Linda J. Demaine, JD, PhD Arizona State University College of Law Psychology in Law Linda J. Demaine, JD, PhD Arizona State University College of Law

The Learners Law students Other graduate students 1L 2L & 3L Psychology, religious studies, etc. 1. What kinds of students do you teach (e.g., engineering, journalism, architecture, medical students – hereafter referred to as X). Are they undergraduates, graduates, other?

Is Psychology Required? No JD requirements Optional programs JD/PhD in Psychology LS&T Certificate JD MLS Psychology and law electives 2. Is there a requirement in their curriculum for education in psychology? If yes, what are the requirements?

Why Psychology is in the Law Curriculum Belief of at least some law faculty that law and policy are better crafted if informed by psychology Belief that law students find it interesting and perhaps learn something that will help them in practice Bolsters law school’s marketing efforts; cutting-edge interdisciplinarity Up to psychologists to demonstrate benefits 3. Why is psychology in the curriculum for X? What role does it play? What content from psychology’s scientific knowledge base is most useful to X students? (Examples)

Psychological Concepts Most Useful to Law Students Depends on school Generally Persuasion, negotiation, and conflict resolution Decision making Clinical Mental Health Law Social neuroscience and broad array of others

Special Issues in Teaching Psychology to Law Students Lack of training in statistics and methodology Mixed classes Students’ perception that psychology is interesting but not integral to their profession Not an issue for JD/PhD students, some schools Responses Condensed training in basics Exposure to broad array of applications of psychology to law, with emphasis on practical applications 4. What are the challenges in teaching psychology to X? Are there particular pedagogies that are most useful? Are there special issues for X students in understanding psychology’s methods and content? How do we collaborate with other disciplines?

Barriers to Infusing Law School Curriculum with Psychology Vulnerability of empirical research to nitpicking Poorly done or over-generalized research Perception that it’s all common sense General negative reaction to/distrust of the unknown Not many psychologists teaching in law schools Psychologists and lawyers speak different languages Entrenched legal fictions Many psychologists are not interested in informing law and policy; applied research is considered inferior Identify problems, but do not propose solutions 5. What are the opportunities and barriers for psychology as a discipline in teaching psychology to X? Are there disciplinary or institutional barriers to getting psychology content adopted in the curriculum of other disciplines? How does this teaching relate to multidisciplinary approaches to scholarship?

Overcoming the Barriers Train translators Reach a critical mass of law students Acknowledge legitimate limitations in research, but stand firm on its contributions Attack legal fictions and investigate other issues, and provide empirically supported alternatives Underscore that law is the study, prediction, and shaping of human behavior

Implications for Psychology’s Long-Term Role in Academy Prestige Funding Popularity Multidisciplinary programs Future of educational institutions Integral part of psychology’s future Ensure students have firm understanding of involved disciplines, as well as their intersection 6. How will our involvement or lack of involvement in this area affect psychology’s role in the academy over the next 25 years? What are the implications of multidiscipline-based programs for the structure and function of educational institutions?

Preparing for the Future Build interdepartmental relationships on campus so that graduate students may teach in other departments so that graduate students may receive training in interdisciplinary research to facilitate cross-fertilization of knowledge and ideas Reward psychology professors who do applied research and teaching, and graduate students who want to do applied research and teaching 7. How should we prepare future faculty to teach psychology to X? Are we doing this in our graduate programs/internships? What should we be doing more or less of?

Role for APA Establish a fellowship program that permits a psychologist to spend a semester or year teaching and researching in another department Encourage exposure to cross-disciplinary training at undergraduate level Facilitate publication of relevant psychological research in other disciplines’ magazines or newsletters (e.g., ABA Journal) 8. What should APA be doing to foster public understanding of the importance of our knowledge base to many other disciplines/professions.