Psychology and Law
Research and Practice
“I like the use of research and citations throughout the text. It is more comprehensive than my current text and does a much better job of presenting the scientific evidence.”
—Kathy McGuire, Western Illinois University
Written by authors with extensive experience in the field and in the classroom, Psychology and Law: Research and Practice, Second Edition, offers the definitive perspective on the practical application of psychological research to the law. Curt R. Bartol and Anne M. Bartol emphasize the various roles psychologists and other mental health professionals play in criminal and civil legal matters. Topics such as family law, mental health evaluations, police interrogation, jury selection and decision making, involuntary civil commitment, and various civil capacities are included. The authors also 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. This comprehensive book examines complex material in detail and explains it in an easy-to-read way.
New to the Second Edition:
- The new edition has been significantly reorganized to more closely align with the progression through the court system.
- A new chapter on children, adolescents, and criminal law (Chapter 8) provides students with information on adjudicative competence, comprehension of constitutional rights, and eyewitness identification and courtroom testimony.
- New feature boxes include case studies, research projects, and contemporary topics with discussion questions for classroom debate.
- Additional court cases and statutes have been integrated into chapters to emphasize the important role psychology plays in the legal process. The content is applied to real cases such as the Masterpiece Cakeshop case and the Dassey confession (comprehending Miranda).
- Over 300 recent research findings on topics related to psychology and law highlight cutting-edge research studies that help students understand what research does and prompt them to discuss the methodology and results.
- New pedagogical tables clearly illustrate complex information around ethical issues, APA amicus briefs, strengths and weaknesses of simulation studies, insanity standards within the states, effects experienced by survivors of traumatic incidents, and more.
- Increased coverage of contemporary issues encourage critical thinking and active learning by promoting discussions around current issues such as telepsychology, neuropsychology, adversarial allegiance, and actuarial instruments used in bail and sentence decision-making.
| Goals and Definitions |
| Psychology and Law: Three Approaches |
| Ways of Knowing and the Methods of Science |
| Ethical Guidelines |
| Psychology and Law: A Challenging Alliance |
| Defining and Classifying Law |
| Psychology and Law: Some Differences |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| Organization of the Courts |
| Specialized Courts: Drug and Mental Health Courts |
| The Judicial Process |
| The Psychologist as an Expert Witness |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| Overview of Profiling |
| Paths to Admission of Evidence |
| Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation |
| Detection of Deception |
| The Interrogation Process |
| The Psychology of False Confessions |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| A Brief Word on Research Methodology |
| Human Perception and Memory |
| Estimator and System Variables |
| Eyewitness Estimator Variables |
| Eyewitness System Variables |
| Preserving the Integrity of the System |
| Pretrial Identification Methods |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| Overview of the Trial Jury |
| Jury Research |
| Jury Selection |
| Jury Size and Decision Rule |
| Jury Nullification |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| The Jury Decision-Making Process |
| Influences on Jury Decision Making |
| Deciding on Death Sentence: A Special Issue |
| Damage Awards in Civil Cases: Another Special Issue |
| Judicial Decision Making |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| Competency to Stand Trial (CST) |
| Competency Assessment Instruments |
| Competency Restoration |
| Insanity |
| Clinical Assessment of Criminal Responsibility |
| Special Conditions and Unique Defenses |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| Brief History and Overview of the Juvenile Court |
| Adolescent Development as It Pertains to the Law |
| Adolescent Competence and Culpability |
| Juvenile Competency |
| Juvenile Interrogation and False Confessions |
| Plea Bargaining |
| Children as Witnesses |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| The Modern Family Court |
| Changes in Family Court in Recent Years |
| Divorce and Child Custody |
| The Psychological Effects of Divorce and Custodial Arrangements |
| The Roles of Mental Health Professionals in Child Custody Cases |
| Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) |
| Contemporary Special Issues in Custody Decision Making |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| A Brief History |
| Modern Commitment Statutes |
| Civil Commitment Proceedings |
| Duty to Warn or Protect |
| Research on Dangerousness |
| Involuntary Outpatient Commitment |
| Voluntary Commitments |
| Informed Consent and the Right to Refuse Treatment |
| Civil Commitment of Sex Offenders |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| Civil Capacities |
| End-of-Life Issues |
| Psychology in the Employment Sphere |
| Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Suits |
| Psychology in the Educational Sphere |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
| Forensic Assessment in Civil Cases |
| Psychological Assessment in Criminal Cases |
| Forensic Classifications of Assessment and Testing |
| Clinical Measures and Assessment Techniques |
| Forensically Relevant Instruments (FRIs) |
| Forensic Assessment Instruments (FAIs) |
| Forensic Evaluations in Delinquency Cases |
| Summary and Conclusions |
| Key Concepts |
“The text provides a comprehensive overview of clinical and non-clinical aspects of psychology and the legal system. It is easy to read and clearly illustrates how we can apply psychological principles to the criminal justice system.”
“I like the use of research and citations throughout the text. It is more comprehensive than my current text and does a much better job of presenting the scientific evidence.”
“This is a very useful textbook which uses succinct phrases and terminologies to explain the concepts, theories, and cases in a thorough manner. Both my students and I like it very much. With so many case studies in each chapter, students have the opportunities to demonstrate/present their understanding of the relevant concepts and theories, along with the cases.”
“… this is a fact filled, comprehensive textbook with illustrations in the form of charts, tables and figures that support the text. The case and research studies further support the narrative in the textbook. Critical thinking questions imbedded in these studies help students to utilize critical thinking skills and demonstrate their knowledge of course information. This is a must use textbook for any instructor teaching about the interface of psychology & the law.”
