Research Supervisor Connect
Eyewitness testimony is a crucial piece of evidence for solving a crime. Inaccurate testimony leads to miscarriages of justice such as failed prosecutions or false convictions. Many witnesses and victims are affected by alcohol or other drugs during the crime. This project aims to improve understanding of how intoxication with different substances affects the reliability of victim and witness memory accuracy. Crucially, crimes are frequently distressing; therefore the interaction between intoxication and stress urgently requires exploration. This project will significantly advance our understanding of key mechanisms behind drug effects on memory, and support fairer judicial outcomes for all.
Camperdown - Central Clinical School
· To use experimental methods to determine the effects of alcohol and other drug (AOD) use on memory. Specifically, to discover whether different substances (alcohol, cannabis, amphetamines, placebo) have different effects on memory. Memory will be evaluated via three tasks: an event, face recognition, and a word list task. Key theories relating to alcohol intoxication effects on memory will be tested to see if they also can apply to other substances.
· To determine the effects of stress on memory with a robust stress induction procedure (the Maastricht Acute Stress Test, which involves arm submersion in ice water and a psychosocial evaluation task). Stress response will be evaluated through both subjective self-reports and objective stress hormone levels (e.g., cortisol via saliva samples). An especially novel element of this study involves exploring whether stress exacerbates or mitigates any effects of the different substances on memory.
· To determine how people can detect whether someone is intoxicated, and if so by which substances and to what level of intoxication, and the likelihood that this intoxication would impair cognition.
As there are several project objectives and methods employed the candidate has the opportunity to choose which aspects they would like to focus on, including the potential for adding new questions of interest to the project. Additional supervision team members include experts from UNSW, Flinders, ANU, policing, and health.
This is a PhD Opportunity
The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is 3258