LAWS2260 Law and Psychology

Later Year Course

Offered By	Law
Academic Career	Undergraduate
Course Subject	Laws
Offered in	Second Semester, 2009 and Second Semester, 2010
Unit Value	6 units
Course Description	This course explores the interface of psychology and criminal law. One focus is psychology and courts, specifically the issues of eyewitnesses, psychologists as experts, witnesses, mental illness and the law, judicial decision making, children in court, persuasion and advocacy, language used in the courtroom, and jury research. Another focus is on the psychological study of legal processes outside courts, including policing, interviewing, detecting deception, restorative justice, and therapeutic jurisprudence. Material discussed is primarily of relevance to the Australian legal system. The course offers a critical perspective on the developing discipline of legal psychology. Students are also shown how to research the interdisciplinary literature via relevant databases.
Learning Outcomes	Obtain an introduction to the field of legal psychology Building confidence in researching, reading and critically analysing legal psychological literature including an empirical legal psychological report Develop students' ability to read cases, legislation, and legal commentary in order to identify the psychological assumptions underlying and the psychological impact of legal reasoning, legal procedures, and the legal regulation of human behaviour including mental illness.
Indicative Assessment	A mid-semester research casenote or empirical report review, a short answer test, and a research essay.
Workload	There will be 3 hours of class time per week. A further 7 or so hours of private study is expected per week in order to review required reading and research assessment tasks.
Areas of Interest	Law
Assumed Knowledge and Required Skills	The course is pitched at students who have never studied psychology and also aims to extend those who have studied psychology. Researching interdisciplinary law and psychology literature databases as well as reading empirical psychological reports will be skills taught in the course.
Requisite Statement	Completed or completing five LAWS courses at 1000 level.
Recommended Courses	The course focuses mainly on the psychology of criminal justice. Those who have studied and enjoyed Criminal Law and Procedure, Criminal Justice, and/or Selected Topics in Criminal Law should enjoy this course.
Prescribed Texts	A Kapardis, Psychology and the Law: A Critical Introduction (2nd Edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003).
Preliminary Reading	Consult course outline for Week 1 reading.
Indicative Reading List	Please consult the course outline.
Technology Requirements	Students need access to WebCT to complete this course.
Academic Contact	Mark Nolan

The information published on the Study at ANU 2009 website applies to the 2009 academic year only. All information provided on this website replaces the information contained in the Study at ANU 2008 website.