Professor Rachel Zajac, Our People, Department of Psychology, University of Otago, New Zealand

Rachel Zajac 2019 image

Email rachel.zajac@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 3988

Professor Rachel Zajac was appointed as a faculty member in 2003, after completing a PhD and a Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Psychology in the Department.

Rachel teaches in both child development and in forensic psychology. In 2015, she was awarded an Otago Award for Excellence in Teaching, as well as the Division of Sciences Award for Senior Teacher of the Year. In 2016, she received an Ako Aotearoa national award for tertiary teaching excellence, and in 2017 she was named OUSA Premier Lecturer in the Division of Sciences.

In her research, Rachel studies the psychological factors involved in the investigation of crime. She focuses predominantly on children’s and adults’ eyewitness testimony, social influences on memory and decision-making, and biases in the interpretation of forensic evidence. Rachel has received three Marsden grants as a Principal Investigator, and a fourth as Associate Investigator. Her work has also been funded by the former Foundation for Research in Science and Technology (FRST), and the US National Institute of Justice.

Rachel is frequently called on to advise New Zealand judges, lawyers, and forensic scientists on memory and decision-making in criminal and legal investigations. She has provided expert evidence for criminal cases in New Zealand, Australia, the US. She is the Co-Director of the Innocence Project New Zealand, and is closely involved with the New Zealand Police, where she contributes to benchmarking practice, procedural review, and training. Rachel’s research on memory—and in particular on the cross-examination process—has been used in police and judicial education programmes in the UK and Australia, and in the US Supreme Court as scientific evidence. In 2018, she received the inaugural Division of Sciences Award for Professional Engagement.

Teaching

PSYC 112 Child Development
PSYC 325 Psychology in Legal Contexts

Research Interests

Eyewitness evidence
Social influences on memory
Psychological factors in the interpretation of forensic evidence

Find out more about Professor Zajac's research interests

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Publications

Zajac, R., Garry, M., Charlton, S., & Reese, E. (2023). Scholarship amid sheep: Applied cognition research in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Applied Research in Memory & Cognition, 12, 43-47. doi: 10.1037/mac0000109

Westera, N., Gentle, M., Powell, M., & Zajac, R. (2023). Police investigators' perceptions of the challenges associated with interviewing adult sexual assault complainants. Violence Against Women, 29(2), 276-299. doi: 10.1177/10778012221120447

Jordan, K., Zajac, R., Bernstein, D., Joshi, C., & Garry, M. (2022). Trivially informative semantic context inflates people's confidence they can perform a highly complex skill. Royal Society Open Science, 9, 211977. doi: 10.1098/rsos.211977

Taylor, A., Zajac, R., Takarangi, M. K. T., & Garry, M. (2022). Evidence from the trauma-film paradigm that traumatic and nontraumatic memories are statistically equivalent on coherence. Clinical Psychological Science, 10(3), 417-429. doi: 10.1177/21677026211053312

Garry, M., Hope, L., Zajac, R., Verrall, A. J., & Robertson, J. M. (2021). Contact tracing: A memory task with consequences for public health. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 16(1), 175-187. doi: 10.1177/1745691620978205

Zajac, R. (2009). Investigative interviewing in the courtroom: Child witnesses under cross-examination. In R. Bull, T. Valentine & T. Williamson (Eds.), Handbook of psychology of investigative interviewing: Current developments and future directions. (pp. 161-180). Chichester, UK: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9780470747599.ch10

Chapter in Book - Research

Zajac, R., & Hayne, H. (2009). Cross-examination: Impact on testimony. In A. Jamieson & A. Moenssens (Eds.), Wiley encyclopedia of forensic science. Wiley. doi: 10.1002/9780470061589.fsa471

Chapter in Book - Research

Zajac, R., Osborne, N. K. P., & Kieser, J. A. (2009). Contextual bias in the analysis of bitemarks. In A. Jamieson & A. A. Moenssens (Eds.), Wiley encyclopedia of forensic science. Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9780470061589.fsa1121

Chapter in Book - Research

Journal - Research Article

Benedan, L., Zajac, R., McFarlane, F., & Powell, M. B. (2020). Attentional difficulty is a risk factor for interrogative suggestibility in preschoolers. Children & Youth Services Review, 119, 105487. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105487

Journal - Research Article

Taylor, A., Jordan, K., Zajac, R., Takarangi, M. K. T., & Garry, M. (2020). Judgments of memory coherence depend on the conditions under which a memory is retrieved, regardless of reported PTSD symptoms. Journal of Applied Research in Memory & Cognition, 9, 396-409. doi: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2020.07.003

Journal - Research Article

Wake, K., Green, J. A., & Zajac, R. (2020). Laypeople's beliefs about memory: Disentangling the effects of age and time. Memory, 28(5), 589-597. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2020.1733023

Journal - Research Article

Westera, N. J., Powell, M. B., Goodman-Delahunty, J., & Zajac, R. (2020). Special measures in child sexual abuse cases: Views of Australian criminal justice professionals. Current Issues in Criminal Justice, 32(2), 224-242. doi: 10.1080/10345329.2020.1743904

Journal - Research Article

Ali, M. M., Westera, N. J., Zajac, R., & Powell, M. (2019). Australian stakeholders’ views on improving investigative interviews with adult sexual assault complainants. Psychiatry, Psychology & Law, 26(5), 724-739. doi: 10.1080/13218719.2019.1618748

Journal - Research Article

Westera, N. J., Powell, M. B., Zajac, R., & Goodman-Delahunty, J. (2019). Courtroom questioning of child sexual abuse complainants: Views of Australian criminal justice professionals. Salus Journal, 7(1), 20-41.

Journal - Research Article

Benedan, L., Powell, M. B., Zajac, R., Lum, J. A. G., & Snow, P. (2018). Suggestibility in neglected children: The influence of intelligence, language, and social skills. Child Abuse & Neglect, 79, 51-60. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.01.005

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., Westera, N., & Kaladelfos, A. (2018). The "good old days" of courtroom questioning: Changes in the format of child cross-examination questions over 60 years. Child Maltreatment, 23(2), 186-195. doi: 10.1177/1077559517733815

Journal - Research Article

Westera, N., Zydervelt, S., Kaladelfos, A., & Zajac, R. (2017). Sexual assault complainants on the stand: A historical comparison of courtroom questioning. Psychology, Crime & Law, 23(1), 5-31. doi: 10.1080/1068316X.2016.1217334

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., Westera, N., & Kaladelfos, A. (2017). A historical comparison of Australian lawyers' strategies for cross-examining child sexual abuse complainants. Child Abuse & Neglect, 72, 236-246. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.07.010

Journal - Research Article

Zydervelt, S., Zajac, R., Kaladelfos, A., & Westera, N. (2017). Lawyers’ strategies for cross-examining rape complainants: Have we moved beyond the 1950s? British Journal of Criminology, 57(3), 551-569. doi: 10.1093/bjc/azw023

Journal - Research Article

Anderson, L., Gross, J., Sonne, T., Zajac, R., & Hayne, H. (2016). Where there's smoke, there's fire: The effect of truncated testimony on juror decision-making. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 34, 200-217. doi: 10.1002/bsl.2212

Journal - Research Article

Irvine, B., Jack, F., & Zajac, R. (2016). Preparing children for cross-examination: Do the practice questions matter? Psychology, Crime & Law, 22(9), 858-878. doi: 10.1080/1068316X.2016.1197224

Journal - Research Article

Jack, F., Friedman, W., Reese, E., & Zajac, R. (2016). Age-related differences in memory for time, temporal reconstruction, and the availability and use of temporal landmarks. Cognitive Development, 37, 53-66. doi: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2015.12.003

Journal - Research Article

Osborne, N. K. P., & Zajac, R. (2016). An imperfect match? Crime-related context influences fingerprint decisions. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 30(1), 126-134. doi: 10.1002/acp.3180

Journal - Research Article

Osborne, N. K. P., Taylor, M. C., & Zajac, R. (2016). Exploring the role of contextual information in bloodstain pattern analysis: A qualitative approach. Forensic Science International, 260, 1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2015.12.039

Journal - Research Article

Osborne, N. K. P., Taylor, M. C., Healey, M., & Zajac, R. (2016). Bloodstain pattern classification: Accuracy, effect of contextual information and the role of analyst characteristics. Science & Justice, 56, 123-128. doi: 10.1016/j.scijus.2015.12.005

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., Dickson, J., Munn, R., & O'Neill, S. (2016). Trussht me, I know what I sshaw: The acceptance of misinformation from an apparently unreliable co-witness. Legal & Criminological Psychology, 21(1), 127-140. doi: 10.1111/lcrp.12032

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., Irvine, B., Ingram, J. M., & Jack, F. (2016). The diagnostic value of children's responses to cross-examination questioning. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 34(1), 160-177. doi: 10.1002/bsl.2215

Journal - Research Article

Jack, F., Martyn, E., & Zajac, R. (2015). Getting the picture: Effects of sketch plans and photographs on children's, adolescents' and adults' eyewitness recall. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 29(5), 723-734. doi: 10.1002/acp.3156

Journal - Research Article

Righarts, S., Jack, F., Zajac, R., & Hayne, H. (2015). Young children's responses to cross-examination style questioning: The effects of delay and subsequent questioning. Psychology, Crime & Law, 21(3), 274-296. doi: 10.1080/1068316X.2014.951650

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., & Jack, F. (2015). Improving children's performance on photographic line-ups: Do the physical properties of a ‘wildcard’ make a difference? Legal & Criminological Psychology, 21(2), 358-371. doi: 10.1111/lcrp.12075

Journal - Research Article

Jack, F., & Zajac, R. (2014). The effect of age and reminders on witnesses’ responses to cross-examination-style questioning. Journal of Applied Research in Memory & Cognition, 3(1), 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jarmac.2013.12.001

Journal - Research Article

Jack, F., Leov, J., & Zajac, R. (2014). Age-related differences in the free-recall accounts of child, adolescent, and adult witnesses. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 28(1), 30-38. doi: 10.1002/acp.2951

Journal - Research Article

Jack, F., Zydervelt, S., & Zajac, R. (2014). Are co-witnesses special? Comparing the influence of co-witness and interviewer misinformation on eyewitness reports. Memory, 22(3), 243-255. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2013.778291

Journal - Research Article

Osborne, N. K. P., Woods, S., Kieser, J., & Zajac, R. (2014). Does contextual information bias bitemark comparisons? Science & Justice, 54(4), 267-273. doi: 10.1016/j.scijus.2013.12.005

Journal - Research Article

O'Neill, S., & Zajac, R. (2013). Preparing children for cross-examination: How does intervention timing influence efficacy? Psychology, Public Policy & Law, 19(3), 307-320. doi: 10.1037/a0031538

Journal - Research Article

O'Neill, S., & Zajac, R. (2013). The role of repeated interviewing in children's responses to cross-examination-style questioning. British Journal of Psychology, 104(1), 14-38. doi: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02096.x

Journal - Research Article

Righarts, S., O'Neill, S., & Zajac, R. (2013). Addressing the negative effect of cross-examination questioning on children's accuracy: Can we intervene? Law & Human Behavior, 37(5), 354-365. doi: 10.1037/lhb0000042

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., Garry, M., London, K., Goodyear-Smith, F., & Hayne, H. (2013). Misconceptions about childhood sexual abuse and child witnesses: Implications for psychological experts in the courtroom. Memory, 21(5), 608-617. doi: 10.1080/09658211.2013.778287

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., O'Neill, S., & Hayne, H. (2012). Disorder in the courtroom? Child witnesses under cross-examination. Developmental Review, 32(3), 181-204. doi: 10.1016/j.dr.2012.06.006

Journal - Research Article

Karageorge, A., & Zajac, R. (2011). Exploring the effects of age and delay on children's person identifications: Verbal descriptions, lineup performance, and the influence of wildcards. British Journal of Psychology, 102(2), 161-183. doi: 10.1348/000712610X507902

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., & Cannan, P. (2009). Cross-examination of sexual assault complainants: A developmental comparison. Psychiatry, Psychology & Law, 16(Suppl. 1), S36-S54. doi: 10.1080/13218710802620448

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., & Henderson, N. (2009). Don't it make my brown eyes blue: Co-witness misinformation about a target's appearance can impair target-absent line-up performance. Memory, 17(3), 266-278. doi: 10.1080/09658210802623950

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., & Karageorge, A. (2009). The wildcard: A simple technique for improving children's target-absent lineup performance. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23(3), 358-368. doi: 10.1002/acp.1511

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., Jury, E., & O'Neill, S. (2009). The role of psychosocial factors in young children's responses to cross-examination style questioning. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 23(7), 918-935. doi: 10.1002/acp.1536

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., & Hayne, H. (2006). The negative effect of cross-examination style questioning on children's accuracy: Older children are not immune. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 20, 3-16. doi: 10.1002/acp.1169

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., & Hayne, H. (2003). I don't think that's what really happened: The effect of cross-examination on the accuracy of children's reports. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 9(3), 187-195.

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., Gross, J., & Hayne, H. (2003). Asked and answered: Questioning children in the courtroom. Psychiatry, Psychology & Law, 10(1), 199-209.

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R. (2001). Cross examination and the child witness. Childrenz Issues, 5(1), 33-38.

Journal - Research Article

Zajac, R., & Brown, D. A. (2018). Conducting successful memory interviews with children. Child & Adolescent Social Work Journal, 35(3), 297-308. doi: 10.1007/s10560-017-0527-z

Journal - Research Other

Zajac, R., & Hayne, H. (2001). The effect of cross examination on the accuracy of children's reports. Society for Research in Child Development. Minneapolis, MN. [Full Paper]

Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Full paper

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