Angela S. Ahola
PhD
Main research interests
Angela S. Ahola’s field of research is within psychological mechanisms in the judicial process; on the eyewitness hearing level as well as on the evidence evaluation-, guilt-, and punishment assessment levels, with focus on how stereotypes can affect an evaluation of a suspected perpetrator.
The main theme is how gender and appearance characterstics of a suspect affects evaluations of him/her in relation to crimes such as theft, child abuse, homicide and so on, on differing stages of the judicial process.
Also the question, under what circumstances these stereotypical biases may be particularly strong; Emotionality (crime victim injury and seriousness of crime) as well as retention interval (from witnessing a crime to retrieval of crime details and perpetrator) are studied. Comparisons on how females and males, as well as different professional groups within the judicial process, evaluate and judge a suspect.
Ahola teaches in psychology at Stockholm University.
