Caoilte Ó Ciardha

Dr. Caoilte Ó Ciardha is a Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at the University of Kent, where he is part of the Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP). He obtained his PhD from Trinity College Dublin (Ireland) in 2010, examining the use of indirect/implicit cognitive measures in sexual offender assessment, and joined the School of Psychology at the University of Kent in 2011 as a postdoctoral research associate. His research draws on theory and methods across forensic psychology, social psychology, cognitive psychology and social cognition.

Dr. Ó Ciardha's polygraph research represents a critical examination of post-conviction sexual offense testing (PCSOT). His 2020 report, commissioned by police, evaluated their use of mandatory and voluntary polygraph testing with three groups of individuals convicted or suspected of sexual offending, including 557 supervised offenders, 142 suspects, and 104 applicants for removal of notification requirements. His 2021 narrative review demonstrated that use of PCSOT lacks robust empirical support beyond the fact that examinations facilitate increased disclosures and can be used as a surveillance tool. Notably, he suggested that polygraphs may undermine a trusting relationship and may be over-relied upon as a tool to tackle denial or determine risk categorization, instead of translating disclosures into individualized management.

Dr. Ó Ciardha is associate editor of the journals Sexual Abuse and Psychology, Crime & Law and reviews for over 20 other journals. He also sits on the research committee of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA). His collaboration with Jane Louise Wood, Theresa A. Gannon, and Emma Alleyne has been particularly productive in examining polygraph applications in sexual offender management. In 2021, he was awarded a grant between $20,000 and $250,000 from End Violence's Tech Coalition Safe Online Research Fund to explore interventions targeting online child sexual exploitation.

Beyond polygraph testing, Dr. Ó Ciardha's broader research focuses on sexual offending against children and adults and firesetting, examining cognitive distortions, problematic sexual interest, and treatment effectiveness. His interdisciplinary approach integrates forensic psychology with cognitive science, employing methodologies ranging from implicit cognitive measures to treatment outcome evaluation. His polygraph work connects to this wider research agenda by critically examining surveillance tools used in sexual offender management and their psychological impact on therapeutic relationships and recidivism outcomes.