Event: Models of the Mind

How do neuroscience, psychology, and the law view the causes of human behavior?  And how might the science of the several decades influence justice in the 21st century?

On April 25th, CLBB hosted a conversation among leading experts in neuroscience, psychology, and their application to the law. 

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MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior

Neuroscience is already influencing the legal system.
The CLBB mission is to ensure that this influence is responsible and based on sound scientific evidence. Where evidence is lacking, we venture to advance the field with discoveries that can be applied directly to the courtroom.

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Competency and the Neuroscience of Decision-Making

Illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and dementia have serious ramifications for the legal system, but courts differ on how to assess soundness of mind.
Can the neurobiology of decision-making help distinguish between those able to make decisions and those who need protection?

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Criminal Responsibility and the Neuroscience of Intent

Can brain images and genetic tests predict or explain human behavior?
Both are being introduced in court, but research shows that behavioral changes result from multiple social, psychological, and physical factors—and may not be so easily explained.

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Lie Detection and the Neuroscience of Deception

Lie detection technology has the potential to be far more reliable than the polygraph—and far more problematic.
Are new methods of extracting truth from lies compatible with the American legal system? And will they enhance or diminish individual Constitutional rights?

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Eyewitness Testimony and the Neuroscience of Memory

Once regarded as sacrosanct, human memory is now seen as complex, malleable and fallible.
How will scientific findings affect how personal accounts and recollections are used in the courtroom?

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