Psychological Research on Problems of Testimony

The foremost reason for the lack of fruitfulness in the interdisciplinary marriage of law & psychol is the diff in underlying philosophy between law & exp'al sci. The former is conservative, relying heavily on precedent. The latter is radical, emphasizing experimentation & new frontiers. In the yrs preceding WWI there was considerable interest in the psychol of testimony, esp in Europe but also in the US. The work of Munsterberg, the reviews of Whipple, the exp's of Marston & others are discussed & evaluated. The exp's of Marston come closer to bridging the gap between the 2 fields than any others. This may be a result of Marston's combined legal & psychol'al profession training & standing. More of the sense of Marston & less of Munsterberg would contribute greatly to legal psychol, which should be the sci of the behavior & experience of all persons in the forensic setting, not only the defendants & witnesses, but also the attorneys, judges & jurors. PA.