Psychology and the Law
PSYC 277
Spring 2012
| Section:
01
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This course will offer an introduction to the range of topics that are of concern both to psychologists and to members of the legal profession. We will investigate how psychologists may enter the legal arena as social scientists, consultants, and expert witnesses, as well as how the theory, data, and methods of the social sciences can enhance and contribute to our understanding of the judicial system. We will focus on what social psychology can offer the legal system in terms of its research and expertise with an examination of the state of the social science research on topics such as juries and decision making, eyewitness testimony, mental illness, the nature of voluntary confession, competency/insanity, child testimony, repressed memory, and sentencing guidelines. In addition, this course will look at the new and exciting ways legal scholars and psychologists/social scientists are now collaborating on research that looks at topics such as the role of education in prison, cultural definitions of responsibility, media accounts and social representations of crime and criminals, death penalty mitigation, and gender/race discrimination within the criminal justice system. This course will introduce students to this field, especially to the growing body of applied and theoretical work and resources available for study and review. Students will be encouraged to explore the connections between issues of social science and the law, translating legal issues into social scientific research questions that can then be examined more closely in the literature. |
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Essential Capabilities:
Speaking, Writing
The course asks students to write multiple short papers as well as speak about their research topics in brief in class presentations. Writing will be evaluated on the basis of style and context.
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| Credit: 1 |
Gen Ed Area Dept:
SBS PSYC |
| Course Format: Lecture / Discussion | Grading Mode: Graded |
| Level: UGRD |
Prerequisites: PSYC105 |
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Fulfills a Requirement for: (CSCT)(HRAD-MN)(PSYC)(STS) |
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Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available |
| SECTION 01 |
Major Readings: Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore
Wrightsman, Greene, Nietzel & Fortune, PSYCHOLOGY AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM, 2002, Fifth Edition, Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.
Class handouts as needed. Reserve Reading as required.
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Examinations and Assignments:
There will be one midterm and one final exam. In addition, students will turn in "reaction" papers--approximately one a month--that comment on the class readings (dates to be included on syllabus). These are expected to be informal (yet well written) commentaries that recognize and integrate themes across the readings and highlight areas of interest and concern. Students will be required to present one of their "reaction" papers to the clas during the semester. |
Additional Requirements and/or Comments:
This is a Column 3 breadth requirement. |
| Instructor(s): Carney,Sarah Kristin Times: .M.W... 08:30AM-09:50AM; Location: JUDD116; |
| Total Enrollment Limit: 35 | | SR major: 15 | JR major: 15 | | |
| Seats Available: -13 | GRAD: X | SR non-major: 0 | JR non-major: 0 | SO: 5 | FR: 0 |
| Drop/Add Enrollment Requests | | | | | |
| Total Submitted Requests: 9 | 1st Ranked: 0 | 2nd Ranked: 2 | 3rd Ranked: 0 | 4th Ranked: 1 | Unranked: 6 |
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