The majority of research on eyewitness memory has traditionally studied children and young adults. By contrast, this volume is designed to provide an overview of empirical research on the cognitive, social, and health related factors that impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony given by the elderly. The book takes a lifespan developmental perspective that incorporates research on witnesses of all ages, but uses the findings to focus on issues unique to the elderly. This includes research on recognition memory with lineup identifications and recall memory that occurs when an elderly witness is asked to describe an event in court. The Elderly Eyewitness also examines jurors’ reactions to the testimony of an elderly witness, and the legal and social policy issues that emerge when the elderly witness participate in legal proceedings. While reviewing what is known about the elderly witness, the book also provides a direction for future research into this new frontier of scientific inquiry. Its audience spans researchers in cognitive and developmental psychology, and professionals working in the growing area of psychology and law.
The majority of research on eyewitness memory has traditionally studied children and young adults. By contrast, this volume is designed to provide an overview of empirical research on the cognitive, social, and health related factors that impact the accuracy of eyewitness testimony given by the elderly. The book takes a lifespan developmental perspective that incorporates research on witnesses of all ages, but uses the findings to focus on issues unique to the elderly. This includes research on recognition memory with lineup identifications and recall memory that occurs when an elderly witness is asked to describe an event in court. The Elderly Eyewitness also examines jurors’ reactions to the testimony of an elderly witness, and the legal and social policy issues that emerge when the elderly witness participate in legal proceedings. While reviewing what is known about the elderly witness, the book also provides a direction for future research into this new frontier of scientific inquiry. Its audience spans researchers in cognitive and developmental psychology, and professionals working in the growing area of psychology and law.
This textbook, one of the first, provides a comprehensive review of the relationship between psychiatry and legal medicine in the older population. Sections reviewing evaluation, civil and criminal topics, and numerous other areas such as risk management, will help physicians, attorneys, and other professionals in their work with the elderly.
For baby boomers, senior citizens, gerontologists, and students of aging and the justice system, Howard Eglit's trenchant discussion of the intersection of aging Americans with the U.S. legal system illuminates the consequences of a pervasive bias in contemporary society. America's ballooning older population is well documented. Couple this demographic tidal wave with the legal system, Eglit says, and the inescapable conclusion follows that the matrix of laws, regulations, judicial rulings, and governmental policy issues will affect more and more older people. Were age an innocuous factor in society, this proposition would merit little note. But, he says, "The fact is that age matters. And often negatively so." It matters in the ways that young jurors assess the credibility of older litigants and witnesses. It matters for fashioning the attitudes that older jurors bring into the jury room. It matters for attorneys who deal with older clients and for judges, lawyers, and jurors who must respond to older lawyers. Embedded in American culture, age bias generally works to the detriment of older men and women, and this is dramatically true for individuals caught up in the legal system. Elders on Trial examines the role that age plays in the legal process; more than that, it offers solutions and guides for mitigating the myriad negative aspects of that role. With its concern for human interactions and responses, rather than matters of infrastructure or formal legislative enterprise, the book offers a timely consideration of an urgent challenge faced by American society.
"In the Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology and the Law, eminent scholars from varied disciplines detail how developmental science and the law shape one another across the lifespan. The chapters address fundamental questions about how human development influences laws and practices in the legal system and how the law and its practices influence development. The chapters, as well, reveal how the potential for, and consequences of, victimization and perpetration-whether they be criminal or civil acts-are impacted by and impact development. The diversity of topics, range of influences across the lifespan, and complexities of developmental and legal influences are on display throughout the volume. In Section I, which spanned Infancy and Childhood to Adolescence, authors covered such topics as prenatal and infant abuse; the development of antisocial behavior in children and adolescents; questioning of minor victims, witnesses, and suspects; treatment of youth in juvenile, criminal, and specialty courts but also in immigration, custody, and adoption hearings, and finally in schools and prisons. In Section II, which spanned Adulthood to Aging, authors addressed some of the same topics, but here from the perspective of younger and older adults. These include antisocial behavior in adults, the experiences of elder adults as victim/witnesses, and experiences in prison, especially among parents and the elderly. Other topics were covered as well, including persons with developmental disabilities involvement in the courts, reentry transitions after incarceration, and reproductive and end-of-life legal rights. Across this comprehensive volume, authors demonstrate the immense value of research for policy and practice and viewing legal involvement through the lens of lifespan development"--
Why do police officers, investigators, prosecutors, judges, and others with an interest in eliciting accurate memory-based testimony need to inform themselves of the research literature in experimental psychology that addresses the question of witness memory? The answer is straightforward, from the perspective of a simple cost/benefit analysis. As with so many matters in the administration of public funds, effectiveness holds important rewards. Those who investigate crimes and decide which line of investigation to pursue and which line to postpone or set aside, necessarily make judgments about the likely guilt of suspects based on the information at hand. If they can make these judgments with a high degree of accuracy, everyone benefits. For many cases eyewitness identification is an important component of evidence, prosecution, and plea negotiation. If witness identification is correctly implemented, investigators and prosecutors can make their judgments effectively, and focus their resources more efficiently. A major component of effectiveness requires avoiding expending scarce resources on erroneous prosecutions. It is in everyone's interest to make the best use of the memory of witnesses: to preserve it without changing it; to render it maximally accessible; to provide an environment in which witnesses feel free to report their recollections; and to accurately assess the probable validity of the witness's report, regardless of the witness's certainty or doubts about its accuracy. This volume gathers evidence from various research domains on eyewitness testimony. Although many of the studies discussed deal with eyewitness identification, it is noteworthy that many of them also touch upon other areas of concern to eyewitness researchers, including chapters on: *voice recognition by humans and computers, with particularly detailed instructions on conducting voice "lineup," *differential aspects of recognition memory in children, *elderly eyewitness' memory, *problems of cross-racial identification, *psychological aspects of facial image reconstruction techniques, *person descriptions, *particular benefits of reinstating context as a means to improve eyewitness memory, *problems associated with various research paradigms in the eyewitness arena, and *recommendations on how to conduct lineups and photospreads and their proper evaluation. Differentiated from other literature on this topic by its non-technical language and accessibility to non-professionals, this volume covers a great deal of ground, raises a host of questions, settles some others, and points the way to more effective use and evaluation of what eyewitnesses have to say.
Introduces forensic psychology to students and professionals who want to better understand psychology’s expanding influence on the study of law, crime and criminality Forensic psychology is a constantly growing discipline, both in terms of student interest and as a profession for graduates. This book highlights the often sizeable gap between media myths surrounding forensic practice and reality. Editors Graham Davies and Anthony Beech present an exciting and broad range of topics within the field, including detailed treatments of the causes of crime, investigative methods, the trial process, and interventions with different types of offenders and offences. Forensic Psychology: Crime, Justice, Law, Interventions, Third Edition covers every aspect of forensic psychology—from understanding criminal behaviour, to applying psychological theory to criminal investigation, analysing the legal process and the treatment of witnesses and offenders. Each chapter has been thoroughly revised and updated with the latest findings. The book also includes two entirely new chapters—one on psychopathy and crime, the other on female offenders. Drawing on a wealth of experience from leading researchers and practitioners, this new edition will interest and enthuse today’s generation of students. All chapters thoroughly revised and updated Features two brand new chapters Supplemented by additional online resource materials, including related links, multiple choice questions, and PowerPoint slides Authored by a wide-range of experienced forensic psychology professionals Forensic Psychology, Third Edition is essential reading for undergraduates’ first encounter with the subject area and is an excellent introduction for more specialised postgraduate courses.
Though widely regarded as a founder of the modern field of psychology and law, German-American psychologist Hugo Münsterberg's now century-old ideas and research approaches continue to thrive. In fact, the discipline still grapples with many of the issues raised by Münsterberg in his seminal 1908 book, On the Witness Stand.Hugo Münsterberg's Psychology and Law makes Münsterberg's enduring insights available to a new generation of scholars, presenting the "state of the science" on the concepts that Münsterberg was one of the first to investigate. These include eyewitness memory, deception detection, false confessions, and the causes of criminal behavior. Opening with a brief biography of Münsterberg and a historical overview of the field, the book's organization follows that of On the Witness Stand, with each chapter providing a summary of Münsterberg's work followed by a contemporary perspective on the topic. Chapters challenge readers to consider what we have learned since Münsterberg's time and whether subsequent research has shown him to be right or wrong. The final chapter asks what Münsterberg may have missed, and what we may be missing today. This volume will be of interest to a broad range of scholars, practitioners, and professionals in the legal and mental health fields.
FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY Explore the theory, research, and practice of forensic psychology with this collection of resources from recognized leaders in the field The newly revised Third Edition of Forensic Psychology delivers insightful coverage of the theory and applications of forensic psychology. The book combines authoritative scholarship with an unprecedented breadth of international coverage and constitutes an essential resource for all aspects of contemporary forensic and criminal psychology. The new edition addresses issues of equality, diversity, and inclusion in each section, as well as the uses and abuses of power in forensic contexts. The book takes a constructively critical approach to the dominant theories, policy, and practices of today, as opposed to being merely descriptive, and considers new and developing areas, like the prevention of sexual violence at universities. Forensic Psychology comprehensively addresses the application of modern forensic techniques and practices to the civil and criminal justice systems in the United Kingdom. Each chapter concludes with some specific suggestions for further reading. Additionally, readers will enjoy the inclusion of a wide variety of topics, like: A thorough discussion of investigative and clinical practice, including the politics of forensic psychology, offender profiling, eyewitness testimony, and jury decision making An examination of clinical and risk assessments, including reviews of the key legal issues and principles involved in risk assessments, the role of structured instruments and protocols, and coverage of actuarial and structured clinical methods Discussions of working with criminalized populations in prisons and forensic mental health facilities A treatment of psychology in the courts with an emphasis on the courts of England and Wales Perfect for graduate level students in forensic psychology courses, Forensic Psychology will also earn a place in the libraries of qualified forensic psychologist practitioners and postgraduate students seeking to improve their understanding of forensic psychology with a high-quality international textbook underpinned by considerations of human rights and ethical standards.
