Applied Criminal Psychology: A Guide to Forensic Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Edition, is a scholastic review of literature central to the study of forensic sciences. The book comprises international and multidisciplinary applications in the fields of psychology, psychiatry, criminology, law enforcement, and legal practice. This comprehensive collection offers an introductory treatment of 15 fundamental topics. Moreover, it seeks to do so in a pragmatic manner, such that readers are well positioned to apply its material content readily. Compiler and editor Richard Kocsis, PhD, captures the aim of the text in his Preface: “The book is not merely written from one disciplinary perspective, and nor is it exclusively written by ivory tower theorists or pure clinicians, but instead seeks to optimally blend the collective knowledge, skills, and practical experience sourced in these disciplines and approaches” (p XX). Analyzing such a wide array of complex specialties, topics, and applications is no small task, but Kocsis and his contributors accomplish it, and deserve an unreserved recommendation for a wide audience of researchers, scholars, practitioners, educators, and trainees.
Kocsis is a renowned psychologist especially well known for his contributions to criminal profiling. Beyond his own expertise, Kocsis wisely selects authors from a list of esteemed scholars, educators, and practitioners. Many core themes are discussed, including an overview of mental disorders as they pertain to criminal behavior, the role of forensic specialists as expert evaluators and witnesses, mental state defenses, and risk assessment. The text then proceeds to the more nuanced topics of detecting deception, eyewitness memory, cognitive interviewing, forensic hypnosis, false confessions, criminal profiling, psychological autopsy, and crisis negotiation. Each chapter details the theoretical basis, practical implications, and future directions for a given topic. Kocsis and his contributors impart unparalleled insights supported by their appraisal of what they consider to be the most seminal supporting data.
The text, now in its second edition, builds on the first with an updated review of the literature, following the 2013 update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). In doing so, Kocsis affords the reader a comprehensive and useful review of extant literature. Emphasis is placed on one of the more common disorders in forensic practice, as appended from the initial work: antisocial personality disorder. The new edition further parses out accepted conceptualizations of psychopathy as a construct, as well as its various applications across areas of criminal study. Although the underlying theory is somewhat static, additional details and findings are apt and, perhaps to some, illuminating. Most pointedly, the Second Edition updates the initial version to reference contemporary topics, such as terrorism and mass shootings, as they apply to the content across chapters. Authors do not avoid controversial topics of academic and societal debate, nor do they offer presumptive perspectives; instead, they offer only the evidence basis that underlies forensic dogma, allowing readers to decipher their own interpretations and relevance.
Kocsis’s selection of experts across disciplines makes the book not only applicable to a variety of domains but also provides potentially novel content for individuals in adjacent areas of specialization. Coral Donado, Mark Palermo, Charles Scott, Philip Resnick, Elizabeth Loftus, and James Herndon are but a few of contributors widely regarded as leading experts in their respective fields, who are called on to identify foundational knowledge within their respective areas of concentration.
The text reviews themes raised by the media and the reactions they elicit. It does so in a manner that does not distract from the empirical data. The content and prose are succinct, with nearly every line relating a key finding. This default to empirical research directs readers toward the most salient facts without unnecessary detail or diversion. Rather than attempting to abridge information across chapters, Kocsis and contributors stay true to findings and avoid extending the evidence base into parallel realms where research findings might be applicable but remain indeterminate.
Another appreciated feature throughout the text is its review of psychoanalytical theories as they apply to forensic practice. Although their use in forensic settings is controversial, to paraphrase Maya Angelou: You can’t really know where criminology is going until you know where criminology has been. Provisional exploration of the psychoanalytical underpinnings affords insight into the origins and chronology of forensic practice and is rightly accompanied by, and often countered with, prevailing and widely accepted evidence in modern practice.
The book does have some pitfalls, although they are few and minor. Whereas antisocial personality disorder is extensively reviewed, in-depth discussion of other personality disorders as they apply to forensic study is somewhat lacking. Another omission error is the lack of discussion of psychometric instruments in lie detection and malingering assessments. Such discussion would be beneficial to those interested in conducting forensic evaluations. Generally, Kocsis and his authors make few errors of commission, but they could extrapolate further. The review of some topics may be considered cursory to some experts; however, even a disparaging reader must acknowledge that this as an inevitability given the latitude of the book. Indeed, terse overview garners value for readers who are early in their pursuit of forensic work and may serve as a focused reference guide for those with more experience.
Applied Criminal Psychology: A Guide to Forensic Behavioral Sciences, 2nd Edition, is a valuable resource for criminologists, forensic psychologists and psychiatrists, students of sociolegal processes, and all those involved in legal and investigative pursuits. The text is balanced, thorough, and accessible. The text is expansive, yet focused topics are detailed without apparent bias. This book is fitting for a field of study that should, at the least, rely on objective data. Kocsis and his authors steadfastly deliver on that goal.
Footnotes
Disclosures of financial or other potential conflicts of interest: None.
- © 2023 American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law
