Investigative Forensic Psychology MSc

Modules

• Witness psychology
  This Module begins with an introduction to the main areas of cognitive psychology which are key for witnessing a crime prior to reviewing the importance of eyewitnesses in the Criminal Justice System but also the fallibility of eyewitness evidence. There will be an in depth discussion of factors affecting eyewitness memory and suggestibility. This is followed by sessions on interviewing witnesses, detecting deception and interviewing suspects. These latter sessions will particularly emphasise what can be done to improve the accuracy of evidence.
• Psychological aspects of investigation
  This Module will consider the contribution of psychology to the investigation of crime. It will cover two core areas: offender profiling and eyewitness identification. Different methods used in offender profiling will be included and teaching and learning will draw heavily upon case studies. For identification there will be a discussion of factors affecting accuracy and procedural matters.
• Investigative research methods 1
  This Module provides students with an introduction to the study of Psychology as a science. It does this via a study of some of the key conceptual, methodological, and statistical issues that psychologists face when studying human behaviour. As well as issues surrounding experimental design and ethical principles in psychological research, the Module also gives an introduction to descriptive and inferential statistical methods and qualitative research methods. The experimental design and statistical skills gained in this Module will enable students to think more critically about published empirical work and their own research.
• Investigative research methods 2
  This Module develops on the issues studied in Psychological Research Methods 1, introducing more sophisticated and powerful statistical techniques and methods of data collection. The Module focuses on the techniques students are likely to adopt for their research project, furnishing them with the methodological and statistical skills needed to design, implement, and analyse an extensive piece of independent research (such as their dissertation).
• Vulnerable witnesses and suspects
  This Module deals with a major problem area within the investigative process: that of vulnerable witnesses and suspects. It is also an area where psychology has the potential to be of great value. Vulnerability in witnesses and suspects can be due to cognitive, social, mental health and individual difference (e.g. age) factors. This Module considers the implications of such vulnerability factors in the context of the reliability of testimony. With respect to mental health and intellectual disability, assessment methods will also be studied. Finally, we discuss stalking and domestic abuse where victims may be deemed vulnerable due to the on-going nature of their victimisation.
• Decision making in the forensic context
  This Module begins with an introduction to the main areas of social and cognitive psychology which are key for understanding how decisions are made within the forensic context. Such decision making is likely to include police and magistrate bail decisions, jury decision making, and judicial decision making. Additionally factors that affect jury decision making such as pre-trial publicity, perceptions of eyewitness evidence and expert witness evidence will be reviewed.
• Dissertation
  The dissertation provides students with the opportunity to independently design, execute, and write up a piece of research in an area of Investigative Psychology. The research should be novel and make a new contribution to their chosen area of investigative psychology. Each student will be assigned a research supervisor who will supervise the student throughout the course of the dissertation from initial ideas to the final version of the written dissertation. The final dissertation will be between 8,000 and 10,000 words.