Psychology and Law PSYC Sample Syllabus

Transcription

1 Psychology and Law PSYC Sample Syllabus Course Description: This course serves as an introduction to some of the ways that psychological research is applied to questions of law. A course on psychology and law necessarily samples from a broad, diverse set of topics because both psychology and law encompass broad and diverse sets of topics. As you know from earlier courses, psychology is the study of human behavior. The research that psychologists perform are relevant to a large number of questions that arise in legal settings. Some examples: Why do people commit crimes? Are jurors really able to disregard information if they are instructed to do so? How do jurors decide on punitive damages in a liability case? How accurate is an eyewitness to a crime? Does fear of retribution influence a potential criminal s decisions to commit a crime? How reliable are children as witnesses (e.g., are they more susceptible to influence than adults when testifying in court)? Are people's previously "repressed" memories of childhood abuse real? What does it mean to be not guilty by reason of insanity? How can we assess whether a defendant is not responsible for his/her actions? When is an educational or employment test unfair (e.g., discriminatory)? Do lie detectors work? When has a confession been coerced? We will investigate issues such as these by examining the relevant psychological research. In applying this research, we will be confronted with some important differences in the ways that psychologists and law professionals construct arguments, provide and assess evidence, and draw conclusions. Thus, an important aspect of the class will be coming to an understanding of how social scientific evidence is developed as well as applied to concerns of the law. Course Readings: There are two required texts: Bartol & Bartol. (2004). Psychology and Law (3 rd ed.). Thompson/Wadsworth. Kapardis, Andreas (2003). Psychology and Law: A Critical Introduction (2 nd ed.). Cambridge University Press. There is also a set of readings on reserve at Davis Library and on the course website.

2 Course Website: The course website is accessible through: Login (using your Onyen) and click on the website for 2stss 2008 Psychology And Law.psyc The website will include a variety of course-related materials, including this syllabus, course outlines, practice questions and course readings. Reading Assignments and Classes: A list of reading assignments for the semester is included in the schedule. You should read assignments prior to each class meeting. This is crucial. You will be in a much better position to understand the lecture if you have done the reading. It will also increase your ability to take effective notes. Classes may cover material that was not in the reading, and likewise, there may be material in the reading that is not covered in class. You are responsible for all the material in the assigned reading and lectures. You are encouraged to ask questions about any material from the readings or lectures, either in or out of class. Classes will consist of lecture, discussion, and occasional guest lectures. Course Requirements: The major requirements for the class are listed below: (1) Exams Mid-Term Exam (100 pts or 40 %) Final exam (150 pts or 60 %) Listed on the schedule are the dates for the midterm and final exams. Exams will cover material from class and readings. The exams will consist of short answer/essay questions, identifications and, possibly, some multiple-choice questions. The final exam is comprehensive but will be heavily weighted towards material from the second half of the semester. Final Grade: Your point total on the exam and final will be converted into a letter grade as follows (plusses and minuses will be used at the extremes of each grade range): Final Score (out of 250 total pts.) Final Grade 225 or above (90% or above) A (80% - 89%) B (70% - 79%) C (60% - 69%) D below 150 (below 60%) F

3 Tentative Schedule of classes and readings: (subject to change with notice) Date Week 1: Week 2: Week 3: Introduction Social Science Research and the Courts Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 1 Kapardis: Chap. 1 Social Science Research and the Courts Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 3 Kapardis: Chap. 7 Psychological Assessment, Testing and the Law Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 2 Bersoff, D. N. (1981). Testing and the law. American Psychologist, 36, Psychological Assessment, Testing and the Law Buss, W. G. (1996). Intelligence testing and judicial policy making for special education. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 2, Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 8 Eyewitness Memory I Kapardis: Chap. 2 Eyewitness Memory II Kapardis: Chap. 3 Penrod, S., & Cutler, B. (1995). Witness confidence and witness accuracy: Assessing their forensic relation. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 1, Deffenbacher, K. A., Bornstein, B. H., Penrod, S. D., & McGorty, E. K. (2004). A Meta-Analytic Review of the Effects of High Stress on Eyewitness Memory. Law and human behavior, 28, Children as Witnesses Kapardis: Chap. 4

4 Ceci, S.J. & Bruck, M. (1993). Suggestibility of the child witness: A historical review and synthesis. Psychological Bulletin, 113, The Repressed (Recovered) and False Memory Debate Loftus, E. F. (1993). The reality of repressed memories. American Psychologist, 48, Schooler, J., Bendiksen, & Ambadar, Z. (1997). Taking the middle line: Can we accommodate both fabricated and recovered memories of sexual abuse? in Recovered Memories and False Memories (Ed. Conway, M. A.) (pp ). Oxford: New York Week 4: The Repressed (Recovered) and False Memory Debate Tues. 7/8 MID-TERM EXAM Competency and Criminal Responsibility I Bartol & Bartol: Chap 4 Competency and Criminal Responsibility II Bartol & Bartol: Chap 5 Borum, R., & Fulero, S.M., (1999) Empirical research on the insanity defense and attempted reforms: evidence toward informed policy. Law and human behavior, 23, Week 5: The Psychology of the Jury: Procedural Considerations Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 6 Kapardis: Chap. 5 The Psychology of the Jury: Decision Making Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 7 Dexter, Cutler, & Moran (1992) A Test of voir dire as a remedy for the prejudicial effects of pretrial publicity. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 22, Interrogations and Confessions Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 9 Kassin, S. (1997). The psychology of confession evidence. American Psychologist, 52, Detecting Deception Kapardis: Chap. 9

5 Ekman, P., & O'Sullivan, M., (1991). Who can catch a liar? American Psychologist, 46, Kassin, S. M., & Fong, C. T., (1999). "I'm innocent!": Effects of training on judgments of truth and deception in the interrogation room. Law and Human Behavior, 23, Week 6: Detecting Deception Psychology and Prediction of Criminal Behavior (Dangerousness and Profiling) Bartol & Bartol: Chap. 13 Monahan, J. (1992). Mental disorder and violent behavior: Perceptions and evidence. American Psychologist, 47, FINAL EXAM Friday. July. 25 3:00 6:00 p.m. 301 Davie