Cognition, Perception and Law

Description

This course is concerned with the psychology of crime, the potential roles of psychologists in the criminal justice system, and what psychological research can tell us about broader issues in the legal system. There will be a particular emphasis on the contribution of psychological inquiry and practice can make to addressing some of the pressing issues in current forensic psychology practice and how empirical research can address applied issues within the criminal justice system. As such, a large focus of the course is on the contemporary and controversial issues in the field, such as: evidence for systemic bias in the criminal justice system, in topics like jury decision-making and forensic science; and how cognition and perception can influence decision-making in the legal system and associated consequences of this, such as false confessions, eyewitness evidence and difficulties in detecting deception.