Jessica Thomas ('25), a Psychology major, conducted research on how childhood experiences differentially impact a person’s judgments of moral blame. Jessica was mentored by Dr. Geoffrey Goodwin (Department of Psychology) and this project was supported by the College Alumni Society Undergraduate Research Grant.
My research explored how the average person assigns moral blame to psychopathic criminal offenders. Psychopathy is a personality condition marked by traits such as a lack of empathy and guilt, and a tendency to violate social and legal norms. By nature of their condition, psychopathic individuals often encounter the criminal justice system, and their prevalence increases with the severity of crimes. Their particular lack of typical moral characteristics, such as empathy and remorse, makes them unique in the face of morality-based questions. Thus, my research aimed to address questions that may arise regarding how the average individual determines responsibility when confronted with an individual whose actions exist outside of their moral purview. Across three studies, I examined how neurological and environmental causes, such as childhood rearing experiences, impacted the average person’s judgments of moral blame and criminal liability for individuals with psychopathy. I was first drawn to this topic through courses I took at Penn, especially Dr. Goodwin’s "Moral Psychology" seminar and Dr. Waller’s "Inside the Criminal Mind" seminar. Both classes introduced me to theories, case studies, and research that challenged my thinking about morality, behavior, and criminal justice. The research process, both in gathering data and conducting extensive literature reviews, helped me pursue the intellectual questions that first piqued my interest during those seminars.
Throughout the course of this research, the relationship I developed with my advisor, Dr. Goodwin, has been one of the most impactful aspects of the experience (pictured below). His mentorship pushed me to approach complex psychological and moral questions with a more critical and nuanced lens. Whether it was in refining my research design, helping me interpret data, or encouraging me to dig deeper into the literature, his support was invaluable. Dr. Goodwin always struck a balance between giving me the freedom to pursue my own ideas and offering thoughtful feedback that pushed me to think more critically and clearly. He created an environment where I felt safe to grow, to make mistakes, and to embrace both setbacks and pushbacks. As a result, his mentorship helped me strengthen the quality of my work and become more confident in my voice, my ideas, and my academic abilities.
Overall, this project was one of my proudest accomplishments from my time at Penn. Beyond the subject matter, this research taught me the discipline and thoughtfulness required to design and conduct empirical studies. I strengthened my ability to navigate setbacks and persist through the less glamorous parts of the research process. Further, it allowed me to bridge two disciplines I’ve long been drawn to, psychology and law, into one meaningful project. The skills that I’ve developed through this project has only deepened my interest in pursuing a legal career. Additionally, publishing my studies on SONA felt like a personal milestone. I remember, as a freshman, participating in SONA studies for other students' research, and imagining ideas for when it would be my turn to design a study. Seeing my own study published on that same platform, and knowing my peers were now participating in something I created, was a full-circle moment I’ll never forget. It’s been a deeply rewarding experience, both personally and academically.
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