PSYCH230 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Forensic Psychiatry, Forensic Psychology, Mental Health Law
13 Jun 2013
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Forensic psychology: a field of psychology that deals with all aspects of human behaviour as it relates to the law or legal system. Two primary ways of defining forensic psychology: narrow definition. Focus on certain aspects of the field while ignoring other potentially important aspects. Example: focus on clinical aspects of the field while ignoring the experimental research that many psychologists (who refer to themselves as forensic psychologists) conduct. A field of psychology that includes the primarily clinical aspects of forensic assessment, treatment, and consultation . (otto and heilbrun, 2002) According to this definition, the only individuals who should call themselves forensic psychologists are those individuals engaged in clinical practice (i. e. , assessing, treating, or consulting) within the legal system. Unlike the narrow definition of forensic psychology, which focuses soely on the application of psychology, the broad definition does not restrict forensic psychology to applied issues.
