by rbartels | Mar 3, 2020 | Publications
Congrats to FCRG member Dr Georgina Gous who, in collaboration with Dr Robin Kramer, has published a new two-study paper examining the utility of face descriptions (without memory) in ‘Applied Cognitive Psychology’.
Kramer, R. S., & Gous, G. (2020). Eyewitness descriptions without memory: The (f) utility of describing faces. Applied Cognitive Psychology. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3645
Abstract:
Eyewitness descriptions provide critical information for the police and other agencies to use during investigations. While researchers have typically considered the impact of memory, little consideration has been given to the utility of facial descriptions themselves, without the additional memory demands. In Experiment 1, participants described face images to their partners, who were then required to select these faces from photographic lineups. Performance was error‐prone when the same image appeared in the lineup (73% correct), and decreased further when a different image of the same face was presented (22% correct). We found some evidence to suggest this was due, in part, to difficulties with recognizing that two different images depicted the same person. In Experiment 2, we demonstrated that descriptions of the same face given by different people showed only moderate agreement. Taken together, these results highlight the problematic nature of facial descriptions, even without memory, and their limited utility.
by rbartels | Jan 28, 2020 | Publications
Gous, G., & Wheatcroft, J. M. (2020). Directive Leading Questions and Preparation Technique Effects on Witness Accuracy. SAGE Open, 10(1), 2158244019899053.
The use of leading questions during cross-examination can undermine the accuracy and completeness of evidence presented in court. Furthermore, increasing numbers of general witnesses are arriving in court unprepared for the experience. In this study, 60 mock witnesses from England and Wales were allocated to one of the three preparation conditions: (a) those who received no familiarization with the cross-examination process, (b) those who received a guidance booklet on cross-examination procedures, and (c) those who underwent an alternative rapport-building protocol. The participants observed a hit-and-run scenario video clip before being cross-examined with either (a) non-directive leading questions or (b) directive leading questions. The results showed that directive leading questioning styles were most detrimental to witness accuracy. Neither familiarization with the types of questions typically employed during cross-examination nor the rapport-building protocol were found to be effective as a preparation strategy to increase accurate responses compared against a control group. Consideration of the impact of directive leading question styles on all witnesses in court seems necessary.
by rbartels | Nov 29, 2019 | Publications
A new study by PhD student Elizabeth Deehan and Dr Ross Bartels entitled “Somnophilia: Examining Its Various Forms and Associated Constructs” has been published in the Sexual Abuse.
Somnophilia refers to a sexual interest in having sex someone who is asleep and is an under-researched phenomenon. Using an online sample, this new study provides the first empirical investigation into somnophilia. The study contributes to the literature by:
(1) offering a new measure designed to assess an interest in and proclivity towards somnophilic behaviour.
(2) showing that somnophilic interest is associated with necrophilic, biastophilic, and sadistic sexual fantasies, as well as a need for sexual dominance
(3) highlighting that many people are also interested in being the recipient of sexual activity while asleep (the authors term this “dormaphilia”), which is associated with masochistic fantasies and a need for sexual submission
The paper suggests that somnophilia may not be as rare as first thought. It also indicates that it is important to differentiate between consensual somnophilia and non-consensual somnophilia.
Elizabeth Deehan is now continuing to investigate somnophilia more deeply as part of her PhD research.
by rbartels | Jun 4, 2019 | Publications
Dr Ross Bartels has (in collaboration with Professor Theresa Gannon) contributed a chapter entitled “Theories of Rapists” in the new SAGE Encyclopedia of Criminal Psychology.
Details of the book can be found here
by rbartels | May 13, 2019 | Publications
Dr Ross Bartels (and colleagues Dr Robert Lehmann & Dr David Thornton) have published a paper in the open-access journal Frontiers in Psychiatry (Forensic Psychiatry).
The paper is entitled ‘Validating the utility of the Wilson Sex Fantasy Questionnaire with men who have sexually offended against children‘. It examines whether one of the oldest self-report sexual fantasy measures is valid and useful for use with men who have sexually offended against children, as well as men who report some level of sexual interest in children but have not offended. The study highlights some strengths and limitations that are useful for forensic clinicians and researchers to consider.
The paper can be read and downloaded here – https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00206/full
by rbartels | May 13, 2019 | Publications
Amanda Roberts and her colleagues have had two new papers accepted for publication on the topic of problematic gambling.
For those interested in reading the papers when they are published, the references are below:
Sharman, S., Murphy, R., Turner, J. & Roberts, A (2019). Psychosocial correlates in treatment seeking gamblers: Differences in early age onset gamblers vs later age onset gamblers. Addictive Behaviors.
Rogers, J., Landon, J., Sharman, J., & Roberts, A. (2019). Anonymous women? A scoping review of the experiences of women in Gamblers Anonymous (GA). International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction.
In addition to these, Amanda and colleague also recently published a paper examining whether GPS should screen for gambling disorders.
Roberts, A., Bowden Jones, H., Roberts, D. & Sharman, S. (2019). Should GPs routinely screen for gambling disorders? British Journal of General Practice, 69 (682): 226-227.
by rbartels | Feb 16, 2017 | Publications
The most recent issue of the Journal of Sexual Aggression is a special issue on the topic of ‘Online Sex Offending – Approaches to Assessment and Intervention‘. This special issue has been guest edited by FCRG’s own Dr Hannah Merdian, in collaboration with Prof. Derek Perkins.
The area of online sex offending – including the downloading, viewing, and sharing of Child Sexual Exploitation Material (CSEM), as well as online grooming and solicitation of children – is rapidly growing in terms of the depth and breadth of research and knowledge-base. Dr Merdian and Prof. Perkins are key figures in this area and, in this special issue, they have brought together a series of research articles by other key researchers (as well as book reviews and a letter from Dr Seto) that showcase some of the most recent findings, thinking, and practical advances in the area. This includes risk factors associated with undetected CSEM users, CSEM-related cognitions, an anthropological analysis of CSEM offending, sexual grooming of children, feedback from CSEM users regarding a risk-reduction programme,and more.
Many of the online articles in the Special Issue – including the Introduction by Dr Merdian and Prof. Perkins – are currently open-access and can be found by clicking on this link.
by rbartels | Jan 19, 2017 | Publications
FCRG member – Dr Ross Bartels – has just published a paper in Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment entitled “Assessing Sexual Interest in Children Using the Go/No-Go Association Test”, along with co-authors Prof. Anthony Beech, Dr Leigh Harkins, and Dr David Thornton.
The aim of this paper was to examine whether an indirect measure called the Go-No/Go Association Task (GNAT) is capable of assessing sexual interest in children. The authors found that men who have sexually offended against an extrafamilial child were faster at categorising child-related and sexual fantasy-related stimuli than adult-related and sexual fantasy-related stimuli (suggesting a stronger association between children and sexual fantasy). This pattern of responding was not seen in non-offenders or a group comprised of men with sexual offences against an intrafamilial child or against both adults and children.
Since individuals with extrafamilial offences tend to have a stronger sexual interest in children, these findings suggest that the GNAT is able to assess sexual interest in children. Moreover, the GNAT data correlated with the use of sexual fantasies about children in a manner that further supports this conclusion. Since the GNAT has some unique strengths as an indirect measure (e.g., it can assess single categories and absolute associations in addition to relative associations), this study provides preliminary support for the use of GNATs as a measure of sexual interest. Thus, with further corroboration, the GNAT may become a useful tool for both researchers and practitioners.
The article can be read here
by rbartels | Dec 10, 2016 | Publications
We are delighted to inform readers of a new publication from members of the FCRG. The paper in question is from Dr Ross Bartels and Prof Todd Hogue (led by FCRG associate Dr Craig Harper) entitled “Reducing Stigma and Punitive Attitudes Toward Pedophiles Through Narrative Humanization” published in ‘Sexual Abuse: A Journal of Research and Treatment’.
This study addresses an important (and very current) topic within the literature – namely, people’s view of paedophiles. Prior research has shown that such views are highly stigmatised and punitive in nature. This view is largely due to a misunderstanding of what a paedophile is, driven by a common misconception that a paedophilic individual is a sexual offender (against children). These views can have negative consequences for paedophilic individuals who have no desire to offend, including increasing their risk of offending. As such, there is a need to find strategies that can improve these views allowing for more rational discussions of this topic, rather than purely emotion-driven responses.
In this present paper (N = 100), Harper, Bartels, and Hogue found that presenting participants with a first-person narrative stimulus (i.e., a male discussing his experiences of being a non-offending paedophile) and an informative stimulus (i.e., an expert describing what paedophilia is and is not) both led to reduced stigmatising and punitive attitudes towards paedophiles as measured via self-report questionnaires. Moreover, they found that only the former – which they termed a ‘humanised narrative’ – resulted in reduced negative views at an implicit (or automatic) level, as measured by a mousetracking task. The findings offer an important contribution to the literature on how the to address the misconceived, stigmatising views that people tend to hold towards paedophiles. We look forward to seeing how this specific area of research continues.
A pre-proof copy of the paper can be viewed here
by rbartels | Nov 18, 2016 | Publications
Last week, a new book on sexual offending (containing three volumes) was published. The work, entitled “The Wiley Handbook on the Theories, Assessment, and Treatment of Sexual Offending”, is the result of a large project involving 6 editors across 3 volumes (Vol 1. on Theory was edited by Tony Beech & Tony Ward; Vol 2. on Assessment by Leam Craig & Martin Rettenberger; and Vol 3. on Treatment by Bill Marshall & Liam Marshall), and 1 overseeing editor (Douglas Boer) who brought all the volumes (including over 80 chapters) together.
We are happy to say that three members of the FCRG contributed to three chapters!
First, Dr Ross Bartels (along with Tony Beech) have a chapter on ‘Theories of Deviant Sexual Fantasy’ in Volume 1 (Theory). This marks one of the only existing publications that consolidates the existing literature pertaining to the theoretical underpinnings of deviant sexual fantasies (and also includes the authors’ new model – the ‘Dual-Process Model of Sexual Thinking’).
Second, Ross also contributed another chapter (along with Nicola Gray and Robert Snowden) entitled ‘Indirect Measures of Deviant Sexual Interest’ (in Vol.2 on Assessment). The chapter provides a review of studies that use response-latency measures of deviant sexual interest. While many studies are being frequently published in this area, the chapter provides researchers, clinicians, & other forensic professionals with a general overview of the field.
Third, Prof. Todd Hogue and Charlotte Wesson (along with Prof. Derek Perkins) have contributed a chapter entitled ‘Eye-tracking and assessing sexual interest in forensic contexts‘ to Vol. 2 (Assessment). The chapter focuses a relatively new method of assessing sexual interest (both typical and atypical) – eye-tracking. Todd and Charlotte review the existing studies, concluding that it holds promise as a reliable and hard-to-fake assessment tool.
For more about the book – click here
