Psychology, Public Policy, and Law

What leads some drivers to repeated dangerous road traffic behaviors?

Research findings point to new directions for road safety interventions grounded in behavioral science.

🔗 Read open-access article here: psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/202...

#psychlaw #lawpsych #psychology #law

"Criminogenic Risk Factors Among Immigrants in the U.S.–México Border Region," recently published in Psychology, Public Policy, and Law and selected as noteworthy by the Editor. Free-to-read: https://bit.ly/3L6smZR

#Immigration @enolouden.bsky.social @pppl-journal.bsky.social

In case you missed it — "Criminogenic Risk Factors Among Immigrants in the U.S.–México Border Region" is now free to read: bit.ly/3L6smZR

@apajournals.bsky.social

#psychlaw #lawpsych #psychology #law

Machine learning can detect patterns—but can it detect deception?

A newly published replication of a landmark study on linguistic cues in 911 homicide calls suggests the answer is "no".... at least, not reliably.
 
🔗 Read the full article: psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

#psychlaw #lawpsych

Meet the Editorial Board: Next up is Dr. Heidi Liu, one of our amazing Editorial Fellows!

#psychlaw #lawpsych #psychology #law

When evidence advances, why doesn’t courtroom culture?

While federal initiatives emphasize forensic DNA testing in sexual assault cases, findings indicate that victim-survivors' courtroom experiences remain largely unchanged.

👉 Read the full article: tinyurl.com/4k9tdc9f

#psychlaw #lawpsych

Meet the Editorial Board: Next up is Dr. Stephanie Cárdenas, PhD, one of our amazing Editorial Fellows!

@stephaniecardenas.bsky.social

#psychlaw #lawpsych #psychology #law

Clinical override is common in actuarial risk assessment—but does it actually improve outcomes?
 
Findings show that when assessors alter predetermined offender risk levels, it decreases accuracy & reduces predictive validity.

Read the full article here: tinyurl.com/5wey4dsf

#psychlaw #lawpsych

Meet the Editorial Board:

This week we're returning to our series with Dr. Teresa Silva, Ph.D., one of our Associate Editors!

#psychlaw #lawpsych #psychology #law

New article alert! Our latest article examines criminogenic risk among justice involved immigrants and finds that they have lower levels of most criminogenic risk factors compared to US citizens. This aligns with many other studies suggesting that immigrants are at low risk of crime.

Photo of a fence with dirt and bushes in in the foreground. Text is overlayed with the words "Regardless of legal status, immigrants to the United States have lower levels of criminogenic risk factors than U.S.-born citizens at similar stages of the criminal legal system".

Policies limiting immigration are often justified based on the idea that immigrants are more prone to violence. The evidence says otherwise.

New research finds that immigrants in custody show lower criminogenic risk than U.S.-born citizens.
 
Read here: doi.org/10.1037/law0...

#psychlaw #lawpsych

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS:

PPPL 2026 Editorial Board
Deadline: October 1, 2025

Find editorial board position descriptions, required qualifications, & how to apply here: osf.io/fcmvj

We're also seeking 2 early career editorial fellows, find more info here: osf.io/9ebrm

#psychlaw #lawpsych

bsky.app/profile/apaj...

Picture of a hand holding a phone and dialing 911. Below, text reads "Studies from the FBI and Villanova University find that the Considering Offender Probability Statements (COPS) Scale fails to reliably discriminate between guilty and innocent 911 callers".

Does the Considering Offender Probability in Statements (COPS) Scale allow law enforcement to distinguish between guilty and innocent people placing 911 homicide calls?

Research from the FBI BAU and Villanova University suggests it does not.

Read a summary from the authors: bit.ly/3DgM3dL

Cover of the article Henry et al. (2025) - Are they synonyms? A review of the use of the terms innocence, miscarriages of justice, wrongful conviction, and exoneration

It's finally out! 😄 Our first lab article is published in the
@pppl-journal.bsky.social . We review how researchers define innocent/innocence, miscarriage of justice, wrongfully convicted/wrongful conviction, and exoneree/exoneration within the psych literature. doi.org/10.1037/law0000468

Our lab’s first study is published in @pppl-journal.bsky.social! We review definitions used in psych & law to describe those wrongly involved in the legal system. doi.org/10.1037/law0000468

@gblancovelasco.com
@carinacardoso.bsky.social
@karlihamilton.bsky.social
@kimberleyclow.bsky.social

Do judges view psychiatrists and psychologists differently when they offer testimony on an individual’s competency to stand trial?

Check out NEW RESEARCH here for the answer: psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-...

@apajournals.bsky.social @pppl-journal.bsky.social

Research from the FBI and Villanova University provide compelling evidence that the COPS Scale is not a valid tool for detecting the innocence or guilt of people placing 911 homicide calls. Read a short summary from the authors bit.ly/3DgM3dL @pppl-journal.bsky.social

📣Read our new @pppl-journal.bsky.social paper examining how personal connection to sexual assault influences conviction decisions in rape cases in a representative sample of mock jurors: psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-...

Congratulations Dr. Tess Neal @tessneal.bsky.social, recipient of the @ap-ls.org (APA Division 41) Mid-Career Award!! The award recognizes members whose work has substantially contributed to the fields of #forensic and #legalpsychology. Dr. Neal is Editor of APA's Psychology, Public Policy, and Law

Meet the Editorial Board: Next up is Dr. @tessneal.bsky.social, Ph.D., our incoming editor in chief!

Meet the Editorial Board: Next up is Dr. Kara Moore, Ph.D., one of our associate editors!

@moorepsych.bsky.social

Meet the Editorial Board: Next up is Dr. Kat Albrecht, J.D., Ph.D., one of our associate editors!

@katalbrecht.bsky.social

Being an Editorial Fellow with @pppl-journal.bsky.social has been an exciting and deeply enriching experience! It’s an honor having a hand in the advancement of our field of Psychology & Law.

Applications are open for 2025 Fellows!!

#PsychLaw #PsychSky #Law #Policy #Academia

Meet the Editorial Board: Next up is Dr. Jason Chin, J.D., Ph.D., one of our associate editors!

@jasonchin.bsky.social

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law - an academic journal published by the American Psychological Association - seeks applications for the 2025 editorial board with application deadline of 12/1/2024

NEW: Open Call for 2025 Editorial Board Members at APA-published journal

Psychology, Public Policy, and Law (PPPL) seeks applications for the board (Associate Editor(s), Consulting Board Members, Principal Reviewers, Ad Hoc Reviewers).

Application Deadline: December 1, 2024

See osf.io/pfyru

Screenshot from X with post by APA Journals, says "Meet Dr. Tess Neal, incoming editor of Psychology, Public Policy, and Law! Read the Editor Spotlight to learn more about her plans for @pppl_journal with the link to the spotlight. There is a photo of her with a quote, "My main priority is to preserve the strengths of the journal while fully embracing transparent, open, and free communication of research."

Plans for @pppl-journal.bsky.social outlined here:
bit.ly/3YoDc1j

Meet Dr. Tina Zottoli, PhD, one of our associate editors!

Meet Dr. Tina Zottoli, PhD, one of our associate editors!