Assignment

 Hierarchical development of
forensic psychology (world level)
 History of forensic psychology in
India

Forensic psychology
 Forensic psychology is a specialized field that applies
psychological principles to the legal system. It
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 involves using scientific knowledge and methods to
help answer Legal questions in criminal, civil,
contractual or other Judicial proceedings.
 The American Psychological Association (APA)
provides a forensic psychology definition of “the
application of clinical specialties to the legal arena.”
Professionals in the field apply tools, research, and
ideas from psychology to legal situations.
 Forensic psychology also focuses on clarifying
conflicts between psychological ethical standards &
the demands of law.
Hierarchical Development of Forensic
Psychology (Word level) Early Research
I. The Father of psychology, Wilhelm Wundt in the year
1897 founded his first lab for the research in this
field in Germany.
II. James Mckeen Cattell, 1893, conducted research on
the psychology of testimony. He posed a lot of
questionnaire to the students of Columbia university,
asking to mark the responses & their rate of
confidence behind their answers. There was great
inaccuracy.

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III. AlFred BiNET, a French psychologist best
remembered for developing the first widely used
intelligence tut, As this test was became useful for
many future assessment tools.
IV. WILLIAM STERN, 1903, also studied witnesses ability
to recall information. The result obtained was that
even the eye witnesses were not of their statement
which pointed at the usefulness of the eye witness in
the court of law.
Forensic psychology in the court
 In 1896, a psychologist by the name of Albert Von
Schrenck- Notzing testified at a murder trial about
the effects of suggestibility on testimony.
 In 1908, HUGO MUNSTERBERG published “ ON THE
WITNESS STAND” a book advocating the use of
psychology in legal matters
 In 1909, Clinic for juvenile offenders established by
psychologist grace M. FERNALD & psychiatrist
William Healy.
 In 1911, J. Varen donck becomes one of the earliest
psychologist to testify in a criminal trial, held in
BELGIUM.

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  In 1917, LOUIS TERMAN becomes the 1st American
psychologist to use psychological tests in the
screening of law enforcement personnel.
 In 1917, psychologist William Marston found that
systolic blood pressure had a strong correlation to
lying. This discovery would later lead to the design of
MODERN POLYGRAPH DETECTOR.

Bench Marks Leading To Recent

Progress In Forensic Science
 1924, WISCONSIN becomes the 1st state to provide
comprehensive psychological examinations of all
admissions to its prison system and all applications
for parole.
 1931- HOWARD BURTT’S legal psychology is
published the first textbook in the forensic area
written by a psychologist.
 1991- The American Academy of Forensic psychology
& American psychology – Law society publishes
“SPECIALTY GUIDELINES FOR FORENSIC
PSYCHOLOGISTS”.
 2001- The American psychological Association
recognizes forensic psychology as a specialty.

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  2008- The American psychological Association
recertified forensic psychology as a specialty.
 2013- The specialty Guidelines for forensic
psychology are published. Forensic psychology is
described as “professional practice by any
psychologist working within any Sub discipline of
psychology when applying the scientific, technical, or
specialized Knowledge of psychology to the law to
assist in addressing legal, contractual &
administrative matters.”

Hierarchy of forensic psychology

Forensic psychology began in 1879 when Wilhelm Wundt
founded the first t psychological Laboratory in Germany.
Wundt is often called the Father of Psychology.

Other key features in history of

forensic science include
 HUGO MUNSTERBERG- Published on the witness
stand : Essays psychology & Crime in 1908.
MUNSTERBERG- is sometimes called the father of
forensic psychology.
 SIGMUND FREUD- Discussed how psychopathological
processes play a role in criminal behavior.
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  LIGHTNER WITMER- significant early figures in
forensic psychology
 WILLIAM HEALY – significant early figures forensic
psychology.

Forensic Psychology In India

 The growth of forensic psychology began in the year
1917 when Prof. Prafulla Chandra Bose wrote a
thesis on how forensic psychology must be used in
understanding criminals and their behaviour.
 He gave the idea that one cannot give judgment in
any case without understanding the crime that has
been committed. For instance, in the Mental Health
Act 2012, regarding the crime the crimes committed
by mentally ill persons who labelled as insane were
sent for treatment to the hospital.
 The first lie detection division was set up at the
Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) of the
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) by 1968.
 In the very beginning, there were no proper training
centers for professionals to be trained for lie
detection. That time to conduct the lie detection
tests they followed the procedures and
methodologies described by Reid and Inbau in the

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 book “Truth and Deception: The polygraph (lie-
detector) technique” published in 1966. Since 1972,
many forensic science laboratories had been started
polygraph machines in various states of India.
 While the forensic psychology department as such,
Dr. S.L. Vaya conducted the first narco-analysis
authorized by the court in 1989. But this was against
the person in question.
 Later many more innovations had been taken place
in the field of forensic psychology. This polygraph
and narco-analysis are also used in many cases such
as the Nithari killings, stamp scan, the double
murder case of Noida.
 For forensic psychology to become one of the
important parts of the criminal investigation a lot
more work needs to be done and a lot more
acceptance is essential.