Abstract

A psychological approach to the law emphasizes its human determinants. Psychology assumes that characteristics of participants in the legal system affect how the system operates. The behavior of participants in the legal system is a result not only of their personal, internal qualities but also of the setting in which they operate. Psychology and Law, as a branch of applied psychology which studies individual behavior, has been energetically developed in England and the United States where common law philosophies are thriving. In those countries, research in Psychology and Law is mainly focused on four broad areas: Investigation and interrogation, criminal procedure, civil litigation, and judicial decisions. The major research topics in the four areas are summarized in this paper.