Hugo Münsterberg's Psychology and Law

Book excerpt: Though widely regarded as a founder of the modern field of psychology and law, German-American psychologist Hugo Münsterberg's now century-old ideas and research approaches continue to thrive. In fact, the discipline still grapples with many of the issues raised by Münsterberg in his seminal 1908 book, On the Witness Stand.Hugo Münsterberg's Psychology and Law makes Münsterberg's enduring insights available to a new generation of scholars, presenting the "state of the science" on the concepts that Münsterberg 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 Münsterberg 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 Münsterberg's work followed by a contemporary perspective on the topic. Chapters challenge readers to consider what we have learned since Münsterberg's time and whether subsequent research has shown him to be right or wrong. The final chapter asks what Münsterberg 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.