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Ted Maldonado
Graduate Research Grant Recipient
M.S. Candidate, Psychology

Mr. Maldonado received support for his study examining the effects of age, working memory capacity and cognitive load on people’s ability to deceive. This research is the basis for his master's thesis, Are high spans better liars? The role of working memory capacity and cognitive load in producing and detecting deception. He shared these thoughts about his research:

“Understanding who is a good liar and who is good at detecting lies has several impacts in today’s society…The most obvious implication for this research may be in law enforcement or the legal system. If we understand who has a better chance of convincingly telling a lie and who has a better chance of detecting these lies, we can begin to modify procedures in the legal system in order to improve it. This provides confidence when convicting criminals and ensures those who are innocent remain free. Additionally, I am trying to understand differences in deception between younger and older adults. Understanding this can help us protect older adults against scams and fraud. This will allow older adults to live more independently, longer....I am truly grateful to The Graduate School for this support. Without it, I would not be able to fully answer the question I am asking and the quality of my research would suffer."

More About Ted

Hometown: Portage, Indiana

Education history: B.A., Psychology, concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience & minor in German, Manchester University

Honors, awards, & graduate school accomplishments:
Graduate Student Research Grant
College of Letters & Science Student Research Travel Grant

When I was a kid, I wanted to become…a chef

After graduation, I plan to …enroll in Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology in order to focus on memory issues in older adults. While I will be eligible to practice as a doctor, I hope to use the skills I gain to conduct research in my own lab at a major university.