Forensic Psychology

A specialty area of psychology that deals with issues at the intersection of psychology and the law. Forensic psychologists may, for example, be employed to provide expert testimony to the courts, assess a defendant's competence to stand trial, assist in the selection of jurors, or evaluate whether someone is malingering (i.e., faking) mental illness. Forensic psy chologists may also be appointed by the court to evalu ate the defendant's state of mind at the time of the offense or a defendant's risk of committing future dangerous behavior. Forensic psychologists may carry out research or provide testimony on issues related to eyewitness tes timony, jury decision making, false confessions, or the detection of deception. Furthermore, some forensic psy chologists assist the courts in child custody cases. For more information, see Adler (2004).