CURRENT ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW

Susan Wiese

DESCRIPTION: The fields of psychology and law grapple with questions of human motivation and behavior; one field focuses on social and biological influences on behavior, the other strives to hold people accountable for their actions. Although the goals and philosophies of these two fields can vary widely, their common focus on human behavior provides a natural interdisciplinary fit. Current cases that highlight pertinent questions in the field will be examined. We will investigate relevant topics by examining psychological research and discussing cases that highlight contemporary issues. Attendees will learn important differences in the way psychologists and law professionals construct arguments, assess evidence, and draw conclusions, and they will discover how these two fields are mutually informed by applying psychological evidence to questions of law.

EIGHT LECTURES:

1. The intersection of psychology and law: A brief history
   
2. Why do people commit crimes?
   
3. How accurate is eyewitness memory? Can children be reliable witnesses?
   
4. What are some considerations when determining whether someone should be held responsible for his/her actions?
   
5. What does it mean to be “not guilty by reason of insanity”?
   
6. How do we determine if a confession has been coerced?
   
7. Privacy issues: Love, lies, and videotape
   
8. Current case examination and discussion

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION: Dr. Susan Weise holds a BS and an MA in Psychology (with a minor in Social Work) from Radford University, and a PhD in Experimental Psychology from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). She is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of the Rockies, where she teaches a variety of online psychology courses to master’s and doctoral students enrolled in the School of Professional Psychology. In addition to teaching online courses, Dr. Weise also has had experience in the classroom teaching introductory psychology, personality/social psychology, and research methods and statistics labs at FAU. She finds the integration of psychology and law to be incredibly interesting and useful in understanding such issues as criminal recidivism, punishment vs. protection, and privacy laws which may endanger abuse victims.