ORCID Profile
0000-0002-5656-6121
Current Organisations
University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy
,
University of Tasmania
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Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2017
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 17-01-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41562-021-01258-7
Abstract: People differ in their general tendency to endorse conspiracy theories (that is, conspiracy mentality). Previous research yielded inconsistent findings on the relationship between conspiracy mentality and political orientation, showing a greater conspiracy mentality either among the political right (a linear relation) or amongst both the left and right extremes (a curvilinear relation). We revisited this relationship across two studies spanning 26 countries (combined N = 104,253) and found overall evidence for both linear and quadratic relations, albeit small and heterogeneous across countries. We also observed stronger support for conspiracy mentality among voters of opposition parties (that is, those deprived of political control). Nonetheless, the quadratic effect of political orientation remained significant when adjusting for political control deprivation. We conclude that conspiracy mentality is associated with extreme left- and especially extreme right-wing beliefs, and that this non-linear relation may be strengthened by, but is not reducible to, deprivation of political control.
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 26-04-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.FSIGEN.2021.102606
Abstract: Before the advent of forensic DNA profiling, forensic techniques such as fingerprint examination and blood type comparison were used in the identification of suspects. DNA profiling has since become the gold standard of forensic science, and forensic DNA analysis techniques continue to evolve. Recent developments such as familial searching and phenotyping have raised ethical questions and concerns reflecting those expressed in the late 1980s when forensic DNA analysis was first introduced. At that time, attempts to use DNA evidence in criminal trials were met with challenges to its evidential value and admissibility. A common concern was whether the probative value of the evidence would outweigh its potentially prejudicial effect. This gave rise to a complex three-way debate, which revolved around first, the admissibility of the scientific principles in criminal courts second, the scientific process involved in analysing DNA s les and third, the impact that forensic DNA analysis may have on fundamental human rights. Ultimately, debates about the scientific process and the admissibility of such evidence in criminal trials overshadowed the debate about potential infringements of fundamental human rights. This resulted in a lack of critical discussion around the erosion of civil liberties through the use of scientific technologies. This paper revisits the early debates on the development of forensic DNA analysis. It draws parallels with current developments and analyses the potential for current and future human rights infringements, highlighting that the libertarian model offers a necessary counterbalance to the other arguments, due to its concern for maintaining fundamental rights.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 20-08-2016
Abstract: The criminal justice system is one arena in which nonscientists use scientific findings and expert opinions to aid decision making. Forensic science is a standard feature of criminal investigations, out-of-court settlements, and trials. Yet forensic science may be poorly understood by those who use it as a decision aid, with a consequent risk of contributing to miscarriages of justice. In this article, we discuss some of the contentious aspects of communicating expert opinion, and consider how research suggests that scientists might balance the competing concerns of scientific correctness and comprehensibility for nonscientists. Highlighting both research and theory, we argue that modifying language is a necessary component of ensuring understanding. However, the aim of transferring knowledge from a forensic scientist to a nonscientist is a complex task. Language modification alone is not sufficient the practices and processes of communication require consideration. We argue that the dialogue and participation models of communication have much to offer to foster understanding of forensic science and enhance its value in the criminal justice system. We acknowledge some practical challenges to dialogue and participation approaches, and provide an ex le of how innovative organisational practices can help to facilitate effective interprofessional communication.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 03-07-2019
Abstract: Increasingly, digital vigilante activity occurs via social media and can have negative consequences in the broader social world, a phenomenon that can be examined productively through a cultural criminological lens. One ex le of digital vigilantism is the online naming and shaming of people who are convicted or suspected of crime and subjecting them to embarrassment, harassment, and/or condemnation. To contribute to the prevention of negative impacts of online naming and shaming, this study aimed to better understand Australian Facebook users’ views about – and experiences of participating in – online naming and shaming. Participants ( n = 122) were primarily young Tasmanian adults who completed an online qualitative survey. Over one-quarter (26%) of participants reported having liked posts that name and shame a person suspected or convicted of crime, with smaller proportions engaging with these posts by sharing or commenting on them. Whilst Facebook users recognised the potential for online naming and shaming to impede justice, they perceived the practice as appropriate if it would foster community awareness and maintain community welfare. The findings are discussed in light of the roles of Facebook users’ emotions, the social media as a cultural product, and the mediascape in constructing versions of reality. Practical implications of the study include the need for policing and media organisations to consider ways to meet their information needs without inadvertently encouraging acts of digital vigilantism. Overall, this study contributes to increased understanding of digital vigilantism and highlights the integral role of social media as a cultural product.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-2023
DOI: 10.1093/FSR/OWAD020
Abstract: Disaster victim identification (DVI) is an important process in the aftermath of disasters to provide answers for the families and communities of victims. Australian forensic practitioners contribute to such processes internationally under difficult post-disaster circumstances. The aim of the study was to better understand the challenges experienced by forensic practitioners in international DVI operations. Participants (N = 20) included DNA analysts, fingerprint examiners, forensic odontologists, forensic pathologists, and mortuary technicians who had experience in DVI operations. Participants were interviewed about their experiences and perceptions of the challenges of DVI. The findings provide valuable insights into the types of DVI operations in which Australian forensic practitioners have been involved internationally. Thematic analysis of interview data resulted in five main themes: the post-disaster work environment DVI management and processes political and financial influences teamwork in intercultural and interdisciplinary contexts and confronting the emotional realities of DVI work. The analysis highlights the interrelated challenges associated with DVI operations in international contexts. Practitioners also provided suggestions for improvement, which generally aligned with the themes and reflected an ethos of learning and continuous improvement in DVI. Further research on education and training and capacity-development initiatives is warranted.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2019
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-04-2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.FORSCIINT.2013.04.026
Abstract: Scientists have an ethical responsibility to assist non-scientists to understand their findings and expert opinions before they are used as decision-aids within the criminal justice system. The communication of scientific expert opinion to non-scientist audiences (e.g., police, lawyers, and judges) through expert reports is an important but under-researched issue. Readability statistics were used to assess 111 conclusions from a proficiency test in forensic glass analysis. The conclusions were written using an average of 23 words per sentence, and approximately half of the conclusions were expressed using the active voice. At an average Flesch-Kincaid Grade level of university undergraduate (Grade 13), and Flesch Reading Ease score of difficult (42), the conclusions were written at a level suitable for people with some tertiary education in science, suggesting that the intended non-scientist readers would find them difficult to read. To further analyse the readability of conclusions, descriptive features of text were used: text structure sentence structure vocabulary elaboration and coherence and unity. Descriptive analysis supported the finding that texts were written at a level difficult for non-scientists to read. Specific aspects of conclusions that may pose difficulties for non-scientists were located. Suggestions are included to assist scientists to write conclusions with increased readability for non-scientist readers, while retaining scientific integrity. In the next stage of research, the readability of expert reports in their entirety is to be explored.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 05-06-2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 05-07-2019
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 17-12-2015
Abstract: Methodologists have urged researchers who use mixed methods to justify their methodological choices and provide greater clarity about the philosophical underpinnings and implications of their approaches. This article outlines the reasoning process undertaken in an endeavor to develop philosophical clarity for an applied, interdisciplinary, mixed methods research project about the communication of scientific evidence in the legal system. I used Greene’s domains of methodology for social inquiry as a framework for addressing reflexive questions about assumptions. Flowing from the domains of values and philosophies, the logic of inquiry was developed before the implications for the integration of findings and reporting of research were outlined. Early engagement in reflexive questioning provided a foundation for methodological refinement throughout the ongoing research journey.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 29-10-2023
Publisher: Center for Open Science
Date: 07-10-2020
Abstract: Research suggests that belief in conspiracy theories (CT) stems from basic psychological mechanisms and is linked to other belief systems (e.g. religious beliefs). While previous research has extensively examined in idual and contextual variables associated with CT beliefs, it has not yet investigated the role of culture. In the current research, we tested, based on a situated cultural cognition perspective, the extent to which culture predicts CT beliefs. Using Hofstede’s model of cultural values, three nation-level analyses of data from 25, 19 and 18 countries using different measures of CT beliefs (Study 1, N = 5,323 Study 2a, N = 12,255 Study 2b, N = 30,994) revealed positive associations between Masculinity, Collectivism and CT beliefs. A cross-sectional study among US citizens (Study 3, N = 350), using in idual-level measures of Hofstede’s values, replicated these findings. A meta-analysis of correlations across studies corroborated the presence of positive links between CT beliefs, Collectivism, r = .31, 95%CI = [.15 .47] and Masculinity, , r = .39, 95%CI = [.18 .59]. Our results suggest that in addition to in idual-differences and contextual variables, cultural factors also play an important role in shaping CT beliefs.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-07-2023
Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing
Date: 28-02-2024
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2014
Publisher: Routledge
Date: 03-11-2021
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2023
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-02-2015
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-10-2014
Abstract: This study tested occupational embeddedness and boundaryless career attitudes as a complementary explanation for career stability and mobility, in occupations previously known for lifetime employment. Current and former Australian teachers and police officers ( n = 315) completed an online survey about their careers. Consistent with the hypothesis, logistic regression analyses confirmed that embeddedness-related variables such as financial responsibility and age predicted having made an active decision to stay in the chosen occupation, and boundaryless career attitudes predicted having left that occupation to change careers. Contrary to the hypothesis, years in the career predicted a history of mobility and years of career-specific education did not add predictive utility to the model. Overall, the findings partially supported the complementary explanation for career stability and mobility. By including current and former occupational members, and identifying predictors of career behavior, this study contributed to deeper understanding of the changing nature of previously lifelong careers.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-03-2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 20-08-2021
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 20-06-2022
DOI: 10.1177/10439862221096955
Abstract: Guam is a Pacific Island in Micronesia with a complex colonial history. Strategically located, Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States and critical military asset. Policing on Guam is influenced by external stakeholders and budgetary limitations. Recently, a community policing model was introduced to better meet community needs and expectations. This study explored the relevance of predictors of satisfaction with police service provision in the Guamanian context. Residents of Guam ( n = 701) participated in a survey that included demographic characteristics, community context, and police–citizen interactions. Satisfaction with police service provision was predicted by age and perceptions of procedural justice, police performance, and police legitimacy. Higher income predicted lower satisfaction. The findings highlight the importance of police legitimacy and related constructs for satisfaction with police service provision on Guam. Initiatives that focus on police performance and procedural justice may help improve satisfaction with police service provision on Guam.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2017
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCIJUS.2014.11.002
Abstract: Clear communication about forensic science is essential to the effectiveness and perceived trustworthiness of the criminal justice system. Communication can be seen as a meaning-making process that involves different components such as the sender of a message, the message itself, the channel in which a message is sent, and the receiver of the message. Research conducted to date on the communication between forensic scientists and non-scientists in the criminal justice system has focused on different components of the communication process as objects of study. The purpose of this paper is to bring together communication theory and past research on the communication of forensic science to contribute to a deeper understanding of it, and to provide a coherent view of it overall. The paper first outlines the broader context of communication theory and science communication as a backdrop to forensic science communication. Then it presents a conceptual framework as a way to organise past research and, using the framework, reviews recent ex les of empirical research and commentary on the communication of forensic science. Finally the paper identifies aspects of the communication of forensic science that may be addressed by future research to enhance the effectiveness of communication between scientists and non-scientists in this multidisciplinary arena.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-09-2015
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.FORSCIINT.2013.12.031
Abstract: Scientific language contains features that may impede understanding for non-scientists. Forensic scientists' written reports are read by police, lawyers, and judges, and thus assessment of readability is warranted. Past studies of readability differed in background theory and approach, but analysed one or more of: content and sequence language and format. Using a holistic approach, we assessed the readability of expert reports (n=78) of forensic glass comparison from 7 Australian jurisdictions. Two main audiences for reports were relevant: police and the courts. Reports for police were presented either as a completed form or as a brief legal-style report. Reports for court were less brief and used either legal or scientific styles, with content and formatting features supporting these distinctions. Some jurisdictions prepared a single report to satisfy both the courts and police. In general, item list, analytical techniques, results, notes on interpretation, and conclusions were included in reports of all types. However, some reports omitted analytical techniques, and results and conclusions were sometimes combined. According to Flesch Reading Ease, language was difficult, with a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of university undergraduate. Sentences were long and contained undefined specialist terms. Information content per clause (lexical density), was typically high, as for other scientific texts. Uncertainty was expressed differently by jurisdiction. Reports from most jurisdictions were cluttered in appearance, with single-line spacing, narrow margins, and gridlines in tables. Simple suggestions, based on theory and past research, are provided to assist scientists to enhance the readability of expert reports for non-scientists.
Publisher: SAGE Publications, Ltd.
Date: 2014
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-08-2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 17-10-2019
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 04-03-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.FORSCIINT.2014.01.007
Abstract: DNA evidence can be extremely compelling. With ongoing scientific advances and applications of DNA evidence in the criminal justice system, it is increasingly important that police, lawyers, and judges recognise both the limitations of DNA evidence and the strength of the evidence in particular cases. Because most forensic sciences are formally communicated via expert reports, we analysed the readability of 68 such reports of DNA evidence from 6 of 8 Australian jurisdictions. We conducted content analyses using three categories: content and sequence, language, and format. Categories contained qualitative and quantitative items drawn from theory and past research. Report styles differed by jurisdiction and by main audience - police and the courts. Reports for police were brief and few links were made between sections in these reports. Reports for courts were less brief and used either legal or scientific styles. Common sections in reports for courts included: the scientist's specialised knowledge laboratory accreditation information item list results and notes on interpretation. Sections were often not in a logical sequence, due to the use of appendices. According to Flesch Reading Ease scores, reports for police had language that was fairly difficult, and reports for courts, difficult. Difficulty was compounded by the use of specialist terms. Reports for police and the appendices of reports for court often used very small font and single line spacing. Many reports for court contained tables that spanned several pages. Suggestions based on theory and past research are provided to assist scientists to enhance the readability of reports for non-scientists.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-05-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-06-2023
Publisher: Center for Open Science
Date: 15-04-2019
Abstract: Much research on moral judgment is centered on moral dilemmas in which deontological perspectives (i.e., emphasizing rules, in idual rights and duties) are in conflict with utilitarian judgements (i.e., following the greater good defined through consequences). A central finding of this field Greene et al. showed that psychological and situational factors (e.g., the intent of the agent, or physical contact between the agent and the victim) play an important role in people’s use of deontological versus utilitarian considerations when making moral decisions. As their study was conducted with US s les, our knowledge is limited concerning the universality of this effect, in general, and the impact of culture on the situational and psychological factors of moral judgments, in particular. Here, we empirically test the universality of deontological and utilitarian judgments by replicating Greene et al.’s experiments on a large (N = X,XXX) and erse (WEIRD and non-WEIRD) s le across the world to explore the influence of culture on moral judgment. The relevance of this exploration to a broad range of policy-making problems is discussed.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 02-02-2014
Abstract: Once associated with lifetime employment, policing and teaching have become increasingly associated with employee attrition. We used a life course research design to explore career turning points and transitions, in the context of preceding and following careers. Former police officers ( n = 9) and former teachers ( n = 15) from around Australia participated in 30- to 60-min interviews about their careers and career decision making. Transcribed interview responses were analyzed using contextualizing and categorizing methods. Although participants’ experiences of ruptures preceding voluntary career change differed, the theme of feeling undervalued as a result of ruptures was common among participants. Participants felt valued in subsequent careers when prior skills were recognized and opportunities existed to acquire and apply new skills. Practical implications include the need for organizations to offer supportive workplace environments that value in idual members and their contributions.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-04-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41562-022-01319-5
Abstract: The study of moral judgements often centres on moral dilemmas in which options consistent with deontological perspectives (that is, emphasizing rules, in idual rights and duties) are in conflict with options consistent with utilitarian judgements (that is, following the greater good based on consequences). Greene et al. (2009) showed that psychological and situational factors (for ex le, the intent of the agent or the presence of physical contact between the agent and the victim) can play an important role in moral dilemma judgements (for ex le, the trolley problem). Our knowledge is limited concerning both the universality of these effects outside the United States and the impact of culture on the situational and psychological factors affecting moral judgements. Thus, we empirically tested the universality of the effects of intent and personal force on moral dilemma judgements by replicating the experiments of Greene et al. in 45 countries from all inhabited continents. We found that personal force and its interaction with intention exert influence on moral judgements in the US and Western cultural clusters, replicating and expanding the original findings. Moreover, the personal force effect was present in all cultural clusters, suggesting it is culturally universal. The evidence for the cultural universality of the interaction effect was inconclusive in the Eastern and Southern cultural clusters (depending on exclusion criteria). We found no strong association between collectivism/in idualism and moral dilemma judgements.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 12-07-2022
DOI: 10.1177/10439862221096960
Abstract: Transnational and organized crime has become more prominent in the Pacific region in recent years, leading to challenges for law enforcement agencies in the region. The production and trafficking of illicit drugs are common concerns that illustrate the nexus between transnational and local crime landscapes. This article discusses approaches to the policing of such crime used by Pacific law enforcement agencies and regional partners. Informed by regional agreements, national security strategies of Pacific Islands governments, and theory about security networks, the article argues that plural and hybrid policing approaches, more commonly associated with community policing, may be effective models to combat drug-related crime. These approaches can involve cultural, social, and hierarchical webs that act as security nodes or networks on the frontline against illicit activities. Given different strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches available, an integrated and multifaceted approach to addressing drug-related crime offers the best chance of success.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-06-2022
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 25-07-2023
DOI: 10.1177/1037969X231190484
Abstract: This article considers the historical development of DNA-related forensic procedures legislation in Australian jurisdictions from a critical forensic studies lens. It shows that the original intent of such legislation was to balance society’s need for effective crime control against certain rights of the in idual, such as privacy and bodily integrity, and the rights of a suspect to due process. The article documents how the initial legislative intent has been eroded. This has occurred because, in conjunction with the continued development of DNA techniques, the use of forensic DNA data has been routinised. The current legislation focuses too much on crime control, while consideration of the suspect's right to privacy, dignity and honour, as required by the initial legislation, has decreased in relative importance.
No related grants have been discovered for Loene Howes.