Psychology is a field of science that is applied in every phase of human life. Psychology has many broad concepts in a theoretical framework. Psychological research and experimentation have strong ties with the profession of forensic psychology. My interest in diving into the investigative process came from the Criminal Mind program that I used to watch. The remarkable ability of psychological experts to decode the psychic behaviour and personality disorder of the criminal. The beauty of the profession is the assessment, investigation, and justification with the help of evidence. I choose Forensic psychology as my profession. Forensic psychologists are skilful and apply various approaches to interpreters to speak about their offences. Psychology runs in synchronization with forensics. Many available theories help investigate and resolve criminal cases and unleash the suspect’s mindset. The four concepts that are going to be part of my project would be:
- Psychological research
- Cognitive psychology
- Clinical psychology
- Social psychology
Psychological research
Psychologists work on human behaviour and the underlying mental and body processes that result in violent acts or illegal acts. The role of scientific research is to support the evidence that would solve the crime. Scientific knowledge is empirical and based on tangible evidence that can be analyzed repeatedly.
A person’s behaviour is observable, but the mind is not. For instance, if a person is suspected of murder, he/ she might not tell the truth about it. And he might hide it. So, the psychologist is responsible for assessing the suspect’s behaviour. Read the body language and devise an approach to pinpoint those loops. A forensic psychologist has scientific tools such as a polygraph to measure heart rate and blood pressure. This device can precisely tell a lie or truth that a suspect is speaking.
Likewise, criminal profiling is directly linked to criminal psychology and psychology research. Choosing an appropriate approach can help deduce results from empirical evidence based on scientific research. The forensic psychologist builds the criminal profile with the law investigators by analyzing the criminal’s personality and behaviour. Psychologists notice the suspect’s actions in every situation, whether consistent or not. (Liebbe, J, 2012)
Psychologist sometimes takes archival research help. They check out for the record for analyzing the particular behaviour of the individual under study.
Cognitive psychology
Cognition is the aspect of consciousness and explains a lot about people’s thinking. Forensic psychologists mainly focus on the interaction of the mind and the behaviour of the suspect. Forensic psychotherapy involves the use of cognitive theory. This theory includes the elements of impulsiveness and intelligence of the criminal personality. The psychologist’s focus would be evaluating personality traits behind the criminal offence.
Criminality is linked with personal behaviour. Low IQ People are more prone to criminal offences, and there is a negative relationship between intelligence and criminality. The other predictor of crime is impulsiveness. The response of action without thinking is the active predictor for categorizing the individual into suspects. Cognitive psychology focuses on mental processes. I say that the choice of a person that he makes is an indication of his criminal tendencies. Flaws In the individual’s thinking process such as poor thinking lead to criminal behavior. (Marsh, I, 2011)
Clinical psychology
A clinical psychologist who works as a forensic clinical psychologist must be a critical thinker and use verified approaches and testing methods based on scientific research to support the evidence. The addition of testimony in the court is the primary responsibility of the psychologist, who would testify in court about the defendant’s behaviour and state of mind. He would present the evaluation based on psychological approaches to the mindset at the time of the offence and would link his testimony with the legal code of conduct. (Openstax college, 2014)
Social psychology
Refers to the socially influencing risk factors that polish the behaviour and personality of the individual. It operates both at the interpersonal and intra-personal levels. A forensic psychologist will assess the suspect’s mindset how he interprets the situation and how it influences his behaviour. The effect of situational variables is directly linked to the probability of crime.
The significant risk factors for criminality are antisocial behaviour at the onset at an early age, impulsive behaviour, antisocial beliefs, association with criminal groups, poor parental guidance or abusive childhood, poor education, poor lifestyle or lack of recreation, and drug usage.
A psychologist will use social psychological theory to assess the environmental influence on criminal behaviour. He will devise a strategy for strengthening interpersonal relationship growth with the suspect and also work on the preventive measures to eradicate the social variables in assisting the criminal behaviour (Day, M.D & Marion, B.S)
I studied psychology and its various disciplines such as clinical, counseling, social psychology, and Cognitive field which developed my mind to mix it with science. Forensic psychology is an advanced field that has a broad horizon. Forensics, being the applied science for justice helps maintain justice and equality in society. Psychology is the internal framework that enabled me to investigate the suspect mind-body and gestures. Forensic psychology makes me more competitive professionally because it allows me to testify in court and cross-examine the assessment publicly. It encompasses law, research, investigation, critical thinking, knowledge skills, and competency. You only need a complete degree and enough training for case resolution.
References
Day, M.D & Marion, B.S. (n.d.). Applying Social Psychology to the Criminal Justice System. In M. &. Day, APPLYING SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY TO ARENAS OF LIF.
Liebbe, J. (2012, April). Criminal Profiling in Forensic Psychology. Retrieved from http://www.aequitasgroup.org: http://www.aequitasgroup.org/research/2012/04/criminal-profiling-in-forensic-psychology/
Marsh, I. (2011). Psychological Explanations for Criminal Behaviors: Chapter 3. In I. Marsh, Theories of crime.
Openstax college. (2014). Psychology. Texas: Rice University.
