Welcome to your first reading blog.
Read Ch1 in the Costanzo and Krauss book. Don't worry so much about your answers being long or beautifully written (yet!); focus on reading and understanding the material and then communicating that understanding to us when answering these questions.
From your reading, which topic(s) are you looking most forward to learning about this semester?
If you had to describe to someone not in this class what Psychology & Law is all about, what would you tell them based on your understanding of this chapter?
What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?
I think that Chapter 1 did a great job of first explaining what Psychology and Law is, and the history of Psychology and Law. Before just recently, I was not aware of "Cross-Disciplinary Training," which is discussed in this chapter. In the past few years, I have been torn between the future options of Graduate School in Psychology and Law School. A training in both would provide either a legal professional with a better ability to understand the findings of psychological research; or it would provide a psychologist with a better ability to communicate these findings to a legal professional. I am looking most forward to learning about "Cross-Disciplinary Training," because I feel that it could our legal system and may be a possible choice for my future studies.
Psychology and Law have a lot of similarities. They both are interested in the way that humans act and they both strive to solve problems between human beings. Psychology and Law is the psychological study of the legal system. This includes such topics as interrogations, eyewitness memory, and jury selection/decision making. Psychology can play into the legal system in a variety of ways. Psychologists can testify as Expert witnesses, act as trial consultants, or research to see whether the legal system is working they way it is intended to work.
The most memorable thing that I learned from this reading was that psychologists can be involved in court cases through amicus briefs. In legal latin this translates to "friend of the court". According to the chapter, psychologists have been involved in numerous cases dealing with a variety of topics (death penalty, abortion, rights of mentally ill etc.) through amicus briefs. This allows a psychologist to be involved in the case without testifying as an expert witness or being associated with a certain side. The only issue that comes into play is that some people think that it is hard to stay neutral using amicus briefs and that sometimes the psychologist becomes an advocate.
1)I am interested in learning more about the roles that psychologists play in law. I am very interested in forensic psychology and would like to learn more about what there is out there for forensic psychologists.
2)Psychology and Law is basically what those two words are. It is the use of psychology in a law setting. Combining these two areas of study can better help judges, jury, and attorneys to better understand the crime and help them to come up with a verdict. These two areas of study work well together because they both strive to learn more about human behavior, revealing the truth, human problems, and improving the human condition.
3) Something that really stuck with me when I finished the chapter was that social sciences like psychology have influenced the legal system in a big way. Also the books said “Psychology’s input may compel judges to act like judges.” To me this was very interesting because of the fact that psychology makes people think more about things like evidence.
I am very interested in learning about all of the different aspects in which psychologists can be involved in legal processes. It will also be interesting to learn about how and why some psychologist expert witnesses fill one of the three different roles in reporting their opinion in testimony. I never knew that psychologists could have such varied roles in the legal system, so I am excited to learn about all of the different options available.
Psychology and law is primarily about using scientific data and reasoning to understand the psychological aspects of the legal system. Psychologists can help answer questions about why people commit crimes, what the public views as fair punishment, and how criminal behavior can be modified. Psychologists can be called upon to assist attorneys in trials as consultants, evaluators, and expert witnesses. Using a combination of psychology and law in matters of determining guilt in trials can be useful when trying to determine a verdict because it allows jurors to look deeper into the validity of different parts of the testimony such as eyewitness accounts. Both psychology and law work to better society and improve human interactions.
What I took away most memorably from this chapter was the options for cross-disciplinary training. When I was younger I used to think that I wanted to be a lawyer, but as I grew older I began to understand that psychology was where I truly wanted to be. Learning about graduate programs that will allow me to obtain higher education in both law and psychology has begun to open up the possibilities for my future. I am very excited to begin learning about all of the options I will have within psychology and law as meshed subject areas.
I have wanted to become a lawyer for as long as I can remember; therefore, I am looking forward to learning about prosecuting attorneys the most. I am interested in how attorneys use psychologists for their advantage in a courtroom,and since judges are the gatekeepers how they decide the validility of an experts testimony. Lastly, I want to learn more about how attorneys use precedents to strengthen their case.
Psychology and Law is the process of integrating psychology into the legal system. Psychology offers another way to examine criminals, and to help the court understand why a person commited a crime. The testimony of a honest psychologist can give more validility to an attorney's case, and help the jury decide on a verdict. Psychology and law both work together to try and find the truth and justice in criminal situations.
What I found most surprising in this chapter was The Code of Professional Responsibility. I knew that lawyers are suppose defend their clients as best as possible, but I didn't know it went as far as making claims they knew were wrong. This is the reason I would never become a defense attroney. Although the lawyer cannot lie, or make somebody else lie under oath, they have to zealously defend their client.
1) the topic i am most looking forward to is learning about how psychologists can look into people's motives and thoughts from the evidence collected through all contributing factors including police investigations, eye witnesses, etc. as well as how the human mind works in the justice system (those who testify, jurors, judge, defendant, prosecutor, etc.)
2)psychology and law is about using two things that, in theory sound compatible but in practice are a bit harder to comprehend, to help better the legal system and court system. putting both into practice makes the court trial outcome more accurate.
3)the thing that stood out to me the most was the aspect where psychology is how people actually behave and law is how people are supposed to behave and how these seemingly conflicting ideas compliment each other.
I am most interested in studying the specific cases that involves those with psychological disorders. There is nothing that bothers me more than when I read about a murder, rape, etc. where the culprit gets off because of their psychological state at the time of the offense. Perhaps by finding out how exactly the legal system approaches these cases, I will get a better idea of how so many nut-jobs get away with heinous crimes only to be released on a psychological “loophole”.
This class is meant teach us how law and psychology inter-mingle. If we are to achieve a better understanding of how the two entirely separate cultures operate as one, we must seek to understand how psychology influences law and vice versa.
The most surprising thing I read about involved the use of trial consultants in a court of law. I was unaware that there was such a thing. I guess I always thought that both lawyers (only the lawyers) had equal say in jury selection.
After reading chapter one I am most interested in learning about how different psychologists within the same field of expertise (such as being an expert witness in the same area) choose to influence the law. The three roles assumed by expert witnesses is very intriguing because, as the book states, “it is rare for an expert witness who shades or misrepresents research findings to be prosecuted for misconduct.”
Based on this chapter, I would describe psychology and law as two different cultures that have discovered similarities and tools each can use to expand the field of research or facilitate the decisions of those holding power within the law. The law governs our behavior while psychology predicts human behavior. When the two coincide our judicial branch can more easily come to accurate verdicts.
The most surprising and memorable thing I learned in this chapter is similar to that in which I am most interested in learning more about. The fact that expert witnesses are rarely punished for purposely misinterpreting data astonishes me.
I am interested in learning more about psychologists as advisors in court. It will be interesting to see all the ways a psychologist can help out in a trial.
Psychology and law is incorporating psychology into the law. Psychology can help the law reach its goal of approximate justice in a number of ways. It becomes complicated because psychology tells us how people actually behave and the law tells us how people should behave.
Cross-disciplinary training is something that i will remember after reading this chapter. I think it is a good idea for law students to have some education in psychology but I don't feel it is as important for a psychologist to have a lot of education in law.
The topic that I’m most interested in learning more about is criminal profiling. I think it is fascinating how psychologists can draw so many conclusions about their suspect based on such limited information. I’m also interested in learning about how psychologists have been used in specific cases in history.
Psychology and Law is using the science of psychology to help improve the legal system. They can use psychology to better understand their criminals and the crimes they commit.
The most surprising thing I learned was that there is such a wide spectrum of ways in which a psychologist can help in the legal system. They can be used as advisors, evaluators, reformers, etc. I had never thought about their roles before and just assumed a psychologist was only needed when the court needed to determine if a person could be considered clinically insane.
One of the topics that I am most looking forward to studying this semester is psychologists as expert witnesses. There was a very small section in the chapter that briefly mentioned the expert witnesses talking about eyewitnesses and how accurately they can report what they have seen in different conditions. This topic of eyewitnesses can distort what they actually witnessed has always interested me.
If I had to describe to someone what Psychology and Law meant, I would tell them that the name tells it all. It is dealing with the law, but also how the mental processes and behavior can influence people's actions. Psychology plays a large role in the legal system, such as many psychologists serve as expert witnesses and advisers, as well as trial consultants. With their knowledge, they may give prosecutors and defenders a better idea as to why a crime was committed.
The most memorable thing in this chapter was cross-disciplinary training. This section discusses the possibility of maintaining a J.D. in law and a Ph.D in psychology. Those programs often require at least seven years of training. I personally cannot imagine going to school for another seven years after my undergraduate degree, but I think that for those who are willing to do and want a career in that field, that it would be most beneficial.
There are many topics pertaining to psychology and law that interest me, such as eyewitness testimony, false confessions (and the tactics used to force them), and some peoples' beliefs that the law is just black and white (that their own biases don't influence the way that they see the law). I am interested in pretty much any controversial or political topics. However, the topic that I found most interesting within the chapter was the different roles that psychologists can play in the legal system.
Based on my understanding of this chapter, and my previous experiences, I would describe psychology and law as a crossover discipline that is not unlike many others (such as Biopsychology or music therapy), because it is very difficult to find two topics of study that are mutually exclusive. That is why UNI has the liberal arts core; and any class that focuses on a crossover between two or more disciplines is beneficial to the students because not only does it teach us to use all of our knowledge and past experiences, but it can also have a very practical application in teaching us how to combine these two disciplines for a career-based application.
The most memorable thing of this chapter was the critical thinking question about whether or not judges are qualified to evaluate scientific evidence. It provoked a lot of thought, but I am not sure that I have a definite answer yet.
I have always been interested in both psychology and law so after reading chapter one I am looking forward to learning about how lawyers and psychologists work together for different court cases. Also what kinds psychologists are hired for different cases.
Psychology and Law is about how these two areas of study have become important to each other. Psychology is focused more on how humans behave, where as law is focused on carrying out the laws set for humans. Having knowledge about both of these topics can benefit both psychologists and lawyers. These two careers also intervene at times for example having a psychologist as an expert or as trial consultants.
The most memorable thing I learned in this chapter was that judges have the right to say if experts can be used. This struck me as odd because judges don't always completely understand all the research themselves.
1.) I am interested in learning about the possible ways psychology can change laws in the future. I am pretty interested in learning just how well people who are selected to be on a jury actually now about what they are doing.
2.) If i had to explain this class to someone i would first ask them if they new it was the courts jobs to interpret what are founders thought are rules should be like. Then that laws apply to everyone but not everyone is the same; psychology allows us to look more into the individual persons personality and compare it to or social norms. The last thing I would say is that over time we might be able to understand more clearly what types of people commit certain types of crime, or if there is an answer at all.
3.) The thing that surprised me the most from reading chapter one is how long it took for psychology to become widely recognized as a valuable tool in the court room. I figured if you had profession with the label of doctor and did work that required a Ph. D. you probably had a pretty good clue about what your doing.
After reading the chapter, I think I am most interested in learning about the roles of expert witnesses in trials, especially about the ethics, or lack there of, involved in the case of hired gun psychologists. I think that kind of controversy and scandal is interesting.
From my understanding, the class Psychology and Law delves into every area of psychology and how they are all individually and collectively relevant to some part of the legal system, from a local police department to the Supreme Court. The class explains and demonstrates where psychology and law intertwine and where they butt heads, but overall describes how the two cooperate to make up our legal system.
The most surprising (and disturbing) thing I read from the chapter was the statistics on a judge's knowledge of the validity of scientific research. I was appalled when I read that only 6% of the 400 judges surveyed understood the meaning of testability, and this was in 2005! I learned about the scientific method when I was a freshman in high school. It seems wrong that a person with so much power and influence would be so uninformed.
1.) I am currently trying to decide which area of psychology I am going to specialize in, so I am looking forward to learning more about the roles that psychologist can play in the legal system. I had no idea there were so many different ways to be involved. I hope this course helps me narrow down my choices.
2.)Psychology and Law are related in many ways, but they also differ in many ways. They are similar in a sense that they both deal with the behavior of sociey. They are different in a sense that paychology focus on the "why" and "how" of behavior, and law focuses on how people should act. Psycholgy plays many roles in the legal system. For example, they can help pick the jury, testify as an expert, or evaluate the effectiveness of certain programs.
3.) The part of the chapter that really stuck with me in this chapter was the section about the judges' roles as "gatekeepers". I knew that they got to make all of the decisions about what can and cannot be used in a trial, but it was very surprising to find out how little they were educated on the quality of research. I also found it shocking how biased judges can be towards the use of social science in the legal system, almost like they are above it. It seems as though they may be a huge road block in the path to uniting the two cultures.
I am interested in learning about the different ways psychology is used in the court room. After reading the chapter, it was very intriguing to learn at the impact that psychology has in a court room and the different avenues that one can take. I have been torn about going to law school or grad school. I think this will give me a great opportunity to learn how psychology can be used in the court room, as well as, the influence of getting a joint degree in law and psychology.
Psychology and Law is the process of using psychological theories and phenomenon in a legal setting allowing for a better understanding of crime, victims, and perpetrators. It uses two different subjects and binds them together to produce a better result. Psychology can have a large influence on the verdict in a case, and open new doors of thinking to those involved in the decision.
I think the most memorable thing that I read about were the different roles an expert witness possesses. Before I read the chapter, I thought the expert witness just gave facts and a history behind whatever they were an expert on. I didn’t realize the influence they hold over the court room.
I didn’t realize how interested I would be in Psychology and Law until we had our first day in class. I was just taking the course because I heard good things about it and am a psychology major. After syllabus day and reading this first chapter, I’m much more excited now. I don’t know why I wouldn’t be – my favorite tv show of all time is Bones. I LOVE Bones – I named my car after it. And on there is an FBI psychologist. Now, I know that these jobs are far and few, but what I’m most looking forward to is seeing how similar these forensic psychologists and FBI psychologists on tv are to real life. With that being said, I’m also very interested in learning more about profiling. It is crazy to me how sometimes they can be dead on, and yet others far off.
The nice thing about the title of the class is that in all honesty it pretty much sums it up: Psychology and Law. I would tell them that Psychology and Law is a class that describes how the two interact and can work together. This class explains how psychology can be applied to the law. Psychology and law, in a lot of ways, have the same end goal – to help people. The law describes what and how, psychology explains why.
The most surprising thing I read was about how it took some time before psychology was seen as important in a court room. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised by this, as I feel like it takes everyone a while to understand how valuable psychology is, but especially for something so similar to psychology as law. As I said earlier, psychology can explain the why of the law’s what and how. Since it’s the court’s job to discover the truth, you think that having a deep knowledge on the why would help come to a conclusion.
Reading chapter one has certainly sparked my interests regarding the relationship between the disciplines of psychology and forensic studies. The topics that I am looking forward to learning about in particular are the role and use of expert witnesses in the trial procedure, the history of how both disciplines eventually merged into such a complementary dynamic, and finally understanding some of the major cases where psychology has played a primary role in the past. Psychology and law are both topics that I have always been drawn to in my educational experience, and I am excited to use both in the classroom setting.
Psychology is a practice that is science based, which implies that it is always changing with updated studies and discoveries, whereas law is a concrete discipline that reinforces the established rules of the past in the social setting of the present. Although psychology and law have distinct differences in their general practice, the ultimate goal of both share the common conclusion of solving social problems that occur in society. There are many areas where psychology and law intersect such as hearing expert testimony, interrogation methods, jury selection, and the involvement of social implications in the legal rulings. This class is intended to teach the relationship that exists between both disciplines and further enhance intellectual skills in psychological and forensic studies.
The most memorable thing that I learned about from reading this chapter is how the integration of psychology into the legal setting really exploded in the twentieth century after hundreds years of legal practice that considered psychological and social studies useless. The work of leading psychologists and legal realists such as Freud, Munsterberg, Llewellyn, and Brandeis had imperative parts in collaborating both disciplines in the modern world. As a history major who has full intentions of moving onto law school I am very interested in the evolution of psychololical law as a revered practice in modern day legal systems.
After reading chapter one, I think I am most interested in learning about how psychology is really used in law. I didn't exactly know what I was getting into when I signed up for this class, but I've heard good things about it and that it's pretty fun to actually make a real courtroom setting. I am pretty excited to learn about each role in the court system and how psychology falls into place with each role.
If I had to describe the class to someone not in it, I would tell them that psychology and law is the best title for the class. I would talk about how psychology is used in law and different ways that it can be used.
Something that was memorable to me was psychology has a lot to do with law and has had a big impact on it. Placing psychology in the law setting is a positive thing because it makes people think more about the actions or the behaviors than what is right in front of their eyes.
I am looking forward to many things in this class. What I found most interesting was the history from the beginning of the chapter. I have always been interested in civil rights (the 1960’s is an interest time period to me; with civil rights, progression, digression, social reform, clothing/hairstyles et cetera). I am interested in and looking forward to reading case studies and finding out how they have caused change (either social reform or change in legislation).
If I were to describe what this class is about I would have a hard time keeping it brief. In short I guess one could say that psychology and law overlap each other frequently. They both are dealing with human beings. What we do, the good, the bad, the normal, the abnormal, et cetera, all the things we do. As stated in the book psychology tries to define human behavior and law tries to monitor human behavior neither are exact but they strive for consistency. Psychology continues to change with humans as does the law. Research for psychology must constantly be updated. The law must stay applicable and relevant. Sons no longer strive to kill their fathers and African American persons are no longer 1/3 a person or can owned as property.
What I found most surprising was how clearly this book stated the overlap and connections between psychology and law. I was also surprised when the book discussed the differences in goals methods and styles of inquiry. Psychology attempts to explain but not alter human behavior. Law attempts to keep humans doing and not doing certain behaviors. Psychology works with data collected from research whereas they law is built by multiple rulings that come from multiple trials. The book explains this as psychology helping to advance law because research is then applied to these rulings to keep them updated and accurate. Lastly the style of inquiry, as I understood it, is very different between psychology and law. In psychology there is a non-biased and objective look at human behavior. The law comes from court cases where the people involved are clearly for one side or another they are not necessarily looking for an unbiased truth.
*I emailed you that my username/password were not working. Now it is!
For starters, I surprisingly enjoyed reading about the history of psychology and law. In particular I thought it was interested knowing some of the landmark cases that distinguished the use of psychology within a court room. Of course I have heard of Brown v. Board of Education but I had never known that this case was one of the first to intertwine the two disciplines. I would be interested to learn more about some of the cases that put psychology and law on the map. Secondly, I look forward to learning about the different kinds of jobs that apply the uses of psychology to law. This chapter gave an overview of them and they seem interesting and exciting. Since I am applying to law schools I am curious as to how I can use my psychology as an asset in law school. Thirdly, I am interested to learn more about the debate between the uses and non-uses of expert witnesses. This seems like a very controversial debate especially since the judges are given so much freedom in choosing whether or not expert testimony is allowed.
If I had to describe psychology and law to somebody I would say that it is the use of two distinct fields to come to the truth of a case while still rendering justice in a case. Unlike the study of strict law, psychology and law takes into account human behavior and its tendencies. Psychology and law is studying how human behavior has effected and can further affect the outcomes of a case.
Going off of what I said before I would have to say the most surprising thing to me was the fact that judges are given so much freedom when deciding whether or not an expert testimony should be allowed in trial. Judges who require no background education in psychology don’t necessarily have the qualifications to make judgments as important as that especially since they are essentially trying to predict how this testimony will effect human behavior.
I have heard amazing things about this class and how interesting it is. I am very anxious about everything this class has to offer. I am very interested in learning about the different roles psychology plays throughout the legal system. There are many different areas of psychology used in the courtroom for various reasons and I am anxious to find out more about them and why they are used in certain cases. I am also interested in how the jury is influenced by the attorneys and other people in the courtroom such as an expert witness. I had thought about going into law and I am excited to see how this class may influence my decisions.
Psychology and Law is not as clear cut as you would think it would be. It is fairly new to the courtrooms as it was not very accepted in the early 1900's. Psychology and Law strives to put together truth and justice as well as data and authority. Psychology focuses on understanding a person's behavior and why they may have done something while Law focuses more on controlling a person's behavior and telling how a person ought to act. Psychology and Law are two different things that help each other in a courtroom because psychology deals with the minds of people in which the law is trying to protect. Psychology is constantly changing and advancing as people change and advance. People are not the same generation to generation which is why the law changes as well to fit with the culture.
What surprised me while reading this chapter was how different psychology can be compared to the law but how well they help each other. Like the book stated, "psychology is descriptive and law is prescriptive." It is an example of how they differ in psychology being based on science and law is based on regulating behavior and performing justice. What also surprised me is how expert witnesses will sway their professional opinion for money. They educate the jury, giving an impact on them if the witness strongly sways toward a certain side. Going along with the expert witnesses, I did not know the judge determines if the expert witness can even be allowed in the trial. The fact the judge gets to make the decision when evidence showed they were not skilled at distinguishing high and low quality research surprised me.
1. After reading this chapter I am most interested in learning more about how the psychologist play their roles in the court system and along that same line how they determine certain disorders for people. Both these areas have always sparked in interest in me.
2. Psychology and Law is simply the combining of these two words together used for the legal system. Psychologist can be useful for explaining why people committed the crime, they can assist the attorneys in trials as consultants, evaluators, and expert witnesses. Basically psych and law work well together because they are both trying to find justice and the truth when dealing with serious cases.
3. What I found most surprising/memorably about this chapter would be about The Code of Professional Responsibility. Basically they can admit that they were in the wrong when defending certain clients for cases. I’ve always figured they knew in their own mind whether or not their client was guilty or not, but I never expected them to expose the truth willingly. I’ve always had an itch to be a lawyer, but I know I wouldn’t be able to defend someone who is 100%, heck even on a hunch, I wouldn’t be able to defend someone that comes across guilty. So I give the defense attorneys out there props for all the hard work they have to do when digging up information and making sure it looks legit.
From this reading I am most interested in learning about expert witnesses. My knowledge on what makes one expert more credible than another is limited and this area is most interesting. I look forward to learning about insanity pleas and other areas where psychology is applied to this field.
I would describe Psychology and Law as a combination of these two disciplines to create a more fair system. There are reasons that people commit crimes other than they are just "evil". With the integration of psychology into law we can see other motives people had for committing a crime, such as not being in their right state of mind.
I was also surprised with how late psychology and law began to mix. With how long both have existed I was shocked that it didn't come together until 20th century.
After going through this reading, Im most interested in the actual career areas (roles played by psychologist) in which I would be able to apply my eventual expertise in whichever field of psychology that I choose. Initially I decided to become a forensic pychologist, but I honestly never really knew exactly what this profession entailed nor did I realize there were different parts and ways to participate in the field of Forensic Psychology.
If I had to describe to someone not in our class what Psychology & Law is all about, I would probably describe it as an avenue for combining the complexes of psychology with the displine of laws and citizens alike.
I was mostly surprised by the fact that Psychology is literally present in most concepts of the law as far as the decision making process on both sides of what's right and what's wrong, how the different roles of the law come about decoding information and throughout the criminal investigation.
I am looking forward to learning more about various cases and how much psychology really had an impact on the outcome of the case. I was really interested in reading about Brown vs. Board of education. It is a very well known case that had a great impact on the civil rights movenment. However I did not know that psychology was one of the main reasons why Brown was successful. By adding psychological research about the negative affects on the mind and body of segregated students it enabled the court and jury to realize the importance of a combined and equal school. I am excited to learn more about the various jobs in psychology that pertain to law because it could be a potential career path for me. I also want to learn about old and recent cases and how lawyers can use previous cases to their advantage in order to have a stronger case.
Psychology and law is a class that educates you on how much these two really go hand in hand. It gives you the science aspect of psychology while giving you the ethical aspect of law. This class also educates people on the various jobs that pertain to law. Also what these jobs consist of inside and outside of the court room.
The most memorable thing I learned about the reading was when I realized how niave I was that I didn't know how much psychology truly had an impact on law. I also enjoyed reading about the various historic cases that have shaped our country today.
I find myself to be very interested in the overal judicial process. Beyond the process itself I think it is just going to be very interesting how psychology plays a role in just about every step of the process. This is what I am most interested in learning about during the semester. When I think about a trial I think of just the basics, but psychology really goes in depth with every aspect of the trial. I'm interested to hear what psychology has to say about the criminal and/or civil process.
Basically if I had to describe what psychology and law was to someone who had no idea what it was I would first describe to them what each word means. Law refers to the justice system we have and psychology refers to our mind, behavior and so on. When you overlap these two ideas you will get a mix of psychology and law. During the legal process we see all sorts of psychological aspects such as social, cognitive, developmental and clinical. These two ideas of psychology and law can really play hand in hand with one another.
The connection between psychology and law is what I found to be most interesting and memorable. Before reading this chapter I never really considered there to be a relationship between the two ideas. This chapter really put an emphasis on how these two ideas relate and I just found this to be fascinating.
From your reading, which topic(s) are you looking most forward to learning about this semester?
I know I will be fascinated to learn how psych interacts with the law and how things can vary so much by things so little, like the color of a shirt in the color of a certain light. It will also be fascinating to see how laws can to be and how some have changed. But im not a law major so what im really looking forward to learning how psych plays a role in peoples vision, thoughts, senses, decisions and anything else. It amazes me to learn the tricks your mind can play with you and the tricks you can do with someone else's mind and too see how it all works and why is very intriguing to me. I will also like to learn all of the various parts of a case, and how they all fit together, and what each part does.
If you had to describe to someone not in this class what Psychology & Law is all about, what would you tell them based on your understanding of this chapter?
It has to do with how psychology affects the law. It teaches us how our mind plays a role in the laws. Weather it's obeying the law, defining a law, braking a law, or making a law. It also will explain how every little aspect of a crime is affected by our mind, from the things we see and hear, like a witness to a crime or a convincing argument, to what is never noticed or heard, like missing evidence that could have been crucial to the crime.
What was the most surprising or memorable thing you learned about in this reading?
I would have to say its not what i learned but what i read. Question two at the end of the chapter asked if the legal system could be improved by taking psychological methods and principles into account. It really got me thinking that the answer could be yes or no. Yes because it would explain a lot of things and create understanding, but no for many more reasons. Its hard to explain or understand something that is not really seen. It could become easier to get out of an accusation, but it make help innocent people stay out of jail. Its hard to base things on what we do not know for sure.
This chapter was very enlightening. There are many topics throughout the chapter that I found to be very interesting but the one that I look forward to learning about the most is social psychology and how it pertains to the law. I feel this way because of the reading we had about Jeffrey Dahmer because her was almost caught by the police twice and could have been stopped but because of discretionary powers he got away. I also look forward to understanding the relationship between psychology and law because society is ever changing and the law is a bit more concrete which makes for a fascinating dynamic.
Psychology and law is the use if psychological methods, research, and skills within the judicial system to bring overall improvement and a better understanding and application of the law.
The most memorable thing I learned was that many judges did not have an adequate understanding of the proper use and submission of psychological research and testimony. Even some psychological terms were foreign to them which was alarming to me because of their level of education requires for their occupation.
From reading chapter 1, I am very interested in the variety of ways psychologists play a role in the legal system. Obviously, being a psychology major I have heard of psychology and law, but I really have had no introduction to the variety of roles that psychologists play. Reading about how psychologists can play a part in acting as advisors (by testifying or becoming trial consultants),evaluators (through evaluation research), and reformers(by advocating for change in the legal system)sparked my interest in learning more about the variety of ways psychology is used in the legal system.
The course psychology and law works to explain how psychology affects the law. The book states that, "every area of psychology is relevant to some aspect of the law." This course works to explain how each area is relevant. Psychology is used to explain behaviors of the perpetrators, mind-sets or thinking, as well as technical aspects of the trial such as group influences on the jury decisions.
The most surprising thing that I learned is in regards to the time that psychology and law became intertwined. I found it interesting that for so long people ignored the influence of psychology, as well as the possibilities of psychology and law as a combined discipline.