Psychology Applied to Law is a friendly, engaging introduction to the exciting field of psychology and law.  Drawing on research in social, cognitive, clinical, and developmental psychology, the author shows how psychological science can be used to enhance the gathering of evidence, improve legal decision-making, and promote justice.  Although the emphasis is on psychological research, the book makes extensive use of actual cases and real trials to draw students into the material and to illustrate the relevance of research findings.

Concise but comprehensive, this brief introduction to the field gives professors the flexibility to assign additional books or articles. Psychology Applied to Law is a lively alternative to traditional textbooks.

Mark Costanzo is the celebrated author of Just Revenge: Costs and Consequences of the Death Penalty.  Click here to find out more about the author.

See a Brief Outline of the contents or read the entire Table of Contents

 See the Publisher's Website for additional information

Front Cover - Back Cover
Wadsworth Publishing, August 2003
ISBN:  0-534-36629-5

"The key strength of the chapters is that they are easy and enjoyable to read and will most likely draw students into the subject matter . . . engaging and written in a manner that should be accessible to most every student taking a Psychology and Law class."
Margaret Bull Kovera
Professor of Psychology, Florida International University

"I like the author's approach to cover the key issues and research, but also leave time for instructors to assign supplementary readings…. The book is very readable. I think students taking a psychology and law course for the first time will come away with a good sense of the field. The material is clearly presented, and the case studies should engage students in a way that many other psychology and law textbooks do not. . . . a lucid overview of a vast and complex field."
Ronald Roesch 
Director of Mental Health, Law, and Policy Institute,
Simon Fraser University

"...very well organized and written--an admirable piece of work...accessible without dilution of content"
Steven Penrod
Professor of Psychology,
Florida International University

"I especially appreciate the legal background that most textbooks on "psychology and law" lack"
Cheryl Terrance
Professor of Psychology, Carleton University

"...this text would be fantastic for undergraduates in Criminal Justice and Law School students and laypersons interested in psychology and law."
Brenda Russell
 Professor of Psychology, Castleton University