Peter B. Ainsworth

Why don’t people rush to help at an accident? Why do eyewitnesses give different accounts of the same event? Is there such a thing as a ‘born criminal’? How can you get people to cooperate with police investigations? Can you tell if someone is lying? How can police officers reduce their own levels of stress? Originally published in 1987, these are just some of the questions that Police Work answers. Using practical, everyday examples from real life, Police Work shows serving and training police officers how a better understanding of why people do the things they do can make their own work more efficient. Without jargon or unnecessary technical language Police Work spells out the practical implications of current thinking on such topics as communication, behaviour in groups, the treatment of crime victims, crisis intervention techniques, countering prejudice and fear of crime.

Why don’t people rush to help at an accident? Why do eyewitnesses give different accounts of the same event? Is there such a thing as a ‘born criminal’? How can you get people to cooperate with police investigations? Can you tell if someone is lying? How can police officers reduce their own levels of stress? Originally published in 1987, these are just some of the questions that Police Work answers. Using practical, everyday examples from real life, Police Work shows serving and training police officers how a better understanding of why people do the things they do can make their own work more efficient. Without jargon or unnecessary technical language Police Work spells out the practical implications of current thinking on such topics as communication, behaviour in groups, the treatment of crime victims, crisis intervention techniques, countering prejudice and fear of crime.

Psychology, Law and Eyewitness Testimony Peter B. Ainsworth, University of Manchester, UK Before giving evidence, witnesses have to swear to tell 'the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth'. Given current knowledge about human perception and memory, it is unlikely that witnesses will be able to keep this promise. Many professionals within the criminal justice and legal system are involved in recording and assessing eyewitness testimony, sometimes with unrealistic expectations of the ability of eyewitnesses to provide accurate and objective testimony: they, and students of psychology, law and criminology, will welcome this up-to-date, accessible survey of the concepts and research which now inform our knowledge of this field. Peter Ainsworth, an experienced lecturer and researcher, has written this book in a style suitable for non-specialists, and focuses on how and why witnesses make mistakes, how psychologists can help, and how legal procedures can be improved (for instance, by reducing the pressure on witnesses to guess). The text is authoritative, backed by references to key research, and well illustrated by examples of how psychology and law are interlinked in the study of eyewitness behaviour. "From some books you take new knowledge. Some books consolidate knowledge by clear writing. Occasionally, as in this book, you get both. Peter Ainsworth has done his readers a favour by presenting complex material simply yet succinctly. I hope the book enjoys the wide professional readership which it merits." Ken Pease, OBE, Professor of Criminology, University of Huddersfield, UK