CSEL Journal Papers

CSEL undertakes empirical research and aims always to publish it in the highest quality, peer-reviewed scientific journals. This means that each published paper is reviewed by knowledgeable and experienced people in the field, who can make informed judgements about the quality of the work.

This list is ordered by (reverse) publication date so that you can find the paper you need.

Please use the suggested citation or another recognised protocol for citing published work if you refer to any of these papers.


A review of adolescent autobiographical memory and the implications for assessment of unaccompanied minors’ refugee determinations

A review of adolescents' autobiographical memory as pertinent to the assessment of protection claims.

Suggested Citation:

Given-Wilson, Z., Hodes, M. & Herlihy, J. A review of adolescent autobiographical memory and the implications for assessment of unaccompanied minors’ refugee determinations. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104517748697

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Telling the story: A psychological review on assessing adolescents’ asylum claims

Suggested Citation:

Given-Wilson, Z., Herlihy, J., Hodes, M (2016). Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, Vol 57(4), Nov 2016, 265-273

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The importance of looking credible: the impact of the behavioural sequelae of post-traumatic stress disorder on the credibility of asylum seekers

This study demonstrates the impact of how a claimant presents his or her story on the assessment of credibility.

Suggested Citation:

Rogers, H., Fox, S. & Herlihy, J. (2015). The importance of looking credible: the impact of the behavioural sequelae of post-traumatic stress disorder on the credibility of asylum seekers. Psychology, Crime & Law 21(2) 139-155 DOI: 10.1080/1068316X.2014.951643

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Overgeneral memory in asylum seekers and refugees

This paper demonstrates that overgeneral memory is present for asylum seekers and refugees with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression.

Suggested Citation:

Graham, B., Herlihy, J. & Brewin, Chris R. (2014). Overgeneral memory in asylum seekers and refugees. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 45 375-380

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What do we know so far about emotion and refugee law?

This review paper is written for a legal audience, and summarises the contribution that psychological literature is making to the asylum decision making procedure, looking at the psychology of the claimant and also the decision maker.

Suggested Citation:

Herlihy, J. & Turner, S. (2013). What do we know so far about emotion and refugee law? Northern Ireland Legal Quarterly, 64(1) 47–62

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Just Tell Us What Happened to You: Autobiographical Memory and Seeking Asylum

This paper reviews the literature on autobiographical memory, linking it to the asylum process.

Suggested Citation:

Herlihy, J., Jobson, L. and Turner, S. (2012). Just Tell Us What Happened to You: Autobiographical Memory and Seeking Asylum. Applied Cognitive Psychology 26 661–676

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Non-clinicians' judgments about asylum seekers' mental health: how do legal representatives of asylum seekers decide when to request medico-legal reports?

This paper describes a study of how legal representatives make decisions about their asylum seeking clients' mental health.

Suggested Citation:

Wilson-Shaw, L., Pistrang, N. & Herlihy, J. (2012). Non-clinicians’ judgments about asylum seekers’ mental health: How do legal representatives of asylum seekers decide when to request medico-legal reports? European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 3

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Refugees' Experiences of Home Office Interviews: A Qualitative Study on the Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information

This paper presents the qualitative findings of our study of people's experiences of Home Office interviews.

Suggested Citation:

Bögner, D., Brewin,C. & Herlihy, J. (2010). Refugees' Experiences of Home Office Interviews: A Qualitative Study on the Disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies 36(3) 519-535

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What Assumptions about Human Behaviour Underlie Asylum Judgments?

This is a qualitative study showing that assumptions made about human behaviour by asylum judges in the UK are not always in line with scientific knowledge.

Suggested Citation:

Herlihy, J., Gleeson, K. and Turner, S. (2010). What Assumptions about Human Behaviour Underlie Asylum Judgments? International Journal of Refugee Law 22(3) 351-366

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Asylum claims and memory of trauma: sharing our knowledge

An editorial in the British Journal of Psychiatry calling for more memory research applied to the asylum system.

Suggested Citation:

Herlihy, J. and Turner, S. (2007). Editorial : Asylum Claims : Are we sharing our knowledge? British Journal of Psychiatry 191 pp.3-4

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Impact of sexual violence on disclosure during Home Office interviews

This is a study of the psychological barriers to disclosing sexual violence in a legal interview.

Suggested Citation:

Bogner, D., Herlihy, J. and Brewin, C. (2007). The impact of sexual violence on disclosure during Home Office interviews. British Journal of Psychiatry 191 75-81

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Should discrepant accounts given by asylum seekers be taken as proof of deceit?

The results of our study of inconsistencies in traumatic memories, expanded and further explained.

Suggested Citation:

Herlihy, J. & Turner, S.W. (2006). Should discrepant accounts given by asylum seekers be taken as proof of deceit? Torture 16(2) 81-92

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Discrepancies in autobiographical memories— implications for the assessment of asylum seekers: repeated interviews study

This paper showed experimentally that people are more likely to give inconsistent answers when asked about the peripheral details of traumatic experiences (compared to central details and non-traumatic experiences). It also showed that for people with more symptoms of PTSD, the likelihood of inconsistencies goes up as the delay between interviews gets longer.

Suggested Citation:

Herlihy, J., Scragg P, and Turner S. (2002). Discrepancies in autobiographical memories-implications for the assessment of asylum seekers: repeated interviews study. British Medical Journal 324 324-7

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