New Professor Amanda Bergold Shapes the Future of Justice

In 2024, Amanda Bergold joined Seton Hall University as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology. Specializing in the intersection of psychology and law, Bergold's research addresses racial bias in the criminal justice system and the ethical use of new technologies in legal settings. Her interdisciplinary approach reflects Seton Hall's academic principles, with her application of social psychology and criminal justice reshaping the criminal justice landscape.

Gregory Burton, chair of psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences, emphasized the value Bergold brings to the University. "We were really looking for somebody on the applied side," Burton said. "Our students want to hear about what's going on in the field, whether it's a clinical field, caregiving field or the legal field."

Burton praised Bergold for her experience working with prosecutors and defendants. "We were really excited to get that kind of expertise in the faculty, and Amanda already for her second semester has created a new course, Psychology and Law."

Amanda Bergold joined Seton Hall from Marist College and teaches Research Methods alongside her new multidisciplinary psychology course. Simultaneously, she conducts two types of research. One explores racial bias in the justice system by examining jury decisions and evaluating the effects of jury diversity. The other focuses on how new technologies like facial recognition and AI faces can construct fairer eyewitness lineups, addressing systemic flaws in justice processes.

Bergold's interest in psychological research and its applications in law began during her undergraduate studies at Williams College, where a psychology and law course taught by Saul Kassin, a renowned expert on false confessions, inspired her. "He really exposed some of the injustices that can happen in the criminal justice system and how we can use psychological research to bring attention to those," Bergold said.

A pivotal moment for Bergold was the class discussion of Marty Tankleff, a man wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for 17 years before being exonerated. "It made me realize how the justice system can fail, and how psychology could help us to understand and correct these failures."

Bergold earned a Ph.D. in psychology and law from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and was a fellow at the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Her work focused on issues such as wrongful convictions and the psychological factors influencing jury decisions.

As co-principal investigator on an NSF-funded project, Bergold explores the use of facial recognition technology to create fairer eyewitness lineups. Police lineups typically include one suspect and several "fillers"-innocent individuals who resemble the suspect. Bergold explained, "The question is whether we can design lineups that reduce wrongful convictions and mistaken identifications if we use facial recognition technology to choose the filler photographs."

Bergold's research highlights the potential for AI to reduce wrongful convictions by optimizing lineup construction while warning of its risks. "AI systems, including facial recognition tools, are often trained on human-generated data, which can inherently build biases into the technology," Bergold said. "The technology is not inherently neutral. AI can amplify existing biases if we're not careful. We must ensure that these systems are used responsibly and that their limitations are understood."

At Seton Hall, Bergold is building her research lab to explore AI, racial bias, and eyewitness testimony, mentoring students to develop their own ideas. "I want my students to become critical consumers of research," Bergold explained. "Understanding how to read and evaluate research is essential, whether they go on to produce their own research or simply encounter it in their professional lives."

Burton highlighted Bergold's contribution to Seton Hall's commitment to interdisciplinary learning. "Bergold provides that connection in different ways than our current faculty," he said. "I think the courses that she is teaching speak well to vindicate our choice, and why we really wanted someone with her kind of background."

Categories: Research, Science and Technology