The Psychology Of Forensic Psychology

Everyday a different crime is committed; however, the reason or motive behind it is not always understood. Over the years, theories were developed to explain why certain crime occurs. For example, Andrea Yates was a mother of 5 who drowned her children due to a mental illness she endured, but there are many theories that play a vital role in explaining why she committed this crime. The theories that will be discussed throughout this paper are the Biosocial Trait Theory and the General Strain Theory.

This is one of the oldest arguments in the history of psychology. Each side indicates valid points, making it difficult to fully decide whether the motives of serial killers and criminals lie behind a subconscious intention routed from trauma over the course of their life, or if it is predisposed in their DNA. When nature and nurture outweigh other types of psychological trauma, a criminal can turn into a killer. These ideas can trigger psychopathic, sociopathic, and narcissistic behaviour (“Traumatic Experiences in Childhood and Psychopathy” 1). Analyzing these concepts help give probable reasoning for criminal actions.

How must it be to live in a criminal mind? How must it be to completely loose the sense of normality? I heartily believe that Forensic Psychology holds the key which opens an entire world of psychopathologies, mental deformities, twisted thoughts and repressed needs of bestiality. Besides letting you sink into the most dangerous minds, it gives you the armament to combat everything hiding in there- knowledge.

Ever since I was little I was extremely observant of the people surrounding me. I would watch and study their behaviors, always trying to figure out their thoughts and emotions. Recently I have realized that I could put my childhood play into a real life paying job, only instead of my peers I would get to study criminals. I don’t know much about Forensic Psychology other than the fact that I must achieve a PsyD, and I would be assigned different cities to live and work in. I want to learn about what is necessary for me to get the job, what the pay is, and what is required of me once I get the position.

It is no secret that forensic psychology is an example of an area where psychologists apply their knowledge of psychological approaches, methods and treatments to a specific problem. However, before assessing the implications, it is crucial to establish the research methods used in criminal

The Insanity defense is mentioned as confusing to the psychiatric and legal concept. Furthermore, it is explained that the word “insane” is more of a legal word, then a medical term, and therefor to prove a person or a criminal insane, one must find the mental condition, of a criminal, severely impaired to the point of losing one’s free will. A psychiatrist may be or may not able to determine such illness, and a jury’s decision solely based on a psychiatrists’ opinion may be grounded on unreliable evidence. Retrieved from; West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2 (2008).

According to the American Board of Forensic Psychology 2015 brochure,"Forensic psychology is the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system.” Forensic psychology refers to scientific theories and methods used to solve situations in the legal sector. It focuses upon linking psychology to the law. This is done through analysis of human behaviour during legal situations. As Zaky( 2009) stated ‘An important part of forensic psychology is the ability to work in court as a witness and discussing the psychological findings in the courtroom, providing information to those involved in the investigation of legal situations.’Although this is the definition, there are many cases

This documentary specifies that there is no easy answer to what is going on inside the mind of killers, and we cannot simply place these individuals into “neat diagnostic boxes” that explain why their actions turned so violent. However, the investigators present research studying different avenues regarding ways to “predict” the likelihood that an individual will commit violent crime, will maintaining that no method is perfect. Throughout the presentation, viewers are offered mountains of research highlighting a mix of nature and nurture ranging from neurologists from Harvard studying brain patterns affected by genetics, to psychologists studying maternal care and attachment during infancy.

1). Forensic Psychology is the application of the theories of psychology to law and the legal system. Issues of violence and its impact on individuals and/or groups delineate the main and central concerns in Forensics within the adult, juvenile, civil, and family domains. Forensic psychologists provide advice to legislators, judges, correctional officers, lawyers, and the police. They are called upon, for example, to serve as an expert witness, diagnose and treat incarcerated and probationed offenders, and screen and evaluate personnel in the law enforcement and judicial systems. Forensics encompasses a wide range of academic orientation. Synonyms for Forensic psychologists include criminal psychologist,

Psychology has always had a direct impact on my life for many years for example, I myself have had counselling sessions for anxiety. Experiencing this has given me a desire to work with people in understanding their behaviour and how their minds work to be able to empower individuals to lead better lives. My own personal experience with anxiety has also intrigued me into thinking why I think the way I do and what can be put into action to improve my circumstances.

First, psychological theory suggests that a person’s environment and past can influence their ability and desire to commit crime while biological theory suggest a person’s DNA makeup could influence their ability to commit crime. “Biological theories within the field of criminology attempt to explain behaviors contrary to societal expectations through examination of

Forensic psychological evaluations can help when decisions need to occur that involve an individual’s evaluation of readiness for parole or probation. When individuals are convicted of a crime, and then serve some or all of their sentence, they may be eligible for parole or probation. Developing measures that will help with this type of determination may greatly assist in preventing the early release of individuals that are highly likely to repeat criminal activity (Cohen, Serdlik, & Sturman, 2013). There are many variables that play a part in whether or not someone will lapse back into criminal activity; including length of incarceration, availability of meaningful employment, stable housing, reconnecting with family, and the accessibility

When looking at criminal activity and the direct connection to the criminal behavior we see that there have been many research trials that have taken place over the history of humankind (Mishra & Lalumiere, 2008). Two of these research areas that have been developed to attempt to understand the causes of criminal behavior are known as biological and psychological perspectives of crime causation. These two sectors have their principles that are held in their theories as a standard scientific understanding of the basics that each evaluation of criminal behavior is built on (Dretske, 2004).

As field, psychology was born of ancient philosophy and philosophers, and began to take root and grow in the 19th century (Candalis &Neal, 2014, p. 20). Psychologists started working with, and within, the courts in the early 1900’s (DeMatteo, Krauss, Marczyk & Burl, 2009, p. 185), however, the first big strides for forensic psychology were not made until 1954,

Figuring out why people commit crimes is one of the central concerns of criminology. Do most criminals act rationally after weighing the costs of crime? Is society ever to blame for an individual to commit a crime? Do mental diseases or even genetics factor into whether a person will live a life of crime. Over the years, many people have developed theories to try to answer these questions. In fact, the number of theories of why people commit crimes sometimes seems to equal the number of criminologists. I explore these questions and much more in the paper that follow.