Abstract“The eyes are the window of the soul” is a staple cliché in many cultures, but is there a... more Abstract“The eyes are the window of the soul” is a staple cliché in many cultures, but is there any truth to this concept, of any potential importance in the forensic realm? The present study addressed this question in two experiments. It was shown that observation of the eyes and ocular regions of normal control individuals, and of serial killers, enabled average respondents to distinguish these individuals clearly in terms of trustworthiness, likability, and general “goodness.” In both experiments, and based on nothing but this observation, serial killers were consistently rated lower on all three indices. No sex or individual differences were observed in this pattern of results. These findings are consistent with current evolutionary and cognitive theory, and may highlight the importance of the perception of defendants by witnesses and jurors in criminal proceedings.
Police shooting decisions have come under increasing scrutiny, and the degree to which potential ... more Police shooting decisions have come under increasing scrutiny, and the degree to which potential jurors and witnesses understand those decisions is increasingly important. Officers under the stress of shooting situations may use profanity which may be recorded, but which does not relate to tactical outcomes. This research addressed how such profanity may influence public assessment of police performance. A paragraph was provided to respondents, describing a situation in which a male officer shot an armed adult male perpetrator. The officer was presented as either having used or not used profanity in the situation. Respondents were asked to address the officer’s performance under these two different sets of conditions. Profanity resulted in a significantly higher perceived level of officer guilt in these situations, and a diminished perception of his professionalism, but did not result in a lower level of perception as to whether the officer had successfully resolved the situation or had done the “right thing.” Results are discussed in terms of current cognitive theory and of practical application in the field and in court.
Shoot/no-shoot decisions in law enforcement are under increasing scrutiny nationwide. However, li... more Shoot/no-shoot decisions in law enforcement are under increasing scrutiny nationwide. However, little research has addressed the ways in which factors related to assailants and weapons influence these decisions. In the present research, images of adult male, adult female, and juvenile (female) assailants presented simulated direct threats to respondents. Assailants were armed with a pistol, a knife, or a glass bottle. Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they would shoot in the presence of these threats. Respondents also completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Tendencies toward dissociation, a process generating a sense of unreality, influenced the performance of males who shot; more dissociated men took more time to fire. However, dissociation did not influence the performance of women. Sex and youth of the assailant had no effects on the shoot/no-shoot performance of either men or women, and oddly, weapon type had no significant effect on women’s performance, although men were more likely to fire on an assailant of either age or sex armed with a gun or knife than a bottle. These results are discussed in terms of relevance for law enforcement training and for juridical proceedings in shoot/no-shoot cases.
The brain contains many different functional and anatomical regions. However, brain tissues are s... more The brain contains many different functional and anatomical regions. However, brain tissues are sufficiently uniform that the great variety of types of processing in which they engage poses a significant theoretical challenge. How can functionally different kinds of processing, such as verbal memory and reasoning, visual and auditory memory, and mental imagery, all be supported, and appropriately segregated and integrated as needed by the relatively uniform electrochemical activity of the brain's neurons? In Aging, Representation, and Thought, Matthew J. Sharps provides an empirically based, functional answer to this critical question, from the standpoint of modern cognitive psychology.
Background: DNA-protein interactions in mature brain are increasingly recognized as key regulator... more Background: DNA-protein interactions in mature brain are increasingly recognized as key regulators for behavioral plasticity and neuronal dysfunction in chronic neuropsychiatric disease. However, chromatin assays typically lack single cell resolution, and therefore little is known about chromatin regulation of differentiated neuronal nuclei that reside in brain parenchyma intermingled with various types of non-neuronal cells. Results: Here, we describe a protocol to selectively tag neuronal nuclei from adult brain -either by (anti-NeuN) immunolabeling or transgene-derived histone H2B-GFP fusion protein -for subsequent fluorescence-activated sorting and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). To illustrate an example, we compared histone H3 lysine 4 and 9 methylation marks at select gene promoters in neuronal, non-neuronal and unsorted chromatin from mouse forebrain and human cerebral cortex, and provide evidence for neuron-specific histone methylation signatures. With the modifications detailed in this protocol, the method can be used to collect nuclei from specific subtypes of neurons from any brain region for subsequent ChIP with native/unfixed or crosslinked chromatin preparations. Starting with the harvest of brain tissue, ChIP-ready neuronal nuclei can be obtained within one day.
Undercover (UC) assignments are among the most stressful faced by law enforcement officers. Under... more Undercover (UC) assignments are among the most stressful faced by law enforcement officers. Undercover work features isolation from colleagues and family, the necessity to adopt behaviors and false personal characteristics frequently opposite to the given officer’s beliefs and personality, and negative attention from members of the public and even from fellow officers while in the undercover role. Because of all of these factors, undercover work is frequently associated with problems in mental and physical health, and with difficulties in post-assignment social adjustment with family, community, and department. Undercover work is inherently difficult to research, but as the present review indicates, there is significant overlap between the symptomatology typical of undercover work and of that typical of non-UC police work, normally an area of greater research accessibility. These issues will be addressed below. In addition, this review identifies current best psychological practices in dealing with the undercover officer client; these include reliable, supportive, frequent contact with officer clients, psychoeducation in the areas of coping mechanisms, reframing of undercover work in terms of the overall corpus of the given officer’s career, and mechanisms of reintegration of the undercover officer into the realm of more typical, and frequently more mundane, regular police duties.
The spatial memory of elderly and young adults was compared in two conditions: one in which commo... more The spatial memory of elderly and young adults was compared in two conditions: one in which common objects were displayed on a map, and one in which the objects were displayed in an actual environment (a large room) represented by the map. In the map condition, elderly adults had lower spatial memory scores than did young adults. In the room condition, however, the performance of elderly adults was not different from that of young adults. It was hypothesized that differences in the visual distinctiveness of the two contexts, map and room, were responsible for the interaction of age and task setting. An experiment using models of the map-room structures, models that differed in the visual distinctiveness of their components, confirmed this hypothesis.
The free recall of objects located in space was examined in young and elderly respondents. The vi... more The free recall of objects located in space was examined in young and elderly respondents. The visual distinctiveness of the spatial context in which the stimulus objects were placed was varied systematically. Under conditions in which contextual cues were lacking (objects presented simply in a list format), or in which the context was visually bland (a two-dimensional, black-and-white map), the free-recall performance of elderly persons was significantly poorer than that of young adults. Under conditions in which visually distinctive cues were added to the spatial context (a colored map, a three-dimensional unpainted model, a three-dimensional painted model, or a large room), no difference in performance between young and elderly respondents was observed. Results support the hypothesis that visually distinctive cues produce greater depth of processing for elderly persons, facilitating free recall of objects located in space.
Abstract“The eyes are the window of the soul” is a staple cliché in many cultures, but is there a... more Abstract“The eyes are the window of the soul” is a staple cliché in many cultures, but is there any truth to this concept, of any potential importance in the forensic realm? The present study addressed this question in two experiments. It was shown that observation of the eyes and ocular regions of normal control individuals, and of serial killers, enabled average respondents to distinguish these individuals clearly in terms of trustworthiness, likability, and general “goodness.” In both experiments, and based on nothing but this observation, serial killers were consistently rated lower on all three indices. No sex or individual differences were observed in this pattern of results. These findings are consistent with current evolutionary and cognitive theory, and may highlight the importance of the perception of defendants by witnesses and jurors in criminal proceedings.
Police shooting decisions have come under increasing scrutiny, and the degree to which potential ... more Police shooting decisions have come under increasing scrutiny, and the degree to which potential jurors and witnesses understand those decisions is increasingly important. Officers under the stress of shooting situations may use profanity which may be recorded, but which does not relate to tactical outcomes. This research addressed how such profanity may influence public assessment of police performance. A paragraph was provided to respondents, describing a situation in which a male officer shot an armed adult male perpetrator. The officer was presented as either having used or not used profanity in the situation. Respondents were asked to address the officer’s performance under these two different sets of conditions. Profanity resulted in a significantly higher perceived level of officer guilt in these situations, and a diminished perception of his professionalism, but did not result in a lower level of perception as to whether the officer had successfully resolved the situation or had done the “right thing.” Results are discussed in terms of current cognitive theory and of practical application in the field and in court.
Shoot/no-shoot decisions in law enforcement are under increasing scrutiny nationwide. However, li... more Shoot/no-shoot decisions in law enforcement are under increasing scrutiny nationwide. However, little research has addressed the ways in which factors related to assailants and weapons influence these decisions. In the present research, images of adult male, adult female, and juvenile (female) assailants presented simulated direct threats to respondents. Assailants were armed with a pistol, a knife, or a glass bottle. Respondents were asked to indicate whether or not they would shoot in the presence of these threats. Respondents also completed the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES). Tendencies toward dissociation, a process generating a sense of unreality, influenced the performance of males who shot; more dissociated men took more time to fire. However, dissociation did not influence the performance of women. Sex and youth of the assailant had no effects on the shoot/no-shoot performance of either men or women, and oddly, weapon type had no significant effect on women’s performance, although men were more likely to fire on an assailant of either age or sex armed with a gun or knife than a bottle. These results are discussed in terms of relevance for law enforcement training and for juridical proceedings in shoot/no-shoot cases.
The brain contains many different functional and anatomical regions. However, brain tissues are s... more The brain contains many different functional and anatomical regions. However, brain tissues are sufficiently uniform that the great variety of types of processing in which they engage poses a significant theoretical challenge. How can functionally different kinds of processing, such as verbal memory and reasoning, visual and auditory memory, and mental imagery, all be supported, and appropriately segregated and integrated as needed by the relatively uniform electrochemical activity of the brain's neurons? In Aging, Representation, and Thought, Matthew J. Sharps provides an empirically based, functional answer to this critical question, from the standpoint of modern cognitive psychology.
Background: DNA-protein interactions in mature brain are increasingly recognized as key regulator... more Background: DNA-protein interactions in mature brain are increasingly recognized as key regulators for behavioral plasticity and neuronal dysfunction in chronic neuropsychiatric disease. However, chromatin assays typically lack single cell resolution, and therefore little is known about chromatin regulation of differentiated neuronal nuclei that reside in brain parenchyma intermingled with various types of non-neuronal cells. Results: Here, we describe a protocol to selectively tag neuronal nuclei from adult brain -either by (anti-NeuN) immunolabeling or transgene-derived histone H2B-GFP fusion protein -for subsequent fluorescence-activated sorting and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP). To illustrate an example, we compared histone H3 lysine 4 and 9 methylation marks at select gene promoters in neuronal, non-neuronal and unsorted chromatin from mouse forebrain and human cerebral cortex, and provide evidence for neuron-specific histone methylation signatures. With the modifications detailed in this protocol, the method can be used to collect nuclei from specific subtypes of neurons from any brain region for subsequent ChIP with native/unfixed or crosslinked chromatin preparations. Starting with the harvest of brain tissue, ChIP-ready neuronal nuclei can be obtained within one day.
Undercover (UC) assignments are among the most stressful faced by law enforcement officers. Under... more Undercover (UC) assignments are among the most stressful faced by law enforcement officers. Undercover work features isolation from colleagues and family, the necessity to adopt behaviors and false personal characteristics frequently opposite to the given officer’s beliefs and personality, and negative attention from members of the public and even from fellow officers while in the undercover role. Because of all of these factors, undercover work is frequently associated with problems in mental and physical health, and with difficulties in post-assignment social adjustment with family, community, and department. Undercover work is inherently difficult to research, but as the present review indicates, there is significant overlap between the symptomatology typical of undercover work and of that typical of non-UC police work, normally an area of greater research accessibility. These issues will be addressed below. In addition, this review identifies current best psychological practices in dealing with the undercover officer client; these include reliable, supportive, frequent contact with officer clients, psychoeducation in the areas of coping mechanisms, reframing of undercover work in terms of the overall corpus of the given officer’s career, and mechanisms of reintegration of the undercover officer into the realm of more typical, and frequently more mundane, regular police duties.
The spatial memory of elderly and young adults was compared in two conditions: one in which commo... more The spatial memory of elderly and young adults was compared in two conditions: one in which common objects were displayed on a map, and one in which the objects were displayed in an actual environment (a large room) represented by the map. In the map condition, elderly adults had lower spatial memory scores than did young adults. In the room condition, however, the performance of elderly adults was not different from that of young adults. It was hypothesized that differences in the visual distinctiveness of the two contexts, map and room, were responsible for the interaction of age and task setting. An experiment using models of the map-room structures, models that differed in the visual distinctiveness of their components, confirmed this hypothesis.
The free recall of objects located in space was examined in young and elderly respondents. The vi... more The free recall of objects located in space was examined in young and elderly respondents. The visual distinctiveness of the spatial context in which the stimulus objects were placed was varied systematically. Under conditions in which contextual cues were lacking (objects presented simply in a list format), or in which the context was visually bland (a two-dimensional, black-and-white map), the free-recall performance of elderly persons was significantly poorer than that of young adults. Under conditions in which visually distinctive cues were added to the spatial context (a colored map, a three-dimensional unpainted model, a three-dimensional painted model, or a large room), no difference in performance between young and elderly respondents was observed. Results support the hypothesis that visually distinctive cues produce greater depth of processing for elderly persons, facilitating free recall of objects located in space.
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Papers by Matthew Sharps