Psychology and Law PSY 4930 Section 8374 FALL – 3 credits University of Florida Class time: Monday, Wednesday & Friday Period 3 [9:35 – 10:25] Class location: Monday: Turlington Room 2318 Wednesday and Friday: Benton Room 328 Professor: Office : Email: Phone: Office Hours:

Thomas G. Pye, JD Psychology Building 136 [email protected] 352-381-9799 (office) By Appointment M/W 10:30 to 11:30

Teaching Assistant: Teaching Assistant: Dylan Wade Email: [email protected] Role: Reaction paper assistance Office Hours: Friday class time and by appointment Teaching Assistant: Teaching Assistant: Lauren Foong Email: [email protected] Role: Discussion Group assistance Office Hours: Friday class time and by appointment

No Required Text Book Readings: Twelve Court Cases will be discussed over the course of the semester for the readings/reaction papers/discussion dates. These cases are available on the web, and I will provide a link to them on the appropriate scheduled day below. What is the focus of “Psychology and Law” This course focuses on the law and applications of behavioral science research and practice to the legal system. Topics covered include psychologists and the legal system; the legal system and its players; legality, morality and justice; forensic assessment; the insanity defense; competence in the legal system; eyewitness identification; jury selection; theories of crime; punishment and sentencing. You are encouraged to evaluate the theoretical and empirical support for the practices and policies guiding the work of behavioral scientists, clinicians, and lawyers in each of these substantive areas. The development of critical thought is emphasized. You will complete brief weekly reaction papers that require you to read and critically analyze arguments on both sides of relevant contemporary psycho-legal issues as brought out by reading significant legal case law on these topics.

ACCOMMODATIONS "Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office. The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation." See http://www.dso.ufl.edu/drc/ for details. COMMUNICATION You are encouraged to email the professor with any questions, comments, and/or concerns that you may have at any time with regard to the lectures. If you have any questions regarding the case readings, discussions or reaction paper scores contact TA Dylan or TA Lauren. You may be surprised how helpful this communication can be and how it is welcomed. You will also receive a quick reply. CLASS DEMEANOR The course is designed to create a relaxed environment that fosters discussion. In order to do that, it is requested that everyone arrive on time with his or her cell phones “off”. No texting, no chatting, no working on other class assignments, no video games or other distractions on laptops (you can however use your laptops for note taking). SECRET CODE NAME Grades are distributed via email list serve. The university asks that we not post student names or ID numbers. Therefore, please provide me a “secret code name” for yourself that will be linked to your grades. Please either hand this to the professor in class with your name on it, or email it no later than the end of drop/add. Send your code name to the professor’s correspondence email: [email protected]. Your code name is needed no later than tuesday, August 28th at midnight (drop/add period ends). CHECK YOUR EMAIL TWICE DAILY You will be frequently contacted via UF’s list serve. It is how weekly readings and weekly discussion teams are assigned. It is also how grades are posted. Also, since the schedule below is tentative, changes may be made to the schedule if some sections require more time or discussion, or other events or issues present themselves. You will always receive notification. Broadcast emails are sent out frequently so make SURE your email account is valid and checked TWICE daily. In the unlikely event that the professor will be absent, it will be posted it in advance, so check your email before class each day. Lecture Power Points An outline of these will be presented to you prior to lecture class via email.

Attendance Policy Attendance at all discussion classes (1-12) is required. Students missing a discussion class without a documented emergency will lose 10 points for each absence. If you know of a problem in advance of a discussion class, email the professor in ADVANCE and you may be excused. GRADING 1.

EXAMS: 500 Points (50%)

Two non-cumulative, multiple-choice exams will cover topics discussed during lecture (5 lectures per exam), with each test worth 250 points (25%). Attending EACH lecture is essential for doing well in the course. No early/late or make up exams will be offered or allowed. 2.

Reaction Papers: 300 Points (30%)

During the semester you will read 12 legal cases, which will be supplied to you early each week. You will have the entire week, plus Friday class time to read the cases. Each student will do a weekly reaction paper of 1 page, single spaced. Each paper will be awarded up to 30 points, 300 possible points between the top ten (the lowest two scores will be dropped) assigned papers through fall semester, thus 30% of your total grade. You will receive a separate handout detailing what needs to be done in the reaction paper and what points are for what and the way to earn all possible points. Brevity is rewarded. Papers are to be submitted in WORD format as an attachment to the email and shall be titled “Paper #__” and it must have your name on it. Papers are due via email: [email protected] by 9 PM each Friday as noted in this syllabus. You will receive the reading assignment earlier during the week and can turn in your reaction paper anytime after the assignment is posted. Any reaction paper that is emailed later than 9 PM Friday will receive no points. THIS IS A FIRM DEADLINE, and as such, even illness will not be an excuse for late papers since you will have 5 days to complete the paper, it’s an in home assignment, and you get to drop the lowest two. Your grades on these papers are generally posted on Sunday by the aforementioned code names, so check your emails regularly for grades as well. There will be NO MAKE UP OF ANY MISSED or LATE PAPER. 3.

Discussions: 200 Points (20%)

In class student-lead “relaxed style” discussions will be held on the issues associated to the weekly case readings. There will be a total of 12 discussions during the course of the semester. Each discussion will last approximately 30 minutes according to the schedule listed below. Students will be assigned discussion “teams”. Each team will consist of either 1, 2 or 3 members who are ALL required to speak during the presentation; effort must

be made to distribute speaking responsibility equally. Once the discussion groups are created, they are permanent. If you have a documented academic or family conflict that prevents you from being in a certain discussion group, you must email TA Dylan no later than Tuesday August 28 at midnight. Teaching Assistant Lauren will be the go-to person on the discussions and she will meet with both groups 2 times for each discussions [one meeting usually on the Friday during scheduled class time before the discussion (but this can be flexible) and the second meeting occurring sometime over the weekend before the discussion in order to practice a run-through and/or final thoughts]. No Make-ups for missed Discussions. 4. FINAL EXAM REQUIREMENT: In order to get an “A” or “A-” in the class, a student must obtain at least 75% on the final exam, regardless of the point total in the class.

GRADES: this class will be graded with the plus/minus system based on the following point totals: 93-100%[930-1000] = 90-92% [900-929 ] = 87-89% [870-899 ] = 83-86% [830-869 ] = 80-82% [800-829 ] = 77-79% [770-799 ] = 73-76% [730-769 ] = 70-72% [700-729 ] = 67-69% [670-699] = 63-66% [639-669) = 60-62% [600-629) = Below is failing

A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ D D-

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY University policy defines scholastic dishonesty as any act that violates the rights of another student with respect to academic work or that involves misrepresentations of a student’s own work. Academic dishonesty includes (but is not limited to): cheating on assignments or examinations; plagiarizing (misrepresenting as one’s own work anything done by another); submitting the same or substantially similar papers for more than one course without consent of all instructors concerned; depriving another of necessary course materials; or sabotaging another’s work. For a full description of what constitutes academic dishonesty and plagiarism, see the University of Florida Student Honor Code at: http://regulations.ufl.edu/chapter4/4017.pdf University Resources: Libraries - http://www.uflib.ufl.edu/computing.html Psychology Advising: http://www.psych.ufl.edu/~undergrad

Class Dates and Assignments August 22-24 Wednesday Friday

Introduction/Discuss Class/Grading/Assignments LECTURE 1

August 27-31 Monday Wednesday Friday

Interview and presentation (attendance required) LECTURE 1 (complete) TA Dylan and TA Lauren Discussion in class of: “How to Do a Reaction Paper” And “How the Reaction Papers Are Graded and How To Earn All The Points”

Sep 3-7 Monday Wednesday Friday

Holiday Lecture 2 Reading assignment 1 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #1 meets in classroom.

Sept 10-14 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion #1 LECTURE 3 Reading assignment 2 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #2 meets in classroom.

Sept 17-21 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion #2 LECTURE 4 Reading assignment 3 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #3 meets in classroom.

Sept 24-28 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion #3 LECTURE 5 Reading assignment 4 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #4 meets in classroom.

Oct 1-5 Monday Discussion #4 Wednesday EXAM 1 Friday Reading assignment 5 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #5 meets in classroom. Oct 8-12 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion #5 Lecture 6 Reading assignment 6 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #6 meets in classroom.

Oct 15-19 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion #6 Lecture 7 Reading assignment 7 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #8 meets in classroom.

Oct 22-26 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion #7 LECTURE 7 (continued) Reading assignment 8 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #9 meets in classroom.

Oct 29-Nov 2 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion # 8 LECTURE 8 Reading assignment 9 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review

Nov 5-9 Monday Wednesday Friday

your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #10 meets in classroom. Discussion # 9 LECTURE 9 Homecoming Reading assignment 10 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #10 meets in classroom.

Nov 12-16 Monday Wednesday Friday

Holiday Discussion #10 Reading assignment 11 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #11 meets in classroom.

Nov 19-23 Monday Wednesday Friday Nov 26-30 Monday Wednesday Friday

Discussion #11 Holiday Holiday Lecture 9 continued Lecture 10 Reading assignment 12 will be emailed during the week, use this day as independent study, or meet with the TA about the case or to review your prior reaction paper. Also, discussion group #12 meets in classroom.

Dec 3-5 Monday Discussion 12 Wednesday EXAM 2