Forensic psychology has witnessed a surge in interest among students and professionals over the past two decades. As an educator and practicing forensic psychologist of 15 years, I have watched as courses on forensic psychology swell with interested undergraduate and graduate students. I have also observed the prolifera- tion of continuing education seminars packed with professionals desiring to enter the field.

Much of this new interest has been accompanied by misunderstanding and misconceptions regarding the practice of forensic psychology. This misunderstanding is fueled to some extent by inaccurate portrayals of forensic psychologists in the popular media. Students and professionals demonstrate confusion regarding the activities and realm of practice of forensic psychologists. Recent movies and numerous television series fea ture characters portraying forensic psychologists. These savvy fictional characters profile serial killers and death row inmates feigning mental illness. Students fantasize about working as in-demand criminal profilers, assisting detectives at crime scenes by offering elaborate personality and behavioral descriptions of the elusive perpetrator. Unfortunately, even some professional seminars fall prey to the media hype. I actually attended a seminar at which the presenter recommended psychologists learn to evaluate blood splatter patterns. Psychologists should develop expertise in psychological techniques and not attempt to conduct crime scene investigations as part of their psychological duties.

Finally, even the professional scholarly literature adds to the confusion with authors adopting their own idiosyncratic definitions of forensic psychology, suggesting that the field encompasses nearly anything that touches on the legal system and psychology. Such a broad conceptualization of the field can include well- known areas of legal psychology such as expert testimony by cognitive psychologists on the fallibility of eye- witness testimony but can also include more esoteric areas, such as offering psychological expert opinion on trademark infringement or services provided as a trial consultant. Indeed, there is some debate in the literature as to whether most trial consultants are trained as psychologists or, rather, possess advanced degrees in com- munications. The fact that many trial consultants are not psychologists makes it difficult to suggest that this endeavor is part of forensic psychology. Because some psychologists are involved in trial consultation, it is in- cluded in this text as part of legal psychology. These broad, all encompassing definitions of forensic psychology confuse students and professionals alike. Although it may, at first glance, seem glamorous to visit a crime scene to analyze blood splatter patterns, or testify that a famous celebrity fits a particular criminal profile; these examples are not what forensic psychology is all about.

• GOAL OF THE BOOK The goal of this book is to present the practice of forensic psychology. Forensic psychology is an exciting field comprised of a variety of interesting opportunities for students and professionals. The impetus to write this textbook was triggered by a general dissatisfaction with current textbook offerings and a desire to disavow students of the misconceptions surrounding forensic psychology. Forensic psychology, as defined by the American Psychological Association, is the application of clinical specialties to the legal arena. This definition emphasizes the application of clinical services in forensic settings. Perhaps the most frequent duty of forensic psychologists is the psychological assessment of individuals who are involved, in one way or another, with the legal system.

One of the most common types of forensic psychological assessment is a competency to stand trial evaluation and will serve as an illustrative example of the work of forensic psychologists. In conducting a competency to stand trial evaluation, a forensic psychologist is asked to use his or her clinical skill in addressing a specific psycholegal question: is the defendant competent, as defined by a legal standard, to proceed to trial. The forensic psychologist evaluates the individual and reports back to the court his or her expert opinion on the defendant's competency. The majority of forensic evaluations follow this format. The forensic psychologist must address a specific psycholegal question and provide an expert opinion back to the court based on the psychologist's evaluation and clinical experience. A competency to stand trial evaluation is just one type of the many forms of forensic assessments a psychologist may be asked to perform. Forensic psychologists can also perform assessments for emotional damages in civil trials. Or a psychologist may assess a defendant's mental state at the time of an offense to offer an expert opinion on criminal responsibility. Police psychologists may conduct fitness-for duty evaluations of police officers. Correctional psychologists may evaluate incarcerated sexual predators to offer an opinion as to whether the inmate continues to pose a threat or should be released.

These assessments are just a few examples of forensic work discussed in the text. It should be obvious that many of these assessments are complicated and require expert clinical skills and a thorough understanding of the legal issues involved in the referral. Additionally, the forensic psychologist's opinion can have a significant impact on people's lives. For example, in civil cases involving a tort action for psychological damage, the forensic psychologist's opinion can play a major role in the jury's decision to award monetary damages to the plaintiff. Similarly, the Supreme Court has ruled that sexual predators can be civilly committed for an indefinite period if a forensic psychologist determines that the inmate continues to pose a threat to society. Finally, a forensic psychologist's testimony on aggravating and mitigating circumstances during the sentencing phase in a capital trial can mean the difference between life and death for the defendant. Certainly, due to the potential significant consequences of their work, forensic psychologists are expected to perform to the high standards of ethics and competence.

As stated above, this is a textbook about the practice of forensic psychology. As an academic and practitioner, I hope to convey the spirit of the scientist-practitioner model. Readers of the text will appreciate the fact that psychologists can be practitioners of the craft as well as scholars of the literature that drives the field. The focus of the text is on the applied, clinical aspect of the field, though several chapters do address popular areas in legal psychology. Legal psychology refers to the non-applied areas of psychology that interface with the legal system. The text is not a "how-to" guide on the practice of forensic psychology, but rather offers students and professionals interested in the field a broad overview of the many opportunities available to forensic psychologists.

FEATURES  Chapters are structured similarly, first offering an overview of the particular area of practice and then providing details on the specific practices within that area of forensic psychology.  Key concepts are presented at the beginning of the chapter and the reader is encouraged to review these terms before reading the chapter. This review will alert the reader to important concepts encountered in the chapter and may indicate a good time to break out the highlighter.  Case examples are provided when appropriate including examples from my own clinical work.  Definitions of new terms are provided in the margins on the page where the concept first appears.  Career information is provided for each area of practice. The information includes types of training opportunities and necessary skills to perform the work in the particular area. Results from job satisfaction surveys along with salary information from professionals working in the area are also provided when available.  Each chapter ends with a brief summary reviewing the major themes of the chapter.

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK The first three introductory chapters should be read sequentially and lay the basic foundation for the rest of the text. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the field of forensic psychology and a more detailed overview of each of the following chapters. Chapter 2 addresses the complex ethical and legal issues involved in the practice of forensic psychology. This entire chapter is devoted to the ethical and legal issues involved in forensic psychology due to the complexity and heightened significance of providing ethical services. Chapter 3 provides an introduction to psychological assessment and an overview of instruments frequently used in forensic practice. Each of the remaining chapters provides a detailed overview of specific practice areas in forensic psy- chology. The reader may chose to read these chapters in any particular order as they stand alone. Each chapter presents the work of forensic psychologists in the specific area. Chapter 4—Insanity Pleas and Competency Evaluations Chapter 5—Police Psychology Chapter 6—Correctional Psychology Chapter 7—Assessment of Psychological Injury Chapter 8—Child Custody Chapter 9—Trial Consultation Three chapters are devoted to areas akin to forensic psychology and include: Chapter 10—Criminal Investigation Techniques Chapter 11—Eyewitness Memory and Recovered Memory Finally, Chapter 12—Emerging Trends in the Field of Forensic Psychology - identifies some emerging trends in the field that are of particular relevance to individuals entering the practice of forensic psychology. An emphasis is placed on the future training models for forensic psychologists and professional implications due to the increase collaboration between the legal and psychological professions. It is my hope that this text instills in the reader an excitement and enthusiasm for the practice of forensic psychology. It is also hoped that the text helps to clarify what opportunities exist in the profession and en- courages readers to enter the practice of forensic psychology.