Legal Social Psychology

Author: Dai Jianlin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Law can be said to be a set of norms that have evolved in the process of human interaction, enabling most people to live more stably and efficiently. Social psychology, on the other hand, studies the behavioral phenomena exhibited by people during interaction, as well as the underlying psychological principles and meanings behind these behaviors. From the perspective of interpersonal interaction as a fundamental research area, behavior related to law is a special aspect of social psychology research. On the other hand, from the perspective of applied social psychology, law serves as a means to maintain social stability and order. The knowledge accumulated in social psychology can play a crucial role in the formulation and enforcement of laws. Therefore, law and social psychology should be closely interconnected. Social psychology researchers can explore the fundamental elements and principles of human interaction by studying legal behavior phenomena in people's lives. They can also apply existing social psychology knowledge to legal-related behaviors and issues in contemporary society. In social psychology textbooks published in Western countries, law has long been regarded as a major applied field. For example, how the interaction patterns of jury members, who must discuss among themselves to reach a final verdict, can influence their decisions, is a profound subject of study. Unfortunately, there are few studies in China that combine law and social psychology, and related books are scarce. Even when available, they are mostly translations of foreign scholars' works, which inevitably involve cultural differences and can feel like scratching an itch through a glove when reading. Dai Jianlin's book Social Psychology of Law perfectly fills this gap. It is written based on his years of teaching this course and conducting related research. The content is rich and comprehensive, well-organized, and the discussions on issues are highly in-depth, making it highly readable. Particularly noteworthy is his local thinking in this field, offering insightful analysis of the unique understanding and application of law in Chinese society and by Chinese people. This is the essence and highlight of the book, and readers should not miss it. At the same time, he explores the modernization of legal psychological behavior phenomena in China, reflecting his sensitivity to the influence of the objective environment on this field.