Advanced Introduction to Law and Psychology offers a concise and approachable introduction to the field of law and psychology, ideal for beginners and scholars alike. Tom R. Tyler discusses the impact of psychological research on legal policies and procedures, providing a comprehensive overview of the field in an easy-to-digest format.Footnote 1 Both legal scholars and psychological researchers would benefit from this book, which provides an informative overview of key psychological theories as they pertain to the law.
Although written like a textbook, Tyler's Advanced Introduction does not read like one. Using engaging prose and timely real-world examples, Tyler discusses ideas of human perception and decision-making combined with landmark psychological findings to weave together a comprehensive overview of the field of law and psychology, which is devoid of both highly technical research findings and legal jargon. Citing to numerous studies throughout the book, Tyler explores how psychological research is currently used in the legal system and advocates for its expansion and for reform driven by evidence-informed policies.
The book is organized around key legal themes and corresponding psychological research and theories. Aside from the overview and conclusion, the book is divided into ten chapters, each beginning with a brief introduction to a particular legal topic that examines how psychological research findings are applied to the law, how they could be applied, or sometimes, how such findings were misapplied by legal institutions. Throughout each chapter, Tyler provides a survey of the legal landscape on a particular issue (use of experts, bias among decision-makers, sentencing procedures, credibility assessments, etc.), discussing discrete subtopics in turn. Each chapter concludes with proposals for improving the legal system through greater use of psychological research-based findings.
Advanced Introduction goes beyond the intersection of law and psychology in the courtroom context, which occupies a limited space, and touches on issues of policing, incarceration statistics, and the public's view of legal institutions. Tyler demonstrates the value of psychology's evidence-informed law and policy in the classic legal sense while also pushing on deeper criminal and civil justice issues that are engrained in the American legal system. He takes a broad approach in addressing the sweeping effects psychological research has, or can have, on the law. All the while, he draws attention to the societal values and commercial interests that often drive public policy as opposed to research-informed evidence. Tyler specifically highlights the challenges involved in trying to define cultural questions as empirical issues in the last chapter titled “Freedom, Consent and Subjective Harm,” which takes a different approach from the rest of the book by explicitly addressing public policy concerns related to obscene material and violence. Throughout the book, Tyler proposes solutions for everyday legal problems through the lens of psychological research while addressing the limits of human reasoning in a culture accustomed to the discretionary decisions made by legal authorities such as police officers, prosecutors, and judges.
Tyler's enthusiasm for the law and psychology movement is palpable throughout the book. He discusses the many legal facets that have benefited from the work of psychologists and how legal institutions can continue to improve based on evidence-informed research. He examines how psychological research is used as evidence in trials, as a means for advocacy, and in identifying ways to eliminate bias from the legal system.
Although Tyler covers a range of classic legal topics, the book is dominated primarily by the intersection of psychological research and U.S. criminal law. While there is an entire chapter dedicated to civil justice, there are only brief civil law discussions scattered throughout the book, and even fewer instances of analysis of the field on a global level. This is not surprising considering the large number of incarcerated people in the United States compared to other countries, concerns related to accusing the innocent, and the visibility of the criminal justice system as compared to civil justice. Taking these factors into account, it is only logical that Tyler focuses his book on U.S. jurisprudence and psychology.
In sum, Advanced Introduction succeeds in succinctly providing a broad overview of the relationship between law and psychology, with concrete examples of the mutual benefits conferred from their association. Tyler presents this information in an engaging and informative format, one that psychologists, legal practitioners, or simply any curious person would enjoy. Advanced Introduction would make an excellent addition to any academic or public library collection.
