PSYCH 3CC3 Lecture Notes - False Confession, Hypnosis, Forensic Dentistry
13 May 2018
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Table of Contents
Introduction to Forensic Psychology ...................................................................................................................... 2
Interviewing and Interrogation ............................................................................................................................... 4
Detecting Deception................................................................................................................................................ 9
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Introduction to Forensic Psychology
• In reality, criminal profiling is usually inaccurate and innocent people are often profiled
• Micro-expressions – millisecond facial expressions and involuntary body language that expose truth
behind lies; can be noticed through videotaping someone
o Emotions DO NOT correlate to truth or lies
• CSI Effect – jurors have an expectation that every criminal case should revolve around forensic
evidence and distrusts cases that don’t involve any (CSI shows have a ton of evidence in their cases)
o Only 10% of criminal trials involve forensic evidence
• Forensic Sciences
o Anthropology – victim identification from bones, facial reconstruction
o Biology – applies biological knowledge to court proceedings. Includes botany (seeds/twigs r/t
location of body), entomology (bugs in dead animals/humans to determine how long they’ve
been there)
o Chemistry – analysis of substances found on/around the body
o Engineering – accident reconstruction, fire & explosion analysis, determining where flaws were
when structures collapse
o Medicine – pathology, odontology (forensic dentistry, bite marks), toxicology (poisons)
o Meteorology – weather on that day
o Accounting – analyzes the books r/t criminal proceedings for fraud
• Only 45-59% of forensic evidence is analyzed – most labs don’t have proper equipment
o Analysis usually involves examination by an expert, but there is high error rate (one expert will
say one thing and another will say opposite)
o High error rate for: bite marks, tool marks, bullet comparisons, fingerprints (b/c fragments of
fingerprint is analyzed), hair, etc.
o DNA comparisons are the only reliable way of analyzing forensic evidence
• Forensic Psychology Timeline
1842 – begins w/ fiction books “Murders in the Rue Morgue”, main character profiles the offender
1887 – Sherlock Holmes appears, shows criminal profiling as well in “A Study in Scarlet”
1888 – Whitechapel murders, 11 murders occurred and the first offender profile was provided by Dr.
Thomas Bond. Letter was written to a London newspaper admitting to the crime, signed by Jack the
Ripper (but he wasn’t the actual offender)
1895 – James McKeen Cattell conducts research on memory accuracy, begins scientific basis of
forensic psychology (since criminal profiling is not really scientific)
1896 – Albert von Schrenk-Notzing testifies about negative effects of pre-trial publicity on witness
recall
1901 – William Stern conducts research on eyewitness testimony and leading questions
1908 – Hugo Munsterberg publishes “On the Witness Stand”, the first forensic psychology book.
Known as the grandfather of forensic psychology
1916 – Lewis Terman’s Standford-Binet IQ Test (intelligence quotient) is implemented when selecting
police/fire applicants in California. Want someone who doesn’t have a low IQ but not too high either
(will get bored) upper quartile is best
1923 – W. Marston provides expert testimony r/t polygraph (lie detector) results. Measured through
blood pressure. Polygraphs are not permitted in court b/c it is unreliable but it is also the jurors’ job to
decide whether offender is lying/telling the truth
1954 – segregation in schools were overruled; psychologists gave testimonies about effects of
segregation on children
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1962 – court recognizes testimonies of clinical psychologists r/t mental illness were valid b/c
experience, expertise, and knowledge is more important than credentials. No longer just psychiatrists
allowed
2001 – American Psychological Association recognized forensic psychology as a specialization within
psychology
• What forensic psychologists do:
o Civil Cases – not involved w/ criminal conduct (will not be covered in this course)
▪ Child custody assessments – testifies about best interest of the child, what the child
wants, suitability of parents as part-time/full-time parents, interviews members of the
family
▪ Civil competence assessments – determines ability to make competent decisions,
especially w/ older adults and end-of-life decisions/wills
▪ Expert testimony in damage & workman’s compensation cases – accidents and worker’s
compensations
o Criminal Cases (in the order of occurrence in a criminal case)
▪ Offender profiling – smallest & least scientific of forensic psychology
▪ Competence to stand trial – individuals w/ some mental illnesses may be unable. Will be
treated until able to participate in trial process. In Canada, only medical professionals can
make this judgement, not clinical psychologists
• Insanity is not a psychological/medical term. It is a legal term w/ legal standards
▪ Assist in jury selection – aka jury consulting. Mostly in the US w/ large companies that
have a lot at stake or civil cases
▪ Expertise of witness testimony – provide expert testimonies about inaccuracy of
eyewitness testimony
▪ Chances of rehab – provides testimony and makes judgements about an individual’s
ability to be rehabilitated, their risk of violence. Determines parole and length of stay in
jail
o Academics/Researchers – conduct research on forensic issues like: detecting truth & deception,
memory & eyewitness testimony, jury psychology, offender characteristics. Provides expert
testimony in trial on research
• Where forensic psychologists work: private clinical practice, private consultant to attorneys,
hospital/mental health unit clinician, university academic researcher, law enforcement agency
• Subfields of Forensic Psychology
o Clinical-forensic psychology – asses and treat mental illness, expert testimony r/t mental states
in civil & criminal cases, research on clinical-forensic issues. Requires PhD in clinical
psychology + clinical internship
o Developmental psychology – focused on policy more than treatment, testify child competence,
preferences, juvenile competence, sentencing options, effects of abuse (psychological abuse
includes humiliation, segregation), competence of elderly. Academic w/ PhD
o Social psychology – interested in ways groups form to affect individuals, jury psychology &
decision-making (how jurors reach a verdict), research on social influences on witness memory,
credibility. Academic w/ PhD
o Cognitive psychology – ways in which people think, encompasses research r/t cognitive
processes in memory (factors that influence what we remember over time), decision-making.
Academic w/ PhD
o Criminal investigative psychology – study & consult on police psychology, assessment,
criminal profiling, counselling for police & victims. Masters or PhD w/ assessment and/or
clinical expertise
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Document Summary
1842 begins w/ fiction books murders in the rue morgue , main character profiles the offender. 1887 sherlock holmes appears, shows criminal profiling as well in a study in scarlet . 1888 whitechapel murders, 11 murders occurred and the first offender profile was provided by dr. Letter was written to a london newspaper admitting to the crime, signed by jack the. 1895 james mckeen cattell conducts research on memory accuracy, begins scientific basis of forensic psychology (since criminal profiling is not really scientific) 1896 albert von schrenk-notzing testifies about negative effects of pre-trial publicity on witness recall. 1901 william stern conducts research on eyewitness testimony and leading questions. 1908 hugo munsterberg publishes on the witness stand , the first forensic psychology book. 1916 lewis terman"s standford-binet iq test (intelligence quotient) is implemented when selecting police/fire applicants in california. Want someone who doesn"t have a low iq but not too high either (will get bored) upper quartile is best.
