History of Forensic Psychology
•
•
•
•
Ancient Chinese lie detector
14th century Europe: insanity and idiocy
16th century Britain: expert witnesses
18th century:
– concept of competence introduced
– Baccaria introduces proportionality
History (continued)
• 19th century:
– Professional assessors of competence
– Wundt introduces scientific psychology
– Ebbinghaus studies human memory
– Schrenk-Nortzing: first forensic psychology
case
– Introduction of geographical profiling
– Introduction of psychological testing
History (continued)
• 20th century:
– Nature/nurture controversy
– Munstenberg introduces forensic psychology
in civil cases
• 21st century:
– Professionalization of psychology
– 1932: 1st forensic text
– WWII: study of battle fatigue (PTSD)
History (continued)
– 1950’s: research on the validity and reliability
of witnesses
– 1960’s: research on rape and child sexual
abuse
– 1970’s Vietnam Vet’s syndrome (PTSD)
– 1980’s research on divorce
– 1980’s and 1990’s: studies on recovered
memory syndrome
– Today’s status of forensic psychology
Forensic Psychology Today
PSYCHOLOGICAL INFORMATION TO FACILITATE LEGAL DECISION-MAKING
• Clinical/Police
• Human Relations
Experts
• Social
• Counseling
• Correctional
• Behavioural specialists
• Organizational
• Developmental
• Pure & applied research
• Clinicians
• Consultation to police depts.
• Mediation for litigating parties
• Role-playing juries
• Risk assessment
• Competence/offender programs
• Profiling
• Assess social & penal
programs
• Neglect, physical & sexual
abuse
• Scientific data preparation
• Develop treatment programs
Theories of Crime (1)
•Classical school of criminology:
•Emphasized concept of free will
•People CHOSE to become criminals
•Positivist school of crimilogy:
•Use of the scientific method to determine causes of crime
•Biological theories:
•Constitutional theory: Sheldon
•Aggressive delinquents tend to be mesomorphs
•Usually because they were early adolescents
Theories of Crime (2)
•Nature/Nurture issue:
•Adoptive studies:
•Twin studies: H-factor
•What is inherited? Learning disabilities, frontal lobe issues
and autonomic arousal problems, hormonal problems
•Impulsivity
•Difficulties learning
•Excessive emotional reactivity
Theories of Crime (3)
•Sociological theories:
•Structural problems in society
•Anomie
•Karen Horney: approach-approach and avoidanceavoidance conflicts (eg elevator experiment)
•Competition vs. brotherly love
•Theory of differential opportunity
•All people are equal but some more equal than others
•Credential society and the vertical mosaic
Theories of Crime (4)
•Reaction formation crime:
•Active rejection of middle-class values
•Rational crime:
•Reinforced behaviour for crime
•Eg. Welfare cheating
•Subcultural crime:
•Norms of the subgroup are different from the
legislative majority (eg. Male and female circumcision)