Date of Award

Spring 5-2009

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Educational Leadership and Research

Committee Chair

Willie Pierce

Committee Chair Department

Educational Leadership and School Counseling

Committee Member 2

Donald Cabana

Committee Member 3

James T. Johnson

Committee Member 4

John Rachal

Committee Member 5

Thomas Payne

Abstract

This study examined form blindness testing as a predictor of latent print examination success among traditional and nontraditional college students. A correlational analysis of traditional versus nontraditional students was also assessed. Data were collected for two groups: trained and untrained. The untrained group (n = 167) consisted of students enrolled in courses within the field of forensic science at a university in the southeastern United States during the spring 2009 academic term. Students retained within the untrained group were those with no fingerprint training. The trained group (n = 160) consisted of students who completed a science of fingerprinting course during the years 2003 to 2007 (archival data).

The researcher employed a correlational design to determine whether form-blindness testing significantly predicts ability to perform latent print examination tasks. The study examined whether age, GPA, traditional/ nontraditional status, corrective vision, science background, form blindness, and fingerprint training affects one's ability to compare and identify latent prints. Alpha was set at 0.05.

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