The Influence of a Psychology and Law Class on Legal Attitudes and Knowledge Structures

Students in an undergraduate psychology and law course and an introductory psychology course completed a variety of measures, at both the beginning and end of the semester, to assess their knowledge of and attitudes toward psycholegal topics. The psychology and law course improved students' knowledge of psychological topics concerning the legal system, but it also made them more pessimistic in their attitudes and beliefs. Introductory psychology students did not show similar changes. In both classes, students' attitudes were associated with their political orientation. Results demonstrated that a psychology and law course can alter students' views of psychological topics in the legal system.