PhD, Social Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
MA, Social Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago
BA, Psychology, University of North Carolina at Wilmington
About
Research
Research Interests
Dr. Najdowski’s research centers on examining the psychological causes of miscarriages of justice, which occur either when innocent individuals are mistakenly caught up in the criminal justice system or when guilty individuals wrongly evade punishment.
She is specifically interested in understanding the social psychological conditions that produce these errors for marginalized, vulnerable and victimized populations.
Her studies address basic social psychological phenomena — stereotype threat, racial bias, stereotype content, attribution theory, social influences, stigma, psychosocial maturity, social reactions and structural patriarchy — while also shedding light on important real-world issues, including:
- Racial and ethnic disparities in police contacts, false confessions and wrongful convictions
- Deterrence of adolescent offending and treatment of adolescent offenders in the criminal legal system
- Reactions to sexual violence against women
Dr. Najdowski’s interdisciplinary approach generates empirical knowledge that can both advance psychological science and improve equity in law, policy and practice.
Grants/Funding
Dr. Najdowski’s research has been supported with over $460,000 in funding from agencies like the National Science Foundation, the American Psychological Foundation and the Russell Sage Foundation.
Publications
Dr. Najdowski’s scholarship has been recognized with several nationally competitive awards, and published in leading journals in her field, including Law and Human Behavior and Psychology, Public Policy and Law.
She also co-edited two books, Children as Victims, Witnesses, and Offenders: Psychological Science and the Law with Guilford Press and Criminal Juries in the 21st Century: Psychological Science and the Law with Oxford University Press.
Additional Information
Awards & Honors
Dr. Najdowski’s teaching and mentoring also has been recognized by the American Psychology-Law Society and at the University at Albany.