Ethics

Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology and the Criminal Justice System

By Adam Kolber

The following message is posted on behalf of the AALS Criminal Justice Section:

The Criminal Justice Section of the AALS would like to announce a call for papers in conjunction with one of its proposed panels for January 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana.  The panel?s title and subject matter follow:

Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology and the Criminal Justice System

The explosive growth of knowledge in the field of cognitive neuroscience provides both opportunities and challenges for the criminal justice system. This panel will explore the potential, as well as the pitfalls, of using cognitive neuroscience to shed light on criminal justice theory and practice. Topics include, among others, implicit bias in decision-making, the dynamics of tunnel vision, brain imaging to assess prior knowledge or veracity, group-level emotion and jury dynamics, the effects of emotionally-charged evidence on reasoning, and the effects of brain injury on criminal responsibility.

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For those who wish to be considered, please send an abstract (only) of your proposed talk.  All abstracts will be reviewed anonymously by the officers of the section and others joining in the effort.  Reviewers will base their selection on the quality of the proposal and how well it fits within the panel?s program, as described above.  The Section reserves the right to not select any proposal should none fit the criteria adequately. 

This call for papers does not require any panelists to produce a paper for publication as part of  any participation with the panel.

To participate, send an abstract to my secretary, Patty Blake, pblake@pitt.edu, ON OR BEFORE APRIL 1, 2009.  Ms. Blake will strip out identifying information and abstracts will then be distributed to those reading and choosing.

If you have any questions, contact me directly at daharris@pitt.edu.

David Harris

Chair, Criminal Justice Section

Full post as published by Neuroethics and Law on March 08, 2009 (boomark / email).