Measures of Legal Attitudes

Lawrence S. Wrightsman (Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1959) was professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, Lawrence. Wrightsman authored or edited ten other books relevant to the legal system, including Psychology and the Legal System (4th edition, coauthored with Michael T. Nietzel and William H. Fortune), The American Jury on Trial (coauthored with Saul M. Kassin), and Judicial Decision Making: Is Psychology Relevant? He was invited to contribute the entry on the law and psychology for the recently published Encyclopedia of Psychology, sponsored by the American Psychological Association and published by Oxford University Press. His research topics included jury selection procedures, reactions to police interrogations, and the impact of judicial instructions. He also served as a trial consultant and testified as an expert witness. Wrightsman is a former president of both the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues and the Society of Personality and Social Psychology. In 1998 he was the recipient of a Distinguished Career Award from the American Psychology-Law Society. This award has been made on only six occasions in the 30-year history of the organization; the preceding awardee was U.S. Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun.

• 1. Legal Attitudes of Prospective Jurors. 2. General Attitudes Toward the Legal System. 3. Attitudes Toward the Criminal System. 4. Attitudes Toward the Jury Service. 5. Attitudes of Prospective Jurors in a Criminal Trial. 6. Authoritarianism. 7. Beliefs in a Just World. 8. Beliefs in Fate. 9. Police Cynicism. 10. Cynical Attitudes. 11. Attitudes Toward Confessions. 12. Attitudes Toward Entrapment. 13. Attitudes of Jurors in Civil Trials. 14. Attitudes About Medical Malpractice. 15. Medical Malpractice -- Another Measure. 16. Attitudes Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide. 17. Attitudes Toward Spouse Abuse and Battered Women. 18. Rape Empathy. 19. Acceptance of Rape Myths. 20. Attitudes Toward Children as Witnesses in Court. 21. Attitudes Regarding Children"s Rights. 22. Attitudes Toward and Competence of Children. 23. Attitudes About the Prison System. 24. Attitudes Toward the Death Penalty. 25. Attitudes Toward Corporal Punishment. 26. Attitudes Toward Family Roles. 27. Political Correctness. 28. Attitudes Toward Civil and Business Litigations. 29. Attitudes Toward Blaming the Victim and Blaming Society. 30. Knowledge of Eyewitness Evidence. 31. Attitudes Toward the Insanity Defense.

1. Legal Attitudes of Prospective Jurors. 2. General Attitudes Toward the Legal System. 3. Attitudes Toward the Criminal System. 4. Attitudes Toward the Jury Service. 5. Attitudes of Prospective Jurors in a Criminal Trial. 6. Authoritarianism. 7. Beliefs in a Just World. 8. Beliefs in Fate. 9. Police Cynicism. 10. Cynical Attitudes. 11. Attitudes Toward Confessions. 12. Attitudes Toward Entrapment. 13. Attitudes of Jurors in Civil Trials. 14. Attitudes About Medical Malpractice. 15. Medical Malpractice -- Another Measure. 16. Attitudes Toward Physician-Assisted Suicide. 17. Attitudes Toward Spouse Abuse and Battered Women. 18. Rape Empathy. 19. Acceptance of Rape Myths. 20. Attitudes Toward Children as Witnesses in Court. 21. Attitudes Regarding Children's Rights. 22. Attitudes Toward and Competence of Children. 23. Attitudes About the Prison System. 24. Attitudes Toward the Death Penalty. 25. Attitudes Toward Corporal Punishment. 26. Attitudes Toward Family Roles. 27. Political Correctness. 28. Attitudes Toward Civil and Business Litigations. 29. Attitudes Toward Blaming the Victim and Blaming Society. 30. Knowledge of Eyewitness Evidence. 31. Attitudes Toward the Insanity Defense.