The Culture, Conflict, and Law (CC&L) lab leverages social psychological theory and empirical research methodology to help inform legal scholars’ and policymakers’ understanding of how human psychology affects policy and legal judgment and decision-making. Most of the lab’s projects involved legal processes that are alternatives to litigation such as plea bargaining, mediation, and arbitration. Often, we consider the implications of psychological processes that are influenced by cultural cognition (how our cultural background influences cognitive processes and motivations), empathy, and systematic biases.
One of the lab’s major projects involves collecting mixed-method (interviews and survey) empirical data to help explain (1) how and why dispute resolution preferences are formed; (2) how these preferences impact dispute resolution decisions; and (3) how and why these preferences then impact the effectiveness of different dispute resolution processes to better inform dispute system design. To do this, we have interviewed and surveyed participants who are in the early stages of attempting to resolve civil legal conflicts.
Advisor Name | Dr. Ashley Votruba |
ashley.votruba@unl.edu | |
Website | |
Advisor Department | Psychology |
Potential Student Tasks | Undergraduate Research Assistants who work on the project may participate in many aspects of the research process including: (1) study material development, (2) literature reviews, (3) participant screening, (4) participant interviews, (5) data coding and data analysis, etc. In the 2022 – 2023 year, RAs will spend most of their time assisting with data coding and future project development. RAs attend bi-weekly lab meetings, may be asked to work specific hours, and are generally expected to complete the assigned work on time. In addition to the research experience, the CC&L lab provides professional development workshops and discussions. |
Student Qualifications | The most important qualification is a keen interest in law-psychology, and in particular the desire to gain a better understanding of civil and criminal justice. (The best research experiences are the ones you are excited about!) Applicants should also be organized and willing to put in the necessary time to ensure attention to detail. Members of the lab typically work in a team environment and are encourage to have good communication skills. General knowledge of social psychology and/or law are useful but not a requirement. |
Available Positions | 3 |