Lauren Stornelli

Dr. Lauren Stornelli serves as an Assistant Professor in the Psychology and Sociology Department within the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of New Haven.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of North Dakota
• M.A. in Forensic and Legal Psychology from Roger Williams University
• B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Westfield State University

Research Focus: Dr. Stornelli specializes in the intersection of psychology and legal systems, with concentrated expertise in jurors' cognitive processing of evidence. Her primary investigations examine perceptions of technologically derived evidence including surveillance footage, smart home recordings, and digital identification methods. She pioneers research on emotional mediators in verdict formation, particularly analyzing how disgust and surprise modulate juror interpretations of evidence. Current projects quantitatively assess how non-eyewitness identifications from surveillance media influence conviction rates and sentencing recommendations.

Advising and Research Infrastructure: While specific advising details and grant funding aren't documented in available materials, her laboratory work involves experimental paradigms simulating courtroom evidence presentation. Research protocols employ controlled juror studies measuring physiological responses and decision latency during evidence evaluation.

Professional Context: Her scholarship directly informs evidentiary admissibility standards and judicial instructions regarding digital evidence in contemporary legal practice.