Stigma against false confessors impacts post-exoneration financial compensation.

False confessors are stigmatized more than other exonerees. Traditional theories of stigma suggest that this difference may result from confessors being seen as more responsible for their own wrongful conviction. In the current study, we examined an important tangible consequence of stigma against false confessors-namely, that it might impede their ability to win financial restitution in post-exoneration civil lawsuits. Mock jurors (N = 129), recruited online, read a case summary in which an exoneree is seeking damages after being wrongly convicted due to a false confession or eyewitness misidentification, which either did or did not result from police misconduct. When the exoneree falsely confessed in the absence of police misconduct, mock jurors rated him as most responsible for his own conviction and expressed the most doubt over his actual innocence. Contrary to legal criteria, they also awarded him smaller compensatory and punitive damage awards. Notably, the false confessor was seen as more responsible than the misidentified exoneree even if his interrogation was highly coercive. In turn, false confessors who were seen as more responsible received smaller damage awards. Implications for trial procedure and exoneree compensation are discussed.

Affective forecasting about hedonic loss and adaptation: Implications for damage awards.

In tort lawsuits, plaintiffs may seek damages for loss of enjoyment of life, so-called hedonic loss, which occurred as a result of an accident or injury. In 2 studies, we examined how people judge others' adaptation and hedonic loss after an injury. Laypeople's forecasts of hedonic loss are relevant to concerns about whether jurors appropriately compensate plaintiffs. Longitudinal data of subjective well-being (e.g., Binder & Coad, 2013) show that hedonic loss is domain-specific: Many physical impairments (e.g., strokes) inflict less hedonic loss than many persistent yet invisible ailments (e.g., mental illness and conditions that cause chronic pain). We used vignette methodology to determine whether laypeople (n = 68 community members and 65 students in Study 1; 87 community members and 93 students in Study 2) and rehabilitation professionals (n = 47 in Study 2) were aware of this fact. In Study 1, participants' ratings of hedonic loss subsequent to a physical injury and a comparably severe psychological impairment did not differ. In Study 2, ratings of short- and long-term hedonic loss stemming from paraplegia and chronic back pain showed that neither laypeople nor professionals understood that hedonic loss is domain-specific. These findings imply that observers may forecast a future for people who suffered serious physical injuries as grimmer than it is likely to be, and a future for people who experience chronic pain and psychological disorders as rosier than is likely. (PsycINFO Database Record

Attitudes regarding life sentences for juvenile offenders.

Twice in recent years, the U.S. Supreme Court has considered the constitutionality of life sentences without the possibility of parole (LWOP) for juvenile offenders. Given the public nature of this issue, there is scant information on beliefs about imposing LWOP on juveniles. Attitudes on related issues suggest two possibilities. On the one hand, because public opinion regarding juvenile offenders has become somewhat less punitive recently, LWOP may be viewed as excessively harsh punishment. On the other hand, portrayal of some juvenile offenders as superpredators suggests that LWOP may still have public support. We used survey methodology and the unique "ninth justice paradigm" to examine how an offender's age influences beliefs about the appropriateness of LWOP, and the relationship between those beliefs and punishment-related ideologies. Results showed that, except in the case of murder, the majority of respondents disfavored imposing LWOP on juveniles, though a subset approved broad use of LWOP even for young offenders. In fact, after removing from consideration those who oppose LWOP under any circumstances, youthfulness of the offender has little impact on the beliefs about the types of crimes in which LWOP should be imposed (Study 1) or the mean sentence lengths imposed on juvenile offenders (Study 2). Respondents' punishment goals influenced their attitudes, as did beliefs about the likelihood of rehabilitation and reform. Harsh judgments of juveniles who commit serious crimes may result from dispositional attributions of youthful offenders as irredeemable.

Lessons learned from a study of a complementary therapy for self-managing hypertension and stress in women.

This report evaluates a Hawaiian-based, self-management intervention for reducing blood pressure (BP) and stress in women. It highlights lessons learned when using nonpharmacologic, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies. Specific participant characteristics and preferences should be considered for optimizing health outcomes in CAM research in nursing practice.

Memory strength and lineup presentation moderate effects of administrator influence on mistaken identifications.

Administrator/witness pairs (N = 313) were randomly assigned to target-absent lineups in a 2 (Suspect/Perpetrator Similarity: High Suspect Similarity vs. Low Suspect Similarity) × 2 (Retention Interval: 30 min vs. 1 week) × 2 (Lineup Presentation: Simultaneous vs. Sequential) × 2 (Administrator Knowledge: Single-Blind vs. Double-Blind) factorial design to test whether suspect similarity and memory strength constrain interpersonal expectancy effects on eyewitness identification accuracy. Administrators who knew which lineup member was the suspect (single-blind) or who administered simultaneous lineups were more likely to emit verbal and nonverbal behaviors that suggested to the witness who the suspect was. Additionally, single-blind administrators exerted more pressure on witnesses to choose the suspect as opposed to fillers. Administrator knowledge interacted with retention interval and lineup presentation to influence mistaken identifications of innocent suspects; witnesses were more likely to mistakenly identify an innocent suspect from single-blind than double-blind lineups when witness retention intervals were long and photographs were presented simultaneously. Contrary to our predictions, suspect/perpetrator similarity did not interact with other manipulated variables to influence identification decisions. Both sequential and double-blind procedures should be used to reduce the use of suggestive behavior during lineup administration. (PsycINFO Database Record

Risk factors for COPD: what do NPs know?

PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been identified as the fourth leading cause of death. The primary purpose of this article is to discuss risk factors for COPD and identify at-risk populations. A secondary purpose is to report the findings of a recent survey of nurse practitioners (NPs) in Colorado regarding their knowledge about the risk factors for COPD. Data sources A list of registered NPs in the State of Colorado was obtained from the State Board of Nursing. Surveys were sent to 2916 NPs to assess their knowledge about risk factors for COPD. CONCLUSIONS: Although the response rate was less than 10%, this survey highlighted that there were gaps in knowledge especially for pediatric, women's health, and geriatric NPs. NPs are on the front lines in assisting with the prevention, early diagnosis, and management of this complex disease. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Formal NP educational programs (regardless of focus) should highlight that through recognition of risk factors, NPs can play a significant role in primary and secondary preventive measures that may decrease the impact of COPD. Public media campaigns to educate the public about risk factors may encourage the individual patients to address these risk factors with the primary care provider.

COPD: Overview and survey of NP knowledge.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is quickly becoming one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this article is to review the clinical presentation, spirometry, and pharmacologic management of COPD, as well as the results of a survey examining nurse practitioners' (NPs) knowledge about COPD and its management.