Believability of expert and lay witnesses: Implications for trial consultation.

Attorneys are often skeptical, with good reason, about the extent to which research findings and psychological principles may apply to the members of their jury pool. It is important for attorneys as well as psychologists who provide consultation services to have access to base-rate opinions about the consultation issues. This article reports the results of a statewide telephone survey of 488 adult residents who answered questions about the believability of expert witnesses and criminal defendants who testify. The survey questions were designed to provide "local" base-rate data about issues that arise in 3 areas of consultation work with attorneys: public perceptions of witness preparation with criminal defendants, expectations of criminal defendant demeanor, and judgments with respect to expert-witness characteristics that might be associated with being a "hired gun." Implications for psychologists who work as trial consultants and expert witnesses are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The expert witness, the adversary system, and the voice of reason: Reconciling impartiality and advocacy.

The legal system and the profession of psychology have differing expectations that cause psychologists who serve as expert witnesses to face fundamental conflicts. The rules of evidence demand that experts assist the trier of fact, the adversary system demands that experts serve the parties who retain them, and the ethical codes and guidelines demand that experts impartially assist the court, only in their area of competence. Psychological experts are left to sort out the competing demands, as well as their potential liability, while recognizing the importance of being persuasive. This article addresses the competing tensions expert witnesses face and offers an approach to reconciling these tensions that relies on competence, relevance, perspective, balance, and candor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychologist as an expert witness in court.

"An important problem in psychology today is the legal status of the psychologist and his relationship to the courts; and of special importance in the position of the psychologist as an expert witness… . There is considerable evidence of the use of psychologists in court cases in the federal courts… " as well as in state courts. "There is… conflicting evidence as to state court opinions on the expertness of testimony given by psychologists… . Once an adequate definition of a psychologist is established by legal authorities… [the problem of the position of the psychologist as an expert witness]… will be much nearer to a solution." Certification or licensing legislation seems to be desirable. 29 references. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in Psychotherapy for Psychologists: Recommendations of Clinical Psychologists.

This article discusses the current debate on the subject of psychotherapy training for psychologists and how it tends to concern itself with rather broad philosophical issues and matters of role definition. As part of a larger study, data not previously reported were derived from three questions which asked for opinions about ideal patterns of psychotherapy training for psychologists. This brief report suggests the desirability of careful stratification of the group of clinical psychologists in future opinion sampling and when policy recommendations are being developed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychologist as an expert witness on the issue of insanity.

Psychologists have made assertions in the courtroom "that do not have the blessings of the entire professional psychological community, and these assertions have brought court opporpribum to them and perhaps to the psychologist in general." Testimony from a District Court of the District of Columbia is presented; it provides "psychologists who rely on projective tests with information on how such evaluations may be treated by an opposing and often hostile attorney, or how they may be interpreted in a court of law which permits cross examination of witnesses, including expert witnesses." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Flying Psychologists.

Asks whether there might be a group of flying psychologists that would be interested in forming an association, formal or informal, and whether the APA has a list of psychologists who are pilots. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists as law professors.

Changes in jurisprudential theory have led to changes in the nature of legal education and scholarship. These changes, in turn, have opened the door to psychologists in law schools. The traditions of law schools differ substantially from those of social science departments. In the light of these differences, the authors, themselves members of law faculties, explore potential contributions of psychologists to legal education and scholarship. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training of Psychologists.

Suggests that psychologists concerned about the training of psychologists generate some testable hypotheses about the effects of different kinds of training, match or otherwise control variation in graduate departments at student and staff levels, and start treating each graduate school as the experimental group it should be in the field. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The psychologist as an expert witness on the issue of insanity": Comment.

Comments on the original article by R. Jeffrey (see record 1965-06327-001) regarding expert testimony by psychologists in two separate court cases. The current author does not accept the cases presented by Jeffrey as typical of the acceptance that clinical psychologists get in court based on their testimony as expert witnesses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical training and expert testimony: Comment.

Comments on the original article by R. Jeffrey (see record 1965-06327-001) regarding expert testimony by psychologists in two separate court cases. The current author opines that it is a highly questionable practice for the American Psychological Association to approve programs in clinical psychology when many of these universities cynically or indifferently designate the entire responsibility for training and supervision in psychodiagnostics and psychotherapy to others, outside the university, whose competence is often unknown. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists in Federal service as of June 30, 1953.

A table is presented indicating the number of psychologists in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Public Health Service, and Veterans Administration. The gross number is further specified in terms of kinds of degrees possessed, APA membership, diplomate status, and rank. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Let's Be Psychologists.

In the February, 1956 "American Psychologist" three viewpoints were expressed concerning the relationships between psychology and psychiatry. That something should be done is well agreed upon by most psychologists; however, I have the uneasy feeling that there is a lack of agreement as to how we should bear arms for the common cause. The psychologist prides himself in being able to observe events in an objective fashion. My proposition is this: let's be psychologists. Instead of talking about the hypothesized issues, let us investigate (observe, measure, test) the issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Obligation of Psychologists.

Contends that while Brayfield's paper (American Psychologist, 1967, 22, 182-186) was a most commendable effort, its emphasis was solely on the role of organized psychology in public affairs. The present author feels that beyond the role of organized psychology, psychologist members of society have a further obligation: to contribute to social, national, and world affairs by helping to resolve critical and major problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists and cartoonists.

"To assess one component of the public image of the psychologist… the present writers have theorized that a content or thematic analysis of cartoons might be relevant." An analysis of 4760 cartoons contained in 6 popular magazines for the years 1949 and 1959 led to the conclusions that: (a) considerable overlap in public image does occur between psychologists, psychiatrists, and other psychologically oriented personnel; (b) psychology as a science and as a profession does not appear to excite the public imagination and generate public interest; (c) psychology has kept pace with members of various other professions and occupations; (d) the psychologist does not seem to have any distinctive identifying symbol which he can easily claim as his own. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychology, law, and the expert witness.

Stresses for the psychologist called on for expert testimony stem from (1) the general nature of court procedure and (2) the "special stresses which inhere in the present position of psychologists as experts and their uncertain status relative to physicians… . The general responsibility of psychologists to society entails efforts to bring legal practice into line with facts derived from the scientific investigation of behavior—normal, criminal, and insane. These efforts should be direct and continuous." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Productivity of American Psychologists Born Prior to 1879.

Author comments on the article by Wayne Dennis on the Productivity of American Psychologists in the American Psychologist (May, 1954), reveals the names of the 16 psychologists, born prior to 1879, who occupy the top decile of productivity based on the biblographies contained in Carl Murchison's Psychological Register, III, 1932, and who contributed 47 per cent of the total output. He lists the psychologists and tabulates the total number of publications for each. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Michigan Certification of School Psychologists.

The letter entitled "A Correction and an Addition" appearing on page 84 of the February 1961 American Psychologist refers to an article appearing in the June 1960 American Psychologist entitled "State Certification of School Psychologists" (see record 1961-02947-001). It is suggested that "for the University of Michigan" Table 1 on page 347 of the article should be corrected. There are no entries in the table mentioned which refer to the University of Michigan. The data to which reference is made were obtained through correspondence with the officer responsible for certification in the Michigan State Department of Public Instruction and were certified to be correct by said officer as late as January 1960. The article clearly stated these facts. The fact that school psychologists trained at the University of Michigan are approved by the State Department of Public Instruction is perhaps indicative of the University of Michigan's leadership role in providing new approaches to the training of these professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Subdoctoral Psychologists.

Comments on P. J. Woods' article on APA's concern with the Master's degree in psychology (American Psychologist, 1971, 26, 696-707). The present author suggests that before many more hours are expended in deciding whether subdoctoral psychologists should be called psychologists, the assumption that clinical practitioners holding a doctorate in psychology are better equipped than those trained at the master's level should be demonstrated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychologists and public information.

The 1st peace group, inspired by Otto Klineberg and organized by Stanley Zuckerman in 1961, now called the "Social Scientists for Peace," had as its purpose the application of psychological knowledge to such urgent issues as war hysteria, cessations of nuclear tests, disarmament, and fall-out shelters. Activities of various groups of psychologists concerning such social endeavors are cited. 2 questions, "Should psychologists participate in demonstrations and similar activities?" and "Should psychologists be doing research rather than engaging in social action and public education?" are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)