Amanda V. Tabert Lifespan Cognition Lab Interview
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Lifespan Cognition Lab (Tier 2 Canada Research Chair Psychology Lab)
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2016/06/20
Tell us about brief background – education, family, and work.
My mother is Taiwanese, and my father is Canadian. I was born and raised in Taiwan until I was 11, and then I moved to Canada permanently to live with my father. I had forgotten most of my English by then (Chinese-Mandarin is my mother-tongue), so I ended up re-learning it with an English dictionary and some Harry Potter books (motivation can be unwavering when you’re desperate to know what happens next in a story). I finished high school a little later than the average educated-folks due to my language barrier, but there was nothing I wanted more than to go to school and learn psychology, so I pushed myself through high school while financially supporting myself – the work paid off.
Your research interest is in forensic psychology. In particular, the manner in which context can create cognitive biases and the impacts of these cognitive biases on the legal system. For example, the reliability of eyewitness testimonies and the possibility for cognitive contamination in forensic experts based on the context. Why forensic psychology?
I’ve always been fascinated with the intersection between psychology and the legal system – I want to work with those who are in trouble with the law. My main interest is in providing rehabilitative treatment in correctional facilities, but providing assessments, giving expert testimony, and evaluating competency to stand trial is also appealing to me.
With respect to, and between, cognitive biases, eyewitness testimonies, cognitive contamination, and the legal system, what unified theme contains the most fascination for you?
If I had to pick the one discovery in psychology that surprised me the most about the human mind, is just how delicate it can be to cognitive bias. And since the legal system is where I find psychology to be most stimulating, I prefer to study cognitive bias in people who work for or with the law.
You are an undergraduate at Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the Kwantlen Polytechnic Psychology Society. You research in Dr. Daniel Bernstein’s Lifespan Cognition Lab and Dr. Karen Parhar’s Crime Desistance Lab. How do these psychology ‘labs’ promote ability, knowledge, and skill development towards the research interest in forensic psychology?
If it wasn’t for these labs, I probably would never have discovered my passion for research –which is why they play a vital role in my academic progress. Of course it is important to attend classes, write papers and pass exams, but you are constantly putting your knowledge to work in the lab. Lifespan Cognition Lab was the first one I joined; it was Dr. Bernstein and the other research assistants who sparked my curiosity in research because they encouraged me to attend psychology conferences and to get actively involved with research projects. In Dr. Parhar’s Crime Desistance Lab, I get to sharpen my interviewing skills by talking to ex-offenders about their previous run-ins with the law and their reintegration into society. I believe these labs are absolutely essential for students to solidify what they learn in classes, and also to get ready for graduate school.
You work on a hindsight bias and confirmation bias project with Dr. Daniel Bernstein and Dr. Itiel Dror. What is the research question and state of the project?
Well, we’re still collecting data for the project, and since I’m only the research assistant, I’m not actually sure how much I can give away!
Regarding forensic psychology, the research with Drs. Bernstein, Parhar, and Dror, and research on hindsight bias and confirmation bias, what are the next steps for 2016 and in the years to come for you?
Well, I will be officially starting my honours program this September, and will complete it in the spring of 2017. I will still be a 3rd year student by the time the honours program ends, so I’m looking at graduation perhaps around early 2018. After that, off to work on my master’s degree. And after that, I will be looking at a doctoral degree. I know many people who cringe at the thought of the years to come after their bachelor’s degree – don’t get me wrong, I’m expecting some tears and coffee-addiction, but I absolutely love school, and cannot wait to bring it on.
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