Hugo Munsterberg's Psychology and Law

Though widely regarded as a founder of the modern field of psychology and law, German-American psychologist Hugo Mnsterberg's now century-old ideas and research approaches continue to thrive. In fact, the discipline still grapples with many of the issues raised by Mnsterberg in his seminal 1908 book, On the Witness Stand.Hugo Mnsterberg's Psychology and Law makes Mnsterberg's enduring insights available to a new generation of scholars, presenting the 'state of the science' on the concepts that Mnsterberg was one of the first to investigate. These include eyewitness memory, deception detection, false confessions, and the causes of criminal behavior. Opening with a brief biography of Mnsterberg and a historical overview of the field, the book's organization follows that of On the Witness Stand, with each chapter providing a summary of Mnsterberg's work followed by a contemporary perspective on the topic. Chapters challenge readers to consider what we have learned since Mnsterberg's time and whether subsequent research has shown him to be right or wrong. The final chapter asks what Mnsterberg may have missed, and what we may be missing today. This volume will be of interest to a broad range of scholars, practitioners, and professionals in the legal and mental health fields.