The relationship between psychology and law As Wells (2002) suggested the criminal justice system would do well to acknowledge the psychologists involved in investigating eyewitness testimony; as they can do for the justice system what the justice system cannot, namely conduct scientific experiments that isolate cause-effect relationships. They can help “reform eyewitness identification procedures…. In short, eyewitness testimonies are fallible because human memory is not reliable all the time due to its selectivity and malleability. The doctoral program in Social Psychology is designed to train researchers to use rigorous scientific methods to uncover the fundamental principles underlying social behavior and to address practical questions about everyday relations among people. Dr. Peter-Hagene completed her Ph.D. in Social and Personality Psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and has been a faculty member in the Psychology Department's Applied Psychology Division at SIU since Fall 2016. In addition, juries and judges are not fully trained to detect any nuances in human behaviour and speech.Thus, social psychologists should work more closely with eyewitnesses, lawyers and juries-who are ultimately in-charge of the fate of an accused person-to attain a better result in regards to the processes and result of trial proceedings. This will result in the decrease and quite possibly the elimination of wrongful convictions. We know that sometimes it's hard to find inspiration, so we provide you with hundreds of related samples. Application of Social Psychology to the Legal System Social Psychology refers to the branch of psychology that deals with analyzing the human behaviors based on the interactions with others in society as well as the social contexts of the conduct. The relevance of legal psychology can be seen in legal proceedings in different manners: 1. http://www.socialpsychologyandlaw.com/contact/. In this definition, scientific refers to empirical investigation using the scientific method, while the terms thoughts, feelings, and behaviors refer to the psychological variables that can be measured in humans. Table of Contents (click on a category of interest) This is why people continue to obey police and courts, even though there had been instances wherein they acted contrary to what the public expected them to. Lawyers also believe that tests and studies done by psychologists about eyewitness testimonies and behaviour do not apply in every case.Hence, the usability of psychological tests and studies are not a standard form or basis to identify human behaviour, in this instance eyewitness behaviour. Although, according to Dripps (2003) …. To get to the end result, police officers, lawyers, and judges rely on eyewitness testimonies and juries, all of which are susceptible to commit flaws. Although research on the effects of different retention intervals on the recall of word lists does not appear to address issues in psychology and the law, such research contributes to the general body of knowledge related to memory. [by helping determine] which eyewitness phenomena are reliable enough for presentation to a jury and which are not… ” since they know more about human behaviour and external and internal factors that affect memory and cognition (Tubb, Hosch, and Memon).Similarly, it should come naturally for legal professionals to seek “those concerned with studying human behaviour,” when dealing with eyewitnesses because these experts can provide them with new knowledge, insights and scientific opinion that they may not be aware of (Davis). Social psychology is the scientific study of how the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, and implied presence of others. For the most part, it achieves its purpose of putting an end to a wrongdoing, thereby enforcing justice. Also, people see the legitimacy of a law when it is functional.Functional in this sense means that “good will come out of the law that will benefit society. Dr. Liana Peter-Hagene founded the Social Psychology and Law Lab at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. On the other hand, the criminal justice system is the branch of the law that deals with controlling criminal activities in society through imposing penalties on the offenders of the specific laws. Problems can arise at. Also, people act on this ‘internalized obligation’ consistently because it has become entrenched within them. This is because the human mind “creates its own vision of reality” (Loh). Forthcoming in Francesco Parisi (Ed.). For instance, “[s]tudies of the impact of a defendant’s attractiveness on a juror’s decision…say something about social perception theory but produce no information meaningful to law” (Sales).In other words, most if not all, social psychological theories mainly apply exclusively to the field of psychology. Our faculty contribute to four thematic areas. Therefore, suggestive comments by authorities can actually “condone… or bolster. That is, how the people around us impact our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. In addition, people obey the law because it is in accordance with their moral beliefs. Test bank Questions and Answers of Chapter 18: Application Module- Social Psychology and the Law A hundred percent accuracy of an eyewitness testimony is not always possible unless the eyewitness recounts the event right after it has transpired. Social psychologists can delve into the speech and behaviour of an eyewitness. The legal system has convicted innocent people because of “mistaken eyewitness identification [which] played a major role in two-thirds of the first 138 DNA exonerations in the United States” (McMurtrie). This chapter offers an overview of the early interweaving of law with social psychology and related social sciences on topics such as judicial decision-making, jury decision-making, eyewitness identification, procedural justice, persuasion, negotiation, psychological foundations of evidence, and the psychology of expert testimony and of aspects of the tort litigation system. In order for social psychology to be useful in the legal field, it has to focus on legal matters. A typical legal practitioner, in general is not “convinced that the psychologist has any comprehension of legal problems;…and rebukes him for not drawing freely upon the body of knowledge he has so carefully and laboriously built up” (Loh). Their expertise can shed light on certain human behaviours that legal professionals are unaware of. The Social psychology is the scientific study of how people think about, influence, and relate to one another. Almost everyone is aware and will agree that human memory is not a hundred percent dependable. interviewing suspects, to defense attorneys in demonstrating how a person can come to be wrongfully accused of a crime, to lawyers in selecting possible jurors for a trial, and to foren- Social psychology, the scientific study of the behaviour of individuals in their social and cultural setting. Social Psychology and Law M ARGARET B ULL K OVERA AND E UGENE B ORGIDA One significant value of much social science research is that it makes clearer what we only dimly perceive, if we perceive it Legal psychology deals with cognitive and social principles and their usage in the legal system. Social psychology is the study of human experience within social contexts. Of course, all individuals within reach of the United States legal system are involved to some degree. .. Social Aspects of the Trial Process; Jury Psychology: Volume 2. Social psychologists can also inform legal professionals and those who are apart of the criminal justice system about scientific facts as to the reasons why people obey the law. Psychologists can also inform juries about situational factors that affect an eyewitness’ perceived notion of an event. Although this is the case, jurors still believe that “their memories are above average [which] suggests that potential juror may begin each trial with unwarranted confidence in memory and the ability to identify faces…. Legal psychology involves empirical, psychological research of the law, legal institutions, and people who come into contact with the law. Law can only react to and process ongoing events; psychology gets to choose what it studies. Social PSychology of law and the courtroom 5 Different Philosophies: Advocacy Versus Objectivity Law generally determines what is right by virtue of precedent, or prior authority; psychology determines what is right by virtue of empirical observations. However, their theories and practices cover a broad spectrum of behaviour and topics. Stanley Milgram, a professor of Pyschology and conducted the famous Milgram Study, states that “it is not so much the kind of person a man is as the kind of situation in which he finds himself that determines how he will act” (Kirkley). Eyewitnesses encounter “situational manipulation (e. g. xposure time, phrasing of questions) and subjective influences (e. g. stress, cultural expectations) [which] can shape the acquisition of information create a new ‘memory’ from the stored initial information and distort subsequent recollection” (Loh). The Social Psychology of Police Interrogation: The Theory and Classification of True and False Confessions Studies in Law, Politics, and Society, Vol. Equally important is that lawyers think that tests and studies done by psychologists relating to eyewitness testimonies and behaviour do not apply in every situation (Loh). This is why the legal system had not seriously considered and incorporated psychological tests and studies. ” (Loud) Once the value of the law has been expressed either by the public at large or individuals towards each other, people develop an ‘internalized obligation’ to follow it (Loud). Psychology seeks to understand and explain human behavior while law seeks to … Although law and psychology are two separate fields, they are united by their interest in human behavior. With this in mind, the scientific community specifically the field of psychology can assist in reforming the legal system. Read about the program's history on campus. Inferences can also affect the perceived notion of an eyewitness. It is based on empirical and psychological research of law along with legal institutions. Research in psychological science, specifically social psychology, has challenged many of the law's assumptions about human behaviour. They are interested in both individual and group interactions and attempt to find ways to improve negative interactions. Also, the fact that laws are created by a group of people establishes its legitimacy because “the majority is saying that it is right,” so the rest perceives that it must be right (Loud). Nadler, Janice and Mueller, Pam, Social Psychology and the Law (November 28, 2016). Conversely, the practice of social psychology is relatively more applicable to Psychology than to any legal processes and decision making. The field of psychology and law values contributions from professionals in a variety of different settings including university and research organizations, clinical practice, law enforcement agencies, correctional institutions, and other governmental and nonprofit agencies. As a student in our program, you may choose research … Also, testimonies overhead by another witness, suggestive comments by investigators and media influence may make eyewitnesses alter, embellish or add inaccurate details or information to their recorded testimonies. The Oxford Handbook of Law and Economics, Volume 1 (2017), Northwestern Law & Econ Research Paper No. Her research interests include jury and juror decision making, emotional biases in group and individual decisions, diversity effects on group performance, morality and law, and sexual assault victims' coping and recovery. Hence, they might base their decision on what everyone else considers as right. Basic researchers inform the legal system by increasing the available knowledge on topics such as memory, human cognition, and social influence. Moreover, social psychologists can help figure out if the testimony rendered by an eyewitness is accurate. Traditionally, these challenges have focused on a fairly narrow range of legal processes involving … Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings, beliefs, intentions and goals are constructed within a social context by the actual or imagined interactions with others. While, there may be others who do not take their role as a juror seriously. [s]ocial and cognitive psychology teaches us to distrust that judgment… both personality and situation influence behaviour. Afraid of punishment perceptions of police, particularly in racially charged incidents need with your essay and educational goals majority. Of course, all individuals within reach of the Trial process ; jury:... 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