Department of Psychology

Kimberley McClure

Kimberley McClure, Ph.D.

Professor & Advisor for Forensic Psychology Minor

Learn about the Laboratory for the Investigation of Psychology and Law (LIPL)

Education

Dr. McClure received a Ph.D. in Applied Experimental Psychology from the University of Texas at El Paso (1998) with a concentration focused on the social cognitive factors related to witnessed events. In addition, she completed an internship with United States Marshal’s Service (1996) to assess the validity of physical fitness requirements for Deputies in service. Dissertation: “The Use of Participant Free-hand Drawings and Written Verbal Descriptions as Practice for a Facial Recognition Task: Implications for Improving Eyewitness Identification Accuracy.”

Teaching Areas

Undergraduate courses include Psychology and Law (PSY 453), Forensic Psychology Seminars (PSY 490 – Eyewitness Memory, Psychology of Investigation, and Psychology of Police Operations), Cultural Psychology (PSY 353, Online), and Research Methods II (Experimental Psychology). Dr. McClure teaches graduate courses in Advanced Cognitive Processes (PSY 521), and a Seminar in Social Cognition (PSY 600).

Research Interests

Dr. McClure specializes in taking a social-cognitive approach to the study of human experiences in forensic contexts including – eyewitness memory, criminal investigations, police force escalation and use of force, and translating science for criminal justice policies and procedures. She is the co-founder and administrator for the Professional Research Pool for Criminal Justice Science (www.prpforcjscience), a service facilitating evidence-based policing practices involving individual officers, research professionals, and police organizations. Dr. McClure and Dr. Kathy McGuire co-direct and serve as faculty advisors for the Laboratory for the Investigation of Psychology and Law (LIPL).

Consultation

Dr. McClure serves as an expert witness and psychological consultant on issues related to the eyewitness science and the perceptual and cognitive factors involved in officer lethal force encounters. She currently partners with the Illinois Law Enforcement Standards and Training Board Executive Institute in translating scientific findings for policy and practice.

Recent Scholarly Activities: (*designates student co-author)

Diehl, V. A., *Grady, R. B., *Ballesteros, L., *Muniz, J., McClure, K. A. (2022). Memory for combat: Emotion regulation and threat of the situation. Presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association for the annual conference held in Chicago, IL, USA.

McClure, K. A., *Grady, R. B., Diehl, V. A., * Holtz, E., & *Lockard, B. (2022). Testing the catastrophe model: Memory of a virtual combat simulation. Presented at the Midwestern Psychological Association for the annual conference held in Chicago, IL, USA.

McClure, K. A., McGuire, K. M., *Haynes, E., & *Lawler, F. (2022). Expert testimony on system and estimator variables differentially influences jurors’ perceptions Presented at the American Psychology and Law Society (Division 41, APA) for the annual conference held in Denver, CO, USA.

*Thompson, B., McClure, K. A., McGuire, K. M., & Cruise, T. K. (2022) Vetting witness credibility with the two-pronged test: basis of knowledge as an investigatory tool. Presented at the American Psychology and Law Society (Division 41, APA) for the annual conference held in Denver, CO, USA.

Sporer, S. L., *Gehrke, J., & McClure, K. A. (2020). Patrolling the borders: Experience with multiple out-group members is associated with the own-ethnicity effect. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11896-020-09387-x

McClure, K. A., McGuire, K. L., & Loftus, E. (2020). Officers’ memory and stress in virtual lethal force scenarios: Implications for policy and training. Psychology, Crime, & Law, 26 (3), 248 - 266. https://doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2019.1652748

McClure, K. A., McGuire, K. L., & *Chapan, D. M. (2019). Understanding the application and limitations of empirical evidence for policy and practice in police organizations. Journal of Forensic Science, 64(1), 16 – 22. https://doi.org/10.1111/1556-4029.13811

McClure, K. A., Myers, J. J., & *Keefauver, K. M. (2013). Witness vetting: What determines detectives’ perceptions of witness credibility? Journal of Investigative Psychology and Offender Profiling, 10(3), 250 – 267. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1002/jip.1391

Related External Websites

Research Gate Profile (https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Kimberley-Mcclure)

Professional Research Pool for Criminal Justice Science (https://www.prpforcjscience.com/)

Forensic Psychology Major Option (http://www.wiu.edu/cas/psychology/forensic.php)

Laboratory for the Investigation of Psychology and Law (https://www.wiu.edu/cas/psychology/lipl.php