"I like the use of research and citations throughout the text. It is more comprehensive than my current text and does a much better job of presenting the scientific evidence."
-Kathy McGuire, Western Illinois University
Written by authors with extensive experience in the field and in the classroom, Psychology and Law: Research and Practice, Second Edition, offers the definitive perspective on the practical application of psychological research to the law. Curt R. Bartol and Anne M. Bartol emphasize the various roles psychologists and other mental health professionals play in criminal and civil legal matters. Topics such as family law, mental health evaluations, police interrogation, jury selection and decision making, involuntary civil commitment, and various civil capacities are included. The authors also emphasize the major contributions psychological research has made to the law and encourage critical analysis through examples of court cases, high-profile current events, and research. This comprehensive book examines complex material in detail and explains it in an easy-to-read way.
New to the Second Edition:
The new edition has been significantly reorganized to more closely align with the progression through the court system.
A new chapter on children, adolescents, and criminal law (Chapter 8) provides students with information on adjudicative competence, comprehension of constitutional rights, and eyewitness identification and courtroom testimony.
New feature boxes include case studies, research projects, and contemporary topics with discussion questions for classroom debate.
Additional court cases and statutes have been integrated into chapters to emphasize the important role psychology plays in the legal process. The content is applied to real cases such as the Masterpiece Cakeshop case and the Dassey confession (comprehending Miranda).
Over 300 recent research findings on topics related to psychology and law highlight cutting-edge research studies that help students understand what research does and prompt them to discuss the methodology and results.
New pedagogical tables clearly illustrate complex information around ethical issues, APA amicus briefs, strengths and weaknesses of simulation studies, insanity standards within the states, effects experienced by survivors of traumatic incidents, and more.
Increased coverage of contemporary issues encourage critical thinking and active learning by promoting discussions around current issues such as telepsychology, neuropsychology, adversarial allegiance, and actuarial instruments used in bail and sentence decision-making.
Author Biography:
Curt R. Bartol was a college professor for more than 30 years, teaching a wide variety of both undergraduate and graduate courses, including Biopsychology, Criminal Behavior, Juvenile Delinquency, Introduction to Forensic Psychology, Social Psychology, Profiling, and Psychology and Law. He earned his PhD in personality/social psychology from Northern Illinois University in 1972. He studied political science and law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under a fellowship from the National Institute for the Humanities (NIH). He was instrumental in creating and launching Castleton State College’s graduate program in forensic psychology and served as its director for 6 years. As a licensed clinical psychologist, he has been a consulting police psychologist to local, municipal, state, and federal law enforcement agencies for over 30 years. In addition to Introduction to Forensic Psychology, he has coauthored Criminal Behavior: A Psychosocial Approach (now in its 11th ed.), Juvenile Delinquency and Antisocial Behavior: A Developmental Perspective (3rd ed.), Criminal and Behavioral Profiling, and Psychology and Law: Theory, Research, and Application (3rd ed.). He served as editor of SAGE’s Criminal Justice and Behavior: An International Journal, for 17 years. He also co-edited Current Perspectives in Forensic Psychology and Criminal Behavior (3rd ed.). Anne M. Bartol earned an MA and a PhD in criminal justice from State University of New York at Albany. She also holds an MA in journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She taught criminal justice, sociology, and journalism courses over a 20-year college teaching career and has worked as a journalist and a social worker in child and adolescent protective services. In addition to Introduction to Forensic Psychology, she has coauthored Juvenile Delinquency: A Systems Approach; Delinquency and Justice: A Psychosocial Approach; Psychology and Law: Theory, Research, and Application; Criminal Behavior; and Criminal and Behavioral Profiling. She co-edited Current Perspectives, has served as book review editor and managing editor of Criminal Justice and Behavior and has published articles on women and criminal justice, rural courts, and the history of forensic psychology.
