Knowra Forensic psychology Forensic psychology Forensic psychology applies psychological knowledge and methods to legal questions, including investigations, court proceedings, and the assessment or treatment of people involved in the legal system.
Competency to stand trial : A legal standard assessing whether a defendant can understand proceedings and assist in their own defense. Psychologists may assess defendants whose ability to participate in trial is questioned.
Forensic psychological assessment : A structured evaluation of a person's psychological characteristics for a specific legal question. It translates clinical and research methods into answers tied to legal standards.
Clinical psychology : The branch of psychology concerned with assessing and treating mental, emotional, and behavioral difficulties. Clinical care prioritizes treatment, while forensic work answers questions posed by legal systems.
Hugo Münsterberg : A German-American psychologist whose work helped popularize applying experimental psychology to law. His 1908 book argued that psychology could inform testimony, crime detection, and legal decisions.
False positive : A test result that incorrectly indicates a condition or outcome is present. Risk tools can wrongly classify people as dangerous, with serious consequences for liberty.
Criminal responsibility : A legal determination of whether a person is accountable for an offense under applicable law. Evaluations can inform questions about mental state and legal responsibility at the time of an offense.
Psychological testing : The use of standardized instruments to measure psychological characteristics, abilities, or symptoms. Tests can contribute evidence, but their findings must be interpreted in light of the legal question.
Correctional psychology : Psychological assessment and treatment conducted in prisons, jails, and other correctional settings. It overlaps with forensic practice but focuses specifically on people and institutions in corrections.
James McKeen Cattell : An American psychologist who studied individual differences and the accuracy of memory reports. His experiments on eyewitness testimony helped establish psychological research as relevant to legal evidence.
Algorithmic bias : Systematic unfairness in the outputs of computational systems, often affecting particular groups. Automated risk assessments may reproduce disparities in the data and institutions that shape them.
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