![handle is hein.journals/pcyceadl18 and id is 1 raw text is: Psychology, Crime & Law 1] Routledge
Vol. 18, No. 1, January 2012, 1-10 Taylor&FrandsGroup
Beliefs and expectancies in legal decision making:
an introduction to the Special Issue
Bradley D. McAuliff* and Brian H. Bornsteinb
aDepartment of Psychology, California State University, Northridge; bDepartment of
Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
(Received 12 November 2011; accepted 14 November 2011)
This introduction describes what the co-editors believe readers can expect in this
Special Issue. After beliefs and expectancies are defined, examples of how these
constructs influence human thought, feeling, and behavior in legal settings are
considered. Brief synopses are provided for the Special Issue papers on beliefs and
expectancies regarding alibis, children's testimony behavior, eyewitness testimony,
confessions, sexual assault victims, judges' decisions in child protection cases, and
attorneys' beliefs about jurors' perceptions of juvenile offender culpability. Areas
for future research are identified, and readers are encouraged to discover new
ways that beliefs and expectancies operate in the legal system.
Keywords: Beliefs; expectancies; legal decision making; alibis; confessions;
eyewitness; victim testimony; child protection; juvenile offender
We are pleased to introduce this Special Issue of Psychology, Crime, & Law on beliefs
and expectancies in legal decision making. The catalyst for this collaboration was a
series of conference-situated musings between a social psychologist and cognitive
psychologist about two pillars of human behavior: beliefs and expectancies. Beliefs
and expectancies are at once both mundane and extraordinary. Mundane in the sense
that they undergird all human behavior; something each and every one of us
experiences each and every day. Yet they are equally, if not even more, extraordinary
when we consider the far-reaching implications of how they directly link to our
thoughts, feelings, and actions. These attributes make a closer examination of beliefs
and expectancies worthwhile in any context, but particularly so within the high-
stakes arena of the legal system. Whether the decision maker is a police officer
assessing the truthfulness of an alibi, a juror evaluating the accuracy of an eyewitness
identification, an attorney arguing a case involving a juvenile offender, or a judge
deciding whether to terminate parental rights these decisions matter and without
doubt are influenced by beliefs and expectancies.
The purpose of this Introduction is to inform readers what we believe they should
expect in the Special Issue. We begin by defining what we mean by beliefs and
expectancies and then consider some of the ways these constructs influence our
thoughts, feelings, and behavior in legal settings. Next, we provide brief synopses of
the articles contained herein and conclude by encouraging readers to investigate
exciting new ways that beliefs and expectancies shape legal decision making.
*Corresponding author. Email: bradley.mcauliff@csun.edu
ISSN 1068-316X print/ISSN 1477-2744
© 2012 Taylor & Francis
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1068316X.2011.641557
http://www.tandfonline.com](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/pcyceadl18&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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