Elizabeth Rabidoux
The goal of Elizabeth’s research was to determine if the heinousness of a crime (i.e., gruesomeness, level of disgust in the act) had an impact on the jury’s guilt rating. She also tested the race of the defendant (Caucasian vs. African American) and the mode of evidence delivery (large-screen photo, paper photo, or verbal description/no visual) to see if biases arose due to these changes.
Participating in an undergraduate research experience benefited Elizabeth in multiple ways. She developed a mentoring relationship with a fantastic professor and was exposed to new experiences like gathering evidence in the Moot Courtroom at the MSU/Cooley Law School. The research project improved her leadership and teamwork abilities, as many tasks had to be delegated and she became accountable for large and equally important parts of the project. She also gained confidence in her own research abilities.
Elizabeth says that the best advice she can give to a new researcher is to “throw yourself out there—you can never fail at trying. Research can only be successful when risks are taken, for nothing is discovered when no one challenges what has already been done.”
Elizabeth’s research was part of the Honors College Research Seminars.
