Trend in Studies on law and psychology in Japan

Contents analysis of journal issues and conference presentations between 2009 and 2021

Abstract

The examination of an academic society’s topical trends indicated its relative position in academic circles and its future direction. It is, hence, an important task that should be accomplished. Although one study has accomplished this in the Japanese Journal of Law and Psychology, it focused on the period from 2000 to 2008. Thus, the present study aims to update the previous study with data from 2009 to 2021 (N=412) by investigating: (1) study topics’ relative frequency and (2) differences in study topics between the two periods. Results revealed the following: (1) the most frequent topic was “memory, testimony, and statement,” followed by “professional and lay judges’ evaluation” and (2) certain topics that differed significantly were “professional and lay judges’ evaluation,” “participants’ characteristic, nature, and personality,” “particular type of crime or accident,” and “guideline.”