What Is Forensic Psychology and Its Role ?

What Is Forensic Psychology ?
Criminal Psychology is the study of criminal behaviour (Howitt, 2009).  The term “forensic” is generally used to refer to psychologists who work with offenders, and/or victims of crime. Forensic psychology is concerned with the application of psychological principles within the judicial system.

Roles of the Forensic Psychologist

Roles of psychologists in criminal proceedings include clinical, experimental, actuarial and advisory roles.

• Clinical Role
  – Clinical interviewing, psychological assessments/evaluations, question of psychological disorder, psychometric testing, etc.
  
• Experimental Role
  – Experiments for the defence/prosecution –eye witness testimony.
  
• Actuarial Role
  – Statistical probabilities to behavioural data.  Probabilistic reasoning.  The incidence of a given human event in an appropriate sample of the population, i.e. young male drivers.
  
• Advisory Role
  – Examining the evidence of other experts.  Advice to defence/prosecution. Investigative psychology. 

What does a Forensic Psychologist do?

• Eyewitness testimony. 
• Clinical interviews.
• Psychological tests.
• Forensic profiling.
• Risk Assessments.
• Treatment – i.e. cognitive behavioural programmes, therapy, etc. 
• Academia and research
• Jury selection.