Alan Tomkins
- Media Contact
- SPN Mentor
Dr. Tomkins is director of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center and professor of psychology and law at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His primary research interests concern public participation in policymaking; public trust and confidence in institutions; natural resource policy (weather forecast usage, decision making about water quality and quantity); and minorities and justice.
Prior to joining UNL's Law/Psychology Program in 1986, Dr. Tomkins served as a research associate with the Federal Judicial Center in Washington, DC, and as a faculty member in departments of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (visiting) and St. Louis University (research).
He also has served as a Visiting Professor of Law at the University of Southampton (England) and as a Visiting Scholar of Psychology at Yonsei University (Seoul, Korea). From August 2005-July 2006, he was one of two inaugural William J. Clinton Distinguished Fellows at the University of Arkansas School of Public Service. He is a Fellow of the American-Psychology Law Society (Division 41 of the American Psychological Association) and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (Division 9 of the American Psychological Association). Tomkins serves Co-Editor of Court Review: The Journal of the American Judges Association, working with editor Judge Steve Leben of the Kansas Court of Appeals. Tomkins is first non-judge to serve as an editor of Court Review. From 1989-2001, Tomkins served as co-Editor and then Editor of the interdisciplinary journal, Behavioral Sciences & the Law.
Primary Interests:
- Aggression, Conflict, Peace
- Applied Social Psychology
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Law and Public Policy
- Political Psychology
- Research Methods, Assessment
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Image Gallery
Journal Articles:
- Artikov, I., Hoffman, S. J., Lynne, G. D., PytlikZillig, L. M., Hu, Q., Tomkins, A. J., Hubbard, K. G., Hayes, M. J., & Waltman, W. J. (2006). Understanding the influence of climate forecasts on farmer decisions as Planned Behavior. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 45, 1202-1214.
- Elbogen, E. B., Mercado, C. C., Scalora, M. J., & Tomkins, A. J. (2002). Perceived relevance of factors for violence risk assessment: A survey of clinicians. Journal of Forensic Mental Health Services, 1, 37-47.
- Elbogen, E. B., Tomkins, A. J., Pothuloori, A., & Scalora, M. J. (2003). Documentation of violence risk factors in psychiatric hospital patient charts: An empirical examination. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 31, 58-64.
- Grisso, T., & Tomkins, A. (1996). Communicating violence risk assessment. American Psychologist, 51, 928-930.
- Hu, Q., Pytlik Zillig, L. M., Lynne, G. D, Tomkins, A. J., Waltman, W. J., Hayes, M. J., Hubbard, K. G., Artikov, I., Hoffman, S. J., & Wilhite, D. A. (2006). Understanding farmers’ forecast use from their beliefs, values, social norms, and perceived obstacles. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 45, 1190-1201.
- Neeley, E., & Tomkins, A. (2007). Evaluating court processes for determining indigency. Court Review, 43, 4-11.
- Ogloff, J. R. P., Tomkins, A. J., & Bersoff, D. N. (1996). Education and training in psychology and law/criminal justice: Historical foundations, present structures, and future developments. Criminal Justice and Behavior, 23, 200-235.
- Rottman, D., & Tomkins, A. (1999). Public trust and confidence in the courts: What public opinion surveys mean to judges. Court Review, 36, 24-31.
- Tomkins, A. J., & Oursland, K. (1991). Social and social scientific perspectives in judicial interpretations of the Constitution: A historical view and an overview. Law and Human Behavior, 15, 101-120.
- Tomkins, A., Shank, N., Tromanhauser, D., Rupp, S., & Mahoney, R. (2005). United Way and University partnerships in community-wide human services planning and plan implementation: The case of Lincoln/Lancaster County, Nebraska. Journal of Community Practice, 13(3), 55-72.
Other Publications:
- National Center for State Courts. (1999, May). How the public views the state courts: A 1999 national survey. Williamsburg, VA: Author. [contributing author]
- Rottman, D., & Tomkins, A. J. (Eds.). (2001). Public trust and confidence in the courts [Special issue]. Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 19(2), 197-320.
- Tomkins, A. J. (2008). Using research and engagement to inform policy making. The Community Psychologist, 41(3/4), 9-10.
- Tomkins, A. J., & Applequist, K. (2008). Constructs of justice: Beyond civil litigation. In B. H. Bornstein, R. L. Wiener, R. Schopp, & S. L. Willborn (Eds.), Civil juries and civil justice (pp. 163-178). New York: Springer.
- Tomkins, A.J. (Ed.). (2007-2008). Procedural justice [Special issue]. Court Review, 44(1/2), 1-84.
Alan Tomkins
Public Policy Center
University of Nebraska
215 Centennial Mall South, Suite 401
Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0228
United States of America
- Phone: (402) 472-5688
- Fax: (402) 472-5679
- Email: atomkins@nebraska.edu