Paper Topic:

one strength of social psychology claimed by its supporters is its relevance to real world issues. discuss this contention by examining the application of social psychology to legal issues

Application of Social Psychology to Legal Issues

The legal system is not perfect because there are loopholes and discrepancies that need to be addressed . For the most part , it achieves its purpose of putting an end to a wrongdoing , thereby enforcing justice . To get to the end result , police officers , lawyers , and judges rely on eyewitness testimonies and juries , all of which are susceptible to commit flaws . The fact is , psychologists and lawyers do not wholly agree when it comes to determining sound testimonies , which essentially adds to the imperfectness of the

system . In addition , juries and judges are not fully trained to detect any nuances in human behaviour and speech . Thus , social psychologists should work more closely with eyewitnesses , lawyers and juries-who are ultimately in-charge of the fate of an accused person-to attain a better result in regards to the processes and result of trial proceedings . Social psychologists can also inform legal professionals and those who are apart of the criminal justice system about scientific facts as to the reasons why people obey the law

Almost everyone is aware and will agree that human memory is not a hundred percent dependable . Think back to the times when keys were misplaced , doors were left unlocked even though we were certain that we have locked them . These instances show that our memories can sometimes fool us into thinking that something is the absolute truth because we end up believing what we would like to . This is because the human mind creates its own vision of reality (Loh . It also illustrates that human memory is comple[x] , selectivit[ive] and malleab[le] (Loftus O 'Toole and Easterly . Although this is the case , jurors still believe that their memories are above average [which] suggests that potential juror may begin each trial with unwarranted confidence in memory and the ability to identify faces .causing jurors to overestimate the accuracy of witness memories as well (Loftus , O 'Toole and Easterly . Another reason that eyewitness testimonies are not so precise is due to the fact that what people recall and report to others can be inaccurate and incomplete .[plus] overhead co-witness information or investigator comments and questions are known to alter witness ' original memories of an event (MacLin , K .M , Zimmerman , Meissner , MacLin , O .H , Tredoux and Malpass

In addition , if investigators or police officers corroborate the testimony of an eyewitness through casual remarks and subliminal body messages ' chances are the eyewitness will have the mistaken belief that his or her recollection of the event is the whole truth (Sycamnias . A hundred percent accuracy of an eyewitness testimony is not always possible unless the eyewitness recounts the event right after it has transpired . Inferences can also affect the perceived notion of an eyewitness . This can cause an alteration in the way the events took place , minor details in the or version of the story Therefore , suggestive comments by authorities can actually condone .or bolster . an eyewitness testimony .[which can fill] in vague and fuzzy recollections with fictional [or...

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