Forensic Psychology: Key Historical Figures

To fully appreciate a subject it’s important to be aware of the key historical figures who helped shape its identity. This article identifies a number of individuals who did just that within the field of forensic psychology.

Wilhelm Wundt

In terms of a tangible landmark in the history of forensic psychology the most significant development was the founding of the first psychological laboratory in 1873 by Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig Germany.

Wilhelm Wundt championed and refined the experimental method within psychology. This rigorous methodology provided the framework for a whole host of applied psychological investigations, among them certain legal issues. For instance, a number of experiments were conducted into the nature of witness testimony, the findings of which highlighted the effects of situational and individual differences; which incidentally are still being examined today.

Hugo Munsterberg

An engaging and controversial figure Hugo Munsterberg was a key figure in the history of forensic psychology. He studied under Wundt at Leipzg before moving to the USA in 1892 to set up an experimental laboratory at Harvard; the principal aim of which was to introduce applied psychology into the courtroom.

He conducted research into witness memory, false confessions and the role of hypnosis in court. One of his earliest experiments tested subjects’ ability to discriminate between sounds heard in quick succession. Almost sixty years later his findings were included as part of the preparation for the trial (which for obvious reasons never actually took place) of Lee Harvey Oswald to help address the question of how many shots had been fired during the assassination of President Kennedy.

William Marston

Another important visionary in the history of forensic psychology. Marston was a student under Munsterberg who conducted research into the physiological effects of deception i.e. lie detector tests.

Alfred Binet

In 1889 Alfred Binet co-founded the first psychological laboratory in France. Having studied medicine and law he was interested in how psychology could be applied within the legal system, particularly in relation to witness testimony. However, it was Binet’s work into intellectual assessment that was to have the greatest forensic impact. Working alongside Theodore Simon, he developed the first psychometric test of intelligence, the principles of which proved the basis for later forensic assessment. For instance, in the US the Wechsler Intelligence test for children was regularly employed as part of proceedings within juvenile court.

Later, group testing became extremely popular, particularly within the armed services as a way of selecting recruits and before long objective tests were being employed across a host of professions and for a variety of purposes as a means of measuring behavioural traits, skills, attitudes etc. Significantly for the practice of forensic psychology this included the judiciary who began allowing test results to be presented as evidence in court.

For a comprehensive review of the history and all major topic areas within forensic psychology visit http://www.all-about-forensic-psychology.com/

Having worked as a lecturer in psychology in the UK, I recently moved to sunny Spain with my family, where I now work as a distance learning tutor and research dissertation supervisor.

Since 2000, I’ve been involved in collaborative research with teams of forensic scientists in the UK, US and Canada.

Why The Psychological Effects Of Acne Is More Serious Than The Physical Effects

The psychological effects of acne are far worse than the physical black heads and red bumps. Acne will leave you traumatized and also have a negative impact on your social life. This is because most of us are afraid of showing our faces in public for fear of what other people are going to think about us. Fortunately, emotional impacts of acne are reversible if you go for therapy.

What are the psychological effects of acne?

Low quality of life

Reduced quality of life is one of the psychological effects of acne. Most of us are worried about other people noticing the breakouts and would rather stay indoors and hide. This will have a negative impact on your life because you will avoid even the things you love doing most. For instance, a person who usually spends most of his time in the swimming pool will avoid swimming because he is afraid that people will notice the spots on his body. This is especially prevalent in teenagers who are still trying to adapt to changes taking place in their body. It can also happen in adults who have struggled with since puberty.

Social isolation

It is not uncommon for people with acne to have low self-esteem. The society we live in emphasizes a lot on physical appearance and this includes having a spotless face. Since blemishes are a common physical effect of acne, people with acne will try to hide their blemishes in an effort to be accepted by those around him. They will try to cover up the black spots with makeup but what they do not realize that makeup only worsens the acne condition.

Your relationship with members of the opposite sex is also affected because of low self-esteem. Besides, the person is always afraid of approaching someone he or she likes because of fear that they might reject him. You may also start having problems at your place of work because of taking too many personal breaks. In some cases, the person with acne can cut all social ties and may go into depression.

Depression

Depression is one of the most common psychological effects of acne. Most people believe that acne is caused by poor skin hygiene and it results in self blame which translates into depression. This misconception about the cause of acne has caused embarrassment and stigma for those who have acne with family and friends criticizing the person. What most of us do not realize is that we are not to blame for the occurrence of acne. Acne is caused by excess production of oil which usually occurs during pregnancy, menopause, menstruation and puberty. These are things which we have no control over and the sooner we accept them, the sooner we will learn to live with acne.

While the psychological effects of acne can ruin your life, depression can also worsen he condition. This means that the more you become stressed, the worse your acne will become. People are therefore advised to avoid stress since it is the only way to get rid of acne.

With the psychological effects of acne causing havoc in your life, it is only fair that you learn how you prevent depression and social dysfunction. Acne is hard to treat but this does not mean that it is not curable. You can increase your chances of recovering if you seek treatment early. This way you can prevent the psychological impacts of acne. If you are a parent, it is advisable that you learn more about acne so you can help your kid. You should not wait for acne to heal on its own since this might never happen and your kid will continue to face discrimination is school and from his or her siblings.

Acne can cause havoc in the life of a teenager or adult. While acne is a physical condition, it has a worse impact on the emotional and mental health of the patient. It may leave the person isolated and feeling embarrassed about people noticing his blackheads. The society does not make it any easier for people with acne since they are blamed for failing to take good care of themselves. Parents and the society need to understand that the person is not responsible in order to prevent the psychological effects of acne.

About The Author

My name is Sunil Visvambaram. I’m currently doing a research on natural adult acne treatments and writing articles on my findings. Acne is a skin disorder condition that affects almost any part of your body. But it primarily affects on your face. This has become a serious issue that many actually overlook. In fact, it affects more than 17 million adults in the US alone! If you let your acne unattended, it can really turn out to become a severe condition which needs medical attention. Please visit my website http://adultacnetreatmentreviews.com for more information on how to prevent, manage and cure your acne permanently.