FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY: HISTORY, WHAT IT STUDIES, FUNCTIONS, OUTPUTS - PSYCHOLOGY - 2025

The forensic psychology is a discipline that combines elements of both traditional psychology as the justice system. Its competencies include some such as understanding fundamental legal principles, as well as knowledge of legal laws so that its practitioners can interact appropriately with all members of the justice system.

One of the most important functions of those who practice forensic psychology is the ability to testify in trials as expert witnesses. When they do, their mission is to apply their knowledge about the functioning of the human mind to determine the resolution of each case, providing specialized information to judges, courts and lawyers in a simple way.

Normally, forensic psychologists specialize in only one area of ​​study, although over time they may become experts in others. Thus, for example, some are dedicated exclusively to murders, others to robberies, and others to domestic violence. In addition, there are also some specialties such as neuropsychology that can be useful for all variants of this discipline.

People who specialize in this area can work in many different contexts, including for example prisons, rehabilitation centers, police departments, schools, government agencies, or law firms. Others are dedicated to research, so they practice their profession in universities and official societies.

Forensic psychology is a very broad field, and it is growing in popularity. In this article we will study what are its most important aspects.

History

First steps

Wilhelm Wundt

The beginnings of forensic psychology were in 1879, when Wilhelm Wundt, one of the first psychologists in history, founded his first laboratory in Germany. At this point, the relationship between human behavior and criminality began to be studied. Since then, the field of forensic psychology has not stopped growing.

For example, Cattell (one of the leading researchers in the field of individual differences) carried out a series of investigations on the psychology of testimony. In them he found that witnesses often made a great deal of mistakes, even when they claimed to be sure of what they had seen.

Alfred Binet

During this same time, Alfred Binet (another of the most important psychologists of the 19th century) replicated Cattell's research and studied the results of other famous psychological experiments and the way in which they related to justice and criminal behavior.

During the following years some investigations of this type continued to be carried out individually, but it was not until much later that forensic psychology began to establish itself as an independent discipline.

Forensic psychology in justice

During the last years of the 19th century, psychologists acted as experts in some special trials throughout Europe. For example, in 1896 it is known that a psychologist named Albert von Schrenck-Notzing gave his testimony in a murder case, speaking about the effects of suggestibility on the accounts of the witnesses.

In the following decades, moreover, the first theoretical attempts to relate forensic activity to the science of human behavior began to appear. For example, in 1908 a psychologist named Hugo Munsterberg published a book entitled In the Witness's Shoes, in which he defended the importance of using psychology in the legal sphere.

There were many psychologists who defended this position throughout the following years; and some innovations, such as the discovery that blood pressure rises when lying (which allowed the invention of the modern polygraph) greatly advanced the cause of forensic psychology.

However, it was not until 1923 that precedence was first established in the use of expert witnesses in trials, with the case of Frye v. The United States. From this point on, the development of forensic psychology was greatly accelerated.

Growth of forensic psychology

However, despite all these advances, forensic psychology did not establish itself as a distinct discipline until after World War II. Before the outbreak of this conflict, experts in human behavior could already act as specialized witnesses in trials; but they could only do it in those who were not thought to be in the field of doctors, who were considered more reliable sources.

Fortunately, little by little the recognition of forensic psychology grew little by little until we reach our days. In 2001, this discipline was recognized as an official specialization by the APA (American Psychological Association), thus becoming one of the youngest branches of psychology.

Today, many universities offer specialized courses in this discipline, often mixing psychology with criminology. In addition, more and more specialists are choosing to train in this specialty once they have completed their basic studies.

Thus, forensic psychology is becoming increasingly popular, and experts in it are in great demand in all types of legal and legal processes.

What does forensic psychology study?

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The purpose of forensic psychology is to help participants in the judicial process determine the resolution of a trial. For this, the professionals of this discipline are in charge of studying human behavior and the principles of psychology, to try to understand how they apply to crime, the behavior of witnesses and other similar phenomena.

To be able to act effectively, forensic psychologists must also be able to understand the basic components of judicial law and its application in their area of ​​expertise. In this way, they can work effectively with other legal professionals, such as judges, lawyers, and prosecutors.

Forensic psychologists can conduct various studies or investigations to help solve a specific case. One of its most common functions is to try to understand the psychological condition in which a defendant was at the time of committing a crime, in order to determine if she was aware of what she was doing or not.

Depending on the judgment of the forensic psychologist, the sentence could be increased, decreased, or completely different. For example, if a person guilty of murder is considered to be in a state of mental derangement, it may be decided to send her to a psychiatric facility instead of prison.

On the other hand, forensic psychologists also have to be very familiar with the main mental disorders and with other phenomena related to them, such as cognitive biases. In this way they can more accurately determine the psychological conditions in which the perpetrator of a crime was, and decide what is the best course of action to take with him.

Functions of the forensic psychologist

The forensic psychologist has the duty to study the accused from a different point of view from that adopted by both traditional clinical psychologists and other professionals in the world of justice. The coroner cannot try to empathize with the accused, as other psychologists do, but must try to see his situation as impartially as possible.

On the other hand, psychologists who dedicate themselves to this specialty have to use assessment tools that are very different from those used in other contexts; and they must also be able to contrast the information they collect from various sources and confirm its validity.

Next we will look at some of the most important functions of forensic psychology professionals.

Determine if there is a mental disorder

Prison sentences are usually lower for offenders who committed a crime due to the presence of a mental disorder. For this reason, many defendants try to pretend to be in such a situation. Forensic psychologists are in charge of determining if there really is some kind of disorder, or if on the contrary it is an attempt to reduce the sentence.

Assess a possible disability

There are some circumstances in which it may be decided that an adult is not in full possession of his or her faculties, and therefore is not capable of fending for himself. When this occurs, the sentences are usually different than in the case of a healthy individual without any type of disability.

Forensic psychologists have to be able to assess whether a defendant is really dependent or, on the contrary, is trying to use this trick to reduce the punishment imposed by the judicial system.

Risks evaluation

Finally, on many occasions, forensic psychologists are in charge of determining how likely a defendant is to commit a crime again if they are released. This assessment may influence, for example, the decision whether to release a defendant on probation or not.

Exits for the career of forensic psychologist

Forensic psychology is an ever-expanding discipline, and therefore there are many areas in which dedicated professionals can specialize. Some of the most common outputs for those who study this subject are the following:

- I work in court as an expert witness.

- Research on legal processes and law enforcement.

- University teaching.

- Collaboration with the police and other security forces.

- Practice of private investigation.

References

1. "What is forensic psychology?" in: Psychology Today. Retrieved on: November 14, 2019 from Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com.
2. "A Brief History of Forensic Psychology" in: VeryWell Mind. Retrieved on: November 14, 2019 from VeryWell Mind: verywellmind.com.
3. "What does a forensic psychologist do?" in: Career Explorer. Retrieved on: November 14, 2019 from Career Explorer: careerexplorer.com.
4. "Forensic Psychology: Is It the Career for Me?" in: Psychology Today. Retrieved on: November 14, 2019 from Psychology Today: psychologytoday.com.
5. "Forensic psychology" in: Wikipedia. Retrieved on: November 14, 2019 from Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org.