The Psychology of law

Abstract

Psychology and law are familiar concepts in the experiment we call life. These concepts are of great importance and concern to Psychologists, political scientists, jurists, sociologists, etc. The frequency with which phycology and at times law are misunderstood and misconceived, provoke concern and debate in order to see the relationship between them. One might ask why the order in the arrangement of the concepts, why not law and Psychology but rather Psychology of the law? My answer is simply, it is so arranged because we have Psychology of law, meaning that we can apply psychological lens and principles to these other concepts. The unwearied think that Psychology is not relevant to the concrete realities in the society. This is not true. Psychology is not for those with massive intellects alone, it is approachable, one only need to be disposed, prepared and disciplined. It does not parade only senseless abstract ideas; it rather deals with concrete and particular issues of life. In the course of our exposition, one will discover that Psychology does not have the meaning many attaches to it. Neither does it mean occultism nor atheism; it is rather knowledge of things through the mirror perspective view. The field of psychology and law involves the application of scientific, clinical, and policy aspects of psychology to issues that arise in the legal system. Diverse perspectives are encompassed within psychology and law, including The Pyschology of Law viii most of the major subdivisions in psychology (e.g., cognitive, developmental, industrial/organizational, and clinical). So, for example, cognitive psychologists may examine the reliability of eyewitness memory; developmental psychologists may assess the impact of maltreatment and abuse on social and cognitive development; industrial/organizational psychologists may investigate how workplace conditions contribute to the incidence of sexual harassment; and clinical forensic psychologists may provide assessment and treatment services to courts and attorneys, law enforcement agencies, or offenders in correctional settings or under court supervision. In each of these instances, psychologists use research and/or treatment protocols relevant to their specialization to address specific questions that emerge in the law. This article is organized around the intersection of those traditional subdivisions of psychology and the law. The field of psychology and law values contributions from professionals in a variety of different settings including university and research organizations, clinical practice, law enforcement agencies, correctional institutions, and other governmental and nonprofit agencies. Furthermore, it as well values the contributions of professionals. Thus, it is the main purpose of this edition to espouse the concepts involved, show their relationships and argue that Psychology is particularly important in interpretation of the law due to its unique nature. Within the calculus of factors so as to achieve morality, ethics, common good, substantive justice, etc “This is how to get away with murder...discredit the witnesses, introduce a new suspect and rebury the evidence...”