thesis director) / Marshall, Pamela (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor) / School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies (Contributor)
Created2024-12
Description
This creative project focused on the creation of interactive, and engaging, materials such as puzzles and word searches pertaining to the field of Forensic Science. The overarching goal was to create activities where students could learn more about Forensic Science while still being fun and educational. A lesson plan was created that allowed for the implementation of these materials in middle and high school classroom settings, and a survey was generated to receive feedback about the interactive materials. Based on the data/responses generated from the survey, it was found that these interactive materials were successful in providing students with new information relative to Forensic Science.
ContributorsStephen, Emma (Author) / Bolhofner, Katelyn (Thesis director) / Harris, Jacob (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor)
Created2024-12
DescriptionThis honors thesis explored student understanding of and ability to recognize sexual and relationship violence in addition to their knowledge of available resources.
ContributorsBuathier, Melanie (Author) / Parrott, Jonathan (Thesis director) / Schulz, Trisha (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor) / Dean, New Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (Contributor)
Created2024-12
Description
This paper explores the role of cultural competence and inclusivity in psychology, with a focus on the mental health needs of sexual and gender minorities and their experiences within mental healthcare and the criminal justice system. This work emphasizes the impact of cultural factors, such as gender identity and sexual orientation, on mental health outcomes and the importance of considering these factors in mental health care and psychological interventions. It also highlights the unique challenges faced by sexual and gender minorities and how these challenges are often exacerbated within the criminal justice system. The criminal justice system is a particularly harmful environment for LGBTQIA+ individuals, where discrimination, violence, and systemic biases perpetuate mental health disparities. Key themes of this paper include the importance of understanding sexual and gender identity development, the impact of stigma and discrimination, and the need for culturally informed care. Overall, this paper aims to advocate for more inclusive research, policy reform, and training in cultural competence in both general psychological practice and the criminal justice system. These goals would allow sexual and gender minorities to receive the support and recognition they need for improved mental health outcomes in both clinical and forensic settings.
ContributorsDominguez, Cecelia (Author) / Sturgess, Jessica (Thesis director) / Perkins, Haiden (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Interdisciplinary Forensics (Contributor) / School of Social and Behavioral Sciences (Contributor)
Created2025-05