Forensic Psychology: History and Roles

History & Roles of Forensic Psychology

• Forensic psychology applies psychology to the legal system, encompassing the understanding of human behavior in relation to crime, law, and the justice system.

• Forensic psychologists evaluate criminal suspects to determine mental competency for trial.

• Forensic psychologists work with police to understand criminal behavior.

• Forensic psychologists help lawyers select jurors and prepare for trials.

• Forensic psychologists research topics like false confessions, eyewitness testimony, and biases in legal decisions.

Key Historical Figures

• Hugo Münsterberg (1908) is considered the "father" of forensic psychology.
• Münsterberg wrote On the Witness Stand, advocating for the use of psychological research in court cases.
• Münsterberg studied eyewitness memory, false confessions, and jury decision-making.
• Louis Brandeis & the Brandeis Brief (Muller v. Oregon, 1908) concerned women's working hours.
• Brandeis used scientific research to argue that long hours harmed women's health. First use of psychology and social science in legal decisions.
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) ended racial segregation in schools.
• Psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark provided evidence that segregation harmed children's self-esteem, using doll experiments.
• Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993) changed the use of expert testimony in court.
• The Supreme Court ruled that judges should decide if scientific evidence is reliable before allowing it in trials.

How Psychology and Law Differ

• Psychology tries to describe how people actually behave.
• Law tries to tell people how they should behave.
• Psychology is comfortable with uncertainty and probabilities.
• Law wants clear-cut answers (guilty or not guilty).
• Psychology constantly revises theories based on new research.
• Law relies on precedent (past cases determine current rulings).

Criminal Profiling

• Criminal profiling is the process of using evidence from a crime scene to infer characteristics about the suspect, based on psychological theories about behavior.
• Psychological Profiling determines a suspect's personality, behavior, and mental state.
• Geographic Profiling uses crime locations to predict where the criminal might live.

Organized vs. Disorganized Criminals

• The FBI classifies criminals into two categories: organized and disorganized.
• Organized offenders are careful, intelligent, and planned.
• Organized offenders plan the crime carefully, choose victims strategically and remove evidence from the scene.
• Organized offenders have high intelligence and stable jobs/relationships.
• Ted Bundy is an example of an organized offender, a charming/intelligent serial killer who tricked victims before killing them.
• Disorganized offenders are impulsive, sloppy, and chaotic.
• Disorganized offenders act on impulse, leave evidence behind, and choose victims randomly.
• Disorganized offenders have lower intelligence and are socially isolated.
• Richard Chase (The Vampire of Sacramento) is a disorganized killer who broke into homes randomly and acted erratically.

Types of Serial Killers

• Serial killers are divided into four categories: visionary, mission-oriented, hedonistic, and power-oriented.
• Visionary Killers are psychotic individuals who kill because they hear voices or see visions.
• David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") a Visionary Killer claimed a demon-possessed dog told him to kill.
• Mission-Oriented Killers believe they are on a mission to eliminate a certain group of people.
• Joseph Paul Franklin, a white supremacist serial killer is an example of a Mission-Oriented killer.
• Hedonistic Killers kill for pleasure, either for the thrill or sexual satisfaction.
• Jeffrey Dahmer, who murdered and cannibalized victims is an example of a Hedonistic Killer.
• Power-Oriented Killers kill to feel control over their victims.
• Dennis Rader ("BTK Killer"), who taunted police with letters is an example of a Power-Oriented Killer.

Issues with Profiling

• Profiling is not scientifically proven, many profilers rely on intuition rather than solid research.
• Confirmation bias can occur, with investigators focusing too much on profiles and ignoring other suspects.
• Racial bias can occur, profiling can target innocent people (e.g., "The Doodler" case where 600 Black men were detained based on vague profiling).

Criminal Investigation & Forensic Identification

• Fingerprint analysis uses unique patterns to identify people.
• Fingerprint analysis can be unreliable due to poor quality prints or bias in analysis.
• DNA profiling is the most reliable forensic tool.
• Contamination and misinterpretation of DNA can lead to false positives.
• Ballistics analysis involves matching bullets to guns.
• There are no strict standards on what qualifies as a “match” in ballistics analysis.

Famous Wrongful Convictions Due to Bad Forensics

• Brandon Mayfield was wrongly arrested due to a faulty fingerprint match in the Madrid train bombings.
• Santae Tribble was convicted based on hair analysis, but DNA later proved none of the hairs were his (one was from a dog!).

Bias in Forensics

• Confirmation bias can occur if analysts know police suspect someone; they may unconsciously try to match evidence to them.
• The CSI Effect refers to jurors expecting forensic evidence in every case, which can lead to wrongful acquittals or convictions.

Key Court Cases

• Frye v. U.S. (1923) established the “general acceptance” rule for forensic evidence.
• Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals (1993) gave judges more power in deciding whether forensic evidence is valid.
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) used psychological research to prove that segregation harmed children.

Exam Tips

• Understand key concepts, think critically to discuss flaws, and review court cases.
• Use case examples when asked about profiling, like BTK or Ted Bundy.
• Forensic psychology applies psychology to law and crime.
• Criminal profiling is often inaccurate and based on intuition rather than science.
• Forensic evidence can be flawed due to bias or misinterpretation.
• Major court cases like Brown v. Board and Daubert shaped how psychology is used in law.