Emotional components of notarial decisions, or the psychological challenges affecting Hungarian notaries

Abstract

The study and the research forming part of it were conducted within the framework of the specialized further training program in legal psychology at the University of Miskolc. The study examines the mechanisms of legal decision-making and the cognitive and psychological challenges facing notaries from a novel perspective, using interdisciplinary material from the fields of law and psychology. The research uses psychological tools to analyse the work of legal practitioners and the specificities of notarial decision-making and also identifies the heuristics and cognitive distortions which permeate the mechanism of notarial decision-making. We gain insight into the hidden links between decision-making and mental state, as well as the attributes of the human psyche which fundamentally determine the direction of thought. Finally, the study draws conclusions regarding the management of psychological challenges inevitably affecting the representatives of the judiciary, while emphasizing the justification for using the results of psychological research to improve the quality of administrative work.