Faculteit Rechtsgeleerdheid
Opleiding Criminologische Wetenschappen
Academiejaar 2022 - 2023
KATHOLIEKE
UNIVERSITEIT
LEUVEN
PSYCHOLOGY, LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
NOTES
PROF. DR. FABIANA BATISTA
MASTER CRIMINOLOGISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN, EERSTE SEMESTER
,
,Inhoudsopgave
H1 – Introduction..............................................................................................................................1
1.1 Psychology and law.......................................................................................................................1
1.1.1 Psychology vs. law.................................................................................................................1
1.1.2 Legal and forensic psychology...................................................................................................1
1.2 What is scientific method?...........................................................................................................2
1.2.1 Karl Popper............................................................................................................................2
1.2.2 How does a researcher think?...............................................................................................2
1.2.3 What are the phases of research?.........................................................................................2
1.2.4 The experimental method.....................................................................................................3
1.2.5 Variables................................................................................................................................3
1.2.6 Hypotheses............................................................................................................................3
1.2.7 Design....................................................................................................................................4
1.3 How can psychological research help the law field?.....................................................................4
1.4 Scientific paper.............................................................................................................................4
1.4.1 The sections of an article.......................................................................................................4
1.4.2 Article....................................................................................................................................4
H2 – Psychological process relevant for legal profesionals................................................................5
2.1 Perception....................................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 Stimuli....................................................................................................................................5
2.1.2 Mistakes by quantitative detection.......................................................................................6
2.1.3 mistake by qualitative detection............................................................................................8
2.2 Memory........................................................................................................................................8
2.2.1 Memory phases.....................................................................................................................9
2.2.2 Memory models.....................................................................................................................9
2.2.3 Mood dependency effects...................................................................................................11
2.2.4 Autobiographical memory...................................................................................................13
2.2.5 Forgetting............................................................................................................................14
2.3 Decision making..........................................................................................................................14
2.3.1 What is a decision?..............................................................................................................14
2.3.2 How do we make our decisions?.............................................................................................15
H3 – False memories and eyewitness testimony.............................................................................18
, 3.1 False memories...........................................................................................................................18
3.1.1 Spontaneous false memories...................................................................................................18
3.1.2 Suggestive false memories...................................................................................................19
3.2 The importance of false memories for the law field...................................................................23
3.2.1 Real cases............................................................................................................................23
3.2.2 Innocence projects..................................................................................................................23
3.3 Variables effecting eyewitness memory.....................................................................................24
3.3.1 Estimator variables..............................................................................................................24
3.3.2 System variables..................................................................................................................26
3.3.3 Post-diction variables...........................................................................................................28
H4 – Interviewing and interrogation................................................................................................29
4.1 Interviewing................................................................................................................................29
4.2 Structured interviews: different interviews................................................................................30
4.2.1 Stepwise interview..................................................................................................................30
4.2.2 Cognitive interview..............................................................................................................31
4.2.3 Structured interview............................................................................................................32
4.2.4 Statement validity analysis (SVA).........................................................................................32
4.2.5 CBCA....................................................................................................................................34
4.3 Interrogation...............................................................................................................................38
4.3.1 Different interrogations.......................................................................................................39
H5 – False confessions.....................................................................................................................41
5.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................41
5.1.1 Central Park Jogger..............................................................................................................41
5.1.2 Is the Central Park Jogger case unique?...............................................................................41
5.2 Confession..................................................................................................................................41
5.2.1 Confession...........................................................................................................................41
5.2.2 Historical overview..............................................................................................................42
5.3 Case by case principle.................................................................................................................42
5.3.1 Information from social scientists and psychologists are important to understand false
confessions...................................................................................................................................42
5.3.2 Chain of events....................................................................................................................42
5.3.2.4 Full narrative confession...................................................................................................46
H6 – Crime-related amnesia............................................................................................................50
6.1 Just fiction?.................................................................................................................................50
Opleiding Criminologische Wetenschappen
Academiejaar 2022 - 2023
KATHOLIEKE
UNIVERSITEIT
LEUVEN
PSYCHOLOGY, LAW AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
NOTES
PROF. DR. FABIANA BATISTA
MASTER CRIMINOLOGISCHE WETENSCHAPPEN, EERSTE SEMESTER
,
,Inhoudsopgave
H1 – Introduction..............................................................................................................................1
1.1 Psychology and law.......................................................................................................................1
1.1.1 Psychology vs. law.................................................................................................................1
1.1.2 Legal and forensic psychology...................................................................................................1
1.2 What is scientific method?...........................................................................................................2
1.2.1 Karl Popper............................................................................................................................2
1.2.2 How does a researcher think?...............................................................................................2
1.2.3 What are the phases of research?.........................................................................................2
1.2.4 The experimental method.....................................................................................................3
1.2.5 Variables................................................................................................................................3
1.2.6 Hypotheses............................................................................................................................3
1.2.7 Design....................................................................................................................................4
1.3 How can psychological research help the law field?.....................................................................4
1.4 Scientific paper.............................................................................................................................4
1.4.1 The sections of an article.......................................................................................................4
1.4.2 Article....................................................................................................................................4
H2 – Psychological process relevant for legal profesionals................................................................5
2.1 Perception....................................................................................................................................5
2.1.1 Stimuli....................................................................................................................................5
2.1.2 Mistakes by quantitative detection.......................................................................................6
2.1.3 mistake by qualitative detection............................................................................................8
2.2 Memory........................................................................................................................................8
2.2.1 Memory phases.....................................................................................................................9
2.2.2 Memory models.....................................................................................................................9
2.2.3 Mood dependency effects...................................................................................................11
2.2.4 Autobiographical memory...................................................................................................13
2.2.5 Forgetting............................................................................................................................14
2.3 Decision making..........................................................................................................................14
2.3.1 What is a decision?..............................................................................................................14
2.3.2 How do we make our decisions?.............................................................................................15
H3 – False memories and eyewitness testimony.............................................................................18
, 3.1 False memories...........................................................................................................................18
3.1.1 Spontaneous false memories...................................................................................................18
3.1.2 Suggestive false memories...................................................................................................19
3.2 The importance of false memories for the law field...................................................................23
3.2.1 Real cases............................................................................................................................23
3.2.2 Innocence projects..................................................................................................................23
3.3 Variables effecting eyewitness memory.....................................................................................24
3.3.1 Estimator variables..............................................................................................................24
3.3.2 System variables..................................................................................................................26
3.3.3 Post-diction variables...........................................................................................................28
H4 – Interviewing and interrogation................................................................................................29
4.1 Interviewing................................................................................................................................29
4.2 Structured interviews: different interviews................................................................................30
4.2.1 Stepwise interview..................................................................................................................30
4.2.2 Cognitive interview..............................................................................................................31
4.2.3 Structured interview............................................................................................................32
4.2.4 Statement validity analysis (SVA).........................................................................................32
4.2.5 CBCA....................................................................................................................................34
4.3 Interrogation...............................................................................................................................38
4.3.1 Different interrogations.......................................................................................................39
H5 – False confessions.....................................................................................................................41
5.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................41
5.1.1 Central Park Jogger..............................................................................................................41
5.1.2 Is the Central Park Jogger case unique?...............................................................................41
5.2 Confession..................................................................................................................................41
5.2.1 Confession...........................................................................................................................41
5.2.2 Historical overview..............................................................................................................42
5.3 Case by case principle.................................................................................................................42
5.3.1 Information from social scientists and psychologists are important to understand false
confessions...................................................................................................................................42
5.3.2 Chain of events....................................................................................................................42
5.3.2.4 Full narrative confession...................................................................................................46
H6 – Crime-related amnesia............................................................................................................50
6.1 Just fiction?.................................................................................................................................50
