Nesa E. Wasarhaley

Nesa E. Wasarhaley is an assistant professor of psychology at Bridgewater State University, where she conducts research on legal decision-making processes, particularly as they relate to violence against women.

Her research interests focus on:

• Victim stereotypes and their impact on juror decision-making
• Crime schemas and legal perceptions
• Juror attitudes toward violence against women
• Decision-making in courtroom contexts

Dr. Wasarhaley's publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on legal psychology, with particular emphasis on how victim characteristics influence juror perceptions in cases involving child sexual assault, parricide, and intimate partner violence. Her work often employs experimental methodologies to examine how specific factors affect legal judgments.

She has collaborated extensively with researchers at the University of Kentucky, particularly with Jonathan M. Golding and Kellie R. Lynch, on studies examining various aspects of legal decision-making.