An Introduction to the Psychology of International Law

Abstract

Cognitive studies and behavioural economics have been successful in domestic legal concerns and are increasingly utilized in public policy and regulation, their implication in public international law scholarship has not been systematically explored. We hope to fill two voids in the literature with this research: (1) the lack of behavioural insights in international law and economics; (2) the absence of international dimensions in behavioural law and economics; and (3) the avoidance of the importance of international norms by international political psychology. This piece provides a broad overview of the many psychological perspectives used throughout the research contributions and the challenges anticipated by those pursuing this line of inquiry. Despite these caveats, behavioural studies have yielded numerous insights that could greatly advance our comprehension of international law.