Psychology

1. Psychology

2. Psychology • Psychology is defined as the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes. • Subset of psychology is criminal psychology: the study of wills, thoughts, intentions and reactions of criminals • A subset of criminal psychology is forensic psychology: the intersection between psychology and the justice system

3. Criminal Profiling • is a behavioral and investigative tool that is intended to help investigators to profile unknown criminal subjects or offenders. Offender profiling is also known as criminal profiling, criminal personality profiling, criminological profiling, behavioral profiling or criminal investigative analysis • 3 main goals of criminal profiling: • to provide law enforcement with a social and psychological assessment of the offender • to provide law enforcement with a “psychological evaluation of belongings found in the possession of the offender” • to give suggestions and strategies for the interviewing process

4. Brain Structure • Brain scans have showed that on average there is an 18 percent reduction in the volume of the brain's middle frontal gyrus, and a 9 percent reduction in the volume of the orbital frontal gyrus — two sections in the brain's frontal lobe • Another study has showed that criminals suffer abnormalities or deformations in their amygdala

5. Common Psychological Disorders