Throughout this paper information will be given about the infamous field of forensic psychology. First, it will explain what forensic psychology is and how it came about. Also, the paper will explain the current status of it, including for what forensic psychology is used and how it can help in a criminal investigation. The most important part of this research is how forensic psychology is being shown on television unrealistically. Forensic psychology is not a topic familiar to most people, and some may have never heard of it before. Despite the wrongful portrayal, forensic psychology is becoming more popular and still continues to grow throughout the years. It now has a wider variety of people who want to know more about the field which could be a reason why there are shows about it. Although it is a good thing forensic psychology is gaining popularity, it still is not being shown realistically, therefore steps should be taken to inform the public. Forensic psychology is a field that deals with both psychology and the law. It is the application of clinical specialties to the legal arena which emphasizes the application of clinical psychology into the forensic setting (American Psychological Association). Forensic psychology not only includes clinical psychology but neurology as well. This field is only one of the roles that psychologists can be involved in with the criminal justice system. Forensic psychologists work in court settings performing tasks that are requested by judges, prosecutors, or defense attorneys. The duties of a forensic psychologist are fairly limited - they're asked to perform a very specific job. Those specific jobs could be crucial in any court case.
James McKeen Cattell was an American psychologist who was the first professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a long-term editor of scientific journals and publications. Cattell conducted some of the earliest research on the psychology of testimony in 1893 at Columbia University.