Monica K Miller
Biographic Data
| ID | 3641693 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Monica K Miller |
| GIVEN NAMES | Monica K |
| FAMILY NAME | Miller |
| SIGNATURE | MILLER M K |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Nevada, Reno |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 51 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 24 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2006 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Judges’ Perceptions of Systemic Racism in the Criminal Justice System
Recognition of the causes and consequences of systemic racism, particularly related to the criminal justice system, has increased in recent years, in part because of the Black Lives Matter movement. Awareness of racism and how it intersects with the justice system is a first step to addressing it; thus, it is critical to understand the sentiment of justice employees regarding systemic racism. This content analysis assessed the sentiment of 632 ju…
Black Dog Bias in the Courtroom
Because facility dogs can provide comfort to vulnerable testifying witnesses, they are beginning to become commonplace in some courtrooms. However, certain dogs (and by extension the witness they testify with) might be discriminated against because of their coat color. Known as "Black Dog Bias" (BDB), black dogs are often reported to be discriminated against in animal adoption centers, resulting in higher rates of euthanasia. Black dogs are often…
The Social Science of QAnon
QAnon has emerged as the defining conspiracy group of our times, and its far-right conspiracies are extraordinary for their breadth and extremity. Bringing together scholars from psychology, sociology, communications, and political science, this cutting-edge volume uses social science theory to investigate aspects of QAnon. Following an introduction to the 'who, what, and why' of QAnon, Part I focuses on the psychological characteristics of QAnon…
Exploring the boundaries of societally acceptable bias expression toward Muslim and atheist defendants in four mock-juror experiments
Religious minorities have experienced bias in many domains including the criminal justice system. The Normative Window of prejudice model posits that some bias expression is societally acceptable, while other bias expression is unacceptable and thus suppressed. Four mock-juror studies test the boundaries of normative expression of bias toward religious minorities. Participants expressed bias against (i.e., prejudice) Muslim defendants who commit …
Justification-Suppression and Normative Window of Prejudice as Determinants of Bias Toward Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexual Adoption Applicants
Despite gains in equality for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals (LGB), these couples still face discrimination in adoption scenarios. Guided by the normative window of prejudice and the justification-suppression model, participants read about a suitable or unsuitable couple applying to adopt a child. Participants indicated whether the couple should be allowed to adopt the child and how committed the couple is to being parents. Heterosexuals were perc…
Learning in Public Policy
Relationships between religious characteristics and response to legal action against parents who choose faith healing practices for their children
Trauma-Informed
Religious Beliefs, Religious Contexts, and Perceived Interactions with Ex-Offenders
Religious institutions can provide a means of support and resources for many people, particularly, individuals who have criminal histories, specifically parolees, sex offenders, and insanity acquittees. When these individuals are released into the community, they often face difficulties in acquiring shelter, work, and social support. Out of their own volition or as a result of faith-based prison programs, they might turn to religious institutions…
Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger)
Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, from 1957, posits that individuals seek to maintain consistency among multiple cognitions (e.g., thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, values, or beliefs). Inconsistent cognitions produce unpleasant states that motivate individuals to change one or more cognitions to restore consistency with other cognitions (i.e., consonance). Cognitive dissonance was one of many theories based on the principle of cognitive con…
Counterfactual thinking about crime control theater
Crime control theater
Social Comparison
Comparisons with other people play a significant role in social life, as they provide meaning and self‐relevant knowledge. How people view their own circumstances, abilities, and behaviors varies according to the types of social comparisons they make. Although in his seminal work Festinger (1954) did not offer a precise definition of social comparison, it is generally conceptualized as the process of thinking about the self in relation to other p…
The relationship between mock jurors’ religious characteristics and their verdicts and sentencing decisions
Two mock jury studies investigated whether jurors’ religious characteristics relate to verdicts and sentencing decisions. In Study 1, adding religious characteristics to a model with only demographics and authoritarianism increased the model’s explanatory power. Scoring high on devotionalism was significantly related to not guilty verdicts; scoring high on fundamentalism was significantly related to guilty verdicts. In both studies, being on a re…
From Damsels in Distress to Sexy Superheroes
Video games are an important form of media that have the potential to impact gender role attitudes. Sexist portrayals of characters may affect gender behaviors and attitudes. As such, it is important to discover how characters, particularly females, are portrayed in video games. The current study examined video game magazines analyzing the portrayal of female video game characters and how this portrayal has changed in the last twenty years. Resul…
How Religious Characteristics Are Related to Attitudes toward GLB Individuals and GLB Rights
Two studies conducted in the United States investigated whether individuals’ religious characteristics (e.g., orthodoxy, evangelism, literal interpretism, quest, extrinsic religiosity) affect their attitudes toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) individuals and GLB rights (marriage, adoption, sexual behavior). Orthodoxy, literal interpretism, evangelism, and extrinsic religiosity were all related to less support for GLB rights and less positive…
Stress, Trauma, and Wellbeing in the Legal System
Stress and trauma have potential to affect the behavior and performance of victims, litigants, witnesses, judges, jurors, police, and attorneys; this in turn can impact the functioning of the legal system as a whole. Stress and trauma can also affect the individual on a more personal level, affecting their relationships, job satisfaction and overall health. On the other hand, contact with the legal system has potential to promote wellbeing for ma…
Attitudes toward nontraditional women using IVF
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has advanced in recent years and it is likely that the public’s perceptions of such technology have changed over time. The use of ART by nontraditional women (e.g., single women, lesbians) has increased; thus, it is important to assess the public’s attitudes toward in vitro fertilization (IVF), the most common ART, and the women who use such technology. The purpose of the study is to determine whether certai…
The Rights and Responsibilities of Gay Social Parents and the Potential Implications for Children's Well-Being
As more gay couples become parents, there is a greater likelihood that some of these parents will face unique legal consequences if their relationships dissolve. In these cases, judges must determine whether social parents possess legal parental rights and responsibilities. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to assess judges’ rulings and justifications in 43 parental status cases involving gay disputants. The results verified a typology of five…
Friendship and Conformity in Group Opinions
Social psychological research on group processes has consistently shown that group members adjust their views to conform to dominant and/or socially desirable stances. Studies are less clear, though, on how friendships within groups impact this tendency. Some studies suggest greater group cohesion leads to more conformity; other studies suggest friendship lessens the pressure to agree on certain issues. In this study, we use mock juries to test t…
The effects of deliberations and religious identity on mock jurors’ verdicts
Jurors may be biased toward defendants because of their group status or similarities/differences. Deliberation may minimize bias by forcing jurors to rationalize their decisions. In two experiments, mock jurors read that, at the time of the crime, the defendant was: engaged in Christian prayers, Islamic prayers, or TV watching (control). Study 1 described a crime stereotypically associated with Muslims (bombing a transportation center); Study 2 u…
The psychology of Amber Alert
The AMBER alert system is likely affected by a number of psychological processes, yet remains understudied. The system assumes people will remember Alert information accurately and notify police, but psychological research on related phenomena (e.g., memory, willingness to help) indicates that people may not be able or willing to act in ways the promote the success of the system. In addition, the system is intended to deter child abductions, howe…
Gender Differences in Video Game Characters’ Roles, Appearances, and Attire as Portrayed in Video Game Magazines
Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Fessinger)
Cognitive dissonance theory posits that individuals seek to maintain consistency among multiple cognitions (e.g., thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, values, or beliefs). Inconsistent cognitions produce unpleasant arousal that leads individuals to change one of the cognitions to bring it into line with other cognitions
Social Comparison Theory
Comparisons with other people play a significant role in social life, as they provide meaning and self‐relevant knowledge. How people view their own circumstances, abilities, and behaviors varies according to the types of social comparisons they make. Although in his seminal work Leon Festinger (1954) did not offer a precise definition of social comparison, it is generally conceptualized as the process of thinking about the self in relation to ot…
Gender Differences in Video Game Characters’ Roles, Appearances, and Attire as Portrayed in Video Game Magazines
From Damsels in Distress to Sexy Superheroes
Video games are an important form of media that have the potential to impact gender role attitudes. Sexist portrayals of characters may affect gender behaviors and attitudes. As such, it is important to discover how characters, particularly females, are portrayed in video games. The current study examined video game magazines analyzing the portrayal of female video game characters and how this portrayal has changed in the last twenty years. Resul…
The effects of deliberations and religious identity on mock jurors’ verdicts
Jurors may be biased toward defendants because of their group status or similarities/differences. Deliberation may minimize bias by forcing jurors to rationalize their decisions. In two experiments, mock jurors read that, at the time of the crime, the defendant was: engaged in Christian prayers, Islamic prayers, or TV watching (control). Study 1 described a crime stereotypically associated with Muslims (bombing a transportation center); Study 2 u…
Justification-Suppression and Normative Window of Prejudice as Determinants of Bias Toward Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexual Adoption Applicants
Despite gains in equality for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals (LGB), these couples still face discrimination in adoption scenarios. Guided by the normative window of prejudice and the justification-suppression model, participants read about a suitable or unsuitable couple applying to adopt a child. Participants indicated whether the couple should be allowed to adopt the child and how committed the couple is to being parents. Heterosexuals were perc…
Friendship and Conformity in Group Opinions
Social psychological research on group processes has consistently shown that group members adjust their views to conform to dominant and/or socially desirable stances. Studies are less clear, though, on how friendships within groups impact this tendency. Some studies suggest greater group cohesion leads to more conformity; other studies suggest friendship lessens the pressure to agree on certain issues. In this study, we use mock juries to test t…
The psychology of Amber Alert
The AMBER alert system is likely affected by a number of psychological processes, yet remains understudied. The system assumes people will remember Alert information accurately and notify police, but psychological research on related phenomena (e.g., memory, willingness to help) indicates that people may not be able or willing to act in ways the promote the success of the system. In addition, the system is intended to deter child abductions, howe…
Through the Eyes of a Father
Under the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), new laws have been enacted that focus on reducing single-parent families’ reliance on state assistance by collecting child support from non-custodial parents (typically fathers). These laws pressure fathers to pay child support through stricter penalties for non-payment, but do not help fathers overcome barriers (eg, unstable employment) that prevent payment. In a…
Gender Differences in Video Game Characters’ Roles, Appearances, and Attire as Portrayed in Video Game Magazines
Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Fessinger)
Cognitive dissonance theory posits that individuals seek to maintain consistency among multiple cognitions (e.g., thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, values, or beliefs). Inconsistent cognitions produce unpleasant arousal that leads individuals to change one of the cognitions to bring it into line with other cognitions
Social Comparison Theory
Comparisons with other people play a significant role in social life, as they provide meaning and self‐relevant knowledge. How people view their own circumstances, abilities, and behaviors varies according to the types of social comparisons they make. Although in his seminal work Leon Festinger (1954) did not offer a precise definition of social comparison, it is generally conceptualized as the process of thinking about the self in relation to ot…
The psychology of Amber Alert
The AMBER alert system is likely affected by a number of psychological processes, yet remains understudied. The system assumes people will remember Alert information accurately and notify police, but psychological research on related phenomena (e.g., memory, willingness to help) indicates that people may not be able or willing to act in ways the promote the success of the system. In addition, the system is intended to deter child abductions, howe…
The effects of deliberations and religious identity on mock jurors’ verdicts
Jurors may be biased toward defendants because of their group status or similarities/differences. Deliberation may minimize bias by forcing jurors to rationalize their decisions. In two experiments, mock jurors read that, at the time of the crime, the defendant was: engaged in Christian prayers, Islamic prayers, or TV watching (control). Study 1 described a crime stereotypically associated with Muslims (bombing a transportation center); Study 2 u…
Stress, Trauma, and Wellbeing in the Legal System
Stress and trauma have potential to affect the behavior and performance of victims, litigants, witnesses, judges, jurors, police, and attorneys; this in turn can impact the functioning of the legal system as a whole. Stress and trauma can also affect the individual on a more personal level, affecting their relationships, job satisfaction and overall health. On the other hand, contact with the legal system has potential to promote wellbeing for ma…
Attitudes toward nontraditional women using IVF
Assisted reproductive technology (ART) has advanced in recent years and it is likely that the public’s perceptions of such technology have changed over time. The use of ART by nontraditional women (e.g., single women, lesbians) has increased; thus, it is important to assess the public’s attitudes toward in vitro fertilization (IVF), the most common ART, and the women who use such technology. The purpose of the study is to determine whether certai…
The Rights and Responsibilities of Gay Social Parents and the Potential Implications for Children's Well-Being
As more gay couples become parents, there is a greater likelihood that some of these parents will face unique legal consequences if their relationships dissolve. In these cases, judges must determine whether social parents possess legal parental rights and responsibilities. A mixed-methods approach was adopted to assess judges’ rulings and justifications in 43 parental status cases involving gay disputants. The results verified a typology of five…
Friendship and Conformity in Group Opinions
Social psychological research on group processes has consistently shown that group members adjust their views to conform to dominant and/or socially desirable stances. Studies are less clear, though, on how friendships within groups impact this tendency. Some studies suggest greater group cohesion leads to more conformity; other studies suggest friendship lessens the pressure to agree on certain issues. In this study, we use mock juries to test t…
How Religious Characteristics Are Related to Attitudes toward GLB Individuals and GLB Rights
Two studies conducted in the United States investigated whether individuals’ religious characteristics (e.g., orthodoxy, evangelism, literal interpretism, quest, extrinsic religiosity) affect their attitudes toward gay, lesbian, and bisexual (GLB) individuals and GLB rights (marriage, adoption, sexual behavior). Orthodoxy, literal interpretism, evangelism, and extrinsic religiosity were all related to less support for GLB rights and less positive…
The relationship between mock jurors’ religious characteristics and their verdicts and sentencing decisions
Two mock jury studies investigated whether jurors’ religious characteristics relate to verdicts and sentencing decisions. In Study 1, adding religious characteristics to a model with only demographics and authoritarianism increased the model’s explanatory power. Scoring high on devotionalism was significantly related to not guilty verdicts; scoring high on fundamentalism was significantly related to guilty verdicts. In both studies, being on a re…
From Damsels in Distress to Sexy Superheroes
Video games are an important form of media that have the potential to impact gender role attitudes. Sexist portrayals of characters may affect gender behaviors and attitudes. As such, it is important to discover how characters, particularly females, are portrayed in video games. The current study examined video game magazines analyzing the portrayal of female video game characters and how this portrayal has changed in the last twenty years. Resul…
Social Comparison
Comparisons with other people play a significant role in social life, as they provide meaning and self‐relevant knowledge. How people view their own circumstances, abilities, and behaviors varies according to the types of social comparisons they make. Although in his seminal work Festinger (1954) did not offer a precise definition of social comparison, it is generally conceptualized as the process of thinking about the self in relation to other p…
Counterfactual thinking about crime control theater
Crime control theater
Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger)
Festinger's cognitive dissonance theory, from 1957, posits that individuals seek to maintain consistency among multiple cognitions (e.g., thoughts, behaviors, attitudes, values, or beliefs). Inconsistent cognitions produce unpleasant states that motivate individuals to change one or more cognitions to restore consistency with other cognitions (i.e., consonance). Cognitive dissonance was one of many theories based on the principle of cognitive con…
Learning in Public Policy
Relationships between religious characteristics and response to legal action against parents who choose faith healing practices for their children
Trauma-Informed
Religious Beliefs, Religious Contexts, and Perceived Interactions with Ex-Offenders
Religious institutions can provide a means of support and resources for many people, particularly, individuals who have criminal histories, specifically parolees, sex offenders, and insanity acquittees. When these individuals are released into the community, they often face difficulties in acquiring shelter, work, and social support. Out of their own volition or as a result of faith-based prison programs, they might turn to religious institutions…
Exploring the boundaries of societally acceptable bias expression toward Muslim and atheist defendants in four mock-juror experiments
Religious minorities have experienced bias in many domains including the criminal justice system. The Normative Window of prejudice model posits that some bias expression is societally acceptable, while other bias expression is unacceptable and thus suppressed. Four mock-juror studies test the boundaries of normative expression of bias toward religious minorities. Participants expressed bias against (i.e., prejudice) Muslim defendants who commit …
Justification-Suppression and Normative Window of Prejudice as Determinants of Bias Toward Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexual Adoption Applicants
Despite gains in equality for lesbians, gays, and bisexuals (LGB), these couples still face discrimination in adoption scenarios. Guided by the normative window of prejudice and the justification-suppression model, participants read about a suitable or unsuitable couple applying to adopt a child. Participants indicated whether the couple should be allowed to adopt the child and how committed the couple is to being parents. Heterosexuals were perc…
The Social Science of QAnon
QAnon has emerged as the defining conspiracy group of our times, and its far-right conspiracies are extraordinary for their breadth and extremity. Bringing together scholars from psychology, sociology, communications, and political science, this cutting-edge volume uses social science theory to investigate aspects of QAnon. Following an introduction to the 'who, what, and why' of QAnon, Part I focuses on the psychological characteristics of QAnon…
Black Dog Bias in the Courtroom
Because facility dogs can provide comfort to vulnerable testifying witnesses, they are beginning to become commonplace in some courtrooms. However, certain dogs (and by extension the witness they testify with) might be discriminated against because of their coat color. Known as "Black Dog Bias" (BDB), black dogs are often reported to be discriminated against in animal adoption centers, resulting in higher rates of euthanasia. Black dogs are often…
Psychology (25 works) · Social Psychology (20 works) · Political science (14 works) · Criminology (11 works) · Law (10 works) · Social Psychology (10 works) · Social and Intergroup Psychology (9 works) · Computer Science (8 works) · Law (6 works) · Perception (4 works)