Memory and Law

CCJ 4934, MWF 7th, FAC 0120

3 credit hours

Fall/2015

Instructor:Zoe Arthurson-McColl

Office Hours: TBA

Course Communications:students may come to the scheduled office hours or email the instructor with questions. If students are unable to make the scheduled office hours they should email the instructor to ask for a meeting at a different time, suggesting at least two times during the week that would work.

Required Text:The SAGE Handbook of Applied Memory, Edited by Timothy J. Perfect and D. Stephen Lindsay

Additional Resources: there will be some classes that require students to have read one or more journal articles – in these cases, the full citation will be provided beforehand so that students can find the required article(s) on their own.

Course Description: Examines research on memory with an emphasis on applications to issues in the law. Topics include memory for people and objects, source-monitoring, influences on eyewitness memory, interviewing witnesses, and false memory.

Purpose of Course:The purpose of this course is to go over the theory and research on memory and their applications to the law and legal issues. We will address research on memory for different categories of subjects (e.g., people versus objects), common misconceptions of memory, and frameworks for understanding memory processes as they are relevant to the legal system. We will also focus on actual events/cases/stories that highlight the issues we cover, such as the factors involved in and consequences of mistaken eyewitness identifications.

Course Goals and/or Objectives:By the end of this course, students will:

  1. Demonstrate the ability to compile and summarize information on a specific area of the course material through high quality writing.
  2. Have a sufficient knowledge of memory topics to be able to develop and explain an informed opinion on how memory is relevant to different legal issues and events.
  3. Be able to understand the processes of research and knowledge generation in memory and law, and consider various viewpoints/explanations for the findings of memory research and how it applies to the law and legal research.

Teaching Philosophy: see attached.

Course Policies:

Attendance Policy: attendance is required and will be taken at every class. Students are permitted to miss up to 5 classes without penalty; notification of a missed class does not need to be given to the instructor. Being absent from more than the permitted 5 classes will result in a penalty against a student’s grade.

Make-up Policy: students will be permitted to make-up an exam only if notice is given at least 48 hours in advance; the missed exam will count as an absent on the student’s attendance, and failure to contact the instructor about the need for a makeup exam at least 48 hours in advance will result in the student receiving a zero on the exam. Makeup exams will need to be scheduled within a week of the original exam date, and students should be able to write the makeup exam during office hours or suggest at least 3 other times when they would be able to do so.

Assignment Policy: all assignments will be given in-class and posted on the class website. All assignments must be handed in, not emailed, at the beginning of class on the assigned due date. If, for any reason, students are unable to print out their assignments in-time, they must email their assignments in before class begins and have until the end of that day to get the hard-copy to me.

Technology: the use of all technology (i.e., cell-phones, tablets, laptops) is prohibited in class, unless otherwise specified by the instructor. Students violating this policy will be asked to leave the class. Students with disabilities must provide the instructor with the appropriate documentation if they require the use of technology in the classroom.

UF Policies:

University Policy on Accommodating Students with Disabilities: Students requesting accommodation for disabilities must first register with the Dean of Students Office ( The Dean of Students Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation. You must submit this documentation prior to submitting assignments or taking the quizzes or exams. Accommodations are not retroactive, therefore, students should contact the office as soon as possible in the term for which they are seeking accommodations.

University Policy on Academic Misconduct: Academic honesty and integrity are fundamental values of the University community. Students should be sure that they understand the UF Student Honor Code at

**Netiquette: Communication Courtesy: All members of the class are expected to follow rules of common courtesy in all email messages, threaded discussions and chats. [Describe what is expected and what will occur as a result of improper behavior –

Getting Help:

For issues with technical difficulties for E-learning in Sakai, please contact the UF Help Desk at:

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●(352) 392-HELP - select option 2

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** Any requests for make-ups due to technical issues MUST be accompanied by the ticket number received from LSS when the problem was reported to them. The ticket number will document the time and date of the problem. You MUST e-mail your instructor within 24 hours of the technical difficulty if you wish to request a make-up.

Other resources are available at for:

  • Counseling and Wellness resources
  • Disability resources
  • Resources for handling student concerns and complaints
  • Library Help Desk support

Should you have any complaints with your experience in this course please visit to submit a complaint.

Grading Policies and Course Schedule

See attached for assignments and grade percentages, and the planned course schedule.