Forensic psychology is a hot topic in modern media.
Andforensic psychologyplays an important role in real life.
It involves the psychological assessment of those involved in the legal system.
Frances Twitty / Getty Images
Here’s a look at how this fascinating specialty in the field of psychology evolved.
He found a surprising degree of inaccuracy, inspiring other psychologists to conduct their own experiments in eyewitness testimony.
Psychologist William Stern also studied witnesses' ability torecall information.
Stanford psychologist Lewis Terman began applying psychology to law enforcement in 1916.
In 1917, psychologist William Marston found that systolicblood pressurehad a strong correlation to lying.
This discovery would later lead to the design of the modern polygraph detector.
Forensic psychology was officially recognized as a specialization within psychology by the American Psychological Association in 2001.
Forensic psychology has continued to grow and evolve throughout the the past three decades.
Titchener EB.Wilhelm Wundt.American Journal of Psychology.
1921;32(2):161-178. doi:10.2307/1413739
Cattell JM.Measurements of the accuracy of recollection.Science.
1895;2(49):761766. doi:10.1126/science.2.49.761
Michell J.Alfred Binet and the concept of heterogeneous orders.Front Psychol.
2015;1(1):59-83. doi:10.1080/23744006.2015.1060080
American Psychological Association.Jenkins v. United States.
Bartol CR, & Bartol AM.History of forensic psychology.
