Beyond Common Sense: Psychological Science in the Courtroom

by Susan T. Fiske

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Author: Susan T. Fiske

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Paperback:
ISBN 10: 1405145749
ISBN 13: 978-1405145749

Beyond Common Sense addresses the many important and controversial issues that arise from the use of psychological and social science in the courtroom. Each chapter identifies areas of scientific agreement and disagreement, and discusses how psychological science advances our understanding of human behavior beyond common sense.

Features original chapters written by some of the leading experts in the field of psychology and law including Elizabeth Loftus, Saul Kassin, Faye Crosby, Alice Eagly, Gary Wells, Louise Fitzgerald, Craig Anderson, and Phoebe Ellsworth
The 14 issues addressed include eyewitness identification, gender stereotypes, repressed memories, Affirmative Action and the death penalty
Commentaries written by leading social science and law scholars discuss key legal and scientific themes that emerge from the science chapters and illustrate how psychological science is or can be used in the courts

Review

“An excellent book on the current state of the knowledge of psychological science applied to the legal system. This book had me hooked from the moment I read the foreword … and kept me interested through the end of the last commentary … .There were numerous highlights … .The contents of this book are not just informative but timely. In summary, this book is excellent and is highly recommended for the general public, students, and legal and psychological practitioners and researchers. Borgida and Fiske make it very apparent that scientific psychologists have an understanding of human thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that can aid legal decision makers.” (PsycCritiques, December 2008)

“Eugene Borgida and Susan Fiske assembled a distinguished group of psychological scientists to articulate the state of scientific findings on issues of relevance to modern litigation … .I highly recommend this book to a wide variety of audiences … .This is a timely and important volume that should be widely read. It will not be a waste of time.” (Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 2008)

Review

"This collection is a gem! It unmasks the fallacies on race and gender that pass for ‘common sense’ so skillfully that it is hard to read without shouting 'Aha!'"
–Nancy Cantor, Chancellor and President, Syracuse University

"This is a timely and extremely interesting analysis of the many ways in which psychological science can contribute to a more accurate understanding of various psychological issues often raised in legal proceedings. This book will be useful, and a very good read, for the general public as well as the psychological and legal communities."
–Sharon S. Brehm, Indiana University Bloomington, President of the American Psychological Association (2007)

"This book is an indispensable guide―for scholars and practitioners alike―to the psychological science of the legal system. Its pages are filled with important, hard-won lessons that we can turn to our advantage or ignore at our peril."
–Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University

"The legal system is also a system of perception, emotion, interpersonal relations, and judgment. It is thus crucial that lawyers, social scientists and indeed the broader public understand its psychological dimensions. This volume assembles key examples of the recent strides psychologists have made in understanding courtroom processes and the psychosocial dimensions that shape how law works in a variety of settings from workplaces to the media. It will be a vital resource for both professionals and students."
–Craig Calhoun, President, Social Science Research Council

"Incrementally, chapter by chapter, this world-class collection of scholars and researchers upends our common sense understandings of human prejudice and the law's ability to control it. Yet, just as importantly, it brings to the fore a vastly deeper understanding of these issues. It is more than a state of the art collection. It is a classic collection that, for a long time, will be indispensable to discussions of prejudice and the law, as well as the relationship between science and the public good."
–Claude M. Steele, Stanford University

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Beyond Common Sense: Psychological Science in the Courtroom