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Psychology and Law
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Psychology and Law
Research and Practice



March 2014 | 520 pages | SAGE Publications, Inc
Psychology and Law offers the definitive perspective on the practical application of psychological research to the law. Authors Curt R. Bartol and Anne M. Bartol emphasize the various roles psychologists and other mental health professionals can play throughout the text.  Insight is offered into the application of psychology in criminal and non-criminal matters. Topics such as family law, insanity, police interrogation, jury selection and decision making, involuntary civil commitment, and various civil capacities are included. This comprehensive text examines complex material in detail and explains it in an easy-to-read way. The authors emphasize the major contributions psychological research has made to the law, and encourage critical analysis through examples of court cases, high-profile current events, and research.
 
Chapter 1: Introduction
Psychology and Law: Three Approaches

 
Ways of Knowing and the Methods of Science

 
Courts and the Method of Science

 
Psychology and the Law: A Challenging Alliance

 
Defining and Classifying Law

 
Psychology and Law: Some Differences

 
 
Chapter 2: Psychology and the Courts: An Overview
Organization of the Courts

 
The Judicial Process

 
The Psychologist as an Expert Witness

 
 
Chapter 3: The Investigative Process
Legal Background

 
Detection of Deception

 
Forensic Interrogation

 
The Psychology of False Confessions

 
The Polygraph

 
 
Chapter 4: Competencies and Criminal Responsibility
Competency to Stand Trial

 
Insanity

 
Special Conditions and Unique Defenses

 
 
Chapter 5: Eyewitness Evidence
Human Perception and Memory

 
Estimator and System Variables

 
Eyewitness Estimator Variables

 
System Variables in Eyewitness Testimony

 
Children as Witnesses

 
Elderly Witnesses

 
Pretrial Identification Methods

 
 
Chapter 6: The Trial Jury
Overview of the Jury

 
Jury Research

 
Jury Selection

 
Jury Size and Decision Rule

 
Jury Instructions

 
Death Sentencing

 
The Death Qualification Process

 
Death Qualified Excludables

 
Clinical and Statistical Prediction in Capital Cases

 
Capital Sentencing Instructions

 
Jury Nullification

 
 
Chapter 7: Jury and Judicial Decision Making
The Jury Decision Making Process

 
Judicial Decision Making

 
 
Chapter 8: Controversial Psychological Topics in The Courtroom
Overview of Profiling

 
Criminal Scene Profiling

 
The CSI Effect: Fact or Fiction?

 
Paths to Admission of Evidence

 
Standards for Admission of Profiling Testimony

 
Profiling as Expert Evidence

 
The Psychological Autopsy

 
Forensic Hypothesis

 
 
Chapter 9: Psychology and the Family Court
The Modern Family Court

 
Changes in Family Court in Recent Years

 
Divorce and Child Custody

 
Psychological Effects of Divorce and Custodial Arrangements

 
Roles of Mental Health Profession in Child Custody Matters

 
Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR)

 
Contemporary Special Issues in Custody Decision Making

 
 
Chapter 10: Involuntary Civil Commitment
A Brief History

 
Modern Commitment Statutes

 
Civil Commitment Proceedings

 
Duty to Warn and/or Protect

 
Research on Dangerousness

 
Involuntary Outpatient Commitments

 
Voluntary Commitments

 
Informed Consent and the Right to Refuse Treatment

 
Civil Commitment of Sex Offenders

 
 
Chapter 11: Psychology of Civil Litigation
Civil Capacities

 
End of Life Issues

 
Psychology in the Employment Sphere

 
Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Suits

 
Psychology in the Educational Sphere

 
 
Chapter 12: Psychological Assessement and the Law
Forensic Classifications of Assessment and Testing

 
Clinical Measures and Assessment Techniques

 
Forensically Relevant Instruments

 
Forensic Assessment Instruments

 
Forensic Evaluations in Delinquency Cases

 

Supplements

Instructor Resource Site

The password-protected Instructor Resource Site includes the following:

·  A Microsoft® Word® test bank is available containing multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter. The test bank provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding.

·  A Respondus electronic test bank is available and can be used on PCs. The test bank contains multiple choice, true/false, short answer, and essay questions for each chapter and provides you with a diverse range of pre-written options as well as the opportunity for editing any question and/or inserting your own personalized questions to effectively assess students’ progress and understanding. Respondus is also compatible with many popular learning management systems so you can easily get your test questions into your online course.

·  Editable, chapter-specific Microsoft® PowerPoint® slides offer you complete flexibility in easily creating a multimedia presentation for your course. Highlight essential content, features, and artwork from the book.

·   Lecture notes summarize key concepts on a chapter-by-chapter basis to help with preparation for lectures and class discussions.

Student Study Site

The open-access Student Study Site includes the following:

  • Mobile-friendly eFlashcards reinforce understanding of key terms and concepts that have been outlined in the chapters.
  • Mobile-friendly web quizzes allow for independent assessment of progress made in learning course material.
  • EXCLUSIVE! Access to certain full-text SAGE journal articles that have been carefully selected for each chapter. Each article supports and expands on the concepts presented in the chapter. This feature also provides questions to focus and guide student interpretation. Combine cutting-edge academic journal scholarship with the topics in your course for a robust classroom experience.

“The writing is concise and student-friendly. . . . The text incorporates contemporary cases and information and maintains a good balance between the important issues in psychology and law.”

Barbara Abbott, New England College

The content is refreshingly different from many other textbooks in this field, such as the inclusion of hypnosis, litigation and psychological assessment.

Mrs Karen Eaton-thomas
School of Psychology, University of Wales, Trinity St David
July 6, 2015

A very well written textbook that provides a good understanding of the judicial system. Great summary at the end of each chapter

Dr Maria Ioannou
School of Human and Health Sciences, Huddersfield University
January 2, 2015

Good overview of areas, perfect for undergraduate level and a good starting point for postgraduates.

Mrs Claire Marsh
Natural and Social Sciences, University of Gloucestershire
December 11, 2014

A very helpful book offering great insight at an appropriate level.

Ms Wendy Ambrose-butterfield
Public Services, Duchy College
June 3, 2014

Sample Materials & Chapters

Chapter 1

Chapter 6


Curt R. Bartol

Curt R. Bartol was a college professor for more than 30 years, teaching a wide variety of both undergraduate and graduate courses, including Biopsychology, Criminal Behavior, Juvenile Delinquency, Introduction to Forensic Psychology, Social Psychology, Profiling, and Psychology and Law. He earned his PhD in personality/social psychology from Northern Illinois University in 1972. He studied political science and law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under a fellowship from the National Institute for the Humanities (NIH). He was instrumental in creating and launching Castleton State College’s graduate program in forensic psychology and... More About Author

Anne M. Bartol

Anne M. Bartol earned an MA and a PhD in criminal justice from State University of New York at Albany. She also holds an MA in journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She taught criminal justice, sociology, and journalism courses over a 20-year college teaching career and has worked as a journalist and a social worker in child and adolescent protective services. In addition to Introduction to Forensic Psychology, she has coauthored Juvenile Delinquency: A Systems Approach; Delinquency and Justice: A Psychosocial Approach; Psychology and Law: Theory, Research, and Application; Criminal Behavior; and Criminal and Behavioral... More About Author

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ISBN: 9781452258911
$116.00