Thanks for visiting! I am an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, focusing on the intersection of psychology and law. I received my Ph.D. in Social Psychology from York University in 2019 and I have been a lawyer at the Ontario Bar since 2007. My research interests focus on the ways that psychology can inform legal processes and challenge assumptions under the law. Please see below for a full description of my research interests. 

Gendered Islamophobia &  Religious Minority Rights

My current research explores the intersectionality of gender and religion in predicting cognitive and affective reactions toward Muslim men and women. The second stream of this research focuses more closely on the pursuit of religious equality rights for Muslim persons in Canada. Part of this work will test an intervention strategy to reduce intergroup hostility, focusing on a common superordinate Canadian identity that reframes the discussion as the pursuit of “human rights” rather than “Muslim rights.”

Wrongful Convictions

One line of my research explores the causes and consequences of wrongful convictions. We recently studied the experiences of defence counsel with representing innocent clients, including their estimates of the hidden prevalence of wrongful convictions in Canada. In addition, we are examining the factors that influence the perception that an exoneree is truly innocent and the impact that a formal apology and compensation can have.

Stranger Sexual Harassment

Another line of study focuses on gender-based sexual harassment from strangers, both at street level (e.g., catcalling, sexual comments) and online (e.g., trolling on social media,  unsolicited nude photos). Prior research has established that the overwhelming majority of women experience stranger sexual harassment in day-to-day life, but less has explored the prevalence of harassment in cyberspace or the experiences of male victims.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you would like to contact me, please refer to the information below.

erentzen@ryerson.ca

on twitter: @cerentzen