Advances in Psychology and Law (eBook)

As with its esteemed predecessor, this timely volume offers ways of applying psychological knowledge to address pressing concerns in legal procedures and potentially to reduce criminal offending. In such areas as interrogations, expert testimony, evidence admissibility, and the 'death qualification' process in capital trials, contributors offer scientific bases for trends in suspect, witness, and juror behavior and identify those practices liable to impinge on just outcomes. Recommendations span a wide range of research, practice, and policy areas, from better approaches to assessment to innovative strategies for reducing recidivism. The interdisciplinary perspectives of these chapters shed salient light on both the reach of the issues and possibilities for intervening to improve the functioning of the justice system.

Among the topics covered:                                                                                                                                  

·         The validity of pleading guilty.

·         The impact of emotions on juror judgments and decision making.

·         The content, purpose, and effects of expert testimony on interrogation practices and suspect confessions.

·         A synthetic perspective on the own-race bias in eyewitness identification.

·         Criminal justice and psychological perspectives on deterring gangs.

Brian Bornstein is a Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director of the Law-Psychology Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is editor of the journal Psychology, Crime & Law. He has edited 14 books (including two close to completion), roughly half of which have been with Springer.

Monica Miller is an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno with a split appointment between the Criminal Justice Department and the Interdisciplinary Social Psychology PhD Program. She is on the editorial board of the journal Psychology, Crime & Law. She has edited 4 books, including 'Handbook of Community Sentiment' (Springer, 2015).

The co-editors have a longstanding and productive working relationship. Together, Brian and Monica are currently co-editors of the New York University book series 'Psychology and Crime' and co-edited a volume on 'Stress, Trauma, and Wellbeing in the Legal System' (Oxford University Press, 2013), as well as 'Advances in Psychology and Law, Vol. 1' (Springer, in press). They have also co-authored one book and over a dozen journal articles together.