THE LEGAL DECISION
MAKING LAB
OUR
TEAM
Get Involved
Dr. Zottoli accepts applications to her lab twice a year. Applicants can apply in the Fall semester for following Spring (applications due by November 30) or in Spring semester for following Summer or Fall (applications due by April 28). Students should fill out the lab application (click here to download) and submit one letter of recommendation from a faculty member, sent by the letter writer directly to Dr. Zottoli at zottolit@montclair.edu. The number of students accepted each term will vary depending on current projects, and decisions are made on a rolling basis so early applicants will have an advantage.
LAB DIRECTOR
Tina Zottoli, Ph.D
Dr. Zottoli is a NYS licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Montclair State University, where she also serves as the director of the MA programs in Clinical Psychology. She teaches Forensic Psychology in the Undergraduate program and Psychometrics, Criminal Forensic Assessment and Theories of Interpersonal and Familial Violence at the graduate level. Dr. Zottoli's scholarly interests lie primarily in adolescent decision making and legal competencies, and her research program is presently focused on plea deal decision making and wrongful conviction by guilty plea. In her clinical practice, Dr. Zottoli provides consultation, forensic evaluation, and expert testimony across a range of criminal and civil domains.
DOCTORAL STUDENTS
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
Kayla Mahaley | Sophomore, Psychology Major
Rosemary Ventura | Sophomore, Psychology Major
Rossol Gharib | Junior, Psychology Major
Emma Jehan | Senior, Psychology Major
ACTIVE ALUMNI
Daniel Salazar | Psychology, Classics and Humanities, BA '18
Jennifer Bartlett
Jennifer Bartlett is a second year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program, forensic emphasis. Jen’s research interests are in guilty plea decision making, and she is especially interested in circumstances that might contribute to innocent defendants pleading guilty. Her MA thesis examines the validity of the Shadow of the Trial model of plea decision making under varying conditions of trial penalty and likelihood of acquittal. Jen’s clinical interests are in forensic mental health assessment and Cognitive Behavioral therapies for justice involved individuals. Her career goals include private forensic practice.
Whitney Dartnell
Whitney Dartnell is a second year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program, child and adolescent emphasis, who is completing her MA thesis in our lab. Whitney’s clinical interests are in neuropsychological assessment and trauma. Her thesis examines the relationship between neural correlates of feedback processing and performance on executive function tasks in adolescent and adult males.
Ryan Schneider
Ryan Schneider is a first year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program, forensic emphasis. His clinical interests include assessment and treatment of individuals with criminal offending histories and he recently completed a year of clinical training at the Special Treatment Unit for civilly committed sex offenders in Avenel, New Jersey. His research interests center on legal decision making, contributors to wrongful conviction and the etiology of criminal behavior. His master’s thesis addressed wrongful conviction by guilty plea by examining factors that may induce innocent defendants to plead guilty.
Conor Hogan
Conor Hogan is a second year PhD student in the Clinical Psychology program, forensic emphasis. His research interests are varied and include the effects of implicit bias on legal decision making, legal competencies and the assessment and treatment of child sex-abuse offenders and victims. His master’s thesis examines grooming behaviors in child-on-child sexual abuse.
MASTERS STUDENTS
Christina Lagomarsino | second year MA student; Clinical psychology, child specialization
Tristan Faust | second year MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization
Alexandra Arnold | first year MA student; Clinical psychology, forensic specialization