“Psychology and the law: A special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science” plus 1 more |
| Psychology and the law: A special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science Posted: 17 Feb 2011 10:37 AM PST
| ] Contact: Keri Chiodo Legal systems are necessary in any functioning society. Centuries ago, people realized that the only way to maintain a peaceful community was to develop a firm set of rules�laws�to punish transgressors. As laws have continued to evolve in societies around the world, psychological scientists have begun to investigate the psychological basis of many aspects of legal systems. A new special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, presents the current state of research on psychology and law. Many lawyers rely on eyewitness identifications and expert testimony in the courtroom, but scientific research increasingly suggests that this evidence is often unreliable. Eyewitnesses may be influenced by a suspect's race and by feedback from law enforcement officers. Expert testimony may be similarly flawed. Studies have shown that experts are often biased to the side that requested their assistance and even when expert testimony is truly objective, the judge�who is also susceptible to bias�often has the final say in determining which testimony is admissible in a trial. Successful interviews of witnesses and suspects are critical for an effective legal system. However, false confessions may result when police officers present fabricated evidence and lie to suspects�a strategy known as the Reid technique. Psychological scientists have investigated alternative methods; for example, research suggests that false confessions may be reduced by the PEACE model, a method commonly used by officers in the United Kingdom which does not allow officers to misinform a suspect. Aside from judges, juries play a key role in a number of legal systems around the world. Although all jurors enter the courtroom with some sort of implicit bias, research shows that juries are largely effective at considering evidence presented to them and applying the law. While no legal system is perfect, scientific research may increase our understanding of the psychological underpinnings of suspect interviews, jury selection, and judges' decisions and thus help ensure that legal systems evolve in the most efficient direction. ### To learn more about the psychology of law, see the February 2011 special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science: http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/current Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, publishes concise reviews on the latest advances in theory and research spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications. For access to this special issue and other Current Directions in Psychological Science research findings, please contact Keri Chiodo at 202-293-9300 or kchiodo@psychologicalscience.org.
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| ] Contact: Keri Chiodo Legal systems are necessary in any functioning society. Centuries ago, people realized that the only way to maintain a peaceful community was to develop a firm set of rules�laws�to punish transgressors. As laws have continued to evolve in societies around the world, psychological scientists have begun to investigate the psychological basis of many aspects of legal systems. A new special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, presents the current state of research on psychology and law. Many lawyers rely on eyewitness identifications and expert testimony in the courtroom, but scientific research increasingly suggests that this evidence is often unreliable. Eyewitnesses may be influenced by a suspect's race and by feedback from law enforcement officers. Expert testimony may be similarly flawed. Studies have shown that experts are often biased to the side that requested their assistance and even when expert testimony is truly objective, the judge�who is also susceptible to bias�often has the final say in determining which testimony is admissible in a trial. Successful interviews of witnesses and suspects are critical for an effective legal system. However, false confessions may result when police officers present fabricated evidence and lie to suspects�a strategy known as the Reid technique. Psychological scientists have investigated alternative methods; for example, research suggests that false confessions may be reduced by the PEACE model, a method commonly used by officers in the United Kingdom which does not allow officers to misinform a suspect. Aside from judges, juries play a key role in a number of legal systems around the world. Although all jurors enter the courtroom with some sort of implicit bias, research shows that juries are largely effective at considering evidence presented to them and applying the law. While no legal system is perfect, scientific research may increase our understanding of the psychological underpinnings of suspect interviews, jury selection, and judges' decisions and thus help ensure that legal systems evolve in the most efficient direction. ### To learn more about the psychology of law, see the February 2011 special issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science: http://cdp.sagepub.com/content/current Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, publishes concise reviews on the latest advances in theory and research spanning all of scientific psychology and its applications. For access to this special issue and other Current Directions in Psychological Science research findings, please contact Keri Chiodo at 202-293-9300 or kchiodo@psychologicalscience.org.
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| Psychology department seeks families for adolescent research project Posted: 16 Feb 2011 06:58 PM PST Written by Megan Wilkinson Wednesday, 16 February 2011 20:47 Adolescence is a key transition time between childhood and adulthood, and researchers from the Kent State Psychology Department hope to find answers to better define what happens psychologically to this age group. The researchers are seeking families from all different backgrounds with middle school-aged children to participate in their research project to determine how adolescents cope with stress. "We're hoping to better understand what's related to negative outcomes in adolescents," said Brittany Mathews, a graduate student studying clinical psychology. "We will look to see why some adolescents develop anxiety and depression and why others don't." Mathews said the parents and adolescents participating in this research study will attend two 90-minute in-lab visits to complete questionnaires about their worries and emotions about the parent-child relationship. Mathews said heart rates and breathing will also be measured during the in-lab. Outside of the lab, the parents and children will fill out daily questionnaires for a week on a palm-pilot loaned to them by the Kent State Psychology Department. "Hopefully the participants won't submerge the palm pilots in water," said Jeff Ciesla, assistant professor of psychology, "Both the parent and child will report daily levels of what is going on between the two of them on the palm pilots. The child will write how they've been feeling that day and if they feel they've misbehaved. Mom will do a similar thing." Ciesla said there are several benefits for families who sign up for the project. The study will help aid in scientific advancement, and families who show any signs of anxiety or depression can be directed to getting help. Ciesla also said that families participating in the study will be compensated and will have the chance to enter a raffle to win a laptop computer when the study is complete. Ciesla, psychology professor Kathryn Kerns and Nancy Darling, Oberlin College psychology professor, developed the project. The three collaborated to focus on how adolescents deal with stress and relate to their parents. Mathews said the department began planning this study in Fall 2009 and began research in Spring 2010. So far, 62 families have already signed up for the project. She said the researchers hope to get 38 more families to commit to the study. Families can schedule the in-lab visits based on their own availability. Kerns said the researchers are receiving some help from Kent State undergraduates to complete the project. "Undergraduates are really important to this project," Kerns said. "It's a good opportunity for them to get to do something outside of class." Mathews said undergraduates are helping to distribute questionnaires and enter data for the project. "I love studying teens and adolescents," said Kelsey Dickson, graduate student and studying clinical psychology. "This is the age group where people develop most and start to think differently." Mathews said she hopes to have the project completed by the end of this school year or the end of the summer. Contact Megan Wilkinson at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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