Kathy Pezdek

Dr. Kathy Pezdek is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. With expertise in applied cognitive psychology and law-psychology intersections, she has conducted extensive research on eyewitness memory, memory suggestibility, lineup techniques, and autobiographical memory, serving as an expert witness in federal, state, and superior court cases. Her academic credentials include a PhD (1975), MA (1972), and BS (1971) in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and University of Virginia, Fredericksburg.

• Education: PhD, MA, and BS in Psychology.
• Professional Affiliations: Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science and Psychonomic Society.

Dr. Pezdek's research focuses on eyewitness memory reliability, particularly how body-worn cameras, surveillance systems, and substance use affect memory accuracy. Her work bridges cognitive psychology with legal system applications, addressing critical issues like false memory myths, estimator variables, and science-based standards for forensic identification. She has published extensively in journals including Psychology, Crime & Law, Current Directions in Psychological Science, and Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition.

Recent publications highlight the cognitive consequences of body-worn camera footage, the cross-race effect in face recognition, and the impact of nonprobative evidence on legal judgments. Her editorial roles include serving as North American Editor of Applied Cognitive Psychology and membership on editorial boards for Journal of Applied Psychology, Legal and Criminological Psychology, and Journal of Trauma & Dissociation.

Scientific Awards:

• Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science (APS)
• Fellow of the Psychonomic Society

Teaching Interests: Applied cognitive psychology, law and psychology, memory and cognition, statistics, and research design. She has held leadership roles in the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition (SARMAC) and contributed to professional associations like the American Psychology-Law Society.