Social psychology is relevant to The Shawshank Redemption because the criminal justice system in the United States, particularly the correctional facility component, can have an extreme impact on how how someone feels, thinks, and even acts. Understanding how the relationship works is essential in order to suggest potential avenues for improvement. While watching the film, I learned about at least five concepts from the branch of social psychology: illusory correlation, selfishness, foot-in-the-door technique, cognitive dissonance theory, and instrumental aggression. At the start of the film, Andy Dufresne, a banker from Maine, is on trial for the murders of his wife and her new lover, Glenn Quentin, a professional golfer. The prosecutor paints a picture of the crime scene: “We have bullets on the ground, which bear his fingerprints. A broken bottle of bourbon, also with fingerprints. And best of all, we have a beautiful young woman and her lover lying dead in each other's arms” (The Shawshank Redemption, 1994). After hearing strong circumstantial evidence, the jury finds Andy guilty of the murders and takes him to Shawshank Prison. However, after spending nineteen years in prison, Andy befriends a new inmate named Tommy. Tommy then tells Andy about an inmate he had previously met. The inmate, Elmo Blatch, admitted to killing a golf professional and "that delicious bitch he was with" (The Shawshank Redemption, 1994). Elmo also said that the woman's husband, who was "a famous banker," was held responsible (The Shawshank Redemption, 1994). Confession does two things. First, it confirms Andy's innocence. Second, it illustrates an illusory correlation: an overestimation of the relationship between two var...... middle of paper ...... relevant. So there are at least three things that I can deduce from this review. First, American court decisions are fallible, especially when they rely on circumstantial evidence. Second, the modern form of imprisonment may not be beneficial to criminals or society. It seems to focus on punishment rather than reinforcing preferred behavior. Furthermore, American law enforcement officials can be as evil as the convicts they detain. References Darabont, F. (Director). (1994). The Shawshank Redemption [DVD]. Burbank, CA: Castle Rock Entertainment. Taylor, SE, Peplau, LA and Sears, DO (2006). Social psychology. 12th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc. Williams, W.R. (2010). Psychology Course 302. November 29, 2010. Williams, WR (2010). Psychology course 302. September 10, 2010.