Forensic Psychology

• Definition: The application of psychological principles and

techniques to situations involving the civil and criminal legal systems.

• Purpose: Investigating and understanding the psychological aspects

of legal issues and applying this knowledge in legal contexts.

• Key Areas: Criminal profiling, witness testimony, legal competency

evaluations, and offender rehabilitation.

• Also called legal psychology.

(APA Dictionary of Psychology, https://dictionary.apa.org/forensic-psychology)

 History
• 1879: Wilhelm Wundt establishes roots of forensic psychology.
• Early 20th century: James McKeen Cattell and Alfred Binet research
eyewitness testimony.
• Emotions and Memory: William Stern explores emotions' impact on
memory.
• Trial Expert Witnesses: Psychologists start serving as expert witnesses
in trials.
• 1915: Hugo Munsterberg advocates practical use of psychology in law.
• 1916: Lewis Terman applies psychology to law enforcement.
• 1917: William Marston discovers blood pressure's correlation to lying,
leading to the modern polygraph.
• 1923: Frye v. United States case sets precedent for expert witness
acceptance.
• Post-World War II: American forensic psychology grows, gaining APA
recognition in 2001.
https://www.verywellmind.com/history-of-forensic-psychology-2795254
 Criminal vs Forensic Psychology

Criminal Psychology Forensic Psychology

Focuses on understanding a Analyses the aftermath of a
perpetrator’s mindset before crime
they commit a crime

Aims to understand Explores crime prevention

the why behind crimes strategies and rehabilitation
systems

https://www.open.edu.au/advice/insights/criminal-psychology-vs-forensic-psychology
 Criminal vs Forensic Psychologists
Criminal Psychologists Forensic Psychologists
Primarily work with police and law Primarily work within the criminal justice
enforcement agencies system to provide expert testimony in
court
Focus on helping police narrow down Work to rehabilitate offenders and perform
the search for a perpetrator mental evaluations to determine if
suspects can stand trial

Work to profile offenders based on age,

type of employment, education and Contribute their advice in a variety of
personality type settings, from child protection and family
services to juvenile detention centers
Provide insight into perpetrator behavior
at the crime scene and in court, but will Are not directly involved with the police in
not accompany police to interrogate solving the crime
suspects

https://www.open.edu.au/advice/insights/criminal-psychology-vs-forensic-psychology
 Practice of Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology may be utilized in five major

areas:
• police and public safety,
• law, crime and delinquency,
• victimology and victim services,
• corrections
• family and schools.

(Bartol, Curt; Bartol, Anne (19 December 2020).

Introduction to forensic psychology : research and application. SAGE Publications.)
 Theories Of Forensic Psychology
1. Psychoanalytic Theory:
• Examines unconscious motives and conflicts influencing behavior.
• Developed by Freud, applied to understand criminal behavior.
2. Behavioral Theory:
• Focuses on observable behaviors, reinforcement, and conditioning.
• Emphasizes learned behaviors and environmental factors.
3. Cognitive Theory:
• Explores how thoughts, perceptions, and information processing
impact behavior.
• Examines cognitive biases and faulty thinking patterns.
4. Social Learning Theory:
• Highlights the role of modeling and observational learning in
criminal behavior.
• Proposes that behavior is learned through interactions and
experiences.
5. Biological Theory:
• Investigates genetic, neurological, and physiological factors influencing
criminality.
• Considers the role of brain structure, neurotransmitters, and genetics.
6. Personality Theories:
• Examines personality traits and disorders in relation to criminal behavior.
• Includes theories like psychopathy and antisocial personality.
7. Environmental Criminology:
• Focuses on the impact of the physical and social environment on criminal
behavior.
• Considers spatial patterns and routine activity theory.
8. Risk-Needs-Responsivity Model (RNR):
• Guides assessment and treatment interventions for offenders.
• Identifies criminogenic needs and tailors interventions accordingly.
 Types of Evaluations
Forensic Assessments of Competencies:
• Assess defendant's ability to understand charges and
legal proceedings.
• Judge's decision on competency, considering potential
causes like mental disorders.
• If incompetent, psychologist recommends restoration
through treatment or dropping charges.

Louw, Dap (2015). "Forensic Psychology". International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral
Sciences. pp. 351–356.
 Types of Evaluations
Forensic Assessment of Insanity:
• Focus on defendant's mental state at the time of the crime.
• Legal principles require sanity during the crime for criminal
responsibility.
• Burden of proof on the defense team; notable case: Ford v.
Wainwright.
• Various legal definitions include M'Naghten rule, Durham Test,
and Brawner Rule.

(Fulero, Solomon M.; Wrightsman, Lawrence S. (2009). Forensic psychology (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth)
(Melton, G. B.; Petrila, J.; Poythress, N. G.; Slobogin, C.; Otto, R. K.; Mossman, D.; Condie, L. O. (2017).
Psychological evaluations for the courts: A handbook for mental health professionals and lawyers (4th ed.). New York: The
Guilford Press)
 Ford v. Wainwright Case
• In 1974 , Florida, Alvin Bernard Ford tried to rob a restaurant.
• As a policeman approached the restaurant, Ford shot and
killed him. Ford fled but was ultimately arrested.
• He was convicted of murder sentenced to death.
• He appeared to be mentally stable at the start of
imprisonment.
• But in 1982, while on death row, he began to show signs of
mental instability.
• Upon evaluation he was found competent to understand the
death penalty
• But there was conflicting evidence that he was insane.
• Despite this, his death warrant was signed. Alvin Bernard Ford
• Ford’s attorneys appealed in the supreme court . (https://www.apa.org/about/offices/ogc/a
micus/ford
• Which ultimately ruled that executing the mentally insane )
was savage and inhuman. (https://study.com/academy/lesson/ford-v-
wainwright-case-summary.html)
 Types of Evaluations
Violence Risk Assessment:
Types of Violence Risk Assessments:
• Evaluates individual's •Unstructured clinical assessment:
dangerousness and risk of re- Clinician's judgment with low
offending (recidivism). interrater reliability.
• Used in sentencing, parole •Anamnestic assessment: Focuses on
decisions, and death penalty individual's past history of violent
cases. behavior.
•Structured professional judgment
• Different assessment methods: (SPJ): More structured with higher
unstructured clinical, anamnestic, interrater reliability.
structured professional judgment, •Actuarial risk assessment: Objective
actuarial, and adjusted actuarial method with algorithms and higher
reliability.
(Melton, Gary B.; Petrila, John; Poythress, Norman Godfrey; •Adjusted actuarial Otto,
Slobogin, Christopher; risk Randy
assessment:
K.; Mossman,
Combinesfor unstructured
Douglas; Condie, Lois Oberlander (2018). Psychological evaluations clinical
the courts, fourth edition and
: a handbook
for mental health professionalsactuarial
and lawyers. New York)
methods.
 Types of Evaluations
Immigration/Asylum Evaluations:
• Forensic psychologists assist in removal proceedings.
• Eight grounds for immigration benefits, including hardship, risk
for torture, asylum, and more.
• Psychological evaluation helps determine eligibility for
relief/protection from removal.
• Immigration evaluations involve interviews, medical information,
social background, and cognitive/psychological functioning

("Immigration Benefits in EOIR Removal Proceedings | USCIS". www.uscis.gov. 2020-08-05)

(Psy.D, Emin Gharibian (2019-01-15).
"Psychological Evaluations for Immigration Court: The 7 Cases When You Might Need an Evaluation"
. Verdugo Psychological Associates)
 Lie Detector ?
• A polygraph, often called a lie detector test, measures
physiological indicators during questioning.
• Physiological responses, such as blood pressure, pulse,
respiration, and skin conductivity, are recorded to identify
deceptive answers.
• The belief that specific physiological reactions are
associated with lying is not supported by scientific
evidence.
• Polygraphs are used in some countries for criminal
interrogation and screening employees in sensitive
sectors.
• Scientific and government assessments generally indicate
that polygraphs are highly inaccurate and susceptible to
countermeasures.
• A 2003 review by the National Academy of Sciences found
little basis for expecting extremely high accuracy in
polygraph tests.
• The American Psychological Association states that there
is little evidence supporting the accurate detection of lies
through polygraph tests.
 Notable Research in Forensic
Psychology
• Maryanne Garry's Imagination Inflation Study:
• Investigated imagination inflation's impact on confidence in childhood events.
• Examined whether imagining a non-occurring childhood event increased
confidence.
• Results: Participants changed their mind about events after imagining them.
• Tess Neal's Psychometric Tools Research:
• Explored psychometric measuring tools used by psychologists in legal cases.
• Found challenges to the results presented by these tools.
• Stanley Milgram's Obedience to Authority Study:
• Explored how far people would go to obey an authority figure, even if harm
occurred.
• Examined the influence of the situation on individuals to draw conclusions
about upbringing.
1. Garry, Maryanne; Manning, Charles G.; Loftus, Elizabeth F.; Sherman, Steven J. (1996-06-01).
"Imagination inflation: Imagining a childhood event inflates confidence that it occurred". Psychonomic Bulletin & Review. 3 (2): 208–214.
2. Neal, Tess M. S.; Slobogin, Christopher; Saks, Michael J.; Faigman, David L.; Geisinger, Kurt F. (December 2019).
"Psychological Assessments in Legal Contexts: Are Courts Keeping "Junk Science" Out of the Courtroom?". Psychological Science in the Public Interest: A Journal of the
American Psychological Society. 20 (3): 135–164.
3. "The Milgram Shock Experiment: Summary, Results, & Ethics". 2022-11-03.
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