is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Iowa State University. She conducts research aimed at improving real world policies and procedures, particularly in legal and educational domains. More specifically, her work seeks to answer questions such as: Why do innocent people plead guilty to crimes they did not commit? How can we preserve eyewitnesses’ memories? What impacts students’ perceptions of learning? Etc.
Her body of research also earned her recognition as an Association for Psychological Science Rising Star in 2020. Much of her recent work has been particularly focused on illuminating issues with today’s criminal justice system, particularly its shift away from trials in favor of plea bargaining. She received a National Science Foundation CAREER grant to complete a multi-phase project that aims to further examine the factors that lead both adult and juvenile defendants to accept plea offers, especially when they are actually innocent.
Wilford earned her doctoral degree at Iowa State University under the advisement of Gary L. Wells, Ph.D. and Jason C. K. Chan, Ph.D. , with the support of a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
While America’s problem with mass incarceration is often the focus of scrutiny, we often ignore its link to another issue that touches even more people.The State’s “Legitimate Interest” in Women's HealthAs the lines between real and fake blur, Americans increasingly chase the idea of authenticity. The first step may be to consider self-knowledge, truthfulness, and other building blocks on the road to personal growth.