ABSTRACT
Forensic psychology' is a term used to cover the broad and growing area of psychological research and practice at the interface between psychology and law. It embraces both research on the characteristics, management and treatment of offenders (criminological psychology) and the application of psychological knowledge and theory to the processes of law and the courts (legal psychology). Criminological psychology stems from the important link between psychology and criminal behaviour long recognized in common law. This integration is most clearly seen in the development of social learning theory by the psychologist Albert Bandura. Bandura's approach aimed to change internal processes (i.e., cognitions) as well as overt behaviour, giving rise to the term 'cognitive-behavioural treatment' (CBT) and the associated methods of therapy. CBT interventions have become increasingly popular for use with offenders. Legal psychology, by contrast, traces its origins to Wilhelm Wundt, the father of experimental psychology.
