Daniel Derksen
BA (Hons) (KPU), MA (SFU), PhD Candidate in Forensic Psychology (SFU)
Limited Term: Fall 2023
Courses taught
- PSYC 1100: Introduction to Psychology - Basic Processes
Areas of Interest
I am broadly interested in cognitive biases in decision-making. Specifically, I have been researching how photos paired with statements impact belief and perceived credibility. We think that the photos impact the subjective ease and speed of processing the information that they are paired with. This can be misused as a cue for the truth or veracity of the information. I have been applying these ideas to judgements of truth and credibility in legal contexts.
I also enjoy continued involvement with a lab researching lifespan cognitive development and have conducted research on theory of mind and the sunk-cost fallacy with a focus on changes across development.
Finally, I completed my practicum with the Forensic Practice and have continued involvement with the company. Through my work and training with them, I have become familiar with the StepWise 360 approach to forensic interviewing as well as other interviewing protocols.
Scholarly Work
- Derksen, D. G., & Connolly, D. A. (2023). Drawing conclusions: Instructing witnesses to draw what happened to them. Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 20(1), 48–62 https://doi.org/10.1002/jip.1604
- Giroux, M. E., Derksen, D. G., Coburn, P. I., & Bernstein, D. M. (2023). Hindsight bias and COVID-19: Hindsight was not 20/20 in 2020. .Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 12(1), 105–115. https://doi.org/10.1037/mac0000033
- Derksen, D. G., Giroux, M. E., Newman, E. J., & Bernstein, D. M. (2022). Stable truthiness effect across the lifespan. Developmental Psychology, 58(5), 913–922. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001334
- Hamzagic, Z. I., Derksen, D. G., Matsuba, M. K., Aßfalg, A., Bernstein, D. M. (2021). Harm to others reduces the sunk-cost effect. Memory and Cognition, 49(3), 544-556. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-020-01112-7
- Derksen, D.G., Giroux, M. E., Connolly, D. A., Newman, E. J., Bernstein, D. M. (2020). Truthiness and law: Non-probative photos bias perceived credibility in forensic contexts. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 34(6), 1335-1344. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.3709