10-02-155 Seminar on Forensic Psycholgy

Instructors: Prof. Dr. Peter Wetzels

Event type: Lecture

Displayed in timetable as: Rechtspsychologie

Hours per week: 2

Credits: 2,0

Language of instruction: German

Min. | Max. participants: - | -

Comments/contents:
The lecture "Legal Psychology" is an introductory course to legal psychology for students of law. After a description of the subject matter and the historical sources of legal psychology, psychological processes are discussed that can be influential in the context of determining the facts of a case as well as with respect to decisions concerning punishment and interventions.

Results of psychological research on perception and memory will be discussed. Furthermore the lecture will cover findings of developmental psychology and social psychology relevant to criminal proceedings as well. Special emphasis is placed on psychological processes relevant with respect to the reconstruction of facts in the context of criminal proceedings. Furthermore, the activities of psychologists as expert witnesses in the context of criminal proceedings will also be adressed. Particularly psychological research on eyewitnesses and on statement validity assesment will be persented. Central aspects of the psychological assessment of the culpability of offenders and the prognosis of future criminal behavior will be discussed as well.