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History of Forensic Psychology

In the history of forensic psychology, psychologists have become instrumental in civic and criminal trials. This science’s claim to fame is a relatively recent one even though forensic psychology has been around since more than 100 years ago. In 1873, Wilhelm Wundt founded the first psychology laboratory in Leipzig, Germany. He was the one who gave us the foundation that has been refined and established as an experimental method as he applied it to psychology. Experiments were conducted within legal settings like criminal evaluation and witness testimony. These are still used today.

Then we have Hugo Munsterberg, who was an early psychologist who had the vision for seeing how the legal system could benefit from forensic science. He actually studied in Germany under Wilhelm Wundt. He later relocated to America. There he went to Harvard University to set up his laboratory. As the history of forensic psychology continued on to the year 1895 we have James McKeen Cattell. He began conducting his own experiments which are today considered to be the root of our modern forensic psychology. He would ask questions of students and track the responses rating them for accuracy. When he observed the discrepancies in their answers to the same question, he saw something about psychology and testimony. He set out to establish that psychology actually was a proven and bona fide science.

Results Springing From The History Of Forensic Psychology:

Again it was the late 1800s when psychologists started looking into what caused delinquency and crime and what were the motivations. There were new treatment facilities opened and then behavior diagnosis became popular. Of course as with anything new it had its skeptics. Forensic studies went silent from World War I through to the 70s when there was a revival of the science due to the influences of public policy and a new awareness of social behaviors. To date, forensic psychology is being used for sentencing criminals, determine their guilt or innocence, and to help determine the accuracy of eyewitnesses. It is used for giving relevance to lie detector tests and assisting attorneys in criminal trials. Forensic psychology has come a long way from the old days of the history of forensic psychology and still has a pretty long journey ahead. But it has come this far in a very short time and has caught the attention of many for helping to improve our communities.

How You Can Take Advantage Of The Progress Made From The History Of Forensic Psychology:

If you are interested in the history of forensic psychology and want to pursue a career in this fascinating field, then the opportunity is here. Your first move is to get the proper education and career training. Thousands of people today are achieving this through online distance education. You can take online courses to earn your degree right from your home and at your own pace. This gives you not just convenience but a great amount of flexibility. There are loads of fantastic accredited online colleges and universities where you can get the career training you need for a brand new career. All it takes is to find your school and get enrolled. You future is waiting for you to take action. Enroll today.