Cover: Forensic and Legal Psychology, 5th Edition by Mark Costanzo; Daniel Krauss

Forensic and Legal Psychology

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Fifth  Edition©2026  Mark Costanzo; Daniel Krauss

ISBN:9781319606015

ISBN:9781319606008

ISBN:9781319473983

ISBN:9781319640187

ISBN:9781319640163

About

Mark Costanzo and Daniel Krauss illustrate how key research in criminal psychology applies to virtually every aspect of the legal system that psychologists have studied.

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Psychology and Law: A Cautious Alliance

Chapter 2: Lie Detection

Chapter 3: Interrogations and Confessions

Chapter 4: The Psychology of Forensic Identification: DNA, Fingerprints, and Other Types of Physical Trace Evidence

Chapter 5: Criminal Profiling and Psychological Autopsies

Chapter 6: Eyewitness Identification and Testimony

Chapter 7: Child Sexual Abuse: Interviewing Children and Assessing the Recovered Memories of Adults

Chapter 8: Competency to Stand Trial

Chapter 9: Plea Bargaining, Jury Selection, and Trial Procedure

Chapter 10: The Insanity Defense

Chapter 11: Intimate Partner Violence, Battered Woman Syndrome, Rape Trauma Syndrome, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the Courtroom

Chapter 12: Juries and Judges as Decision Makers

Chapter 13: Child Custody Disputes

Chapter 14: Psychology and Law in the Workplace: Discrimination, Harassment, and Fairness

Chapter 15: Predicting Violent Behavior: The Psychology of Risk Assessment

Chapter 16: Corrections: Sentencing, Imprisonment, and Alternatives

Chapter 17: The Death Penalty

Mark Costanzo

Mark Costanzo received his PhD in applied social psychology from the University of California at Santa Cruz. He is a professor of psychological science at Claremont McKenna College and a member of the plenary faculty at Claremont Graduate University. He has published research on a variety of law-related topics, including police interrogations, false confessions, jury decision-making, sexual harassment, attorney argumentation, alternative dispute resolution, and the death penalty. Professor Costanzo is author of the books Dismantling the Death Penalty: Research-Based Answers to the Essential Questions (Oxford University Press, 2025) and Psychology Applied to Law. He has co-edited four books, including Expert Psychological Testimony for the Courts and Violence and the Law. His video-based research tool — The IPT-15 (developed with Dane Archer) — has been used in hundreds of universities, businesses, and other organizations to teach about the interpretation of nonverbal behavior. 

Professor Costanzo has served as a consultant for more than 400 criminal cases and has provided expert testimony in state, federal, military, and juvenile courts. He is the recipient of Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Awards from the American Psychology–Law Society, the Western Psychological Association, the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, and the Society for the Teaching of Psychology. In 2025, he served as President of the Western Psychological Association.

Daniel Krauss

Daniel Krauss completed a joint-degree program in psychology and law at the University of Arizona, receiving his JD and then his PhD in clinical psychology and psychology, policy, and law. He is the Crown Professor of Psychology and a George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College and is a member of the plenary faculty at Claremont Graduate University. Professor Krauss has published a large number of research articles and book chapters relating to clinical psychological evaluations for the courts, legal and psychological expertise, and jury decision-making. He is co-editor of The Law and Public Policy: Psychology and the Social Sciences book series published by the American Psychological Association Press and co-author (with Bruce Sales) of The Psychology of Law: Human Behavior, Legal Institutions, and Law in that series. He is also co-author of Forensic Mental Health Practice and the Law: A Primer for Clinicians, Researchers, and Consultants (Oxford University Press, in press). 

Professor Krauss is licensed to practice law in Arizona, is a member of the United States Supreme Court bar, and has served as the United States Supreme Court Fellow to the U.S. Sentencing Commission. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in the state of California; is a diplomate in forensic psychology, board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology; and has served as president of the American Board of Forensic Psychology. Professor Krauss was a recipient of the Early Career Research Award by the Western Psychological Association. He was also awarded Outstanding Teaching and Mentoring Awards by the Western Psychological Association and the American Psychology–Law Society. He is a fellow of the Western Psychological Association, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Empirical Legal Studies, and the Association for Psychological Science.