Fairfield Memory & Cognition Lab
Dr. Henkel and her research team examine memory and cognition across the
lifespan. How is it that people
remember events that never happened, how do they forget events that did
happen, and why and when do they misremember details about what they
experienced or how they experienced it? The errors and distortions that occur in people's memories are
not random, but follow predictable patterns based on cognitive
principles. Dr. Henkel's research examines memory in young and older adults across a variety of everyday life
settings. For instance, recent work has examined how taking and
viewing photos shapes what we remember, and how nursing home residents
can improve their memory accessibility and mental health by thinking
about and sharing their recollections with others.
Other work is relevant to criminal justice and the law, such as
her research on eyewitness accuracy and on false confessions.
Undergraduates interested in gaining valuable research experience can
volunteer or earn course credit for Supervised Research (PY 295) and
Independent Research (PY 395) under Dr. Henkel's mentorship. See
information about these courses under the "Teaching" tab. If
interested, contact her at: lhenkel@fairfield.edu
If you are interested in participating as a research subject in some of
her studies, contact her at: lhenkel@fairfield.edu