Research Interests

My research program focuses broadly on topics at the intersection of clinical psychology and the legal system, with a focus on forensic assessment. Many of my recent projects have focused on forensic evaluator agreement and bias, with an emphasis on studying these issues in field settings. My studies in this area examine how the context of forensic assessments can influence the reliability and validity of the test scores and clinical decisions that mental health professionals offer in their reports and testimony. Although psychologists typically assume that the test scores they report and the diagnostic conclusions they reach are based entirely upon the functioning of the people they evaluate, this is almost never the case. Test scores, diagnoses, and evaluator opinions in forensic cases can be influenced by many factors that are independent of the examinee’s level of functioning, including the side for which the evaluation is performed (e.g., prosecution or defense), systemic factors (e.g., evaluation deadlines), evaluator traits (e.g., attitudes, empathy), and the idiosyncratic decision-making tendencies of the evaluators.

Curriculum Vita

Lab Website