US 1-302-856-9488 tale@LinguisticEvidence.org
About TALE
Leading TALE
The Leadership Circle
Charles E Fisher Jr
Hannes Kniffka PhD
Harry Hollien PhD
Jan Svartvik PhD
Lawrence Driscoll PhD
Robin Tolmach Lakoff PhD
Joining TALE
How To Join TALE
LESLI Editorial Board
Telling TALE
Criminologist Pioneered Validation Testing in Forensic Interviewing Techniques
Lawrence N Driscoll teaches criminology and criminal justice at Wheeling Jesuit University in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA. Professor Driscoll earned his PhD in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his MA and BA in Administration of Justice from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr Driscoll has also earned certifications in polygraph and SCAN methods of detecting deception. His master's thesis assessed the validity of a psychophysiological method of deception detection.
Dr. Driscoll's research has focused on two areas in criminology: at-risk children and deception detection. His research has been funded by State Farm, Hess Foundation, Swimmer Foundation, Benedum Initiative, the US Department of Justice Weed and Seed Program, and the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families.
Dr. Driscoll has presented his research at the National Corrections & Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center, Wheeling Academy of Law and Science, the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, and the American Society of Criminology. He has been an active member and officer of the West Virginia Criminal Justice Educators Association.
In 1994, Dr. Driscoll was the first scholar to assess the validity of the SCAN (Scientific Content ANalysis) technique, publishing "A Validity Assessment of Written Statements from Suspects in Criminal Investigations Using the SCAN Technique" in Police Studies. This publication paved the way for later scholars and practitioners to think critically about the use of language-based techniques.
The Association for Linguistic Evidence honors Professor Driscoll for his pioneering work in validation testing within deception detection. His work demonstrates key principles in the ILE paradigm for forensic linguistics –the need for validation testing of methods that are used in policing and investigation.
Robin Tomlach Lakoff PhD
Hannes Kniffa PhD Habil