Psychology and Law: Bridging the Gap

The cover of Psychology and Law describes the book as a tool to “build bridges between the two very different disciplines of law and psychology, and establish the true nature of the interaction between the two.” In doing so, the book includes contributions from an international group of authors from North America and Europe. Besides being from different countries, the authors come from diverse backgrounds in law, psychology, sociology, and criminology. The book is co-edited by David Canter, a Professor in the Department of Psychology at University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, and Rita Žukauskienė, a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Mykolas Romeris University in Lithuania.

The book opens with an overview by David Canter. Immediately following is an overview of the complexities of the offender profiling work originally done by Canter. Brief descriptions of Canter's profiling equations in the areas of criminal pertinence, contingency destabilization, criminal salience, and integrative modeling and inferential fluency are presented. This leads into an examination of legal uses of the polygraph in Europe. The next three chapters discuss aspects of identification: eyewitness research, identification in court, and profiling evidence in court. These include in-depth discussions of the errors and bias that can be introduced in using these techniques.

The heterogeneity of individuals with antisocial behavior is then covered. Civil liability for another individual's criminal behavior is reviewed. This area of liability consists of civil suits for alleged negligence that may have allowed or facilitated the commission of a crime. One common example occurs if a visitor to a property is attacked; the victim may allege that the property owner provided negligently inadequate security. The next section looks at the psychological consequences of prison. Psychopathy is then covered as a past, present, and future construct. Two chapters are devoted to actuarial, clinical, and computer-assisted violence risk assessments. The final two chapters close with public policy discussions of the role of psychology in legal matters.

The book's collection of international authors provides a broad view of the interaction between psychology and the law. Many of the chapters focus on history and current practice from countries in North America and Europe and thus give the reader a glimpse into how different approaches, as reflected by legislation and legal precedent, have played out in various countries.

This reader found two chapters to be particularly engaging due to a combination of prior and piqued interest. The first, on polygraph testing, went into great detail about the underlying theories and different processes used in testing. This section illuminated a test that many professionals in the field will never witness. The author then gave a thoughtful analysis of the possible benefits and errors as a result of the underlying theoretical approach as well as the manner in which the tests are conducted. Discussions such as these provide a greater level of understanding of factors that may satisfy a reader's curiosity or help in a forensic case.

Another fascinating chapter considers the psychological ramifications of incarceration. These range from the traumatizing effects of prison to the problems associated with attempting to return to life outside of prison. Of particular interest are the possible functional adaptations that may occur in prison that lead to dysfunction later. The author delves into these with an insight that is highly illuminating. Finally, the multitude of problems in performing research in this population is covered, helping to explain the relative dearth of knowledge in this area.

Similarly, most readers should find specific chapters within the book that will sate their appetite for a richer discussion in their areas of professional interest. Many readers are likely to discover areas of previously unrealized interest. Given the passion the authors exhibit for their respective areas of expertise and research, this book may spark ideas for budding researchers and writers. Examples include the use of profiling, eyewitness identification, and violence risk assessments.

Given its varied but relatively narrow scope, the book is able to delve deeper into the topics that it does cover and provides a much more nuanced view of each topic. The authors of each portion have included numerous citations and references and are clearly focusing on their areas of professional interest. As a result, readers are often treated to a historical perspective and the evolution, current state, and future direction of the subject at hand. Readers who have an interest in any of the included topics are likely to learn something new from the more sophisticated discussions. The drawback of this approach is that the book does not function well as a practical guide to daily practice of forensic psychiatry or psychology. It only examines several select areas of the authors' expertise. In each, the authors place greater focus on history, concepts, and research than on utilitarian advice. In addition, the primer's international flavor does not assist in daily work but creates an interesting backdrop to the understanding of the field overall.

In summary, readers with a pre-existing interest in any of the topics covered in Psychology and Law are likely to find it to be an informative read. Even those readers without a prior interest may themselves be drawn to a new subject. However, those readers looking for a handbook on the practical aspects of working in the intersection between the fields of psychology and law should look elsewhere.

• © 2011 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law