Psychology and Law: Annotated Bibliography
The major theories associated with psychology and law.
Moore, M. (2014). Applying Psychology to Criminal Justice. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 21, 226-229.
Psychological Theories of Crime and Delinquency
The field of law is highly dependent on psychology. Various psychological theories have been used by the law firms in the attempt to explain the occurrence of crimes. This journal article outlines some of the major theories that have been proved feasible in explaining crime and delinquency. The five major areas of psychology outlined in this article that are vital in the understanding criminal behavior are behavioral, intelligence, personality, social development and cognitive theories. These theories have been considered significant by both the law and the psychological experts. This article was published after a thorough research by the author which included literature reviews from the University of California databases and a consultation with the experts in the disciplines.
Basically, these theories lay more focus on the personal and internal processes that contribute to criminal acts. The criminal activities, according to those who subscribe to these theories, are caused by internal differences that human beings depict. Critically, external factors hardly contribute to crime and delinquency. If criminal behavior is attributed to the environmental surroundings, it will be hard to explain why people in similar environments may not all be involved in criminal activities.
Jeffery, C. R. (2015). Criminal Behavior and Learning Theory. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 56(3), 294-300.
Criminal Behavior and Learning Theory
Many social psychologists and sociologists subscribe to the popular supposition that criminal behavior is usually a learned trait. This journal article provides an in-depth description of the learning theory. The article provides various models on how the theory can be applied citing relevant illustrations. Edwin H. Sutherland put forth a theory of differential association. This is a learning theory that sought to formulate a process through which people learn the criminal behavior. Criminality is a behavior acquired by association with people depicting a similar behavior. Ideally, people who associate with the upright society members are less likely to develop a criminal behavior.
The learning theory provides a great framework for analyzing the criminal behavior. For instance, Sutherland’s learning theory model has been in use for more than thirty years and it is still very applicable. It has not yet been revised but still thrives well. The learning theory can well explain the formation of gangs in particular areas. However, the theory does not account for the crimes that are performed by individuals who have not been necessarily involved with criminals. Additionally, if criminality was a learned behavior, most of the world’s population would have learned it since everyone gets involved with a criminal either consciously or unconsciously.
The role of psychology in the legal system from a historical perspective.
Loh, W. D. (2014). Perspectives in Psychology and Law. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 11(4), 314–355.
Perspectives in Psychology and Law
Over the past decades, psychology has found a great application in the legal matters. There has been an explosive development in the psychological field in the quest to determine the relationship between the law and the psychological dimension. This journal article examines a history of this critical research particularly on how the judicial processes are structured. According to this article, the two disciplines have displayed a lot of compatibilities. There are some suggestions that psychology is more likely to impact the legal sector more in the coming days than in the past. The usability of psychology in the legal discipline cannot be outlawed. This article suggests that there is even a growing need to incorporate psychological aspects in the structuring of the judicial processes.
Critically, psychology lays down a framework on which the laws are drawn. In order to create a fair and a prospective constitution, it is necessary to consider the personal disparities. The psychological perspective emphasizes humanity and the universality of all humans. More precisely, it emphasizes the fact that criminals still have some rights to be catered for despite the fact that they are on the wrong.
Carson, D., Milne, R., & Pakes, F. (2016). Applying Psychology to Criminal Justice. Journal of Psychology and Criminal Justice, 3(55), 80-98.
Applying Psychology to Criminal Justice
This journal article examines the major areas in the legal spheres where psychology can be applied. Psychology is a diverse discipline that finds applicability in almost all the other disciplines. This article puts forth that psychology is a scientific discipline that seeks application in other disciplines. In the law, psychology is often utilized in criminal identification, eyewitness identification, finding facts, evidence and credibility and decision making.
Psychologists argue that some behaviors that manifest in individuals are as a result of guilty that burns them from inside. For instance, in the fact-finding process, individuals who avoid eye contact are believed to be telling lies. These presumptions have been tested for their workability and proven to be a success. However, in my opinion, such tests are not reliable, accurate and credible in determining criminal behaviors. As a matter of fact, such ideologies are flawed and can easily lead to false identification. This, however, does not completely disqualify psychology from being used in criminal identification. An eclectic approach should be adopted to ensure that nothing goes wrong. This approach utilizes various methodologies in isolating facts.
The changes in the legal system that may pose ethical dilemmas for psychology.
Yadav, P. K. (2016). Ethical Issues across Different Fields of Forensic Science. Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2(8), 332-346.
Ethical Issues across Different Fields of Forensic Science
This journal article opens with an emphasis that there should be a difference between profession and trade. While there is a fixed code of conduct that ought to be adhered to in professionalism, trade is a free world where anyone can get involved. In the contemporary world, there are some shifts of conduct in the legal field that might impose the psychological intervention into dilemmas. This article cites some of the major deconstructions in the legal systems that are highly questionable. Such includes: professional credentials, the privatization of the legal sector and the practice of delegating duties.
Ideally, these malpractices by the legal practitioners will impose the credibility of the psychologists in serious problems. If the legal fields do not perfect their work, the psychologists might also end up being questioned about their competence. As a matter of fact, the compatibility of the two disciplines will be at a risk of being disintegrated. In order to ensure healthy relationships and a clean coexistence of the two, the legal institutions ought to be restructured to meet the standards of the ideal judicial system.
Allan, A. (2015). Ethics in Psychology and Law: An International Perspective. Journal of Ethics and Behavior, 25(6), 443-457.
Ethics in Psychology and Law: An International Perspective
Most of the psychologists working in the psych legal field argue that this field does not provide them with enough ethical guidance despite the fact that the field is inarguably the oldest and the well-established branch of psychology. This article puts forth that psychologists experience many uncertainties. These uncertainties stem out from the involvement with colleagues whose professional codes of conduct differ from theirs. The provision of services by the psychologists to the demanding individuals is highly questionable by the administrative law. The ethics provided by the psychology firms are sufficient for moral guidance. These ethical guidelines have a very sound historical basis. They emphasize the proposed social principles that prompt the psychologists to provide their clients with the best services. However, psychologists are often confronted with clashing demands because of the existence of various norm systems that ought to regulate their behavior.
Ideally, there is much that needs to be done in order to address the conflicts between the legal systems and psychology. Ultimately, the psychologists who work in the psych legal field will only be well-served if the legal systems consider their ethical subscriptions. Psychologists have an ultimate goal to protect human lives. The legal systems should acquire the basic knowledge of the ethical issues in psychology and internalize it. This will lead to a better coexistence between the two fields.