Murder On A Sunday Morning Summary

your task is to analyze –- from a psychology and law perspective -- the behaviors and events depicted in Murder on a Sunday Morning. You are to select and discuss psychological factors depicted in the film that could have resulted in a wrongful conviction. Then, you will apply what you've learned this semester (in class and by reviewing research) to explain what these factors are, how they are illustrated in the film, and how these factors may have affected the outcome of the case. This assignment should display to me that you are well-versed in the factors and relevant literature, and that you can accurate, directly, and clearly apply these factors to the film. 12 citations needed

Psychology & Law

Fall 2019

FILM ANALYSIS PAPER

Brief Introduction

Individually or in groups of 2, your task is to analyze –- from a psychology and law perspective -- the behaviors and events depicted in Murder on a Sunday Morning.  You are to select and discuss psychological factors depicted in the film that could have resulted in a wrongful conviction. Then, you will apply what you've learned this semester (in class and by reviewing research) to explain what these factors are, how they are illustrated in the film, and how these factors may have affected the outcome of the case. This assignment should display to me that you are well-versed in the factors and relevant literature, and that you can accurate, directly, and clearly apply these factors to the film.

Assignment

After viewing the film (which is available on Amazon for rent/purchase or in some cases on YouTube), you will select 3 of the 5 following categories that appear to be operating in the film:

* Investigator Biases

* Improper Investigative Interviewing Procedures

* Factors Contributing to False/Inaccurate Memories

* Factors Contributing to False Confessions

* Improper Lineup Identification Procedures

You may select 1 scene from the movie or discuss multiple scenes. For each category that you select:

(a) Provide a brief overview of the relevant scene(s). If discussing multiple scenes, discuss scene 1 followed by the relevant factor (b & c), discuss scene 2 followed by the relevant factor, etc.

(b) Accurately describe and explain 2 psychological factors that underlie each of the 3 categories.  Make sure to provide an accurate definition/explanation of these factors in your own words and cite at least 2 empirical research articles to support your definition/explanation.  You do not have to explain the methods/findings of the research article, but instead, simply provide an in-text citation for each article (and please include an APA formatted reference page at the end of the paper).  Do not cite your textbook as one of your sources.  To clarify, you will select 3 categories and describe and explain 2 psychological factors for each.  For each factor, you must provide at least two research citations, resulting in a total of 12 in-text citations.

(c) Clearly apply the factors to the specific selected scene(s). Describe what specific aspects of the scene depict the factors you have identified, and how they illustrate each factor. That is, how did the movie depict the factors at play?

Your written analysis should be succinct and well-written (5 but no more than 8 double-spaced pages).  The paper is worth 100 points, and will be primarily graded on the following 3 factors: (1) clarity: do you communicate and apply the concepts clearly and concisely?; (2) comprehension: is your paper well-organized, does it flow, and does it convey a deeper understanding of the material?; (3) content: do you accurately describe the factors you identified in your own words?; and (4) application: do you clearly, directly, and reasonably apply the factors to the film?  Included in this evaluation will be a consideration of how well you include (a) – (c) above.