INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY:Future of Forensic Psychology

INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC PSYCHOOGY:Way of police investigation >>

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

Lesson 01

INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY

Objectives:

1. To introduce the field of Forensic Psychology.

2. To understand the nature of work of forensic psychologists.

3. To understand the breadth and diverse range of application of this discipline

4. Briefly overview the historical back ground of forensic psychology

5. How can you become a forensic psychologists

What is forensic psychology?

Forensic Psychology is devoted to psychological aspects of legal processes in courts. The term is also

often used to refer to investigative and criminological psychology. The word "forensic" means legal;

any thing that is pertinent to law comes into the area of forensic psychology. The range of application of

forensic psychology is not merely limited to the criminals; it involves all matters that are relevant to our

legal and civil systems like courts, police, lawyers, crime investigations, criminal behaviours, police

recruitments, trainings and adjustment etc.

Definitions:

Wrightsman

According to Wrightsman "Forensic Psychology is reflected by any application of psychological

knowledge or methods to a task faced by the legal system"

Bartel & Bartel

Views Forensic psychology as both:

The research endeavor that examines aspects of human behavior directly related to

the legal process e.g., eyewitness memory and testimony, jury decision making or

criminal behavior and

The professional practice of psychology within or in consultation with a legal system

that encompasses both criminal and civil law and the numerous areas where they

interact.

Breadth of forensic psychology

Forensic psychology is a very new and exciting area; it seems exciting because of the immense range of

its applications, For instance:

Child custody decisions

Child abuse of an emotional, physical and sexual nature

Matters of competency to stand trial

Victim support responsibilities

Jury selection

Alleviating Police burnout

Competency evaluations

Expert witness

Advising legislators on public policy

Treatment of chronic offenders

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

What do forensic psychologists do?

A Forensic Psychologist is more likely to be indulged in following activities:

Applying psychological theory to criminal investigation

Understanding psychological problems associated with criminal behaviour

The treatment of criminals include piloting and implementing treatment programmes

Modifying offender behaviours

Responding to the changing needs of staff and prisoners

Reducing stress for staff and prisoners

Providing hard research evidence to support practice

Undertaking statistical analysis for prisoner profiling

Giving evidence in court; advising parole boards and mental health tribunals; crime

analysis.

Brief historical back ground

Historically the legal system has embraced medical expertise, so it's not really surprising, therefore, that

legal issues relating to madness and insanity continue to be examined within a medical framework;

hence the adoption of terms such as `disease' of the mind and mental `illness'.

Historically, the field predates the Sociological jurisprudence movement of 1930-1950, and goes back

at least to 1908 when Hugo Munsterberg (the founder of applied psychology) published the book On the

Witness Stand.

Others cite historical benchmarks in Germany with the psychiatrist Albert von Schrenck-Notzing

offering testimony in court about pretrial publicity as far back as 1896. German police employed

psychologists to help them in investigations as early as 1920's.

Hugo Münsterberg, a student of Wilhelm Wundt and a professor at Harvard University, is generally

credited with founding the field of forensic psychology. His landmark textbook, On the Witness Stand

(1908), comprised nine chapters arguing for the involvement of psychologists in a number of aspects of

the legal system.

In the United States, the first psychological experiment on the psychology of testimony was conducted

by J. McKeen Cattell of Columbia University. In American criminology, one can trace the origins of a

clinical or psychological criminology to the psychiatrist William Healy, who in 1909, created the

Juvenile Psychopathic Institute to assist the newly created juvenile court in Illinois, and his classic work

is called Pathological Lying, Accusation, and Swindling.

The history of the insanity defense goes back to England, to the case of Daniel M'Naghten in 1843,

who shot and killed the secretary of the prime minister, and the M'Naghten test for insanity was used for

assessment.

Development as an APA division

In 2001 the American psychological Association (APA) approved the creation of a new division called

the forensic psychology division. And now days Psychologists are routinely consulted by courts on

various issues.

Now when as we add into the equation that the history of Forensic Psychology as a unique discipline is

a relatively short one, it's not difficult to understand why it has struggled to promote a clear identity for

itself, and why it is often interpreted as the poor relation of medical and psychiatric opinion. Typically

medical professionals were invited by courts to comment on insanity. Psychologists had been asked for

Forensic Psychology (PSY - 513)

help but infrequently. But with the passage of time legal system begun feeling the crucial need of

psychologists to assess the different situations, mental states and behaviors of criminal.

For instance, a criminal is presented in front of court and defense lawyer states that the criminal is

mentally retarded. Now a judge is not capable to understand the real nature of mental retardation.

Although judge has the authority to make the decision, but only a trained psychologist can verdict that

whether the criminal is mentally retarded or not.

Beyond any doubt, only well trained Psychologists are authorized to make judgments and operate in the

field of forensic psychology. Even psychiatrists do not meet the requirements of this area. Psychiatrist

is a medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.

In Pakistan, development of Forensic Psychology has a long route to exceed and many hurdles to

overcome. Because the field is very new even in USA and many other European countries.

Future of Forensic Psychology

Forensic psychology has experienced steady growth in the past two decades. It is predicted that research

work, consultation, and clinical practice in psychology and the law will continue to grow over the next

ten years. The highest demand is predicted to be working with the courts, attorneys, and lawmakers.

Jobs will also continue to grow in colleges and universities where most of the research is conducted.

Laws are constantly changing, which can be good news for a forensic psychologist. Exploring different

ways of dealing with juvenile offenders is also becoming a popular subject; decisions related to dealing

with these offenders often require the expert advice of a forensic psychologist. Those who hold

doctorate degrees will have many more career opportunities than those with only a master's degree. It is

almost impossible to specialize in this field with only a bachelor's degree.

How to become a Forensic Psychologist

The preferred route to become a forensic psychologist is through the clinical route; means become a

clinical psychologist first and then specialize in forensic psychology.

Individuals interested in pursuing a Forensic Psychology career would have take psychology and

criminal justice courses at the core of their academic studies. There are very limited numbers of

academic institutions that specifically offer a Forensic Psychology degree. Two institutes in Pakistan are

offering diplomas in forensic psychology. Clinical, social, cognitive, criminal investigative, and

developmental psychology also help to prepare one for this specialty.

A forensic psychologist may chose to solely focus his/her career on research, ranging anywhere from

examination of eyewitness testimony to learning how to improve interrogation methods. Another form

of Forensic Psychology work is public policy, in which researchers can help in the design of

correctional facilities and prisons. More generally, Forensic Psychology covers territory between the

traditional options of criminal justice (i.e., academic training, law enforcement, and corrections).

Text and Reference Material

The primary text book for this course is Wrightsman, L. S. (2001). Forensic psychology. Belmont, CA:

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