Beyond Common Sense: Psychological Science in the Courtroom

"This collection is a gem! It unmasks the fallacies on race and gender that pass for ‘common sense’ so skillfully that it is hard to read without shouting 'Aha!'"
--Nancy Cantor, Chancellor and President, Syracuse University

"This is a timely and extremely interesting analysis of the many ways in which psychological science can contribute to a more accurate understanding of various psychological issues often raised in legal proceedings. This book will be useful, and a very good read, for the general public as well as the psychological and legal communities."
--Sharon S. Brehm, Indiana University Bloomington, President of the American Psychological Association (2007)

"This book is an indispensable guide—for scholars and practitioners alike—to the psychological science of the legal system. Its pages are filled with important, hard-won lessons that we can turn to our advantage or ignore at our peril."
--Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University

"The legal system is also a system of perception, emotion, interpersonal relations, and judgment. It is thus crucial that lawyers, social scientists and indeed the broader public understand its psychological dimensions. This volume assembles key examples of the recent strides psychologists have made in understanding courtroom processes and the psychosocial dimensions that shape how law works in a variety of settings from workplaces to the media. It will be a vital resource for both professionals and students."
--Craig Calhoun, President, Social Science Research Council

"Incrementally, chapter by chapter, this world-class collection of scholars and researchers upends our common sense understandings of human prejudice and the law's ability to control it. Yet, just as importantly, it brings to the fore a vastly deeper understanding of these issues. It is more than a state of the art collection. It is a classic collection that, for a long time, will be indispensable to discussions of prejudice and the law, as well as the relationship between science and the public good."
--Claude M. Steele, Stanford University