Forensic Psychology

A career in forensic psychology requires more than the one-hour and nice suit that is portrayed on television shows such as Criminal Minds, CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), and Law & Order. To understand forensic psychology we must start at the beginning, which leads us to forensic science. "Forensic science is the study and practice of applying natural, physical, and social sciences to the resolution of social and legal issues" (Kitaeff, 2011, p.3). The idea that an individual could be so psychologically deformed dates back to 1256 when an English judge Henry de Bracton termed these individuals as "wild beast" when they failed a test he had devised as a means of identifying their decencies according to Kitaeff (2011). Later these same

These issues usually center on inconsistencies that will appear with certain situations such as witness testimony. Several studies have been centered on the ever-changing testimony of an eyewitness as they often do not have total recall and the mind fills in the blanks. Later when testifying in court this memory recall issue can actually become more of an issue when facts that have been heard about the case can influence the testimony of witnesses as they begin to add information they have seen or heard into their version of the events and completely believe that the information they are giving actually happened according to Kitaeff (2011). Still another issue where forensic psychology is concerned centers around the ability of the witness to be persuaded or confused during cross examination making their testimony less than helpful as the jury often sees them as unreliable or even as

For example, forensic psychologists might be called on in a case to determine if the defendant is capable of standing trial, or these particular forensic psychologists may be the person who helps determine how a jury will react to certain information given and how it will affect the outcome of a trial. This is all done within the understanding and legal parameters of the law in conjunction with how they are best suited to assure that the law and best interest of all parties can be concluded. This is often complicated by the inconsistencies in testimonies that were mentioned previously due to a lack of