Forensic Psychology Research Paper

“The field of psychology and law began to develop within the last century and is currently in its greatest period of growth and expansion." ("Psychology and The Law."). Psychology is defined as the scientific study of the way the human mind works and how it influences behavior, or the influence of a person’s character on their behavior. The term forensic is often referred to as the scientific method for investigation of crime. Combine the two and you have forensic psychology, which is the intersection between psychology and law. In 1962, Judge Bazelon made a decision that left an impression and confirmed the status of psychology/psychiatry in the legal system. In the criminal case of, Jenkins v. United States, Judge Bazelon told
Over the years, the criteria have expanded. Although, there are some differences among states, as well as, between states and the federal government, psychologists are regularly called upon as experts in every area of law the courts see fit. For example, the courts reserve the right to decide if a psychologist’s expertise are appropriate and up to criteria in any legal matters concerning criminal, civil, family, and administrative law. Forensic psychology has established growth in numerous ways, such as specialty programs in forensic psychology began emerging at law schools in the 1970’s. Then, in the 1980’s, several professional organizations concentrating on forensic psychology developed, such as American Board of Forensic Psychology (actually established in 1978) and the American Psychological Association Membership created the Division of Psychology and
Author Gary Wells, author of the article, Eyewitness Evidence: Improving Its Probative Value, wrote, "A subset of the variables that affect eyewitness accuracy fall into what researchers call system variables, which are variables that the criminal justice system has control over, such as how eyewitnesses are instructed before they view a lineup and methods of interviewing eyewitnesses." (Wells, Gary L). For example, suggestive questions are questions asked to victims and other witnesses that risks the possible change in the original answer. If witnesses are asked leading questions containing a potential “correct” answer to the question, such as “Was his shirt, blue?", and they respond with “Yes”, it is not clear if the answer was because of a judgment that the interrogator probably knows the correct answer and is looking for approval. Or, the suggestion may actually change the witness's memory and on rare occasions, the witness may actually answer “Blue” with full confidence and firm belief they know the answer. Psychologists often ask multiple choice questions to avoid any leading answers. Another method commonly used, is open ended questions, such as “Tell me everything you can remember about the clothes the assailant was wearing”. Open ended questions reduce the risk of influencing a witness or victim’s answers