PSYC216-25S2 (D) Semester Two 2025 (Distance)

Psychology and Law

15 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 14 July 2025
End Date: Sunday, 9 November 2025
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 27 July 2025
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 28 September 2025

Description

This course is a broad overview of the intersection between psychology and the law, with a focus on how psychological scientific principles can be applied to real-world issues in the criminal justice system. This course draws on contemporary research in cognition, perception and behaviour to explore topics within the legal system, such as offending, risk assessment, eyewitness memory, detection of deception, false confessions, forensic science decision-making, jury deliberation, and mental health and crime.

Learning Outcomes

  • Develop an interdisciplinary understanding of the intersection between psychology and the legal system, exploring how psychological principles and research inform legal practices and vice versa.
  • Cultivate analytical skills to critically assess legal issues through a psychological lens, enabling a nuanced perspective on various aspects of the criminal justice system.
  • Enhance scientific literacy within the context of the legal system, enabling the evaluation of scientific evidence, methods, and principles as they apply to legal decision-making.
  • Apply fundamental psychological concepts to examine biases, decision-making processes, and individual behaviour within legal frameworks, fostering a deeper understanding of the psychological underpinnings of legal phenomena.
  • Cultivate ethical decision-making skills relevant to the legal context, exploring the ethical implications of psychological practices and interventions within the criminal justice system.
  • Develop cultural competence to navigate diverse perspectives within legal settings, recognizing the impact of cultural factors on legal processes and outcomes.
  • Integrate research methodologies with practical applications, emphasizing the importance of ongoing research to inform and improve practices within the legal and psychological domains.

Prerequisites

Timetable 2025

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Friday 11:00 - 13:00 Online Delivery
14 Jul - 24 Aug
8 Sep - 19 Oct

Course Coordinator

Bethany Growns

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Weekly Quizzes 15% Weekly Quizzes
Research Proposal 20% Research Proposal
Research Report 25% Research Report
Final Examination 30% Final Examination
Lab Attendance 10% Lab Attendance

Textbooks / Resources

Recommended Reading

Howitt, D; Introduction to Forensic and Criminal Psychology ; 6th; Pearson, 2018.

Miller, M. K., Yelderman, L.A., Huss, M.T., & Cantone, J.A; The Cambridge Handbook of Psychology and Legal Decision-making ; Cambridge University Press, 2024.

There are no required textbooks for this course. Assigned readings for lectures/labs will be provided online via LEARN.

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,036.00

International fee $5,188.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing .

All PSYC216 Occurrences

  • PSYC216-25S2 (C) Semester Two 2025
  • PSYC216-25S2 (D) Semester Two 2025 (Distance)