Criminal Behavior and the Justice System Psychological Perspectives

Readers of this book can gain novel insight into the various theoretical perspectives of psychology and law. It is demonstrated that psychology is not simply an applied discipline in the legal area, but that it contains its own concepts and paradigms for basic research. Legal psychology proves to be an independent, interdisciplinary part of psychology. The contributions represent the experience of different nationalities and judicial systems; emphasis is placed throughout on criminal law. Topics considered include: prediction and explanation of criminal behavior; legal thought, attribution, and sentencing; eyewitness testimony; and correctional treatment with clinical and organizational aspects.