- Criminal Investigative and Forensic Research - CIFR
- Centre for Psychological Sciences
About me
I am a Lecturer in Psychology and I am interested in eyewitness memory and investigative interviewing.
I have completed a Bachelor and Master degree in Psychology in La Sapienza, University of Rome, and a PhD in Goldsmiths University of London with a thesis entitled Confidence malleability in the interviewing setting, and its effect on subsequent memory monitoring and regulation.
While my research focuses on eyewitness metamemory, I have investigated several aspects of eyewitness interviewing and collaborated on different research projects within different HE Institutions in the UK. In 2019 I worked as a Research Associate on a project investigating rapport building techniques within traditional and virtual environments. In 2018, in collaboration with the Goldsmiths University and the National Crime Agency I have facilitated the developing and testing of the a Self - Administered Interview for missing persons investigations. In 2016 I have been employed on a project funded by the College of Policing, and developed a Systematic Map summarising the best available research evidence on investigative interviewing.
Teaching
I teach at L 4, 5 and 6 on the BSc Psychology and Criminology Course, the BSc Psychology Course and the BA Criminology Course. I focus on Cognitive and Biological Psychology applied to crime, including I teach about the association between cognitive processes and crime and about the biological correlates of criminal and antisocial behaviour. I also teach on the L6 Forensic Psychology module, here I focus on Investigative Psychology, including I teach eyewitness memory, and investigative interviewing.
I also supervise BSc dissertation projects on different areas within Forensic and Investigative Psychology.
Research
I am interested in eyewitness memory, metamemory and investigative interviewing. In my research I have investigated how different interviewing techniques differently influence eyewitness memory reporting and regulation.
- In 2019 in collaboration with Dr Donna Taylor and Professor Coral Dando I have investigated the impact of rapport building techniques on the quality of information reported by eyewitnesses within a face-to-face and a virtual reality environment.
- In 2016, I have worked on a project funded by the College of Policing. Here I have developed a Systematic Map summarising the best available research evidence on “What works in Investigative Interviewing” subsequently used by the College of Policing to develop evidence-based National Guidelines for the Initial Account Interviews.
- In 2014 I have worked on a project funded by the British Academy, focusing on the impact of different questioning styles on subsequent learning of information.
- In 2014 I have worked on a project aimed to develop an alternative and improved format for the Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) form, currently used by the Interpol to identify victims of mass casualty incidents.
I have also worked on applied projects and in collaboration with practitioners:
- In 2018, in collaboration with Professor Fiona Gabbert, the Goldsmiths University and the National Crime Agency – Missing Person Unit, I have contributed to the developing and field testing a Self - Administered Interview for Missing Persons Investigations.
- In 2015 I have facilitated a series of workshops focused on Investigative Interviewing addressed to Front Line Police Officers at the Greater Manchester Police and Thames Valley Police, and to Amnesty International investigators.
Publications
For details of all my research outputs, visit my WestminsterResearch profile.